Inheriting Father's Victorious Tradition

Good morning. I hope you can understand why we have this workshop here in Camberg. I mentioned the place, but I did not speak about the purpose. I would now like to talk about this.

As you know already, this is a workshop for European leaders. It is not for members, it is a workshop especially for the benefit of leaders. I want you to clearly understand the purpose of this workshop, and then I would like to talk to you.

As you know, the goal of this year is the ‘Unification of the Fatherland’. Even though we talk about the unification of the fatherland, we don’t know how to realize it. A nation has its own land and people and sovereignty - three things. Also, we need to establish our homeland not in heaven but here on earth, because we lost God’s homeland here on earth. Many nations exist in the world, but there is no nation which is dominated by God. I suppose you can easily understand that God’s desire is to find one nation which can be dominated by Him. This has been God’s desire throughout the 6000 years of human history.

As you know, God worked through the Israelites to establish a nation which could be dominated by God. Even though Jesus came we failed to establish God’s nation centered upon Jesus because of our ignorance of God’s will. We are now making a new foundation in order to fulfill God’s secondary providence. The mission of the Lord of the Second Advent is also to establish such a nation, both physically and spiritually.

A nation starts from one person. This person should be true man. True man means both true man and true woman. When this true man and woman have a family, they will expand to establish a clan, tribe, nation and world. Therefore, the starting point of the unification of the fatherland is true man. True man comes as perfect Adam, who is searching for perfect Eve, then they establish a family and expand to form a clan, tribe, nation and world.

Father gave us the motto ‘Unification of the Fatherland’ at the beginning of this year. We started this year together with Father.

We shouldn’t forget that another starting point is ourselves: the unity of our mind and body centered upon God and True Parents. Such united individuals should then come together as husband and wife centering upon God and True Parents and then expand. So, when we think about the unification of the fatherland, we cannot help thinking about the unification of our mind and body and of husband and wife.

As you know, the base of all ideals is ‘living for others’. When God created the universe, the starting point of His ideal was selflessness. So we have to be clear about the origin of our ideal. For example, when husband and wife exist for the sake of others and for the sake of their spouse (centered upon God and True Parents), the unity between husband and wife can be established. It is the same concerning the unity between ourselves and True Parents, or ourselves and God - the starting point is living for others.

Last year Father asked me something. When Father asks me something, he is actually asking this of all of us. He asked me how much we were able to increase our membership. This was what he asked. He didn’t ask any other question, only this one.

New members are our fruits. In other words, they indicate how much we were able to inherit the tradition of God and True Parents. This will all be shown by our fruits: our spiritual children. They are the evidence.

Let’s say we worked very hard; in this case you may claim that you inherited God’s tradition and have done your best. You may say that you followed Father’s instructions well. If this is so, surely the fruits will be there. They must be there. Father did not ask me how much I invested myself. He only asked about the fruits. When Father sees the fruits he can find out how much we invested. If Father would have asked me whether I was working hard or not, I would have answered Father with the following: We have such kinds of members and they are receiving such kind of spiritual help, these kind of things happened and these good things happened. I would give such a report to Father. Or I would tell him that we held many workshops to inspire the members. Also that we are witnessing quite hard.

If we do this, results should automatically appear. So Father simply asked me whether we could increase the membership or not. Therefore the meaning of Father’s question was not really to find out about the results alone. What he was actually asking was whether we have inherited his tradition, and whether we really did our best or not. This was what he wanted to know. He was not only interested in the results.

When I was asked this question, I couldn’t just keep quiet, so I said, “We worked hard.” But what do you think Father wanted to hear? I said that we worked very hard, but what Father wanted to know was what fruits we were able to bring. Therefore, whenever we are asked by Father about our results, we may think he is just asking about the results, but this is not so. The reason we think this way is because we do not understand Father’s heart. Consequently we misunderstand and think he just wants to know our results. Since we do not understand Father’s heart or motivation, whenever we are asked about our results we try to explain the results. But Father’s desire and our interpretation of his question are very different.

I want you to understand that there is a great difference between Father’s question about our results and our questions to members about their results. These two questions are very different. What Father was really asking us was whether we could really follow or inherit God’s tradition or not. But our question to the members is only concerning the result. I want you to really understand this point.

In America’s case, Father requested that the members fulfill the 1-1-1 goal. That means each member should find one new member every month. This was Father’s request to the American members. Here in Europe we only have to find three new members within one year. Even so, we think it is not so easy. But how would we feel if we were given the goal of 1-1-1? How would you feel? I feel that if we could have the attitude of working to fulfill the 1-1-1 goal, and maintain this kind of commitment throughout the year, then we can no doubt find more than three spiritual children.

Therefore, when I ask you to find three spiritual children it does not mean only three, it means work with the spirit of 1-1-1. Because without this spirit we will not be able to find even three spiritual children.

How can we realize the unification of the fatherland without increasing our membership and resurrecting more members to God? And what should we do in order to find three spiritual children? It is only possible when we really inherit Father’s victorious foundation and victorious tradition. Thus the unification of the fatherland means the triple- - 9- up of membership. And the triple-up of membership means inheriting Father’s victorious foundation. So, what we have to do now is inherit Father’s victorious tradition. This is the way to bring victory. The reason why we are having this five-day workshop is to consider how we can inherit the victorious tradition of True Parents. This is the purpose. This was why we organized this meeting.

I suppose this is the first time all European national leaders and all other leaders were gathered. We couldn’t really gather on a European level before because of many problems in the nations, etc. As you may have experienced, even though you tried to do your best in your own nation, whenever Father is persecuted in America or elsewhere, the influence of this persecution also comes to your nation. So even though you do your best in your nation, unless each nation of the world is doing well, your own effort cannot be really meaningful or useful.

Here in Europe we are not so far away from each other geographically. So, from now on let us consider Europe as one nation: as the United States of Europe. I presume you still remember that Father already spoke of the idea of Europe being as one nation. For this reason Father divided Europe into three different regions.

I suppose when we gather we don’t have so many differences, because the heavenly tradition is the same and the Principle is one. So it is possible for a Japanese leader to work as a Korean national leader. It is also possible for a Korean national leader to become the American national leader. The German national

leader could become the national leader of Japan. The national leader of England can become the national leader of Italy. And the Norwegian national leader can become the Dutch national leader. All this is possible.

Why do you think this is possible? Because there is one Principle and one tradition. The tradition is the same everywhere. So anyone can be the central figure anywhere. But if you think that your national leader should be a certain person, for example, the national leader of Sweden cannot do this job, it would be a sign that you have not inherited God and True Parents’ tradition yet. Do you understand? Also, different people have different personalities. You cannot say that only certain kinds of people can be your leader. You would limit yourself by this.

The age of nations has already passed. We are now on the worldwide level. The Messianic ideology is not nationalism but worldism. God is not a nationalist but a worldist or cosmosist! Therefore the time for nationalism has passed. This shows that the Messiah has come already. So I think it is very important to inherit True Parents’ and God’s tradition as soon as possible. But in reality the outside people did not overcome this yet.

Consequently there are many problems of ethnic discrimination or racism. There are many cultural problems, too. All these problems still exist today.

We have now made different teams or groups of nations by putting different nations together. This is to help us go beyond our nationalistic thinking. But the content is the same. Even though we may speak different languages, the content is the same. Thus we can make teams and be united within these teams.

Even though we are together for only five days, don’t think that it is only five days. You should have the desire to spend more time here in order to be able to invest your heart. Please invest yourself during these five days with this attitude. Once again, please remember that the people who are now controlling Europe are the ones gathered here in this room. Father is relying on each one of us for the restoration of Europe. Even though we may think that we are not qualified, still God and True Parents expect so much from us. With this in mind we have to realize our great responsibility.

We are representatives of True Parents. We are standing in this position, therefore we have to be the ones to liberate True Parents. We must be trusted by True Parents. We must become such individuals. On the other hand, think about your members who trust you and follow you as if you were the True Parents. How miserable and pitiful they must feel if you are not qualified enough.

Don’t you realize that whenever they have problems they think that they can solve them by coming to you? They think like this. Members think of you as a representative of True Parents, therefore they think that you are a very reliable person. So, when they bring their problems to you, they believe you will be able to solve them. When they think this way, if you become unstable and insecure, what will happen to these members? If you cannot guide them in the right way, what will happen to them? Actually sheep just follow the shepherd.

When the shepherd cannot direct the sheep well, they will have a miserable life. As a shepherd you may be miserable, but you should not make your sheep miserable. Even though we are not qualified leaders, we must think of the members who follow us as the representatives of True Parents. When God and True Parents look at members following you so faithfully, they cannot help but guide you and protect and serve you, even though you may not be qualified, and even though you don’t listen to what True Parents ask you to do. When God looks at your members He cannot help but support you. Therefore you must think like this: “Because God and True Parents love the members, God loves me.”

One day, when Father was walking on the street he saw a miserable beggar. As he looked at him he thought about the beggar’s children. Father thought that this beggar may have children, maybe even a wife. Although he is only a miserable beggar, his wife and children rely on him. When Father thought about this, he felt that we should even take care of beggars as if they were important people. Why? Not because the beggar is so miserable, but because his wife and children rely on him.

So, even though we may have shortcomings, the reason why Father still loves and guides us constantly is because he loves the members who are following us so faithfully. The reason why God loves the Unification Church members is because He loves the people of the world. This is why He loves the Unification Church members. God loves the outside people and they are loved by us.

We are now standing in Abel’s position, and according to the Principle, Cain can only go to True Parents through Abel. So, the reason why we receive so much love and blessing from God is because God and True Parents love the Cain people. Through sacrificing Abel they want to save Cain. So let us really try to inherit the tradition of True Parents. Let us make these five days an opportunity to inherit True Parents’ tradition in many ways.

Even though this may be an inconvenient place for you, let us remember Father’s loving heart. Even though this is such a small place, Father actually gave the Blessing here. With this in mind, let us spend this time together. I would now like to conclude my talk for this morning.

Curated by Antonio Ciacciarelli