Perfection and Gratitude

The ideal of God's creation was for Adam and Eve to reach perfection and enter into the realm of happiness where they and all their descendants would experience the deepest appreciation of life and God's blessings. The fall of man has prevented Almighty God from seeing that day of perfection, however. Because the day of perfection has not been seen, there has been no real day of appreciation or gratitude either. Even God has never had a day of gratitude because there has been no perfection. Certainly mankind and creation have never seen the day of perfection and the day of gratitude.

Who is responsible for this grievous situation? Not God or the things of creation, but man. Man is the creature who failed and fell. Man's fall was his defeat, and for man to advance to perfection and occupy the place of gratitude the first thing he must do is be victorious over evil. To be victorious man must wage a battle against evil, fighting on every level to recover the true individual, family, nation and world. After victory on each level man will attain perfection and reach the place of gratitude.

What kind of failure was brought by the fall? Because of the fall, man is relegated to a realm outside of God's Principle. Adam and Eve fell from being the prince and princess of God and from having God as their King. From being God's precious children Adam and Eve became the servants of Satan living in an unprincipled world. After the fall man's value became less than that of God's own servants. No matter how much man might try, there is no way for him to attain perfection or gratitude by living in that realm.

Why was man defeated? Did he lack power? Did he lack judgment? Not at all. The first cause of the fall of man was his disobedience of the word of God. What will play the most vital role in the process of restoration, of man's returning to his original place? Nothing external like money, power and knowledge, but instead the word of God. Therefore, throughout history man has been destined to search for the truth of God, and furthermore to believe in and fulfill that truth.

Because of the fall there are several kinds of words being spoken. Since the fall Satan continually speaks to man and therefore, we must be aware of the lies which originally persuaded man to fall. Words are also spoken by men who have become servants of Satan. At the same time words are spoken by God and also by men on the side of God. You must be able to distinguish between these four different kinds of words that surround man. What determines which side you are on? The words you speak determine where you stand. Each one of you inevitably follows one of these four kinds of words, thus establishing your position.

What is the real difference between the word of God and the word of Satan? Do you realize that out of four men speaking on the Divine Principle, two could be men of God and two could be men of Satan? There is some internal factor distinguishing diem. Is this thought surprising to you? How could a man of the satanic side even be speaking of the Divine Principle? There is no visible boundary line between God's camp and Satan's camp but a boundary does exist nonetheless.

In order to understand this, consider whether you have ever been able to pinpoint the exact moment in time when today becomes tomorrow. No one can do that. The transition from 11:59 to 12:00 is invisible. Likewise, somewhere within you is an invisible boundary that puts you either on the side of Satan or on the side of God.

You must be absolutely certain of the criterion needed to distinguish the satanic side of man from the heavenly side of man because, as small as you are, you are the center around which the boundary is formed. On your left-hand side you have a connection to hell and on your right-hand side you have a connection to heaven. Individually you form the boundary between heaven and hell and no one else but yourself determines where you are. Many people may think that heaven and hell have nothing to do with them, thinking that heaven is somewhere up in the sky and hell is somewhere down below. Perhaps they associate heaven or hell with their parents, blaming their parents for their troubled situation, but this is not the case. Heaven and hell are within you.

Your two eyes usually move together in one direction and your two legs walk together toward one destination, but suppose that each tried to go its own separate way. It would not be much fun, would it? Yet this very tendency describes human behavior most of the time. Your mind should be united and moving in one direction, but instead your mind is divided. This makes your entire life miserable because you wander around, vacillating between crossing the boundary of good and evil, heaven and hell. You may start out as a person on the side of good but some temptation crosses your path and you wander into the evil camp, then repent and return again to the good camp. If another temptation lures you away at the right moment, you'll be trapped on the side of evil at the moment of death.

Former President Nixon contributed much to humanity and to America during his life of public service, but in the public mind it was all nullified by the Watergate crisis. The things Nixon did for the sake of America and the world were justified because they were unselfish deeds done for the public good. On the other hand, the decisions made in the Watergate situation were self-centered and done for his own advancement and benefit. Selfish decisions, no matter how small, cannot be forgiven. In my case the entire world has been affected by the controversy and criticism generated about me by my enemies. However, as long as I remain public-minded and my motives continue to be unselfish, no matter what may happen I cannot be uprooted.

Final judgment is based on a single, simple formula: whether or not a person is motivated by selfish or unselfish desires. If my deeds are supremely selfless and for the sake of the public good then the sacrifice and what appears at times to be defeat will turn out to be a greater victory. For example, I am accused of brainwashing the youth of America. Suppose;, however, that the end result of the brainwashing was the emergence of truly unselfish men and women, living their lives for the sake of God and the world. For doing that I will receive blessing from God and my work will be a victory instead of a defeat. On the other hand, suppose the purpose of brainwashing was to sacrifice young people for my personal benefit. Then certainly I would deserve all the present accusation and persecution and more.

People claim that I enslave the good and beautiful young people of America, but if by doing that young men and women become dedicated, committed people for the sake of God and humanity, willingly living for a purpose far beyond themselves, then what I do is justified in the sight of God. Patriots and saints all go through that process, the greatest example being Jesus Christ, who became a perfect slave to the will of God. For the will of God he wept, prayed, agonized and finally gave his life on the cross. He was the Messiah and savior and was enslaved by God in order to bring the resurrection of mankind.

If you wholeheartedly serve your parents then in a way you are enslaved by them, yet society does not consider that slavery! It is a pious deed to glorify and praise your parents. The same principle also applies to the patriot.

During the Revolutionary War many men were captured by the British army, tortured, threatened with death and actually killed, but they never betrayed their nation and the principles they upheld. They are recognized as being patriots for their loyalty, but weren't they enslaved by the nation even to the point of death? I want you to understand that when you enslave yourself to the unselfish cause of working for God and humanity, you become a hero and great leader. The one criterion God has given throughout history is whether or not a person's purpose is selfless and public-minded.

There are two types of men-those who live as the servants of God and those who live as sons of God. Which type would you prefer to be? In most cases you would prefer to live as the son of God, but I want you to know that the person who lives for God with the dedication and commitment of a servant will certainly be greater than those who only dank of themselves as sons and refuse the role of servant. Even so, the person who is a son of God and yet ascends in the shoes of the servant will not only be greater than the son of God, but will eventually win the heart of God completely; he will even control God Himself and inherit His entire fortune.

If your brother proudly boasts that he is your parents' son while you look at the value of your life in terms of sacrificial service to your parents then eventually you will become the head of the family. That principle is true throughout God's entire universe.

What criterion does God use to choose which religion will be His champion? God is looking for the religion which teaches people how to be His son and daughter yet also to serve the purpose of His kingdom. What kind of religion should we live? We must inherit the sonship of God yet be willing to enslave ourselves to God. By trying to pursue this standard, the Unification Church is certainly not heretical but truly the central religion of God on earth today.

Now you must make one important decision: Who is Reverend Moon? Am I a fraud? Is my teaching going to lead all mankind towards service to God and humanity, the life in which God is the center? Or will the members of the Unification Church be forced to serve only my private purpose instead of the work of God? If you see that I myself live for service to God and humanity then this teaching is right and good. If the Unification Church is moving forward for the benefit of God and humanity then we are in the center and mainstream of God's work and this is a genuine religion.

I am pushing each one of you to totally enslave yourselves to the purpose of God and humanity. This is actually the opposite of making you a slave for it is from among you that heroes, patriots and saints will come. As your sacrifice and greatness become apparent it will become more and more recognized that you follow a good leader who can be approved by heaven and earth. Sometimes I may force you out in an almost cruel way and at other times strongly discipline you, but this is not for my own benefit or for any selfish purpose. It is only to make you greater in the sight of God. Thus these are merciful and loving acts.

There are many statesmen in the world today but even so it is very difficult to find even one truly dedicated, unselfish person among them. This year there are many candidates running for all the various offices throughout America, and in evaluating each candidate one must ask what his true purpose is in seeking a political office. Often his selfish desire to hold office is much more important to him than his concern about what happens to America or to the rest of the world. The leaders America needs won't be found among people with such attitudes, yet it is often those people who are elected and occupy the most important offices of the nation. Since they are not God-centered and unselfish they are not the best people to represent and lead the nation.

I am not demeaning democracy by saying this. I am saying that even under a seasoned and sophisticated system of democracy the most important factor is not the system itself but the spirit of those who serve in the system, for they must go beyond their own personal interest and the level of their own party. ][f they recognize some greater devotion, dedication and God-centeredness in an opposing candidate then they must have the moral courage to admit that and support him, regardless of party differences. Only with that kind of spirit can we find truth.

In the Unification Church we evaluate leaders by precisely this standard, valuing those who will benefit the nation, world and God, but trying to enlighten those self-centered and selfish candidates who think only of themselves, their own party and their own nation. In light of this, our work is focused on educating leaders as well as the general public and on lifting up a new set of moral standards. This is the reason I have sent missionaries into all echelons of society. Is that wrong? I want you to come to know all kinds of people, including our opponents and their criticism. In addition, I want them to know that you are not meeting them for the benefit or fame of Reverend Moon but for the sake of this nation and the world.

Our young people are going onto Capitol Hill with burning zeal to appeal to the politicians and leaders concerning the salvation of this nation and the need for them to become unselfish and God-centered. Each of you can be nobler and greater than those politicians themselves and your deeds can be the most patriotic deeds in the sight of God. This nation needs our movement, doesn't it? Because only religious people are equipped to educate people about these values, you are the ones to mark the dividing line or the boundary between good and evil.

If America were to initiate a war for the sake of its own selfish interests then that act would be the height of wickedness and evil. Yet sometimes an act of war may be inevitable for the sake of God and humanity and may be carried out with a totally unselfish motivation. Throughout the history of this fallen world there have been many wars that God has had to wage, for example the wars of die Old Testament. When taking an unselfish viewpoint, killing or engagement in war has sometimes been inevitable and is justified in the sight of God.

Criminals are sometimes sentenced to death and the government of the nation is responsible for their deaths. Does the nation itself become criminal then? Should it be held guilty for executing those people? If the execution was carried out for the benefit of the society or nation and the world then no crime has been committed. If one evil man harms many lives then the termination of that person's life cannot be regarded as a crime.

In examining history we find that sometimes God has killed men. Can we then accuse God of being a murderer, even insisting that He cannot be God? God makes His decisions only on the most public-minded level and these decisions sometimes include killing. Such acts are absolutely not to advance His own selfish cause but only the unselfish cause of mankind.

We are concerned with the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth, which many people equate with unrestricted freedom to do all kinds of crazy things. Is that the Kingdom of God? No, the world of God is a world of discipline and order.

I receive instructions from God day to day and sometimes we must carry out what may seem to the world an evil act, but no matter what the world may say, we must go the way that God leads. When God instructed me to hold the Washington Monument Rally I organized everyone for that task and we won a victory, didn't we? The next target after Washington is Moscow, but it is not at all like Washington. In the process of getting there we won't be received as friends. However, even if we must penetrate past bombs and cannon, and even if the entire Unification Church is demolished, leaving but one person to go through to the final goal, still we must start out. I'm sure that while we are going through this endeavor the entire world will criticize me, saying that I am the worst dictator that the entire religious world has ever seen. For whom would such a sacrifice be made? This price would be paid solely for the sake of God and for the sake of the world. Anyone who loses his life in this campaign will shine before mankind for eternity. This would never be for my sake or even for the Unification Church, but for the sake of all mankind.

I know so well that even though you may be sacrificed and die before you reach Moscow, your death will not be in vain. It shall be glorified and the blessing that you shall reap will be many hundreds of times greater than that of those who survive. You shall be remembered as a great patriot and hero in the Kingdom of God on earth.

I am the one leading the final emergency push, even if it means going to the place of sacrifice and death, knowing that history will honor you. In the past there were many patriots and great saints, yet their cause was not the building of the Kingdom of God here on earth. If you die in pioneering the path of that kingdom, you will be the greatest soul who ever lived and you shall be remembered as a hero in that kingdom. I will go to your tomb and bow down to you. All of heaven and earth shall bow down to you for giving your life for the same cause to which we are all committed.

When I came to America only several short years ago I feared nothing, especially not controversy. I have forged ahead toward the final goal, with only my sense of justice, my love for God and my conviction in God's ideology giving me power to continue. When I came to America I had already determined that I was ready to pay any price, including facing government investigations and the worst kind of criticism and even prison. I expected everything to block the way, but I also knew that nothing could stop me. Suppose America finally deports me or even publicly chastises me. I do not fear either one. If that should happen then in the name of God millions of people will rise up to finish my task.

Perhaps the State Department thinks that I am the problem and that by kicking me out of the country the tension will be solved. Nothing could be further from the truth. If I am deported from America you will all become Reverend Moons. If the State Department proceeds to kick all of you out of the country then God will raise up millions more like us. As long as we are standing side by side with God and doing His will then absolutely nothing can stop our march. If we are ever persecuted like that would you still be able to inherit my mission? If ever such a situation occurred, would you be relieved to have the controversy subside, or would you determine, "That outrageous act makes me 1,000 times stronger! I will become the greatest champion of all and complete his task!"

Why are you really ready to complete the task? It is because you are aligning yourself with the justice of God, the justice that will not be tarnished by history, the justice of eternity. This justice will eventually win. Those who can determine that no matter whether America comes against us or even the entire world comes against us, they will be champions of the Unification Church, continuing on even in my absence, raise your hands. There are so many Reverend Moons sitting here that you really do not need me nor does America need me! If I leave for Europe, you have no problem. If I leave for the Far East, Korea or Japan, America will be no problem. As long as you are so determined, I am already victorious and there is no place I cannot go.

Presently the free world is submerged in confusion and chaos, having almost no distinction between good and evil. Without knowing what is good and what is evil they don't know how to act. The conclusion we draw is this: Justice upholds the man who remains God-centered, working for the will of God, the purpose of history and the benefit of humanity. That which is just will remain and ultimately be victorious. That is truly a public life. On the other hand, anybody who lives for himself, regardless of what he may do or say is on the side of Satan,

The public-minded person is the one who stands before God and humanity. The selfish-minded person is the one who pushes himself away from God and mankind. The public-minded person accepts the suffering of God as his own and the suffering of humanity as his own. On the other hand, the self-centered person disregards the suffering around him and is concerned with only his own amusement.

The criterion that determines whether you are going to hell or heaven is whether you are living for the sake of God and humanity or willing to sacrifice others for your own glory. The greater your unselfishness and public-minded activity the higher you will be in heaven. The greater your self-centeredness the more terrible your hell will be. The person who thinks, "I don't care about God or His suffering or humanity. I just have time to worry about myself," will find himself in the deepest dungeon of hell. On the other hand, those who suffer in service to mankind and are willing to sacrifice themselves for others will constantly move toward the highest heaven. Do you now understand the criterion of good and evil, heaven and hell?

Now it is 7:30 and my stomach is giving me the message that I need a good breakfast. But the important thing as you are having breakfast is for whom you are eating. Are you merely satisfying your own stomach or are you eating breakfast for a greater purpose? Some might ask how your stomach can be God's stomach and mankind's stomach. When you take a meal you should pray, "This meal is for the sake of God and the sake of humanity. In taking this food let me be of greater service to God and man." In that case, the meal in front of you will smile before going into your stomach.

Everything functions within this principle. Your eyes see, but for whom do they see? Is your vision for the sake of God and humanity? Maintain the desire for your eyes to see the things that even Jesus Christ could not see. People might say you are a heretic to have this desire, but on the contrary, this is the heart of the children of God. Furthermore, have the desire that your eyes will see what even God has not seen. Will God say, "How can you presume to talk in such a way?" No, He will say, "My son, I hope that your eyes are better than mine."

What I want you to understand is that it is not your deed by itself but the motivation behind the deed that will direct you toward heaven or hell. Even if I were to suddenly die here in America and be buried in some unknown cemetery, there will be millions and millions of people in the future who will come to bow down and shed tears at my tomb, because I have given my life to God and humanity. People will come regardless of nationality and race and creed. Looking carefully at your present motivation you can know clearly if you will obtain heaven or deserve hell.

Who is Abel? Abel is the unselfish person who dies for the sake of God, for mankind, and for his family. 'nose selfless people throughout history who gave their lives and maintained the fire of God's justice are the very reason that this world still exists. Moses is an example, and also Noah, who for 120 years persevered despite the criticism of all his people. Noah upheld his faith and loyally obeyed the word of God. Abraham was another public-minded person. When God asked him to leave his homeland he did so, traveling toward an unknown destination, solely in obedience to the word of God. On Mount Moriah Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his own son in order to fulfill God's direction. It seemed to be a crazy act but knowing that it was God's order Abraham was ready to go ahead. Even Isaac did not rebel but readied himself to die for the sake of God, as meek as a lamb.

Jacob suffered in a strange land, enduring 21 years of his uncle's harsh treatment for the sake of his own family. Later in history Moses rejected his opulent life as a prince in order to become a champion for his own people, disregarding the difficulties awaiting him. Jesus Christ lived the supreme example of a sacrificial life and in 2,000 years of Christian history there have also been countless martyrs. They are the people who have loyally upheld the work of God, living with one criterion for their lives: to obey the word of God and to serve humanity. They could reject all Satan's lies in this world and uphold God's word under adverse conditions, becoming the people who could speak for the side of God.

The fall of man was the result of man's failure to obey God's word. We are here to absolutely uphold and obey the word of God. What type of men and women are centered upon the word of God? They are the people who give their first priority to God, to mankind and to the world, and their last priority to themselves. We members of the Unification Church are not living for the present moment but for the future, going far beyond the comforts of the present. We are pursuing the ideal of the world where the word and ideal of God will blossom. We are not living for our personal ideal but for the ideal of God. Certainly this is not an easy way of life. We are not sitting idle and waiting for tomorrow; with our own hands we are constructing tomorrow's world.

When God thinks of tomorrow and dreams of His own ideal, He must look toward the Unification Church. If men look toward an ideal and a better world then they must look toward the Unification Church. As founder of the Unification Church I am the center of much attention and controversy and everyone is scrutinizing me. Some observers are using binoculars and others are wearing tinted glasses. I don't care what color glasses they wear as long as they are looking at us.

All the spirit world is watching us as well as God. Members of Congress are watching, the reporters of the Washington Post and New York Times are watching. All are asking, "Where will he move next?" It is funny to see what is happening; if they hate me, why don't they just ignore me? They just cannot forget about me! Although they join with the crowds in criticizing me, somewhere in the depths of their hearts they feel something else. They reject me but the depths of their original minds keep whispering, "No, no you need him. Where else is there hope?"

Is it clear now that you have four choices? Will you listen to the word of Satan or the words of the men on Satan's side, or will you listen to the word of God or the words of men on the side of God? Would you prefer to listen to the word of God, even before my word? My hope is that you will reach out to God My desire is for you to sincerely want to fulfill some direct instruction from God that even I cannot do. If each one of you will fix your determination this way, then think of what kind of America we will be able to see three years from now. America will truly be a God-centered nation, leading the world in the right direction. Will that be your determination today? I can only hear a handful of people saying yes. How about everybody, can you determine this? You had to be asked this question twice before giving the answer. That's no good. Without hesitation you should be able to give a confident answer. Even if it's short but terse, if your yes is given immediately it demonstrates a willingness. That is the best.

You can find each of the four types among your friends, leaders or new acquaintances: those who speak the words of Satan or the words of Satan's side, those who speak the word of God and those who speak the words of God's side. Always remember that Satan's lies are very sweet, while the word of God is bitter and sometimes very painful to accept, pushing you into the sacrificial role. If the word is bitter yet good for you then you know that it is truly the word of God because it is never easy. It will make your eyes difficult to open, your hand crippled and your whole body sick. The word of God will push you to the sacrificial role. It is terse and unmerciful and may go something like this, "Go out today and die for God." There is no sweetness, yet this is the closest to His will. Can you understand this?

In the Unification Church your leaders may sometimes be really crazy, going from place to place, without sleeping or eating, chasing you and pushing you out, watching you and chastising you sometimes, and then with a hard word pushing you out more. Such a leader may truly be working beyond his own mind, truly doing the work of God. I keep thinking about how I can drive you, how I can push you to the point where you have no moment to think of anything but God and His mission. I am trying to push you to become a truly public-minded person. Can you welcome this without feeling resentful?

You must have mercy upon me, realizing what a tough job I have of working to bring the yellow race, the white race and the black race together into one new breed of men, trying to push them out to sacrifice themselves for God. What a tough job! Have you ever thought about that? I have the toughest job. You are the driven and I am the driver. Which position is easier? Actually it is easier to be driven because driving others for the sake of God is nothing like the eight hours a day labor of the everyday world, where there is time to eat and sleep.

To win God's approval to drive others a leader must work far harder than those he drives and prove himself worthy. After this desperate struggle by both the leader and those he leads, the joy and happiness they share with God after the victory has been won cannot be described with any words, laughter or tears. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can describe that joy. Embracing each other in ecstatic joy, even standing in dirty water in a ditch or a septic tank would be like heaven to them because their joy would convert any place into a holy place.

In a setting like that you can become a child of God and truly be heavenly brothers and sisters. The inheritance of the heavenly kingdom is not found on a throne, but only at the bottom of hell. When you descend into hell to taste its misery but then overcome that misery, then you can inherit the Kingdom of God. Then you can feel the joy of heaven.

When you go on your mission, be someone who is ready to speak out directly for the sake of that city or town, even if it means getting on people's nerves and having them turn against you. In this way you will become the true leader of that town. Now look at the youth of America. Are they working for a heavenly purpose? We are striving for that and they are not yet they are criticizing us! The more our opposition attacks us the faster they will decline, while the more we are accused, the more we will prosper. I am convinced that the greater the hurricane that pushes us forward, the quicker we will reach our goal. We have chosen to travel this road and those who do not wish to do so should leave now because they will only be hindrances.

What benefits do you derive by remaining here? You have no money in your pockets, your clothing is old, and you gather at 5:00 in the morning and sit on a hard cement floor! There is only one church like this under the sun. Why don't you join a church with wall-to-wall carpeting, stained glass windows and worship services at I 1:00 in the morning instead!

I know better than anyone the road we must travel. It has been a very painful, exhausting and agonizing road that I have walked for thirty years and the only reward I received is criticism and opposition. Probably you face the same criticism and nobody is sympathetic with you. Your parents, your brothers and sisters and friends all say you are crazy and they ridicule you. Do you still mind? Then truly you are crazy, aren't you?

Throughout history there have been many people crazy for themselves, crazy for their own families, crazy for their own glory, but it has all been a self-centered craziness. How many crazy people have there been solely for the sake of God? Not too many. If there are a few who are crazy for God, we will never leave them alone until the goal of God is achieved. That craziness is a glorious craziness.

If I am the crazy one in the sight of God then I'm the glorious one. My craziness will turn my parents, family, this nation, the world and the spirit world all around 180 degrees, heading from hell into heaven. Suppose a loved one is sick and you sacrifice yourself totally for the sake of curing his illness. Once you have bestowed that kind of love then your relationship will never be broken. That is truly the oneness of love.

Actually I have the disease of craziness for the restoration of mankind. I am helpless to cure my own disease, but God and mankind will cure me. If you really know me you will not be able to leave. Those who leave do so because they do not know me as well as you do. Nobody has chained you here but you have stayed because some power binds you. You are the physicians, the black, white and yellow people gathered together to cure me by achieving my crazy goal. When I am cured, which means when the Kingdom of God is established, I will have a great big banquet and I will invite God and all the black, white and yellow people. There will be a crazy kind of music and a crazy kind of dancing at that heavenly banquet.

Those who have not swayed even one bit, please raise your hands. You are greater than I because I have tried to get out of this. I looked for something better, but the end result was that I came back here because there is no other road to go. I know so well how you suffer and agonize and that is why I overlook your mistakes and forgive you all the time. You have human weaknesses that I have experienced myself and I understand you. I am a man to be pitied and I deserve mercy. You also are very pitiful people, chosen by God for a peculiar mission. We have to stay together and comfort each other. All of us come from different cultures, races and nationalities, but we transcend all these things and are united in heart. That is our way of life.

While doing all these difficult tasks you get really tired, but even so God wakes you up over and over again, pulling and tugging you. That is God's role. Then who is the most miserable and pitiful person? God. When you know this, you may have no more energy to go on, but you still march forward. That is the road of restoration and there you are united in heart with God, in a relationship that becomes deeper and deeper. On our path of restoration there will be lots of tears, without which you cannot consummate this way of life. You will actually shed the tears of God and taste His sorrow and misery.

In the last 3% years since I came to America I sacrificed everything and devoted every ounce of energy, not just for my own sake or for the Unification Church, but for the sake of God and all humanity. Recently I went to Montreal and had lunch with the members there. One man who has been a member of the Unification Church for eight years vividly remembered my arrival in America on December 18, 1971. At that time I did not have a visa to enter America from Korea, so I came to Canada instead. Our members in America were very persistent in asking the State Department, "Why won't you issue a visa to Reverend Moon?" Ironically, officials kept telling them that I was a communist in 1968 and so I was undesirable in this country. Finally it was proven to them that I have truly been crusading for the victory over communism and they couldn't resist any further. That was the beginning of my actual ministry in America.

At that time the Canadian members asked me to stay in Canada, but I told them that according to God's plan I must achieve certain goals in the next 3% years in America, since America is the focal point of world restoration. The eight year member confessed that four years ago he doubted me and couldn't trust my words. He thought at that time that I was a very crazy person. Now everything has been accomplished as I said and he is willing to hear my plans for the next 3% years. He has no doubt that they will be accomplished also.

When my achievements in the last 3% years are reviewed will I be considered a man of success or a man of failure here in America? Even those who adamantly oppose me recognize that I succeeded in my goal. Those people who supported us all along will exclaim, "I told you Reverend Moon would succeed!" Every American, particularly the leadership in America, would like to do what I have done and have loyal young people behind them. Even if they don't admit it verbally or in print this is the way they feel and eventually they will come to our side. Through my work a large foundation has been laid that will expedite our victory by leaps and bounds. A mood and atmosphere has been created in which we can achieve great success.

Ambitious young people of America look at me closely and wonder what the secret behind my power is. They see I have a philosophy and conviction, that I have young people and organization, discipline and money. They think if they learn my secret that somehow they can do the same. In the future the people who want to influence the world will study and research my methods. Those who want to become great businessmen, religious leaders, social leaders, even great industrialists will study the Unification Church. A fresh new wind will blow across the nation, particularly in the academic world of universities and colleges. Even though America's intellectuals generally are very critical of me, inside they are intrigued by me and are curious enough to research this giant new phenomenon. You will see one dissertation after another being written about me.

How could I organize a most disciplined campaign consisting of people from the six continents of the world? There was not even a common language in which they could converse yet everyone worked as one unit. Behind each one of you there are many invisible influences pulling; your family ties pull you, your cultural ties, your personal interests, your educational ties also pull you, but when I say something you are pulled another way in spite of all that. What energy is there? Even though I have created controversy all over the world, I have made an impact on human history because there is an invisible yet irresistible power working behind me and behind each one of you.

The Yankee Stadium campaign was held on June 1, and three months later we held the Washington Monument Rally. Actually we did not begin to work in the Washington Monument campaign until 40 days prior to September 18. Even the government cannot hold two big events like that only three months apart. They plan years in advance.

Organizing the Washington Monument Rally was far more difficult than running ten senatorial campaigns in ten different states. People who study sociological movements must admit to the discipline and organization that the Unification Church has. Normally after a campaign victory there is a celebration with drinking and dancing, but the Unification Church is different. The very night of our greatest victory we changed into our working clothes and cleaned up the Monument grounds. No one had ever seen anything like it before. The morning of September 19th people were astounded. The impact was tremendous.

In Washington people were saying that I was a man of my word. They now know that once I say I will do something, I will accomplish it. Eventually they are bound to believe whatever I say I will do. What I am saying is that together we will build the Kingdom of God on earth. People must believe it because I am a man of my word.

In the sight of God what I have achieved in America in 31/2 years is an extraordinary achievement. Many ministers insist that I am a heretic and they don't accept my theology, but they are beginning to think they must adopt my methods. The Washington Post has been negative towards us in its articles yet during our campaign we ran twelve full page ads in that paper. No other campaign in history has ever run twelve full page ads in the Washington Post. The Washington Post became famous because of former President Nixon and Watergate; now it will become famous because of Reverend Moon. The Washington Post was influential in Nixon's decision to resign, but it will never be able to push me away. The entire world will look at the two sides, the Washington Post and Reverend Moon, and wonder which one is the righteous one.

The Washington Monument grounds are at the center of the nation's capital, with the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and the White House on each side. It is one of the most beautiful park areas in the world. My desire was to gather hundreds of thousands of people there and speak to them. Billy Graham, a white man, spoke at the Lincoln Memorial on Honor America Day and Martin Luther King, a black man, spoke there and now finally a yellow man, Reverend Moon, has spoken there in the name of God. This will be remembered for generations.

After God's victory there, the Washington Monument symbolizes God's hope. I made a proclamation of the truth and by our upholding that philosophy America will never decline. Initially September 18 shall be a great day of celebration by Unification Church members but eventually by the entire United States. The day will come when September 18 will be declared a holiday in Washington. There may appear to be no tangible results since September 18, but spiritually we have laid a great foundation to bring future prosperity and the blessing of God.

What I said at the Washington Monument was a prophecy, and people will be watching to see how it will be fulfilled. My message was simple, that Judaism, Christianity and the Unification Church must become one and also that Judaism and Christianity have not achieved that goal but that the Unification Church would not fail. I have the conviction that the restoration of the Kingdom of God will be brought about by our efforts.

Now is the time for gratitude. The topic of today's sermon is "Perfection and Gratitude." Gratitude will come after perfection. To reach perfection we must be victorious, rising above every level of opposition. The people who gathered together at the Washington Monument should be regarded as champions of the world. In addition many people from spirit world descended to assist in the Rally. In this way past and present were united and all horizontal elements were assembled together on that day which will alter the world in the future.

The Washington police warned us that there was always an unpleasant incident whenever there were more than 100 people gathered together. That's why on September 18, they were amazed that our rally was so peaceful, with not a single accident on the Monument grounds. All of us are deeply grateful to Almighty God. God is grateful because His victory was achieved in Washington. The fall of man occur-red when Adam and Eve and Lucifer lost the word and the love of God, and ever since God has been looking for the men and women who can restore all of that.

The Washington Monument Rally was a victory on the perfection level, so now we can move into the realm of gratitude. You must stand as the men of God. When you speak the word of God, you must be the embodiment of the word and the love of God; then you can be restored from the satanic realm.

What is your next goal? Where do you go from here? Your final destination is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Would all of you who are unmarried want to go to your wedding or to the kingdom? You have to marry because that is how you will enter the Kingdom of God. I'm sure that pleases you. What can qualify you to live there? Simply this: Living in the image of God by having God's words become your words and God's love become your love. That is your first goal, and your next goal is to have a God-like mate. I am tailing the people of the world that they must go to the Kingdom of Heaven, which means that they must love the universe and mankind and bring mankind into God's kingdom. That is God's desire. Anyone who can do that is a man of God and is ready to be blessed and become a candidate for the Kingdom of God.

After the Washington Monument Rally you all felt that I would be so happy that I would have a blessing. In itself such thinking was not good or evil, but who was at the center of your thinking, you or God? We marry for the sake of God and mankind. At the time of blessing the man or woman next to you represents all of mankind as well as all the sons or daughters of God. If you are able to love your husband or wife as a son or daughter of God then you are entitled to become a husband or wife. Until that time you are not ready for the blessing.

When you marry do not look at your spouse as merely your husband or wife and expect to be loved and served by him. You should see your husband as the representative of all the men of the world, and also as the representative of the sons of God. You must love your spouse as God loves him. You must love him as you love mankind. In your marriage you are setting a new tradition of God, leaving your footprints as a public-minded couple. If we say that the right leg represents the husband and the wife is represented by the left leg, then it's clear that you must not become a cripple. You should be a balanced couple.

Shall I keep on talking? You are just waiting to hear when there will be a blessing; that's why you want me to continue! Those who want to get married, please raise your hands. Now those who want to build the Kingdom of God on earth, raise your hands. Which desire is stronger? You are determined to build the kingdom first. That means on your wedding day you will be marching towards it. After it is built on earth we will keep marching with our families. You must know the priorities.

Now your task as members of the Unification Church is gratitude. You must be thankful that you were able to participate in the Washington Monument Rally as people living on earth. That is the first condition of gratitude. Secondly, you can be grateful not only to participate but to labor and shed tears and give your whole heart and soul for this work. The Washington Monument Rally was our victory which includes God, mankind, True Parents and all of you. When you shout Mansei the spirit world and all mankind and also God will participate because that victory also belongs to them.

The fireworks on September 18 symbolized the beauty and unity of the entire heaven and earth together. Each set of fireworks represented a continent of the world, symbolically joining them together in one display. God knows that the Washington Monument Rally was the only festival and the only fireworks display given in His name, and in reality God is actually the one who did it. Anyone who praises God's own work certainly deserves God's blessing. Nobody watching the fireworks rejoiced more than the Unification Church members and when God looked at us, He beamed from ear to ear. The Washington Monument Rally was so historic that even if God shifts the blessing from America, He will still bless us. In this respect the Washington Monument Rally was the supreme victory among victories.

One outstanding characteristic of the rally was the overwhelming number of blacks and Hispanics who came. The white people who refused to come did so because of arrogance. Because God abhors arrogance, He will bless the humble people who came. Much persecution will come to me but the humble people will rally around me and protest against this discrimination. The white members of the Unification Church bear a double burden: You must pay your own individual indemnity and you are also responsible to pay the indemnity of the white race. In the future when I am worn out and the Japanese and Korean members are worn out you white members should aggressively forge ahead to restore the white race. You know how much the Japanese and European members have worked and suffered here in America. You know how much I have suffered in this country. We have no reason to come and suffer in a foreign country. You are indebted to us and the time has come to repay the debt by asking me and the Japanese and Europeans to step back so that the Americans may take a major role in the restoration of this nation. When the white people who are opposing the Unification Church see only white people defending it they will stop their opposition. But if they don't stop, what will you do? People should not regard me as merely a private individual from Korea. God does not want to see the races divided, with some opposing me while others support me. If the white people oppose me to the end, the outcome could be tragic. God cannot retreat.

I am making a tremendous effort to prevent a separation of the races. The members, particularly the white members, must become humble and not only indemnity your own sins but the sins of your whole race.

After we achieve God's goal and liberate all of mankind we will finally come to perfection. We want to go to Moscow and have a worldwide rally but to do that we must become stronger than the communists and demonstrate God's power. Communism denies God and that ideology must not continue. To achieve the goal of our rally in Moscow, we must be more determined than ever before to keep marching toward supreme perfection. We will confront communism in a head-on collision, and I know that even now the communists' goal is to eliminate me. They have already taken over two-thirds of the world's population so of course America is being shaken by communist activities.

We are only a handful of people compared to the communists, but there is a way to win. Communism is a self-centered ideology, but the Unification Church stands in the name of God and the power of God is our power. God will decide the final outcome. Once you become one with God you are greater and stronger than the communists, but if separated from God then you are as small as peanuts.

Our situation is analogous to David and Goliath's. We don't have weapons and we are like the humble shepherd David, but we do have the word of God as our weapon. Whether in America, Korea or the Middle East or Russia, we will clash with Satan's forces and we'll win. No matter what happens to me I will go. Soldiers from sixteen nations fought and shed blood defending Korea. In the future fight against communism, Unification Church members all over the world may shed more blood than the United Nations soldiers did in Korea in 1950 and 1951. We must go on regardless. If we feel threatened by the difficulties ahead and retreat then this world has no hope for a new tomorrow. The destiny of heaven and earth is in our hands. We must march forward with that conviction to the ultimate perfection, until the third seven-year course is consummated in global victory.

Three and a half years ago when I came to the United States I clearly mapped out certain goals and now all these goals have been accomplished. Now I am setting new goals for the current seven-year course, one of which is to forge ahead to Moscow and be victorious in a global confrontation against the ungodly ideology of communism. We cannot die without that mission being accomplished. We have been hand-picked by God for this sacred task. If you have that kind of serious commitment then there is nothing to fear about giving your sweat, blood and even your lives because you have already conquered the fear of death. If you die in this battle you will go to the highest position in the Kingdom of God in heaven.

Of the people who died in battles throughout history, 80% ended up in hell because they were afraid and had no power to overcome death. This is the first time in history that God has had an army like the Unification Church. There is no racial barrier here. Everyone's blood is red and all our hearts are united as one with God. The most hectic time is ahead of us. The day of perfection and gratitude on the worldwide level of history is calling you now. Will you respond? Will you mind postponing the blessing until then? You must feel that in order to achieve that goal there is nothing you cannot sacrifice, including the blessing.

This is a gigantic task and I have many more hectic days ahead of me. Since we need money we have to create more resources, whether building factories or fishing or fund raising. Fund raising in the name of God is nothing to be ashamed of at all. Unless for some heavenly purpose, I don't want to spend even one penny of the money earned in that way. I don't want to spend anything without heavenly meaning. I want to increase the money you earn in order to do bigger tasks. I want you to have participated as a coworker in this work.

In the near future we have to mobilize at least 10,000 members for the IOWC all over the world. God wants to have our IOWC land in one country in thirty jumbo jets, mobilizing to shake that nation. Could you postpone your marriage in order to tackle this task?

Everyone is scrutinizing what I am doing and thinking and saying, but my attention is focused upon the final task of liberating the communists. America's opposition to me is peanuts compared to the future opposition of the communists on a worldwide scale. The day will come quickly when global communism will move against me with force. If the U.S. will not awaken and champion our cause then the communists will annihilate this country. That kind of battle is what lies ahead of us.

l get much advice to be more diplomatic and quiet, but there's no time for that. We have a little time at the moment to ready ourselves and still we need manpower and money to wage the large battle. The time will come when we'll make an even bigger noise. We must earn the necessary money with our sweat and blood. While other people rest, we will keep on going night and day on our power and energy. Can you do it? It is not for my sake or your sake but for the sake of God and the sake of humanity that we must push ourselves forward.

We will create the economy that will restore the world.

When I ask you members who are not United States citizens to go back to your own countries, will you be willing to tackle the missions there? You cannot say that you want to stay in this country. We are a great peoples' movement, going from one corner of the earth to the other. Our Tong-Il factories in Korea are known to build very accurate and sensitive machinery and I would like to see that fame and tradition expanded to every comer of the earth. I want to set up an economy that can rebuild the world. The money we are earning now is nothing compared to our goal.

Do you want to participate in the creation of the economy that will restore this world? I am now starting our fishing industry and with that purpose in mind I experimented with the tuna trade this summer. No matter what time of day or night or what type of weather there was I went out to sea. If the sea was rough the captain of the "New Hope" used to ask whether we were going out, but now he knows I will go out no matter what the circumstances.

The members who finished at the Unification Theological Seminary and now have their master's degrees may work at sea. The captains of our boats may have Ph.D.s. Don't laugh. It is that kind of condescending attitude that has caused the decline of America's fishing industry. Unless I resurrect it, the fishing industry in this country will die. I will contribute to America by restoring the dying marine industry. We are now negotiating to buy a mother ship, but it is not for a pleasure cruise to the Caribbean. It is to catch the treasures of the sea. I don't like the smell of fish but we have no choice. Fishing is the area in which we can create a great economic foundation for God's work. Catching fish is not our goal, but the liberation of the communist world. That is why we must advance. Do you agree? If you unmarried women don't want to be blessed to fishermen you should leave now. If you don't want to marry a sailor then you will have to marry someone outside our Church.

There is a vast treasure lying in the sea, waiting to be harvested by our hands, but right now the American fishing industry is dying because American young people do not like the hard work of going out to sea. When they go out to sea for three months, they return to find that their wives have left them and their money has been squandered and they never want to go out to sea again. If they are not married then still they are not interested in going out because sometimes the weather is so brutal. You women who marry fishermen must be proud of them for working for God and mankind.

I have experienced how the sea will make a man more reverent. At sea you need faith in God because you must totally rely on Him. Furthermore, when the men go out to sea they will not forget their families. In my own experience I thought of Mother and my children more at sea than at home because at sea I never knew what would happen in the next moment. At sea I love and pray for my wife and children more than anywhere else. When the "New Hope" docks and Mother and the children are waiting and waving to me, I feel as though I have met God at that moment. The women who can love their husbands when they return from harsh work at sea will be the most superb, exemplary wives in the sight of God.

l have been a champion in creating factories and churches in Korea. Many nights while you rested I could not sleep because I have had a vision of all the consequences of the future. You have fund raised very hard in the past and you will probably do more, yet what do you have to show for it? I feel responsible to provide an economic foundation for you and your families. This is my ambition and I want to achieve it within ten years. In Korea I bought houses for many early members of our Church and in the future I would like to take the responsibility of buying houses for all the black, white and yellow people. I am the only one in history who is doing this, but it isn't easy.

I will persevere until the day of my death for the total consummation of God's will and my life will be a life of hardship. The world is not sympathetic, and even you are not sympathetic with me, but one thing is certain: God knows my situation. When I seriously pray and ask God for His confirmation, Heavenly Father always answers, "You are my loving son." The love of God is there. God and the spiritual world are pushing me to succeed. Do you ever have such experiences with God directly?

A while back there were 82 traffic accidents reported in one month in our movement. Many vehicles were damaged but not one single life was lost, even in the severest accidents. It was a miracle that people were unhurt. That shows that God truly does love our members because they are performing important functions in pioneering God's work all over the world. God knows our members are absolutely needed and as a special grace He protects them in impossible circumstances. God will never overlook those who follow His will.

We achieved victory at the Washington Monument Rally and Madison Square Garden and in a different way at the Yankee Stadium Rally, but I never thought that the Unification Church did it or I did it; God made those victories possible. I was ashamed to hear people praising my leadership as the cause for victory. Heavenly Father did it all. There is one secret to victory and that is to be crazy to fulfill God's will. Then your mission will be a great success.

No one can raise his head in front of God because no one can keep up with His pace. I want you to know that God is working harder than anybody else. Every day there must be tears of gratitude and tears of repentance and tears of sympathy for God and the True Parents. God knows that as His children you are the only ones who can understand His heart. During the last three years nobody truly knew why I went to sea so many times. Only God knew that I went to hide the tears I was shedding. I am walking the road of tears, shedding more tears than anyone else.

I often get utterly tired, but I never mention it. Sometimes I get sick but I never say one word about it. I resist the temptation to sleep and shorten my rest as much as I can. No matter how hard you are working, I am working harder. I will not be indebted to you.

We need vast resources and manpower to build the Kingdom of Heaven. Who will be responsible? By speaking the word of God, I will move the hearts of men; that is the way to acquire manpower for God. We will build the resources we need with our own hands. During the period of four years remaining before this seven-year course ends, you must cry out that you will never be indebted to me. You should want me to be indebted and grateful to you. Then we will certainly achieve our goal.

When I look at your radiant faces I sometimes feel that I am a sinner. I can hardly open my eyes and look at those members who wear very humble clothing. Inside I am crying, asking you to keep on working for a little while longer. There are many treasures to be restored for the sake of the world, but I certainly will use them for you also.

This is the third day of the tenth month and the first Sunday of October. It is a very, very precious day. We want to declare on this meaningful day that our goal is to liberate communism and go beyond. We want to define our goal clearly and declare that we must go to Moscow, When we achieve that goal, eternal gratitude will begin. Those who agree with this proclamation, please raise your hands and pledge to Almighty God. Let us pray.