Friday Night’s Speech

In preparation for this speech I read articles on the internet on how to give after dinner speeches. One of the articles I found on the Guardian website gave several tips for after dinner speakers. Number 1 was ‘Know your audience’, all right so I looked at the guest list to get an idea. Number 3 said ‘Stay Sober’ – no problem there but it was number 2 that struck me with most terror. ‘Entertain your audience, not yourself’. Nevertheless, I’m going to speak this evening about Foundation Day.

I’m personally am very resistant to speculating too much about Foundation Day and so it is strange I find myself speaking about it tonight. But, earlier today I came a across a bible verse and it spoke to me of our True Fathers passing, the confusion in our movement, and the anticipation felt for Foundation Day. It is from the very beginning of the Book of Joshua. Moses has passed away just before he was about to enter the Promised Land and Joshua is left behind to lead the Israelites to conquer Canaan. Naturally he is afraid and in that moment God comforts him. Here is the reading:

After the death of Moses the servant of God, God spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant:

“Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea towards the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I  will not leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.”

Our church is facing a similar moment of uncertainty. Recent events fill us with suspicion and mistrust. It can’t be denied. There are many of us here this evening, but I can’t help but think of those who are not present – our brothers and sisters who just were not in time to buy a CARP Christmas Dinner ticket. Anyway you know what I mean.

We all have our doubts and fears but looking around this room I see brothers and sisters who are committed to God, to True Parents and to each other. Determined to take up the call God gave to our parents – to build good and happy families, to serve one another in community and to be a blessing unto this nation and to the world.

This evening I had something I mind I wanted to say. I wrote down something quite different. Then I scrapped the jokes and decided to let God have a word with you instead – perhaps as he did with Joshua. I hope it spoke to you to as it did to me.