The Road Of Suffering Has Been The Way For Individuals And Religions

Members of the graduating class, parents, professors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. On this special occasion of the fourth Unification Theological Seminary graduation exercises, I wish to extend my congratulations to these thirty-nine graduates. They have worked very hard. I give special thanks to the professors, administration, and the seminary staff for their enormous contribution to this successful harvest. Today, at this joyous and happy occasion, I would like to share some thoughts with you regarding the history of God’s providence and about your heavenly responsibilities as seminary graduates.

Looking back at the important central figures appearing in God’s dispensational history, all have walked “the road of suffering.” It has been the common path for God’s central figures, for saints, and for sages in the past. “The road of suffering” has been the way, not only for individuals but also for the major religions. Individuals and major religions in the past course of God’s providence have assumed central responsibility and without exception have passed the way of suffering and sacrifice for others.

God wanted to implant His heavenly ideal in individual lives, within society, among nations and

throughout the world through the Judeo-Christian religion. Then He planned to expand His heavenly ideal to the other major religions, such as Mohammedanism and Buddhism. However, God’s plan centering on the major religions has not been realized. The central responsibility for God’s providence must be fulfilled by someone else and by some other religious movement at this time. The heavenly dispensational timetable is at issue and it calls for our special attention at this moment.

You, as seminary graduates, must assume the above-mentioned unfinished task of central responsibility for God’s providence. It is not an easy job to fulfill. You must walk the same course as God’s chosen individuals and God’s chosen religions in the past, but this time you must succeed. To succeed you cannot escape or run away from the reality of social evil. Rather, you must: a) plunge yourself into the troubled world and work there in the midst of evil, b) sacrifice yourself unconditionally as God’s chosen central figures, c) accept willingly the suffering path, d) clearly show the world the direction of God’s heavenly ideal, and e) educate people about God, His desire, and His heavenly ideal for mankind.

By doing these things, you will automatically open the way for God’s new dispensation for the world. This new dispensation from God will not be established by the religions, cultures, or “isms” of the past. The secret of success in your heavenly responsibility and mission is to accept willingly and unconditionally the suffering path of indemnity for the sake of mankind. Western people find this way hard to understand and hard to accept sometimes. It may appear at times that you are losing, but in the long run you are going to receive heavenly blessings. This is the mystery of the Law of Indemnity, which we teach in the Divine Principle. Here is the formula for you to follow in your success to come:

The degree of your success, in your responsibility as central figures in a central religious movement, will be determined by the years of indemnity and the amount of suffering and sacrifice you are able to endure. In other words, if you or God’s chosen religious movement suffer more and pay more indemnity for humankind and the world, you will get more blessing from God. This applies to individuals, families, societies, nations and the world.

The purpose of the Unification Church movement is to fulfill the unfinished task left by God’s chosen individuals and religions of the past. I urge you to assume this central responsibility for God’s providence throughout your life. You must succeed in your mission as central figures for God and for mankind.

Again I extend my congratulations to all of you graduates, and may God bless you, our guests, professors and parents on this joyous occasion.