S.M. Moon: Address to a Legacy of Peace Program in New York, March 2010
Written by Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Founder, Universal Peace Federation
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Excerpts of remarks made by Rev. Sun Myung Moon at "Legacy of Peace" Programs
March 2010
What is the path that humanity should take today? Every year, tens of millions of innocent lives are being sacrificed due to war, disease, starvation and natural disaster that arise in all corners of this world. In every field that you look — whether it is that of religion, politics, education, culture or ideology — individuals and even nations are completely stuck.
In the end, the problems afflicting humanity can only be resolved through the vision of “One Family Under God,” in other words the teachings of true love. This is the only way for humankind to find the path toward peace and happiness.
We are living in a historic time of great transition. It is a time for a great, historical revolution to unite the spiritual and physical worlds and to create the ideal kingdom of heaven that God has longed for since the beginning of time. We can no longer postpone or prolong the fulfillment of His wish. I have already proclaimed that January 13, 2013 will be a “Foundation Day," the actual beginning and birth of God’s Kingdom on earth, the Cheon Il Guk.
Yet, only three years remain. Therefore, now it is time for humankind to humbly be obedient to Heaven’s decree. An unavoidable time is upon us today where we must invest ourselves completely in this life or death commitment for the remaining three years under the guidance of the True Parents who carry out providence on this earth as the substantial representatives of God, the king of kings. All the good spirits in the spirit world are mobilized and are already moving forward one step ahead of you.
How great is the pain God suffered the moment His children, whom He had created through His continuous devotion since time unmemorable, fell and disappeared into the darkness, becoming part of Satan’s lineage? Have you ever thought how your Father, who had to endure thousands and tens of thousands of years in excruciating pain that numbed the bones and stung the flesh, had to go through a long and dark tunnel of indemnity as he tried to save His lost children? I’m asking you if you ever shed even a single tear for this pitiable Father.
God sent Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, to this earth 2,000 years ago to save humanity. However, Jesus suffered a tragic end. The leaders of Judaism and people of Israel who were supposed to receive Jesus as the Messiah and follow the path of absolute faith and obedience were tragically unable to recognize him. Jesus was forced to take the path of the cross. He unexpectedly left this world leaving behind the words “It is finished,” indicating only spiritual salvation. After 2,000 years of preparation, his Second Coming has finally borne the fruits of his labor on the Korean peninsula.
From the past, the Korean people have worshiped God as the highest and primal ancestor of their forefathers. They called that single being and progenitor of all people “The One”; in other words, God. From this we can say that all numbers began from one. The Korean people served God as their original ancestor and thus the spirit of interdependence, mutual prosperity, and universally shared values are alive in the soul and tradition of this race. They have maintained themselves over 5,000 years of history, yet not once have they invaded or plundered another nation or people. The spirit of “benefiting all mankind” still flows in the veins of the Korean people.
On the foundation of such preparation, and riding on the energy of this peninsula, I finally appeared as the True Parent of humankind, the king of kings who received the seal from Heaven. The lofty values and traditions of Korea are not just matters of historical chance. Based on these, Heaven prepared this race; this was all part of the providence of creating a foundation to send the Messiah.
If you view the flow of history through eyes that focus on God’s providence, you can see that the changes of the times can be broadly classified into three stages. First, is the “era of worldly matters,” in other words, a time where materialism was given priority. Next, is the “era of human affairs,” a human-centric era where people's knowledge and emotions took priority and dominated the world.
However, these eras were transitional. They were courses of preparation that were needed in order to enter the era in which human beings could rid themselves of fallen nature, return to their original self, and live as one family where they attend God as the Father.
The “era of heavenly affairs” is the final stage in which humanity should follow the “path of living for the sake of others” after establishing an absolute standard on the foundation of purifying themselves, both inside and out, through the holy blessing ceremony. In other words, the era in which we live today is the time of opening up the era of God’s kingdom, known in Korean as Cheon Il Guk, a time in which we can return to the heart of the one true God. Please engrave this point in your hearts.
The path that humanity must take is clear. What would give us cause to hesitate in the face of the D-Day that Heaven has revealed through us, the True Parents? Heaven’s blessings will be with you on your audacious course.
Once the actual time of Cheon Il Guk begins, the spiritual and physical worlds will be connected and they will be brought into oneness. Moreover, the providence will be carried out under the heavenly law and the heavenly way. Elections conducted in a purely secular way will disappear from the face of this earth. Humanity will become as one family through cross-cultural marriage and the world peace blessing, and we will enjoy peace and happiness in the sacred reign of peace. I am saying that we have only three years left till that day.
As part of preparing for that time, on February 14, I proclaimed to all of heaven and earth, the start of the new “heavenly calendar.” The Gregorian calendar and lunar calendar shall now stand in the position of Cain and Abel and serve the role of supporting the heavenly calendar by which we will record and indicate the progress of God’s providence.
I already have prepared the last words I will give to humankind. These words were prepared based on my triumphs over more than six life-or-death situations during periods of imprisonment I have experienced in my life. I have left behind eight different volumes of books as the text books and teaching materials for humankind for all eternity. These textbooks are books that you will have to read and study even after entering the spirit world. They are not just the words or teachings that come from the mind of human beings. They are the textbooks that teach the heavenly way, which God granted to His suffering children for their salvation.
You should now set up the tradition where three generations of a family start each day by reading the words of Heaven and practicing them with a new mind. Let’s create a world where the spirit world and the earthly world can both attend True Parents at the same time and read the words of the heavenly way together. Once this happens, no matter how hard Satan may try to worm his way in and infest your lineage, he will have no place to stand in the face of that tradition. If a family lives aligned with God as at high noon — where no shadow is cast — and still does not received God’s blessings, then who would merit them? When such heavenly families fill this earth, this planet will automatically become the heavenly kingdom on earth that fulfills the vision of “One Family under God.”
Last year, my memoirs were published. Through this book I shared some of the details of how I struggled to find God’s will for humanity and the path that human beings, as God’s children, should follow. I recommend my autobiography to you, believing that it will show you actual proof of a life led according to the truth. It does not subtract or add anything to the 90 years of my life, which I have led under Heaven’s decree. I pray you will carefully read this record of true love and find great inspiration.
I have said that a life of vertical “noon-time” alignment casts no shadow. If we all can shine as we live such a glowing life, there will be no chance for a shadow of sin to be cast. Those who receive the light will be indebted to the light. I pray that you can now wipe away the tears of the poor and deprived, and lead an illuminated life of eternal true love that disperses all darkness.
Once again, I offer my heartfelt thanks for gracing this occasion with your presence. I pray that you will live in good health and in the abundance of God’s love. I pray that the blessings of God, the king of kings, will be upon you, your family and your nations.