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The Reverend Sun Myung Moon is a man with a burning desire to communicatethe word of God. Thus, throughout his life he has spoken at every opportunity,like an overflowing spring, about God -- His heart, His will, His historyof anguish -- and about what men and women must do to help their HeavenlyFather inaugurate a world of love. He has given deep talks not just at formalpublic gatherings but in virtually every conceivable situation -- over thebreakfast table, while traveling in an automobile, at the gunwale of a fishingboat.
During his 40 years of public ministry, in fact, Reverend Moon has sharedso much that by this time he has probably set a historical record worldwidefor volume of information communicated. The Unification Church in Korea,for example, is planning to publish a set of 200 volumes of his recordedspeeches.
The 38 discourses in this book were carefully chosen by Reverend Moon --while serving a grossly unjust sentence in federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut-- to convey the quintessence of the Unification movement's teaching on God'swill and heart. They also are particularly relevant to understanding thepresent providential era and the mission, significance and heart of ReverendMoon himself.
How does Reverend Moon view God? Unlike many people today, he does not seeGod as merely a human concept or phenomenon. God is a living God who is activelya part of our lives, and the affairs of the world cannot be considered withouttaking His presence into account.
Through study of the Bible and through his personal prayer and revelation,Reverend Moon came to realize that not only is God a real Father, but hisheart is filled with intense pain because we have often not understood Hissituation and have acted in ways that brought suffering to ourselves andothers. In other words, God is truly our Parent who loves all human beingsas His children. He suffers with our hardships, rejoices with our deeds ofgoodness, and unceasingly guides our growth toward the full potential ofthe divine image. Since the day he discovered that God's heart grieves overthe miserable situation of this world, Reverend Moon has prayed in tears.If you ever have a chance to hear him pray, though you may not understandthe Korean words, you would surely perceive the depth of his communicationwith God.
Today, Christianity is divided into countless sects and denominations, eachwith its distinctive doctrines and rites. But how many Christians are ferventlyseeking after the will of God at this critical time? Jesus was desperateto accomplish God's will, because he knew God's suffering and His seriousnessto rescue His lost children from the satanic realm. Motivated by love andcompassion, Christ devoted himself completely to the task of building theKingdom of Heaven.
With a heart still burdened with sorrow over the suffering of God's children,Jesus appeared to Reverend Moon many years ago while he was deep in prayerand asked him to take responsibility for God's will in the present age. Knowingthat the ways of God are not the ways of the world, Reverend Moon acceptedthis call feeling that he could expect to meet with misunderstanding andpersecution. Therefore, he is not motivated by a desire to please society,but only to proclaim God's will and heart.
Reverend Moon is an exuberant speaker. Whether addressing members at formalreligious services, church administrative meetings, birthday celebrations,or even around a campfire, his speaking has a great flowing power, rangingover the broadest scope of human and divine experience. It is not uncommonfor his sermons to begin early in the morning and last throughout the day.His talks are always characterized by a great deal of give and take withhis audience, sometimes sharing delightful humor, other times a profoundseriousness and repentance, always a great vision and ideal.
In talking to members, he seeks to inspire deep faith and religious dedicationand help them persevere in the midst of trials. The speeches in this collectionwere given in a variety of contexts, as will be evident from the text. Somewere spoken during evangelistic campaigns, others on anniversaries o fsignificant church accomplishments. Still others were addressed to newlyengaged couples. These messages were all given in Korean or Japanese. Forthose delivered in the United States and Europe, Reverend Moon spoke in Koreanwith an interpreter at his side translating his words into English.
Beyond the challenge his message presents to conventional thought, propercomprehension of these words, removed from their source as they are byinterpreter, translator, two or three editors, and probably a lot of atmosphere,requires something special. Throughout the talks printed here, Reverend Moonoften refers to that special element: a pure and open heart and a discerningmind, both guided and protected by sincere prayer.
Please bear in mind that there may be some error due to the difficultiesof translating spiritual concepts. However, I would like to express myappreciation to the translating and editing team that prepared these speechesfor inclusion in this volume and to all who assisted in the considerabletask of its rapid production. May God grant you the inspiration in reading and reflecting upon this bookthat He has granted us in its preparation.
New York, July 1985,CONTENTS
ENTRANCE WHAT'S NEW ? OUR STORY TRUE FAMILY VALUES ABSOLUTE SEX & PURE LOVE SCIENCE AND RELIGION THE GALLERY HAIKU GREAT LINKS GUESTBOOK WRITE TO US PAGE TOP
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