Power through a Providential Perspective (1)

In 2008 a compendium of sermons by Rev. Hwang Sun-jo was published under the theme “Power through a Providential Perspective”. In the foreword Rev. Hwang talks about the reasons for publishing this book:

“The first is that I believe that someone, no matter how lacking he may be, should testify to and publish the providential achievement and lives of True Parents, which can never be repeated in history. The unfathomable significance and value of True Parents, and each and every one of their achievements and teaching, must be testified to before all peoples and all generations.

The second is that, because True Parents‟ providential life course is restoring through indemnity humankinds‟ entire history, in terms of quality a day in their lives holds the same meaning as a thousand or ten thousand years. The lives of True Parents are the „Revelation of Newness.‟ Since God, long hidden from us, has been revealed completely through True Parents, we are asked to record our personal witness of their providential lives, teachings and administration of the providence before history and the world.

The third is that the perfection of the providence of God takes place in the actual field of activity. It is accomplished on the foundation of lives in which the truth is practiced and through which Satan is brought to voluntary submission. The field of activity in the providence involves suffering and bitter grief, adventure and anxiety, emotion and ecstasy, so no words can fully describe it. However that field of engagement must be testified to.”

In the close to 500 pages of this book Rev. Hwang compiled 52 of his speeches - maybe representing the 52 Sunday of a year. I would like to offer you quotations that have been especially meaningful for me and hopefully also for some of you.

For example, on December 26, 1999 Rev. Hwang spoke about the theme “As We Pass from One Millennium to the Next” where he explained under the subtitle “A time to examine our relationships” about the importance of maintaining heart to heart relationships among us as brothers and sisters:

“When we are in discord with someone, when we have such wounds in our hearts, it may not destroy our relationship with that particular person but it does destroy our relationship with God. God cannot exist where there is conflict. When you are unable to maintain a relationship of heart with other members, and with the world, this destroys your relationship with God.”

Personally I am convinced that this is a very central point for all of us to consider. Because we are dedicated to developing an intimate relationship with God as our Loving Eternal Parent it is essential that we invest wholeheartedly into securing a bond of heart among us as true brothers and sisters so that God can freely dwell in our midst. At the same time we have to be aware of the fact that if we are lacking in our relationship to Heavenly Father the real cause may lie in our not having taken seriously what Jesus taught already 2000 years ago, namely that we must first reconcile with our brother before we bring our offering to God.

On April 16, 2001 Rev. Hwang spoke about the theme “Understanding Our Role in a New

Providential Era” where he explained under the subtitle “We must bequeath our faith and tradition” about the meaning of the fourth Adam:

“We must know who we are. We must be the fourth Adam. We must be Tribal Messiahs. How can we clearly identify ourselves as fourth Adam and Tribal Messiahs. I can say it is those who are to bequeath and to pass on our tradition. We have to think of what we have to do as a fourth Adam and Tribal Messiah. First of all, as the fourth Adam, we have to follow the path to restoring our position as original human being as True Parents have done.”

In this speech Rev. Hwang also explained about the witnessing condition which was carried out at that time: “The method of mobilization has completely changed. This is mobilization in the age of settlement. In the past we had to leave our hometown and family to be mobilized. Now we have new types of mobilization in the new age. That is why Father said we can mobilize by doing activity and sleeping at home just once every four nights. That means we visit our relatives and tribe for three days and sleep somewhere other than our own home. It does not matter whether you are at a relative‟s, a spiritual child‟s house or some other family‟s home.”

Personally I think it would be very good if we can apply such an attitude more in our activities because staying in another home naturally includes sharing with members of that family – which is generally not being done enough. We will definitely profit in many ways if we open our homes more to each other.

On February 18, 2001 Rev. Hwang gave a longer speech about the topic “A New Course in a New Era” in which he told brothers and sisters about the model course for fourth Adam: “The model course to complete the physical salvation of humanity is that of the third Adam, True Father‟s providential path. Following the footsteps of True Father, we can become as we were originally intended to be, that is, fourth Adams.

The course for True Parents is the course of the third Adam. It is also the model course that we are to follow. How far can True Parents lead us on the path toward the original creation? True Parents will lead us until the moment that we inherit what they have accomplished as people who reflect what God intended at the creation. True Parents have rid us of the original sin and have had us to walk the same path they have travelled down as messiahs. They have walked the path of True Parents. We must also follow that path. This is how we can be fourth Adams.”

Another theme about which Rev. Hwang offered some explanations in that speech refers to the age of God‟s direct dominion: “The time has come for us to directly relate with God. It is a time for us to relate to God directly, to be under God‟s direct dominion, to communicate with God directly, as was to be the case in the world originally expected through the Creation. …2001 is the beginning of a new age. Thus the year 2001 is the age of God‟s kingship [sovereign power]. It means that we live in the age wherein God has direct dominion over us. We may define this in many different ways:

First this is the age of transcending religion. We are in an age where we have no need of religion. This does not mean that we don‟t need faith. Dispensationally, this is now the age of transcending religion. Therefore we must develop our movement to help others to transcend their religious limitations. Second we are in the age of transcending nations. The time in which our one world centered on God has begun. Third, it is the age of unity between mind and body. Fourth it is the age of direct reporting, which is the true order of the world as originally intended at the Creation.

Fifth, the providential age of Parents is over and the age of Children, the Second Generation is coming. On September 24 last year, True Parents held a special ceremony immediately before the

Registration Blessing. In that ceremony True Parents clearly stated that they had passed the providential mission from the parents to the children.

Responsibility for the spiritual world was bequeathed to Heung Jin Nim‟s family and that of the physical world to Hyun Jin Nim‟s family. Concrete changes were visible starting from the new year. There is no question that this year herolds a new age. We must put on new cloths of a new heart and spirit.

Brothers and sisters, we are entering this new age right now. Every part of our lives should be new. In a new providential age, what we experience, and how we feel about family members, our own families, ourselves, True Parents, God, Holy Songs, our life of faith, donations, praying over night and our mission areas, all should be new. Have we become new people? We must check that we are not failing to change into someone new. An inability to change just shows that we are carrying on our life of faith habitually.

Dearest brothers and sisters, the new age has come. Even if we live just as in the past, the past was clearly the night and it is now the middle of the day with bright sunlight shining down. The past was the era of the third Adam and it is now the era of the fourth Adam. In the past True Parents gave us opportunities to be reborn. But now we must make rebirth and resurrection happen for ourselves and for others. In the past, True Parents took responsibility for us but now we, their children, must take responsibility for ourselves.

Therefore, now we must grow to be parents ourselves. As God was liberated thanks to True Parents, True Parents must be liberated thanks to us.

True Father told us, „As I have accomplished the Coronation Ceremony for the Kingship of God, putting God in the place of sovereign power on the cosmic level, you must do the same for God on the tribal level.‟ In addition, he said, „As I have liberated God in my lifetime, you must liberate True Parents in your lifetimes.‟

Moreover, he added, „As I have made you fourth Adams by investing my entire life, you must make your own tribes the fourth Adams by investing your entire lives.‟

The fact that such a divine task is ahead of us at this new age should be written indelibly in our hearts. I pray for you to be new providential figures in the new age, and for blessing to be with all of you.”

May we all reflect deeply about these very important insights offered in these explanations as they can help us greatly to have the right kind of heart and mind-set as we enter the realm of God‟s direct dominion over man.