Beloved blessed families living across the world!
My fellow Unification Church members living across the world! The first moment of the establishment of the Unification Church began with the birth of True Father on January 6, 1920. The Unification Church was established under the official name Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity on May 1, 1954.
It took the Unification Church only half a century after its establishment to spread the messages and words of True Parents to 194 nations across the world. Never before in the history of religion has such a feat been achieved within the lifetime of the religious founder. At this moment, however, the Unification Church is facing the greatest crisis in its history: internal disunity.
In February 1957, I first heard about the Divine Principle when I was a major in the ROK army. I met Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who has come to us as our Messiah and Savior. How fortunate I was! Of the 6.5 billion people in the world, I, though lacking in so many ways, was given the chance to meet the Messiah! This was the greatest heavenly blessing of all blessings, and the greatest glory of all glories.
“I met the Messiah!” This thought, which has moved me since our first meeting, is still making my heart burn with passion even at this moment, 54 years after our first encounter. During the past 54 years, I gave up everything in order to follow the Messiah, and I’ve kept myself busy working for him throughout this time. And now, I have suddenly found myself an old man at the age of 81 years.
My fellow blessed families! To me, the words of True Parents are law! The fundamental principles of my life have been absolute faith, absolute love, and absolute obedience. I don’t know how many more years I will have on this earth.
In 1950, I offered my life to fight for my country in the Korean War and narrowly escaped death. Now, I think it is the glory of all glories to dedicate the rest of my life to True Parents. I am sure you feel thesame way too. Father’s words are our law, and it is our duty and the tradition of the Unification Church to absolutely obey True Parents. This is the Unification Church faith, because our life, our eternal life, comes from True Parents.
In John 14:6, Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Who does the “me” quoted above refer to today? The “me” refers to the Lord of the Second Coming and the True Parents. Without True Parents, there is not even one person on this earth who can go to the Kingdom of Heaven. We are the sons and daughters of God in service to True Parents, who are the "life." Even when we underwent the cruelest of persecutions, the thought that “I have met the Lord; I am serving True Parents,” made us proud and gave us new energy to continue.
A bolt from out of the blue
One day, however, a bolt from out of the blue fell upon us in the formof the following news: Some people were being disobedient before our True Parents.
Such a thing could not even be imagined. That group of people has violated the tradition of the Unification Church, which we value as much as our own lives. They have set a precedent of disobedience before True Parents.
This is the first wrongdoing they have committed. This sin can never be erased. The sin of disobedience! The sin of breaking the tradition! Tradition is like a jar full of water. Once the jar is broken, the water that flows out cannot be put back in.
Who has committed this sin?
The people who have committed this wrongdoing are Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak and his family, and those acting in concert with them.
They not only disobeyed True Parents, but they also committed a second serious wrongdoing. They have usurped the assets of UCI, which were prepared by the sincere devotion of all blessed families and Church members around the world, without the permission of True Parents. Even as we speak, they are squandering these assets away. The assets amount to an astronomical number, which makes their actions all the more heinous.
Furthermore, they have committed a third wrongdoing. They are blinding the Church members and causing disunity within the Church. Where are they trying to take the Church members, who were on the path leading to the Kingdom of Heaven? Are they trying to take the members away from True Parents and lead them to hell?
To give a just cause to their separation from the Providence, they have established the third son of True Parents, Hyun Jin Moon, as their leader. They have a lot of money.
Of course, all the money they have actually belongs to True Father. They also have people and leaders on their side. They are fighting with everything they have, employing any means against the Unification Church.
It grieves me to no end to see that my past comrade and the most loyal of all followers, Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak, has broken away from the Providence. You may ask, „Then are you, Bo Hi Pak, flawless?‟ The answer is no. Few people in the Unification Church have been reprimanded as many times as I have by True Father. I am also a sinner. I have committed many unfilial acts.
However, I can promise you this: “I will never, ever leave True Parents. It is mylife’s dream to cry out: “True Parents, Eok Mansei!” three times at the moment of my death.
History of UCI
Brothers and sisters, there is something you need to know. True Parents’ stage is the world, and their goal is to save all people. The headquarters of True Parents’ work is in Korea; however, in the early days, Korea was just too far away from the rest of the world. For this reason, True Parents moved the world mission headquarters to the United States in 1971. I served under Father in the United States from the very first day of the move.
In 1977, I founded UCI according to the instructions of True Father, and I served as the founding chief director. At the time, True Father clearly explained the purpose for the founding of UCI when he said: “I will overturn the United States through the Divine Principle within the next three and a half years. I will stand at the forefront of the world's mission work. The world will succumb before the Divine Principle like snow melting after a frigid winter. To achieve this, we need a large amount of money and assets. UCI will be the place where we accumulate the funds and assets necessary for our world mission work.”
Five years from the first moment!
During the five years until 1976, True Parents completely conquered all 50 states of America. On September 18, 1976, the year that marked the 200th anniversary of American independence, he brought together 300,000 people at the Washington Monument and held the greatest religious rally in the history of the USA. At this rally, True Father declared “Godism.”
The name of Rev. Moon rocked the entire nation of America. The Washington Times, a newspaper begun by True Father in 1982, became one of the three major newspapers in America within two years of its founding. The Washington Times was the bell signaling “the dawn of the New Village Movement" in America. It was “True Parents’ Bell of Dawn” for everyone, from President Reagan in the White House to the residents of Washington, and it woke people up from sleep and enlightened their minds every morning. This was the achievement attained by True Parents and UCI in only five years since their first arrival in the USA.
Fourteen years later, True Parents took the rest of the world by storm. In 1990, True Parents, the leaders of the Victory over Communism movement, entered the Kremlin in the Soviet Union and held a historic meeting with the leaderof Communism, President Mikhail Gorbachev. This meeting marked an epoch-turning point in world history. True Parents resolutely told President Gorbachev, “Communism will not amount to anything. There is no peace in communism.”
Only a year after the fateful meeting of the two leaders, True Parents and President Gorbachev, the Soviet Union, which had striven to stain the entire world in the red colors of communism, crumbled after 74 years of rule, and became history. This marked the victory of “Godism”. True Parents had liberated the communist Soviet Union. As they performed such work, on the right side of True Parents stood UCI and on their left side stood the Washington Times, whichhad made even the Soviet Union tremble in fear.
UCI was usurped
Where is the UCI now?
The family of Chung Hwan Kwak and their cohorts, with Hyun Jin Nim as their leader, have usurped it. They have claimed it as their private property without permission from True Father. And now, most of its assets are being squandered in the most ridiculous places. They are disregarding the fact that UCI belongs to True Parents and that it was created through the blood, sweat, and tears of our members around the world.
Washington, DC, was both nominally and virtually the capital city of True Parents. True Father’s buildings stood here and there, and the worldwide news agency, UPI, also belonged to True Father. The attractive building that stood high between the Congress and the White House, the Atlantic Video Center, also belonged to True Parents, as did the Sheraton National Hotel. The achievements of True Parents had become famous features for tourism in Washington.
The usurpers of UCI, however, have annihilated and dismantled all historical traces of True Parents. What have they done with the billions of dollars they received after selling off these assets?
Now we cannot find even one trace of the footsteps of Rev. Moon in the capital city of True Parents, Washington, DC. What could be sadder than this?
The confiscation of True Parents’ private jet
This is not all. In commemoration of True Father’s 80th birthday, the Japanese blessed families had collected offerings and presented True Parents with a new private jet. In short, they had presented True Parents with wings. With this private jet plane, True Parents carried out two 120-nation world speaking tours. How could they have achieved this without a private plane?
The people in UCI, however, have confiscated this private plane. At this moment, they are trying to sell it.
Did they contribute so much as a penny to buy this plane?
Through their actions, they have made it necessary for True Parents to stand in line, together with other regular passengers, for their flights. What are they trying to accomplish by selling the plane?
A few days from now, on July 15th, True Parents are scheduled to visit Africa, because they have been personally invited there by the new President of Nigeria. They, however, do not have a private plane.
Why are the UCI people making True Parents look poor in the eyes of the world? Are they not afraid of God’s judgment? Why did they take away the wings of the King of Kings? What are they trying to do?
Isn’t this the most unfilial and disloyal act they can perform? Could we be so unfeeling as not to feel rage at this treason happening right before our eyes?
Everyone, weep loudly! “True Parents, we are sorry! True Parents, we are sorry! It is our fault that things have come to this. We are so ashamed that we cannot even ask for forgiveness.”
They have made a laughing stock of True Parents
Can we, blessed families and church members, just sit back and look unconcernedly at the present situation?
The UCI, which was usurped from the hands of True Father, is now nothing more than an empty shell. Everything that belonged to True Parents in Washington, DC, has been sold off. Even the residence (Jefferson House) of True Parents is gone. The UPI building is gone. The Atlantic Video Center is gone. The Sheraton National Hotel is gone.
The Washington Times was also seized for a year, but was recovered by True Father with great difficulty. Its reputation, however, has been hurt. Wouldn’t the tourists of WashingtonDC be pointing here and there and laughing at True Parents, saying, “There isn’t even a trace of Rev. Moon here!” The UCI people have completely broken down the ivory tower of the 50 years of mission work carried out by True Parents in the USA.
Until now, millions of people have come to Washington DC and praised the achievements of True Parents. We brought a great number of people from Korea to show them those very things; didn’t we? Now, however, we have nothing to show those people who come from the world to see them. It breaks my heart to see this, because I participated in the construction of every one of those buildings under the guidance of True Parents. I was so mortified that I prostrated myself before God and wept bitter tears. I called Father's name hundreds of thousands of times. And finally, the first light of dawn appeared.
True Parents finally proclaimed the declaration
With the heart of the parent, True Parents persevered again and again, and when things became no longer tolerable, they finally proclaimed the declaration on the 23rd day of the 4th month of the Heavenly calendar (May 25, 2011).
The first part of the declaration states:
“All members are not to forget that they must obey absolutely all directions and commands of the True Parents, who are the only True Parents in the world for all perpetuity and eternity. This is the eternal tradition and faith of the Unification Church.”
They have proclaimed this. If all the blessed families in the world and those who have gone against the Providence obey this teaching of True Parents, then all our problems will be resolved at once. However, there seems to be no possibility of that happening. So what are we to do?
On December 18, 1971, upon his arrival in the United States, True Father shouted out, “I have come as a fireman to put out the fire in America.” I was there, at that very moment. It is now our turn.
We blessed families throughout the world need to become firefighters who can put out the fire of disobedience, and dedicate our lives in the fight to extinguish the fire of treason. Isn’t it our responsibility as blessed families to resolve this crisis, even if it means staking our lives?
Korea’s history of intense loyalty
Ladies and gentlemen! Korea’s history records some of the most intense acts of loyalty in history; it is the symbol of Korean history. At the time of the Koryo Dynasty, a famous scholar, Mong Joo Jeong, was enticed by the king, Seong Gye Lee. He was asked by the followers of Seong Gye Lee, who were trying to establish him as the new king, to join forces.
Mong Joo Jeong revealed his heart to them in the form of a poem:
“Even if I die over and over again, a hundred times over again, Until my bones become the earth and my spirit is neither here nor there, My single-hearted devotion to my Lord will never fade away.”
When he learned about the heart of Mong Joo Jeong, Seong Gye Lee instructed his servants to attack him on the Seon Jook Bridge on his way back home. Mong Joo Jeong was killed, the blood that the loyal patriot spilt on that bridge could not be washed away, and it remains there evennow.
This story teaches us a very important lesson. The king Mong Joo Jeong served under was not the messiah or the savior or someone sent from God. He was simply the king of a nation. And yet, the loyal patriots pledged their allegiance to him and were even willing to give their very lives for him.
The person we are serving and attending today, however, is not the king of a country. He is the one who has been sent by God to save humanity, and he is the only son of God who revealed the heart of God and liberated Him from his sorrows. He is our King of Kings! He is our eternal True Parent! The loyalty we show before True Parents should be on a completely different level from that of Mong Joo Jeong. The word “eternal” always follows us.
We are in a position where we need to show eternal and unchanging loyalty, surpassing even that of Mong Joo Jeong. That is the mission of the blessed families. That is the privilege of the blessed families.
Let us unite under the spirit of Tan Shim Ga!
Ladies and gentlemen! The Unification Church must never be divided. We should not, however, think lightly about the present situation. The only way we can stop our Church from becoming disunited is by following the spirit of “Tan Shim Ga”.
“Our True Parents! Even if I die over and over again, a hundred times over again, untilmy bones become the earth and my spirit is neither here nor there, my single-hearted devotion to our True Parents will never fade away!”
This is the path that we blessed families and Unification Church members need to follow. We should not allow ourselves to be enticed. We should never waver. We havethe International President Hyung Jin Moon, the heir established by our True Parents; don’t we? He is the filial son and the loyal patriot who sets an example before us.
We blessed families need to unite as one, centering on International President Hyung Jin Moon. We should not permit the Church to divide. We need to make Chung Hwan Kwak and his followers, who have left the Church because of their wrongful deeds, repent of their actions and fall on their knees before True Parents. They are now treading the path that leads to death. We need to save our brothers and sisters.
True Parents are the True Parents of mercy, and they will offer forgiveness.
Doesn’t the Declaration imply that if those people repent, then True Parents will erase everything and forgive them? But before they can be forgiven, they first need to repent. There can be no forgiveness without repentance.
The only way to live is to repent
Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak! Won’t you and your family repent with tears? That is the only way you can live. We miss the Chung Hwan Kwak of old, who was a brave and loyal patriot. Elder Brother Hyun Jin Moon, from when you were young, I saw what a filial son you were.
Please stop shooting True Parents with the arrows of anguish and resentment, and get down on your knees and repent with tears and become a filial son once again. You are our elder brother! We love you.
Our members who are caught in the trap of UCI, please return to us. How did you lose your way? Come back while the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven remain open. Do not put this resolution off until tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come.
Beloved blessed families! My fellow Church members! Let us all stand up with the choir and sing Tan Shim Ga twice, at the top of our lungs, and thus declare our resolution again as blessed families and members before God. Now, please stand up. (Singing of Tan Shim Ga)Thank you.