To all of the members, family members, and blessed families of the Family Federation for a Heavenly Japan of the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community, good day. We have come to the last Sunday for the month of May 2020. From the last Sunday of May, Sunday Services will finally resume in 30 prefectures, so I would like to give this U-ONE report as we look forward to May 31st
I would like to share 11 points today.
First, the 60th Anniversary of the Cosmic Holy Wedding was held in Korea centered on True Parents on May 8th. There is a video of Mother’s speech she gave at this ceremony, which summarizes her words into 4 main points. In addition, Rev. Yun, the Chief of International Headquarters, has made a brief 16-minute video of the providential roadmap moving forward. I ask that you take in these two video clips and understand them clearly. By doing so, you would be able to understand the direction of the future providence. Therefore, it is very crucial that you understand the providential roadmap.
In her speech, Mother particularly emphasized the “importance of life on earth.”
Mother is currently 77 years old. Recently, she especially stressed that “the problems lie in the physical world. Heaven’s will must be realized on Earth. It cannot be done in the spirit world.” In other words, in victory or defeat, Heaven’s will should not be carried over into spirit world. It must be settled on Earth.” She stresses this point.
Substantially speaking, this would be by 2023, which would mark Mother’s 80th birth year. She will welcome her 80th birthday on March 16th, 2023 of the Heavenly Calendar. The other day, Mother said that “the most important thing is the anniversary of the Holy Wedding. Therefore, March 16th of the Heavenly Calendar will mark the anniversary of the Cosmic Holy Wedding, and on this day, Mother would like Cheon Won Gung, or the Cheon Il Holy Temple—in Korean this is called, Cheon Il Seong Jeong—and Mother’s hope is to have this temple be completed by March 16th, 2023 of the Heavenly Calendar, for her 80th birthday.
Furthermore, in 2027, the “7-year course to settle Cheon Il Guk”—which has begun this year—will conclude. In another name, this course is called the “7-year course for the firm establishment of the heavenly unified world” and this will conclude in 2027. Mother wants to settle Heaven’s will by 2027.
On May 8th, Mother said that we need to “have a third of the human population become citizens of Cheon Il Guk that attends the Heavenly Parent.”
Mother wants to accomplish Heaven’s will during her life on Earth. The first providential milestone from this day forward is the year 2023 on her 80th birthday. The second, is 2027 when the current 7-year course concludes. This is Mother’s determination.
I ask that you fully take to heart Mother’s providential time table or roadmap, and participate in the providence with the same heart and determination that she has. This was the first point.
Second, I’d like to talk about and give a basic outline of the issue with the coronavirus.
As you well know, Prime Minister Abe lifted the state of emergency nationwide during his news conference he gave at 6 p.m. on May 25. Accordingly, the whole nation is also lifting the self-imposed isolation. Even the temporary closures of businesses are gradually being lifted as the prefectures have final authorization.
Because of this, the whole country is extremely worried that there may be a second—and possibly a third—wave of infections. Despite these concerns, the current situation is making way towards easing restrictions.
In spite of that, the churches of the Family Federation for a Heavenly Japan of the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community in the eight prefectures designated by the government as “special alert areas” will not be able to resume services until the second Sunday of June, which is June 14th.
Specifically, the eight prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, and Hokkaido may resume Sunday services on June 14th. However, the remaining 39 prefectures may resume services, at last, from May 31st, and they will be allowed to hold small-scale gatherings.
According to the government, they want to maintain social-distancing, and with this basic rule they are moving towards allowing gatherings at facilities, but at half of the seating capacity.
In any case, Sunday service is finally able to resume from today in 39 prefectures. I have said this time and again, but please continue to have the basic attitude of “fearing the virus properly.”
I am not saying you need to worry about it excessively. However, if you take it for granted and let your guards down, the possibility is there for you to catch the virus easily. The elderly are especially most vulnerable. Also, those with underlying illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or some sort of lung disease—it takes much longer for these people to recover. Death also looms in the worst case scenario.
So please, don’t take the issue with the coronavirus lightly. We’ve lost famous celebrities and people such as, Ken Shimura, Kumiko Okae, and Yukio Okamoto to COVID-19. So I ask that you always maintain the basic attitude of “fearing the virus properly.”
As for Japan Headquarters, we ask that thermometer kit be placed at the main entrance so that before services begin, people can take their temperatures. Please also make sure to wear masks and use disinfectants or sanitizers. Japan HQ haas announced 12 safety measures.
I hope that the leaders, especially the head of general affairs in charge of administrations at the churches can abide to these 12 measures and thoroughly prepare such items before the services so that none of the family members catch the virus.
That would deeply sadden Heaven and cause worry. It would cause Mother the most concern, so please try not to make her worried.
We can say that this may be some kind of internal result, where no serious problems occur. Not causing worry. Therefore, regarding the coronavirus, please make progress in your activities without causing others to worry, which can be said to be one aspect of filial piety.
So, I ask that all churches adhere to the 12 measures and items outlined by Japan HQ. Due to time restraints, I cannot explain in full what these 12 measures are, but they are shown on the screen. Please take a look at these measures and fully keep to them.
As I’ve already mentioned, services will now be able to resume in 39 prefectures from May 31st, and from the second Sunday, June 14th, in Tokyo and the prefectures surrounding the capital, as well as Osaka and the Kansai area, and Hokkaido.
However, please remember to practice good hygiene and take preventive measures against the virus as you gradually restart your activities.
The third main point is about the victorious families that can register into Cheonbo. Currently in Japan, there are about 400 victorious families that have accomplished 430 vertical and horizontal families. Of these families, almost 150 of them have reached the donation target symbolizing 210. With just a little more effort, 200 families will be victorious.
By September 4th—which will be the 8th anniversary of Father’s seunghwa—we hope that 400 families can be victorious in reaching this target so that they can receive the precious grace of registering into Cheonbo. I ask that all of you can be united with your church district leaders, women representatives, or church leaders so that there be 200 victorious families that can register into Cheonbo ASAP, and that there can be 400 by September 4th.
That would truly be a milestone towards 2,000 victorious families sought by Heaven. True Mother truly hopes that Japan accomplish 2,000 victorious families. So, for the first phase towards this goal, I ask that we first attain 200 victorious families, and then move towards the target of 400 families. This is a testimony of one of the 1800 couples. What could they do to attain the donation target? They took the time to call each one of their spiritual children and spiritual grandchildren.
Of course, they hadn’t been keeping in touch with some of these families on a daily basis, so there was a distance with many of them. However, they started off by re-establishing their relationship with them and eventually the couple asked if they could contribute whatever they could—just a fraction of the amount for the donation target.
In the end, half of the amount came from their spiritual children or grandchildren, and the remaining half was given by their own siblings who’ve been restored. In this way, they were able to be victorious in attaining the donation target symbolizing 210 through their spiritual lineage. Something like this is truly ideal.
Spiritual children and spiritual grandchildren really showing their appreciation towards their spiritual parents, spiritual grandfather and spiritual mother, and making contributions, which ultimately led to the couple’s victory in attaining this target, which is one of the conditions to be victorious in registering into Cheonbo. It is a truly remarkable testimony.
Please follow in the footsteps of this senior couple so that even one more family can be a victorious family as soon as possible. This was the third point.
The fourth point is about the blessing ceremony that can finally be held next year. Specifically, Foundation Day will be February 24th of next year. There will, of course, be a blessing for the second generation around this day. I ask that we all prepare towards the blessing of the second and even first generation members.
Regarding the blessing for second, and even first, generation members, the first preparation should be towards newly weds—those candidates that will attend the blessing ceremony for the first time. Please educate them properly and raise them up so they can form good families.
It saddens me to say this, but the second preparation should be towards those members who passed the matching stage, but unfortunately their blessing didn’t work out. I hope we can all follow up on these members who weren’t successful in their previous blessing so that they can be candidates for re-blessings.
The third preparation towards next year’s blessing will be focused around the children of senior couples, such as the 777 (three-seven), 1800, or even 6,000 couples. Even the 6,500-couple can be said to be senior families, and there are a lot of second generation from these families that have not received the blessing, even though they might be well past marriageable age.
So, I hope that we can also have the tenacity to bring in the older second generation. Japan HQ has established a special project team centered around senior families. For those older second generation of the senior families, especially those who haven’t yet received the blessing, I ask that we not give up on them. I hope that you can help guide them towards the blessing with love, and I would like you to know that Japan HQ is making this kind of endeavor.
What is most crucial is for the parents not to lose hope. If the parents give up, they will just drift off into society. They would just get wed normally, if they do get married.
Even if second generation have already gotten married, they can still receive the blessing. So, even if it is as a previously married blessing, it the greatest show of love, duty, and responsibility as parents to have your children become a blessed couple and family. Therefore, for the senior families, I hope that you not give up and continue to make efforts in this regard. The preparations for next year’s blessing was the fourth point.
The fifth point is none other than the hot topic these days, and that is the Japanese edition of Mother’s biography. Currently, we are asking all families to buy 43 copies, and with those biographies, we are encouraging families to develop their witnessing activities by sending them to relatives, acquaintances, and friends.
We are receiving many wonderful testimonies about distributing Mother’s biography that are filled with miracles and inspiration.
For me, I hope that 300 thousand copies can be distributed as quickly as possible, and by witnessing to those that we sent Mother’s biography to, I hope that 300 thousand people can come to know the Heavenly Parent through Mother’s biography, come to know about True Parents, and come to know about Mother, Heaven’s Only Begotten Daughter. Therefore, I hope we can establish 300 thousand readers of Mother’s biography.
With this in mind, I hope all families can purchase 43 copies each. Currently, Kogensha is preparing sets of 20 copies. You will be able to purchase 20 copies at a discount, so please make your purchases in bulk so that they may help you in witnessing your tribes, acquaintances, and friends. This was the fifth point.
For the sixth point, please utilize Mother’s biography as a window towards family calligraphy gatherings, which are currently being held in many places nationwide. Pick out one or two sentences from the biography and practice calligraphy with it. These calligraphy gatherings are very free and easy to understand, so for new witnessing candidates, there is no high bar or standard. These gatherings are windows towards witnessing, where people can join freely.
Therefore, I hope that practicing calligraphy with the biography can be a catalyst as the first step in witnessing.
I hope more of these family calligraphy gatherings can be developed nationwide, but I also ask that you can make efforts towards the next step. If you just leave it at calligraphy gatherings, things will end with the biography. But through the biography, people should come to know the value of True Parents and that the eternal fruit that they want to give the most to humankind is the blessing. Therefore, we need to guide witnessing candidates until they receive the blessing and guide them towards eternal life.
In that regard, between the Director of the Witnessing and Education Department, Mr. Yano, and Mr. Ogasawara, one of the directors of UPF, they are trying to make a booklet towards a movement of rebuilding families that can be easily understood by the general public. It is very easy to understand and explains the need for advancing the True Family movement. As a window into this, it is about a 60-page booklet that is extremely easy to read.
You can utilize this booklet even in your calligraphy gatherings and read them with your reading buddies, just like reading and studying Sekai Nippo articles together. Through this, they should come to feel the urgency that they cannot become God’s sons or daughters without receiving the blessing. The urgency that unless they convert their lineage, they cannot become citizens of God’s nation.
In that sense, it would be great if we could eventually have blessing ceremonies, even if just on a small scale. The ideal is to have leaders of local municipalities, such as city and town mayors, city council members, prefectural council members, or members of town assemblies, even leaders of resident associations. In any case, it would be good to establish relations with local influential people and have them cosponsor a blessing ceremony, whether that be five, 10, or 20 people, much like what happened in Taiwan. When they participate in these blessing ceremonies, we can have them take the holy wine and have them become blessed families. Through that, their spiritual parents can come to bring victory in establishing 430 horizontal families in order to become victorious families that can register into Cheonbo. This can help establish 430 horizontal families.
However, in oder to do so, they need to become blessed families. Otherwise, our foundation will not be established in the truest sense. In that regard, it is not enough just to collect signatures, but on the foundation of collecting signatures, on the foundation of family calligraphy gatherings, please utilize these things as a gateway towards the blessing ceremony. Through their participation in the blessing ceremony, all blessed families can establish 430 horizontal families towards the Cheonbo registration.
It all starts with Mother’s biography; then, the calligraphy gatherings; next, the booklet I just mentioned where you can have study and reading groups; and afterwards, connect them to the blessing ceremony. Through the blessing ceremony, we can establish more blessed families. By doing so, we would be establishing 430 horizontal families, and with that, I hope you can become victorious families that can register into Cheonbo.
Please become a model in realizing this flow chart of witnessing and education. To have this be realized in the church communities and church districts would be something that is highly anticipated by Japan Headquarters, especially from me, as President of the Japan church. This was the sixth point.
The seventh point is in regards to the development of witnessing students and the youth as we are approaching the end of the crisis with the coronavirus.
However, please be aware that the threat of the virus remains real. Therefore, please utilize the internet to its fullest to hold online workshops and gatherings. Use apps like Zoom or other online software. In addition, if you were to meet directly, please hold small-scale events, such as five or 10 people, no more than 20. So, you may begin small-scale workshops or training sessions. In any case, I hope you can start, whether online or directly.
Witnessing of the youth and students is the hope of the future. I don’t need to remind you that I, myself, am getting old in this Unification movement. There needs to be a change of generation. More of the younger generation need to be restored. The second generation need to take up the faith. Students and the youth need to be witnessed so that the power of young people can emerge. Without that, our Unification movement has no future.
In that regard, student and youth witnessing will become the lifeline of our organization. It will lead to the future of our organization and bring hope to our organization. With this understanding, I hope we can also develop student and youth witnessing activities. This was the seventh point.
The eighth point is that there was an online workshop held at Cheonpyeong’s Cheonbowon, albeit for only a day, on Saturday, May 23rd.
May people blessed families in Japan were able to receive the grace given through ancestor liberation and blessing. All of the leaders took responsibility as a proxy to give liberations, so they were able to give the grace of liberation as a proxy to 16,000 ancestors.
Another one of these online workshops from Cheonpyeong has been scheduled for June 27th. So please register to attend this online workshop and receive the grace connected to the ancestor liberation and blessing in Cheonpyeong. I hope many of you can attend in this workshop.
I don’t need to remind you, but that is the only way to connect to the liberation and blessing of 430 vertical families for the Cheonbo registration. It is the greatest path of righteousness.
For the ninth point, Japan HQ is going to link up with UPF and hold the Rally of Hope and Advancement online, once a month in June, July, and August: a total of three times.
The main speaker would be none other than True Mother. Many VIPs from all over the world will give short keynote addresses, which will only add to Mother’s message. These VIPs will testify to Mother’s greatness and splendor as John the Baptists, and the first of these online Rallies of Hope and Advancement is currently planned for the 28th of June. The online Rally for Hope and Advancement in June will be centered around the VIPs of ISCP, the World Summit. The online rally in July will be centered around the VIPs of IAPP, the International Association for Parliamentarian for Peace. And the online rally in August is geared towards the VIPs of IAPD, the Inter-religious Association for Peace and Development.
These online Rallies of Hope and Advancement will connect over one million people of the world. For these rallies to be successful, Japan must also do its part to prepare for them and bring VIPs that can participate. Please keep this to heart and make the proper preparations. This was the ninth point.
The tenth point is that because of COVID-19, we are not able to hold large-scale events, nor are we able to truly go out and be active.
In this circumstance, I was once agin hit with the fact that the foundation of the members is what will ultimately be left behind. What will be left behind is the foundation of the members. So, the foundation of bringing VIPs and the foundation of the members is ultimately what our life is about.
Therefore, please take good care of each member. Please educate the members, or even each other. Don’t discourage them. Let’s uplift each other so that members are not compelled to leave. If there are members that have left, I ask that you follow up on them.
As we do so, let’s set the target of increasing service attendance by 20 percent to 50 percent. I would like the actual number of people attending service, or the average of service attendees to grow. I am constantly hit with the fact that this is so important.
Unless the number of attendees to service grows, family members may not feel a lot of hope. In that regard, let us enrich our services so that more people can actually come and attend.
Of the regions, Region 5 is putting a lot of effort into their services. I understand that the number of attendees is increasing in Region 5. To point out one such church district from this Region, the Fukushima Church District of Region Five, this district, as a whole, has placed a lot of value in their services.
I hope that all churches nationwide can increase the number of people attending service and become this kind of Family Federation for a Heavenly Japan. So, to all leaders, and also to all family members, I ask that you value services held at your churches.
This is also one of the criteria for registering into Cheonbo. Service attendance and tithing are both important. If you don’t attend service or offer tithing, church leaders won’t be able to make recommendations for you as a model family to register into Cheonbo. Therefore, in order to become a victorious family that can register into Cheonbo, please also consider service attendance to be a matter of life. I ask this of all of you. That was the tenth point.
The eleventh and last point is the importance of the Korean language. Why do we have to learn Korean? The simple and greatest reason is because that it is the language of our Parents. Our Parents’ language. The following words can be found in one of Father’s speeches.
After 6,000 Biblical years, the Second Advent of Christ finally appeared. God was able to regain a hold of Adam, which He had lost 6,000 years prior. The language which He was able to speak after regaining Adam was Korean.” Father gave us these words.
The Korean language is the language that God was able to speak with His son, whom He had lost 6,000 years ago. Father has also told us that there is no parent-child relationship without the communication through language. Mother has even spoken of this.
When I was studying at UTS, Dr. Tyler Hendricks was the President of UTS. His wife is a Korean lady.
On numerous occasions, I saw Father ask Dr. Hendricks, “ Hey, Tyler Hendricks. Why do you think I gave you a Korean wife? Have you learned Korean from her, yet?” He pushed Dr. Hendricks in this way many times, and I directly witnessed this.
Father and even Mother would obviously like to speak to us, their children, in their language. A parent-child relationship without the communication of language, I wouldn’t go as far as calling this a false relationship, but it is difficult to call this a true parent-child relationship. It is through language that the heart can be communicated fully. So with that in mind, I hope everyone can take to studying Korean.
They say that the study of language is the capacity for consistency. It really is about being consistent. With sticking to your studies every day, you won’t be able to improve. There is no such thing where, miraculously, you are able to speak English or Korean suddenly. That’s just not possible. You need to improve your vocabulary every day, practice listening and speaking every day. With consistent effort, you are able to gain language skills. There is other way to overcome this.
So as much as possible, I hope that you can all make the effort to study Korean. When you master the language, that is when you are able to greet Mother in her language. You would be able to converse with her. I’m still insufficient in the language, but I can speak some Korean so I can speak with Mother and am able to greet her as well.
Please take to heart that the Korean language is a grace given to us, so please make the effort to study the language. And of course for the younger generation, English is essential in becoming a global person, so you, young people, please also study English so that you can become global leaders that can take action on the international stage. It may be difficult, but please try and study English and Korean.
Today, I wanted to share with you these 11 points. The coronavirus situation has finally subsided and we are not able to resume services. However, we live in the grace of our True Parents, so we should first be grateful to the Heavenly Parent and True Parents for the fact that this situation has subsided in Japan. We are now back at the start line, so let us try to have a quick get-off and resume our activities around tribal messiahship.
With great passion, I would like to send you off for the month of June so that you may partake in your activities with earnest. Thank you very much.
