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#105-Strengthening Families and Communities Forum: Michael Marshall
Cheon Seong Gyeong 2334
Look at my calves: how can the founder of a religion have such calves? Just by themselves, they could be mistaken for those of an African. The True Parent must also be a father to Africans, as well as fishermen, farmers and herdsmen. If he can do so at least in heart, he would be able to take them to God’s Kingdom. When I tell you to follow my heart of love for you, because the world will follow closely on the heels of the True Parents, we are establishing the name “True Parents” on earth. Hence, the True Parents are essential to the individual, the parent-child relationship and the conjugal relationship in the family, as well as the tribe. Otherwise the nation cannot be saved. (296-204, 1998.11.9)
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1566
These eight months of January through August have all been part of a new era in 1989. It is now the end of August isn’t it? The course of global indemnity has been completed in these eight months. In connection with this we were able to hold many events last year, including the cross-cultural “exchange” Holy Blessing and the declaration of the Foundation Day for the Nation of the Unified World. Thus, all conditions of indemnity were fulfilled. In this way, everything was brought to completion in August. This includes the marine and water related activities. I have accomplished so much up to this point. (193-100, 1989.8.31)
Self-Sacrifice
- Offering Oneself as a Living Sacrifice
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
Human beings should present themselves as living offerings before God and become the fruits of goodness who can demonstrate Heavenly Father’s internal heart. (2:77, March 3, 1957)
An offering should not have any concept of possession. A person who would be an offering should sacrifice for his people; he should move forward for the purpose of the whole, not for his own purpose. As an offering, you should set a public goal and exert yourself for that, not for a private goal. As an offering, you should become a foundation, or good soil, upon which God can destroy evil and establish the way of goodness. (14:10, April 19, 1964)
The Chinese character for “righteousness,” 義 (eui in Korean), is a combination of two Chinese characters, 羊 (yang) meaning “sheep” and 我 (ah) meaning “self.” [In other words, when you put yourself in the position of a lamb, you will create the condition for righteousness.] (92:309, April 24, 1977)
All human beings have to travel a course of re-creation and restoration, and this requires that we walk the path of sacrifice. We cannot re-create ourselves by ourselves; we must walk a path by which God invests His energy to create our ideal selves. That is why we must sacrifice. We sacrifice so that God has room to re-create us as His partners. This is the original standard of the Principle. Therefore, a religion that seeks human perfection or the ideal world must inspire its followers to make extraordinary efforts. We sacrifice our self-centeredness, and in proportion to that sacrifice God restores our original nature. This course is necessary because we are products of the Fall. Accordingly, all religious people must walk a path of effort and endure hardships. It is the fundamental point of re-creation. (God’s Will and the World, September 11, 1972)
To reach the ideal of perfection is not easy. It requires a state of absolute self-denial. We cannot do this if we insist on our own viewpoint. (God’s Will and the World, April 3, 1983)
The God of goodness is the God of sacrifice and love. Love cannot exist apart from sacrifice. Love is the essence of sacrifice. If you sacrifice yourself for someone you love, you do not consider that sacrifice to be a sacrifice. The more you sacrifice yourself, the more fulfilled you feel. Love has this Obedience and Sacrifice 855 paradoxical nature. The size of one’s love always becomes apparent in the degree of sacrifice. That is what determines whether a love is great or small. The greater the sacrifice, the greater is the love. A small sacrifice only demonstrates a lowly love. (63:25, October 1, 1972)
When you see things with the mind of love, you do not think of yourself but deny yourself and go the way of sacrifice. You must become a perfect minus in front of a perfect plus. When a perfect minus appears in front of a perfect plus, another plus is attracted to it. For example, if I am a perfect minus before a nation, the ultimate plus, God, will be attracted… This is a principle of heaven and earth.
Therefore, the tradition of patriots is one of blood, sweat and tears. The tradition of filial piety is one of blood, sweat and tears. It is the same with the way of virtuous women, virtuous men, patriots and saints. This is the mainstream tradition: only through sacrificing our blood, sweat and tears are we connected with the Kingdom of Heaven, the world of unity. This is an infallible truth. (113:118, May 1, 1981)
Many people worship Thee hoping for Heaven’s blessing;
others make devotions to become Thy children;
but today, even after six thousand years have passed,
it is difficult to find devoted people, Thy true sons and daughters,
who want to be offerings to Thee. (5:8, November 9, 1958)