Overview of the Principles of Restoration part 3

So if we try to understand human relationships in terms of the principle, we can understand how the principle functions properly and perhaps also understand how it hasn't functioned properly. We looked at this: who decides who's able? When you're playing tennis, very quickly within the first ball, you can tell whether your opponent is better than you or worse than you. It's okay for you to say you're better at tennis than me, but it doesn't work very well to say I'm better at tennis than you. In other words, Cain decides who is Abel. When Abel goes around saying, actually, I'm better than you, you should take some lessons from me, it's a bit hard to swallow. That's why it works like this. Cain's position changes; it's also decided by love.

To understand this properly, it's good to look at some of Father's speeches. Father says that any two of you in a relationship with Cain and Abel, who loves the other more, will be in Abel's position. In that sense, the one who loves more, the one who cares the most, and the one who expresses God's heart the most is Abel. Again, to define which one is Cain and which one is Abel, the one who strikes is Abel, and the one who strikes is Cain. Even if you call out rudely to someone who's brought no harm to you, you become Cain. All relationships are about Cain and Abel, and it's just relative; one is relatively better than the other, and it changes from day to day, from week to week, from year to year. If you insult somebody, you automatically become Cain relative to that person.

Father gave lots of speeches about Cain and Abel in the late 70s and early 80s because there was a lot of misunderstanding. The person who lives most fully for the sake of others is the one who's closest to the central figure position. To qualify as a central person for the foundation of substance, you need to live for the sake of others. There’s also something else we talked about. In order to stand as a central person in a spiritual relationship, you need to make a foundation of faith. If you want to be a religious leader, you need to make lots of conditions, fasting, and prayer. Through these things, you're making a foundation of faith, separating from Satan, and then people will feel something from you and naturally come to respect you.

The one who is closest to me is in a central figure position. If you have a question about whether to listen to one leader or another, you can evaluate them according to the standard of who lives for the sake of other people. Whichever leader fulfills that standard better is the one to whom you should listen. I decide who is my Abel; I decide who is the person I feel God is able to guide me through in my spiritual life. Father talks about a movement where there is no established seniority within our system. No matter who a person is or what position they have, if they live for the sake of others more than anyone else, then they should be the centre of the whole movement. Therefore, there is no place for factions or divisions within our church. We don't determine our leaders by vote but by asking our consciences which person is living most for the sake of the country and for God.

It's something intuitively we sense whether this person is better than me or worse than me. We know it after the first couple of balls; our conscience tells us. The question is then, is the leader necessarily Abel? Father said that a person who does not fulfil his mission and become an embodiment of love is not Abel. It's a misunderstanding to think that just because a person has the position of being a church leader, they are also therefore Abel. Abel is the one who is the embodiment of love. The church leader should try to love others more than anyone else, but it's not something automatic. Father criticises the idea that a church leader is automatically Abel. Among members of the Unification Church today, there are those who say, I'm Abel because I joined earlier, and those who joined later are Cain. This is a misunderstanding.

Abel is the one who lives according to the will of God. Even if you joined earlier, one who is satisfying his own greed is Cain. One who thinks about himself first is Cain. Father talks about this extensively. You might say, I'm the regional leader or area leader sent by headquarters, so you should listen to me, but this is not how it is. This is God's side, and that is Satan's side. With Satan's side, you won't make him listen to you unless you put in three times more effort. Father said he does not know where this strange thought that Abel is a central figure and is in the position to command Cain came from. Many young members have left the church because of their leaders. It's been very sad; I often got caught up in this misunderstanding.

When you're speaking, one who speaks words that are beneficial is Abel, while one who speaks words that harm others is Cain. Half the time, I'm just Cain because I'm sure I'm saying lots of things which are not very beneficial at times. It's always good to read what Father says and figure these things out. Our church leadership is not always one with God. It is, of course, very difficult to be always absolutely on God's side. Heavenly Father answers the prayers of central figures through people standing in the Cain position to them. This means leaders must listen to their members attentively in order to find out what God would like to show them through one or other of their members. The answer to prayer does not come from you but down from heaven, and it takes time to reach you.

Many of the projects Father initiated weren't things he thought up himself. Father likes listening to reports. He has extraordinary patience and listens to reports for hours. He comes to see where God is speaking. Many of the projects Father started were ideas that came from others, and Father recognised that these ideas came from God. Whenever you find a very successful business or leader, you'll find they practice these principles themselves. If you put these principles into practice, you'll be successful and prosperous. Any business or institution founded on these principles is always successful and prosperous because that's just the principle.

What should Abel do? Just as God loves fallen man, Abel must have the heart of love toward Cain and restore him at the risk of his own life. The way of Abel is the way of sacrifice. The history of Abel became a history of shedding blood; that's a fundamental teaching in the Bible. If you are better than somebody at something, you should think about how you can help this person improve. If you're playing tennis, think about how you can help someone to improve their game. Abel is supposed to shed blood and tears to open the way through which Cain can survive. This is the foundation of victory. You must reflect and answer the question: how much have you exerted yourself to raise a life for one person, considering it as the ultimate goal of your life? This is the whole idea here of witnessing.

Often, when we go witnessing, we think, oh, that person's not prepared; I'm going to write them off. Instead, we should think, this person is God's son or daughter, my lost brother or sister. How can I help this person to restore their heart? We need to look at these things much more. The process of the Fall was basically a process, and that's where you get this idea of fallen natures. The first thing the Archangel did was not love from God's point of view.

Another word for 'Kan' could be 'parent' and 'child', so it is essentially the same dynamic. Parents are considered parents because they are older, have skills, and are able to nurture their children. They want to raise them up, and this relationship is temporary and localized. As Father said, all relationships are characterised by 'Kan' and 'Abel'. We looked at that quote earlier, where Father stated that left and right, up and down, front and back, all relationships are characterised by 'Kan' and 'Abel', which means one is relatively better and one is relatively worse. In terms of parents, sometimes they are relatively better, but at other times, children know a lot better than their parents. As the saying goes, 'out of the mouth of babes' comes wise words. Sometimes children ask questions, and parents may respond by saying, 'Don't ask so many questions.' Is that a right way to respond? By doing so, you are shutting off that person's original inquiring nature, which is akin to Cain killing Abel in that sense. Cain is older than Abel, and just as it is difficult for parents to listen to their children, sometimes parents are 'Kan' and children are 'Abel'.

However, there are instances where parents know more than their children, and thus children also need to listen. It is crucial to teach someone in a way that is easy for them to understand and accept. If you are in a position to nurture someone, then you are in the position of a parent. 'Kel' is essentially a parent nurturing, but it can also be a brother-sister dynamic. For example, if a younger brother behaves as a parent towards his older brother, how does the older brother feel? It is even more difficult for them to accept it. A younger brother must respect and admire his older brother. If the younger brother treats his older brother with respect, it becomes much easier for the older brother to listen to what he has to say. However, if the younger brother behaves like a parent, it can come across as patronising, which is not the right attitude. If a younger brother loves and respects his older brother, he can help him with his homework without taking on a parental role. He is simply being a good younger brother.

The heart of a younger sibling is different from that of a parent. The parent-child relationship is one kind of relationship, but it is incorrect to apply that dynamic to all other relationships. As someone mentioned, it can be patronising. In what circumstances can you define right or left as relatively bad or relatively good? Left and right refer to your peers, your colleagues, and have nothing to do with politics. They are simply your peers standing alongside you. In front and back, this refers to someone who may be a year or two older than you, or your leader, while behind is someone who may be following you. Up and down represents a more parent-child or grandparent relationship, reflecting that vertical generational dynamic. As Father said, all these relationships are characterised by 'Kan' and 'Abel', and they change and vary; they are not fixed. When we analyse our own relationships, we can see that sometimes we may know much better than our grandparents about certain things, especially technology. The challenge lies in explaining it in a way that treats them with respect so they can accept it.

The Archangel did not love Adam and Eve from God's point of view; he was self-centred rather than God-centred. The indemnity condition to correct that fallen nature is to love people from God's perspective. If you can only see the negative aspects of a person, you can be sure you are not seeing them from God's point of view. Every person is someone's son or daughter, and it is essential to find good points about a person before pointing out any bad ones. If you can only see the bad things, it is beneficial to pray, 'Heavenly Father, please help me to feel your heart for this person and to see them from your point of view.' This prayer is crucial. The Archangel also left his proper position, believing he was too good to wash the dishes. He abandoned his responsibility, thinking he was above that task. Restoring this requires us to keep our proper position. Even if we are washing dishes, we can do so with joy, recognising it as a necessary job.

The Archangel not only thought he was too good for menial tasks, but he also believed he knew better than Adam and Eve how things should be run. This led him to attempt a takeover, replacing God. This explains much of the politics we see today; it is a struggle for power. Many people think they are in a superior position and can manage things better than others. This dynamic is prevalent in offices and institutions, where office politics often arise. It is essential to be in a position to listen and support those who are managing responsibilities. The fourth fallen nature involves multiplying evil and justifying selfish actions by claiming, 'Everyone is doing it; it can't be wrong.' This leads to trying to persuade others to engage in negative behaviours to feel more comfortable. Instead of multiplying negativity, we should focus on multiplying goodness and good peer pressure.

This foundation is crucial for the Messiah. On a cosmic level, God wants to send the Messiah to humanity, and we must also create our personal foundation to receive him. God seeks a spiritual community that embodies faith. This community should consist of people living spiritual lives, praying, worshiping God, and studying His word. When the Messiah comes, they will be able to understand his message because they are already living a spiritual life. Additionally, the foundation of substance should be a tolerant, law-abiding community. When the Messiah arrives with his unusual ideas, people may disagree with him, but they will not resort to violence or imprisonment due to the laws that protect religious freedom. This foundation allows for the possibility of the Messiah being successful in winning people over through his heart and love.

Historically, God has been working through central figures, particularly within the biblical tradition, but He also aims to prepare all of humanity to receive the Messiah. Every culture, nation, and race has individuals raised up by God who have sought Him and encountered Him, leading to the establishment of various religions. Judaism and Christianity are central to this history, but many other religions exist as part of God's effort to prepare humanity for the Messiah. To understand the Divine Principle correctly, one must do so on the foundation of the biblical tradition, as it is the primary tradition through which God has worked. We all represent our ancestors and are products of many historical conditions. Our presence here is due to the ancestral merit of our parents and grandparents. Reflecting on our ancestry reveals many righteous individuals whose merit contributes to our existence. When we read the Bible and study history, we should view it as our own story, recognising that our experiences shape who we are.

If you were born into a particular country, you study the history of your country at school. By studying the history of your country, you can understand why your society is the way it is. I remember the first time I went abroad; I was shocked when I met people from another country. They behaved differently, and I experienced a culture shock. This led me to reflect on why I am the way I am. It's not just because of my family; it's also because of my society. I began to question why my society has the values it does and realised that it is due to the historical development of the country in which I grew up. My history is intertwined with the history of my country, and it is also connected to the history of Christianity within my country. Ultimately, it is a history that encompasses the whole biblical tradition. The stories in the Bible represent our history and where we came from.

Sometimes people ask when the Unification Church started. Some might say it began in the early 1950s, but that is not accurate. The Divine Principle traces back to Adam's family, which marks the beginning of our movement's history. This is why we study it so intensively; it is part of our identity and our history. Understanding where we come from helps us understand our place in the story. If you grasp your place in God's story, you automatically know what to do. If you understand who you are, you know how you should live and what actions you should take.

This concept struck me when I read the first interview Prince William gave when he turned 21. In that interview, he was asked about the idea of becoming king. He shared that it suddenly dawned on him who he was: the son of the future king. This realisation guided him on how he should live. As soon as he understood his identity, he recognised that he needed to prepare himself for one day becoming king. Similarly, if you know who you are and where you come from, you automatically know how you should live. No one needs to tell you what to do; your conscience and original mind will guide you in how to live your life and what to do with it.

Now, let's move on to the next part, which is Adam's family. Do I need to get this prepared? I guess I should. Sorry, does anyone want a little interlude? We can take a minute or two for a stretch break, perhaps have some tea or coffee. I just realised I need to give Raymond the next set of slides. Thank you very much.