Ep 385 - New Hope For China Part 2
New Hope for China #20
♦ KEY POINTS: True Mother proclaimed, “Henceforth, all civilizations will bear fruits as the Pacific civilization... (It) is not to be a self-centered civilization based upon conquest and plunder.” It will be a “culture of filial devotion for Heaven (hyo- jeong), characterized by true love.” Centered on Korea, it will bring “harmony and unity among the civilizations.” Taiwan was declared one of 12 Abel countries. It must help and save China which is in Cain’s position. ♦ We need to create a new culture of heart and a revolution of the heart centered on the absolute values of God. Language, philosophy, art, science, religion, mathematics -- all fields should be imbued with God’s heart. The purpose of the new cultural revolution and the heart of revolution is to create one family under God and an ideal world centered on God. ♦ Abraham’s three offerings represent three stages in our life of faith. The age of the dove is the age of forming a good relationship with the Word when we first join the church. The age of the ram is the age of implementing the Word and forming good relationships with people centered on Abel and looking for Cain. The age of the heifer is the age of receiving the Blessing, creating a family, forming our tribe and standing in a position of being respected by others. We obey the Word like a dove, are humble before Abel like a ram, and when we marry, we are faithful to God's will as the owners of love like heifers. Then we take ownership of Cheonil Guk and become masters of the kingdom of heaven on earth. ♦
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Dr. Yong: Today I am going to New York from Hawaii. So I had to record the sermon. It takes 12 or more hours to get to New York from here, including changing planes.
Today I would like to speak about “New Hope for China” from the contents of True Mother’s Memoir.
<Mother of Peace, Page 330-332> Following the World Assembly, we held the Hyojeong True Love Family Blessing Festival at the Nangang Exhibition Center. The venue was packed with some 7,000 couples from throughout Taiwan. They were eager to participate in this uplifting festival and receive the marriage Blessing. Former Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien, who is widely respected in Taiwan, introduced me, saying: “Thanks to the Heaven-centered activities of Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, we have now become one family transcending race, nationality and civilization. It is an honor for me to be a part of this wonderful event.”
Two young Taiwanese siblings gave a beautiful testimony about their amazing experiences helping prepare for the event. The little 9-year-old girl named Jia-jen had publicized the festival by handing out pamphlets for 20 minutes after school every day.
In her testimony, she mentioned not being able to remain idle when her True Mother was traveling all over the world to realize Vision 2020. One day, something very special happened to her: The 60-year-old owner of a restaurant, who often walked along that street, was moved to see the child’s devotion in handing out pamphlets day after day at the same time and place. She stopped to talk. This little girl shared her heart with the much older lady, who ended up attending the festival.
Not to be outdone, her older brother Ding-jun also worked hard for the upcoming Blessing. Every day, he offered devotions, publicized the festival and searched for Blessing candidates. Because he invested so much time in public outreach, he had neglected his studies and received low grades during school exams. His worried parents came to him and asked, “As a student, shouldn’t studies be your priority?”
“I will study after True Mother’s visit to Taiwan,” he replied and he concentrated even more on his outreach efforts.
As a result, this young man brought 27 couples to receive the Blessing, including one village head and his wife. In Taiwan, village heads represent 5,000 to 10,000 residents. The young man was able to dedicate this amazing result to Heaven. He and his younger sister’s achievements serve as truly moving examples of the beautiful tradition of filial piety.
The future of Cheon Il Guk is indeed filled with hope. The filial piety of the second and third generations for True Mother is akin to sunflowers following the sun’s path across the skies. This filial devotion is truly a joyous gift. I was asked, “True Mother, how do you feel today at the conclusion of the Rally of Hope in Taiwan?”
“I feel so proud in my heart,” I replied. “It was truly wonderful.”
I was particularly moved by our Taiwanese youth who created a Hyojeong Cultural Performance. I pronounced great blessings upon them, knowing that the day is fast approaching when the Greater China region will attend Heavenly Parent and True Parents.
Through the marriage Blessing, the Greater China region can create harmony based on universal family values. The Blessing Ceremony for some 14,400 people could be considered a starting point to realize a unified world through harmonious families. Henceforth, all civilizations will bear fruits as the Pacific civilization. This is Heaven’s trajectory. The Pacific civilization is not to be a self-centered civilization based upon conquest and plunder. Our task is to expand and firmly root the Pacific civilization in the culture of filial devotion for Heaven (hyo- jeong), characterized by true love, which is the heart of giving, giving again, forgetting that one has given, and wishing that one could give more.
With this in place, the Pacific civilization will bring about harmony and unity among the civilizations founded throughout human history: continental and oceanic, eastern and western, developing and developed. Centering on Korea, the homeland of God’s providence, the Pacific civilization is being established.
Continuing from yesterday, today let’s study ...
True Mother’s Prayer at Hyojeong True Love and Family Blessing Festival
(Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Taiwan, November 23, 2019)
Now, however, through the birth of True Parents on the Korean Peninsula, where the providence will come to completion, we are in an age in which human history is heading in a new and hopeful direction. It is at such a time that this ceremony to bless Cheon Il Guk citizens is being hosted in Taiwan.
When we consider that history has moved in circles and is finally heading toward the Korean Peninsula for its culmination, this is a sacred moment at which Taiwan becomes one with all the Chinese people who are spread out throughout the world, and Taiwan's people obtain the qualification as heavenly citizens through the marriage blessing centered on True Parents.
Please allow Taiwan to know that it is in a central position from which it can bring together all the nations of Asia. Through the blessing, which we are holding in your presence today, enable all newly blessed couples to fulfill their tribal messiah responsibilities as Cheon Il Guk citizens, and through their doing so, let Taiwan remember that as the eldest daughter nation, it can become a proud eldest daughter nation that helps with the completion of your providence.
Please embrace all blessed families here today so that they become families that share your blessings far and wide, and thereby become blessed families who set an example in front of the world -- families that head toward the eternal world and make you proud through fulfilling their beautiful responsibilities. I sincerely pray and proclaim all these things in the name of True Parents. Aju.
As you are well aware, Taiwan was proclaimed one of the boldest(?best?) countries centered on God’s point of view, and 12 out of (almost) 200 countries in the world were selected as Abel countries. Taiwan was declared as one of them. From the providential point of view Taiwan is a very important country. As an Abel country Taiwan must help and save China which is in Cain’s position. That is why recently something related to the new providence between America and Taiwan… There is something going on centered on God’s new era.
Living Divine Principle: Introduction 5 (Final) - “A Principal Cause for the Inactivity and Weakness of Today's Religions”
The Reason That Religious People Have Been unable to Accomplish Their Mission
♦ What is the reason that religious people, though earnestly searching for internal truth, have been unable to accomplish their God-given mission?
♦ Just as people attain perfection of character only when the mind and body are fully united, the two worlds of essence and phenomena must join in perfect harmony before the ideal world can be realized.
♦ Spiritual joy is incomplete without genuine physical happiness. Religions have made strenuous efforts to deny life in this world in their quest for eternal life. They have despised the pleasures of the body for the sake of spiritual bliss.
♦ Yet however hard they may try, people cannot cut themselves off from the reality of this world or annihilate the desire for physical pleasures, which follows them like a shadow and cannot be shaken off.
♦ This world and its desires tenaciously grab hold of religious people, driving them into the depths of agony. Such is the contradiction which plagues their devotional lives.
♦ Even many enlightened spiritual leaders, still torn by this contradiction, have met a sad end. Herein is a principal cause for the inactivity and weakness of today's religions: they have not overcome this self-contradiction.
♦ In step with the progress of science, the human intellect has become highly sophisticated, requiring a scientific approach to understanding reality. The traditional doctrines of religions, on the other hand, are largely devoid of scientific explanations.
♦ The ultimate purpose of religion can be attained only when one first believes it in one's heart and then puts it into practice. However, without first understanding, beliefs do not take hold.
♦ Understanding is the starting point for knowledge. Today, however, people will not accept what is not demonstrable by the logic of science.
♦ Accordingly, since religions are now unable to guide people even to the level of understanding, much less to belief, they are unable to fulfill their purpose.
♦ Even internal truth demands logical and convincing explanations. Indeed, throughout the long course of history, religions have been moving toward the point when their teachings could be elucidated scientifically.
Today focused on the contents of this EDP, we will study Father’s words related to this.
The Meaning of the Scientist Convention
<109-259> A new cultural revolution must be achieved through firmly establishing an organization no later than the 12th World Scientist Convention. In the case of Buddhism, it has to revise all of its commentaries centered on such absolute values. Christians also need to revise their commentaries and establish their theological system again centering on absolute values. All economic systems also have to create a moral economic system based on absolute values. In philosophy and all academic fields, if no one pioneers such a vision, if no one uplifts the values of a new cultural revolution, then our descendants, the younger generation will walk the path of ruin.
What True Parents keep emphasizing through the Scientist Convention refers to the creation of a new culture and a cultural revolution centered on absolute values. The creation of a new culture and the cultural revolution refer to the culture of heart and the revolution of the heart centered on the absolute value(s?) of God. True Parents emphasize that everything must be established based on God’s heart and his absolute value. True Parents said that everything should be centered around the absolute value of God and his heart. Language should also be the language of the heart. Philosophy should also be a philosophy of the heart. Art should also be art of the heart. Science must also be the science of the heart. Religion should also be the religion of the heart. Mathematics must also become the mathematics of the heart. Theology must also become the theology of the heart. Everything is based on the heart of God and God’s absolute values. True Parents say that we must settle down.
What is the purpose of the new cultural revolution and the heart of revolution centered on God’s absolute values? This is to create one family under God and an ideal world centered on God.
Today’s Youth Ministry: 3 Stages of Growing Faith in Abraham's 3 Offerings
1. When you join the church, you are naïve at first. When you first hear the words of the Divine Principle, you only like the Principle. That is why you are in the position of the dove.
2. The next stage is working for the church. This is taking the role of the sheep under the pastor.
3. The 3rd stage is stepping out of the church and going out to pioneer. This is entering the age of the heifer.
4. We see the same situation in our church. When anyone joins the church, at first, they do not know the circumstances of the church, the members' faults, or the pastor, but only hear the Principle and follow it because they like it. They are as pure and innocent as a dove.
5. The next stage is obeying Abel, becoming like a sheep, practicing what you know and acting as a mediator, and rising to the growth stage. Some go further and pioneer, taking on certain responsibilities independently and enter the age of the heifer.
6. In other words, the age of the dove is the age of forming a good relationship with the Word. The age of the ram is the age of forming good relationships with people centered on Abel. The age of the heifer is the age of receiving the Blessing, creating a family, and standing in a position of being respected by others.
7. In Genesis, the secret of our growth and success is well taught through the three sacrifices of Abraham. By Abraham offering three sacrifices with all his heart, he teaches all at once for one generation to become a person like a dove, ram, and heifer.
8. In reality, we should obey the Word like a dove, be humble before Abel like a ram, and when a couple marries, be faithful to God's will as the owners of love like heifers.
9. If we fall into this symbolic condition, we get caught up in becoming a substantial object before God.
That is why we need to really understand what God is going to teach us through the stages of growing faith in Abraham’s three offerings. Whenever God guided people in the old testament era, the new testament era and completed testament era, it was something connected to my life of faith. God knows how to raise human beings invisibly and visibly, symbolically and substantially. That is why we need to understand God’s intention, what he is going to teach me. We need to really listen carefully and apply it to our daily lives.
Father often mentioned when you have dreams, don’t just show it the next day or a few days later. Any dream should connect to our entire life and also our eternal life. Everything connects to my spiritual growth. We need to understand that point.
10. Abraham's three offerings first showed that I must obey the Word and keep absolute purity as a filial son and a filial daughter. Second, I showed that I should be well educated in obedience before my parents and Abel. Third, I symbolically showed the course of receiving blessings from God, becoming a true couple and parents, and becoming the master of kingdom of heaven on earth.
Again we see God’s purpose of creation. Heavenly Father proclaimed three blessings in Adam’s family: be fruitful and multiply and have dominion. He gave the same kind of blessing to Noah’s family and Abraham’s family. Jesus spoke about the kingdom of heaven. True Father repeated again the three blessings. In the kingdom of heaven everything is connected together. That is why the Bible stories are very meaningful. All the lessons relate to my life of faith.
Secondly, I show that I should be well educated in obedience before my parents and Abel. That is the ram and sheep. Sheep need to have a shepherd. Without parents, without Abel’s guidance, where can I go? There is nowhere to go. That is why we really need to obey our Abel and our parents and receive a lot of education from them.
The third point symbolically shows the course of receiving a blessing from God and becoming a true couple and true parents and becoming the master of the kingdom of heaven on earth. You need to take ownership. That is why we recite the Family Pledge every morning, right? “As the owner of Cheonil Guk...” In order to become the owner of Cheonil Guk, you need to fulfill three blessings, right? The First Blessing, the Second Blessing and the Third Blessing. Then we can become the master of the kingdom of heaven on earth.
We have learned very important lessons from the three stages of growing our faith in Abraham’s three offerings.
Thank you very much, my brothers and sisters. God bless you. I am happy to go back to New York. Thank you again for your incredible support and jeongseong. Kamsa hamnida.