When Saint Paul was struck by spiritual lightning on the road to Damascus, he experienced the demanding presence of God deep in his soul. This was not simply a conversion to the new Christian faith. More than that, Paul received a mission to preach Christ to the Gentiles.
That sense of mission burned in his heart and motivated him to strive for the rest of his life to plant churches throughout the Greco-Roman world. Thenceforth, he devoted himself as a “living sacrifice” in obedience to God’s call.
Throughout history, God has commissioned saints and righteous people like Paul to be His instruments.
God needs people of faith who will take up various missions and fulfill them in His name. The prophets of Israel, the disciples of Jesus, the Companions of Muhammad, and countless believers ever since have answered the call to mission.
Obedient to their calling, their lives have been challenging and difficult. Yet because they cherished that divine purpose in their hearts and felt a strong sense of responsibility to fulfill it, they persevered.
Sun Myung Moon
God’s Call and Our Sense of Mission
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Genesis 12.1
Believers, be God’s helpers. When Jesus the son of Mary said to the disciples, “Who will help me on the way to God?” they replied, “We are God’s helpers.” Qur’an 61.14
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness; I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the peoples, a light to the nations, To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42.6-7
Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see noth- ing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying… for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized. Acts 9.3-18
I, an idle bard, by Thee am a task assigned: In primal time I was commanded night and day to praise Thee. The bard was summoned by the Master to the Eternal Mansion, and honored with the robe of divine laudation and praise. On the holy Name ambrosial he was feasted. As by the Master’s guidance on this he has feasted, has felt blessed, the bard has spread and proclaimed divine praise by the holy Word. Adi Granth, Var Majh, M.1, p. 150 (Sikhism)
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
God plans to call good individuals out of the sinful world and have them… accomplish His work.
Thus did God call Abraham out of the sinful world to be the standard-bearer of goodness and blessed him with descendants who would uphold the Will of God. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Parallels 7.1)
God’s providence of salvation—a work of re-creation—cannot be completed in an instant. It begins from one point and gradually expands to cover the whole.
Therefore, in the providence of salvation, God first predestines one person to be the central figure and then calls him to a mission… God, being omniscient, foreknows who has the qualifications necessary to become a central figure in the providence of restoration.
God predestines those whom He foreknows; then He calls upon him to fulfill the purpose of the providence. Calling the person is God’s responsibility, but that alone does not entitle the person to be justified before God and given glory. Only when the person completes his responsibility after being called by God is he justified and then glorified.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Predestination 3-4)
Fallen people’s spiritual sensibility is extremely dull. Hence, they generally tend to adhere strictly to the letter of the truth in their efforts to follow God’s providence.
Such people cannot readily adjust themselves to the dispensation of the new age, even though the providence of restoration is moving toward it.
They are generally too strongly attached to the outdated perspective provided by the doctrines of old age. This is well illustrated by the case of the Jewish people of Jesus’ day who were so attached to the Old Testament that they could not respond to Jesus’ call to open a new chapter of the providence.
On the other hand, those believers who receive divine inspiration through prayer are able to grasp spiritually the providence of the new age. Even though this may put them at odds with the doctrines of the old age, they will still respond to the promptings of the Spirit and follow the calling of the new dispensation. (Exposition of the Divine Principle, Eschatology 5.2)
Ten years ago God sent me to America, the representative nation of the free world, and directed me to speak His message to all Americans. If people ask me, “Reverend Moon, what is your purpose here?”
I would tell them, “When people are sick, they send out for a doctor. Since the American people are sick, I came from the East as a doctor to heal America.
America is burning. I am the firefighter who will put out the flames.” This is what I am fulfilling. (123:320, January 9, 1983)
Each of us should think: “God has expectations for me; He tells me to build a new world. He commissioned me with the responsibility to resolve all the complicated problems of the past. Then, what is my position? I am not an ordinary individual who is perishing; now I belong to humankind, the world, and my Heavenly Father.”
Our hearts should be awestruck over the fact that we have been called, although we are an unworthy people and an unworthy lot. While countless others who volunteered themselves in service of their nation were not chosen, God chose us and made us His children. For this, we should have grateful minds and reverent hearts. (9:344, January 30, 1960)
What more could I ask for, that in these historical last days, I could be appointed as an object partner to my lonely God? Is there anything more I could ask for?
Even if I die, my bones crushed into powder and dispersed in the wind, could I hold any resentment? The world will always have plenty of worthless lives, people who die like pigs and dogs. (62:140, September 17, 1972)
Sun Myung Moon
Efforts and Hardships of the Mission
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And he said, “Go, and say to this people: ‘Hear and hear, but do not understand; see and see, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6.1-10 O
Lord, thou knowest; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In thy forbearance take me not away; know that for thy sake I bear reproach. Thy words were found, and I ate them, and thy words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by thy name, O Lord, God of hosts. I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because thy hand was upon me, for thou hadst filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Wilt thou be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? Jeremiah 15.15-18
The Thaqif… stirred up their louts and slaves to insult [Muhammad] and cry after him until a crowd came together, and compelled him to take refuge in an orchard… When the Apostle reached safety he said, so I am told, “O God, to Thee I complain of my weakness, little resource, and lowliness before men. O Most Merciful, Thou art the Lord of the weak, and Thou art my Lord. To whom wilt Thou confide me? To one afar who will misuse me? Or to an enemy to whom Thou hast given power over me? If Thou art not angry with me I care not. Thy favor is wider for me. I take refuge in the light of Thy countenance by which the darkness is illumined, and the things of this world and the next are rightly ordered, lest Thy anger descend upon me or Thy wrath light upon me. It is for Thee to be satisfied until Thou art well pleased. There is no power and no might save in Thee.” Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah (Islam)
If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel… as to righteousness under the law blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suf- fered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. Philippians 3.4-15
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
Living a life of faith presents many challenges. No doubt you received a call, but the question is: are you following it? It is hard to follow your call. It is even harder to be loyal and filial to God. (40:86, January 24, 1971)
When following the path of God’s calling, you will surely face internal struggles.
You who are called must be skillful in sorting them out. Since you are responsible for many people, if you make a misstep, a large number may perish and you will have created a huge problem.
Therefore, you should not act hastily or carelessly. Do not be overly joyful when you see something good, and do not grieve too much when you see something bad.
You should always straighten your mind, sort out right from wrong, and move forward with care. (40:98-99, January 24, 1971)
May we be intoxicated with our sense of mission, that we might receive Heaven’s commands and fulfill our responsibilities completely.
To establish Heaven’s Will on earth, let us become sons and daughters who know only to fight without resting or deviating, who know the laws of Heaven and the laws of this cosmic battle, and who will represent the unchanging Center until the glory of restoration and the ideal of the eternal God are revealed in all things of creation. (2:180, April 14, 1957)
After receiving the call to walk the way of God’s will, you should always search with sincerity for the objective you are meant to fulfill.
I am moving forward with the entire problem of the providence of restoration; that path is not peaceful. I have to surmount many disturbing and ever-changing situations, beyond anything I could have imagined when I started.
As you walk this way, purge your mind of greed and rid your heart of pride. It is impossible to succeed with the mind of “I am going to try this; I am going to attempt that.” Even if your plan succeeds, it may contradict the Providence since it was planned from a human perspective. (40:77, January 24, 1971)
Father! Thou knowest the direction that we, Thy sons and daughters, should go; Thou knowest the path we shall have to walk. Our minds do not begin from within ourselves, for we have been chosen as Thy helpers, not for ourselves.
Since it is for others and Thee, Father, we pray Thou wilt take dominion over our hearts and not let them change to the very end. (6:62, March 29, 1959)
Sun Myung Moon