This is the third 40-day workshop in Europe. The first one was last year and we held the second one earlier this year. As you know, to establish a lasting tradition we must pass through the number three. We paid much indemnity during the second workshop, many members became ill and many difficulties arose, but we overcame. If this workshop is successful, we can establish a stable tradition and all future workshops will go well.

We must consider our motive for coming to this workshop. Our purpose in attending this workshop should harmonize with God's providence. We came here because God has asked us to achieve something. God has a definite plan to establish His ideal on earth. To do this He needs people: men and women; without them He can never realize His ideal. We came here to become people God can use at this time in His providence. So we must understand God's plan and what kind of people He needs at this time, otherwise we can't become the kind of people He needs.

Do you want to be a cold person or a warm person? Do you like to be around cold people? Nobody likes that, we prefer warm people. Then how can we become warm people? We call this warmth love. But what do you need before you can receive love from some-one? We must know this. Before love can flourish we need understanding. If we understand someone well, we can communicate with them. If not, we will sever the relationship. God needs warm hearted people on earth. To become such people we need a good understanding of God and man. If we don't understand man we can't relate to him. So we need to have a good understanding of God and man and the relationship between the two. We must also understand True Parents. If we don't know these things we cannot have good relationships, warm relationships. If you don't know God how can He come to you? God wants to love you, but if you don't understand Him, He cannot love you and you cannot love Him; there can't be any give and take between you. So before you expect love from God you need a good understanding of God and yourself. What kind of people did God want when He created man? Certainly not fallen people. We must know what our original position was before we can regain it.

You came here to make yourselves people of heart and love. But what good is it if you are the only one to become such a person? If you become a warm person but all around you remain cold, what good does it do? Not much. We need a universal spring. What do you feel when you hear the word spring? New life, new hope, love, warmth, peace and harmony. This is what we envision when we hear the word spring. God wants spring on earth; the fall of man meant the loss of spring. Try to imagine spring in the Garden of Eden. Of course you've never been there, but you can imagine what it would be like, with nice lawns, pretty flowers and birds singing everywhere. Imagine it. God wants to have such a spring all over the world; He wants all countries to experience this cosmic spring.

This is God's ideal for us on earth. So we must bring this cosmic spring to earth. To do this we must become people who fit the season and help others become suited for spring as well. We must have springtime relationships with others. To bring this spring cleaning to all people, we must be men of God's love. As I said earlier we must understand God in order to receive His love. So first we must know God and His love. We also have to understand the relationship between God and man. God is our father, even more than our physical parents. We must understand this, not just in our head but feel it in our heart. This is the foundation of our life of faith. If we don't have this feeling, we cannot have strong power in our lives.

We don't want to be inconstant. Once we start something, we should be consistent, not changing from morning to night. No one can rely on a fickle person. To become a stable and consistent person we need a good understanding of God and God must become our personal God. So we have to make God our own parent then we can be called His children. That is the purpose of our coming here. Through the Divine Principle and Unification Thought lectures you should find God and develop a deep relationship with Him. Through your prayer and meditation you should feel God within you. If your heart and mind are open, God will certainly visit you, because He wants to be the God of all mankind, not just some of us. The question is whether you open your heart or not. That's what determines whether He becomes your God or someone else's. We want to make God our God; we want to become His sons and daughters and thus fulfill our purpose in life.

Everyone is born with a specific purpose. Whenever you make something you always have a purpose in mind. Likewise, each of us is born with a purpose we must achieve. If we pass away before accomplishing it, we will be like garbage and end up on the garbage heap. We don't want that to happen, so we should achieve our purpose in life. We work hard from early morning till late at night, so our work should be connected to achieving our purpose in life.

God created man through His word. So without knowing God's word we can understand neither God, nor man, nor our purpose in life. This is why we study God's word in the Divine Principle, the Bible and in nature. Once we understand God's word we must live accordingly. If we don't put it into practice, it has virtually no meaning at all. We must practice God's word in our life, then we become men of God's word; the word becomes our life. The Bible states that Jesus was the substantialization of the word: "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, . . ." (John 1:14) So when we live according to God's word His word becomes flesh; we become men of God's word. Having the correct understanding of God's word is essential. Many Christians study the Bible, but their understanding is often wrong. When you have the wrong understanding of God's course. your course will differ from God's. You may think you are doing the right thing, but God knows that you are going in the wrong direction. We don't want this to happen to us; we want to follow the right direction. To do this we need the right understanding of God's word.

You should create a warm atmosphere during this workshop and establish good relationships among those attending. This will give you a new start in leading a life of understanding others. If you cannot understand each other or create a warm atmosphere here, how can you possibly create a warm atmosphere somewhere else? Impossible. You will be together for 40 days. During that time you can reach a good understanding of one another and create a warm atmosphere, making this a place of spring. We must create a united Europe. The reason we have European workshops is to create unity among the nations of Europe. You represent your nation, so if you unite with members from other nations it will help create one united Europe. You must create one Europe, you can't expect someone else to do it for you. Radiating from this workshop you can create a united Europe and bring about a European spring.

If you have a springtime heart, everyone will want to be with you. We should all become such people. Something is wrong if people keep a distance from you. You must open yourself to others so they can be comfortable around you. Everyone should be like this. Remember to open your heart and make it easy for others to come to you. Be natural; have natural relationships with others. We cannot live alone. In our society we live and work with others, so we should have good relationships with them, shouldn't we? This is extremely important. Whatever you do you should try to create this kind of atmosphere during your workshop. When you do, God will pour down His blessings and you will all come closer to your goals. I hope this 40-day workshop helps you achieve your goals

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