On July 22, Bang Sang-il, Regional Group President of Heavenly Japan for the Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community, delivered a message at the 18th Hyojeong-Cheonbo 21-day Workshop, which was held at the Chiba Central Training Center (in Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba City) from July 6 to July 28. Regional Group President Bang encouraged many of the young people from the realm of second generation who participated in the event and told them they were “all successful people in life who have met True Parents.”
Editorial Department
We have the Unification Principle and True Parents’ ideology
Hello everyone. I am very happy to meet you. Seeing your pure and bright smiles makes me feel at home.
Day after day, the media is spreading biased reports against the Family Federation. They seem to claim, among other things, that there is a problem with donations. Unfortunately, none of them explain, in a correct manner, the ideology of the Family Federation or the vision we aim to achieve.
I used to attend a Christian church before I joined. Of course, I was also an enthusiastic donor. In Korea, there are many churches that have magnificent cathedrals, and they are built with donations from the congregation. The media does not criticize them. One of the reasons is the large number of Christian congregations. In Korea, Christians make up thirty percent of the population and are very influential. For example, the Yoido Full Gospel Church has a congregation of 700,000.
Now is the time to show the true strength of the Family Federation. We will never be defeated. We have the Unification Principle, a doctrine that is second to none in the teachings of any religious organization, and we possess the ideology of the True Parents, the Messiah of humankind.
Your fathers and mothers have walked this path carrying God’s dreams and hopes on their shoulders. No matter how much they had been accused and slandered by those who were hostile towards heaven’s providence, they maintained unwavering faith. Recently, a political party has launched an intra-party team to “pursue the issue of the former Unification Church,” but no matter what stormy seas may come our way, we will definitely prevail. Eventually, our ideologies and the vision we stand for will become clear.
The treasure God and humankind have been searching for
Have you ever done a “treasure hunt” when you were a child? In fact, God has been searching for “treasure” for 6,000 years. God is the One who is ubiquitous, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent; and He created all things in the universe. He is the One who possesses infinite capabilities. Then, what kind of treasure did He search for? It was True Parents. In like fashion, human history has been a process of searching for True Parents since the fall of Adam and Eve, the first human ancestors.
As we’ve learned in DP lectures, human history has been dominated by Satan. His rule has lasted for a long time. Trendy words and desirable male-female relationships are not rooted in true love. They are born from Satan’s false love.
God’s original desire was for a man and a woman to perfect their individuality and become husband and wife, and to build a happy family with their children, who were given by heaven. Same-sex marriages are not God’s original wish. But now, if one makes even the slightest criticism about same-sex marriages, he or she is subjected to severe backlash. Is this extreme trend really correct?
True Parents taught us what an individual, a couple, and a family should be. True Parents are the manifestation of love. They have shown us the love of God, the Parent, in a substantial way.
I am a successful treasure hunter. The reason is that I have found the Heavenly Parent (God) and True Parents. Moreover, I received the Blessing and was converted from Satan’s lineage to God’’s lineage. Furthermore, I was given several blessed children born without original sin. What other blessing in the world could be greater than this?
As a Korean, I had always hated Japan. They ruled my country for decades, oppressed its people, and took everything from them. How can one love such a country?
However, a miracle took place.
After meeting True Parents and studying the word, my heart gradually changed after receiving a Japanese wife as my eternal companion through the blessing. My dislike for Japan diminished, and I began to develop feelings of affection towards it. Since I have lived in Japan for more than twenty years, half of my identity is already Japanese. I now love Japan. When I visit Korea, I can’t help but get angry when my old friends speak ill of Japan.
Some of the people here may have been told to attend the 21-day workshop by their parents or church staff. Some of you may have said, “What?! I don’t want to. It’s too long. Two days and one night should be enough.” Yet, when you actually attended, some of you may feel that 21 days are not enough. True Father has instructed us to study the Principle for at least seventy days. Therefore, you should eventually attend the 40-day training session. In this way, you can make the Principle your own.
Expanding the realm of God’s lineage to the entire world
My wife and I were blessed with six children. God must have been more pleased than I was at the moment each one was born. Looking at the number of children, some may feel that there is no difference between five and six children. That is not true. Each child is irreplaceable and has an infinite amount of value.
The world population is expected to exceed 8 billion by the end of this year. Every year, the population increases by about 100 million. In Japan, Korea, Europe, and America, the number of births is low. In contrast, in Asia and Africa, there are many children being born. Eventually, Asian and African countries will have a great influence on the world in all aspects.
Currently, China has the largest population with approximately 1.43 billion people. However, India has also surpassed 1.4 billion and is expected to overtake China as early as next year. The combined population of both countries is approximately 3 billion. If the populations of neighboring Asian countries are added, it would exceed half of the world’s population. It is clear that the age of Asia is coming.
True Parents have been trying to unite the world through international blessed marriages. This is the realization of the vision of “one family under God.”
In international marriages, it is not easy for the husband or wife to understand and accept the culture of their partner’s country. There are barriers and obstacles that are very severe. How many conflicts would arise if a Japanese and Korean couple lived together?
Are there any of you who would like to receive the blessing with people from Africa? True Parents deeply loved the continent of Africa and its people. Unless we overcome the barriers of race and culture, as True Parents did, we will not be able to fulfill God’s hope.
When God created Adam and Eve, He blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). To Abraham, God promised, “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore” (Gen. 22:17).
There is a family motto in my family: that is “Marry and have six children.” We tell our sons and daughters that they must follow this family motto to show filial piety to their father and mother. What do you think would happen if our six children gave birth to six children each, just like my wife and I, and if this tradition continued for ten generations? It would exceed sixty million. The eleventh generation will have more than 360 million people, which is three times the population of Japan. It would also exceed the population of America.
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today. It is said that the number of Muslims will surpass the number of Christians in the future. Why such growth? One reason is the high birth rate of Muslims. I have heard that in some Islamic states in Africa, the birth rate exceeds five per household. In an Islamic society, a child is considered Muslim if one of the parents is Muslim. Furthermore, apostasy is basically not allowed (in Islam). Therefore, the number of children is increasing rapidly.
True Parents instructed blessed families to have many children. He wanted them to nurture love through raising children. Naturally, as the realm of God’s lineage grows, it will produce politicians, scholars, athletes, artists, and all kinds of talented people who will be able to righteously testify about God and True Parents.
Each member is different in terms of the historical background they carry, their physical strength and energy, and so on. Therefore, some may not be able to bear children. For those who are unable to bear children, do your best to raise six spiritual children. If you have one biological child, you should witness to five. If you have two children, you should absolutely witness to four. Spiritual children will be connected to God’s lineage just like our own biological children. There is no difference in the sweat and tears we put in for their growth.
There may be some difficulties in raising children, such as financial burden. However, when you think that it is for the sake of your children, you will feel a tremendous amount of strength boiling up. You will understand this when you become a parent. This is not something that is taught to you by others, but something that you experience and feel for yourself.
Individualism that is highly problematic
Due to the current situation, I have reflected, once again, on the life I have led as a pastor. There were many things I needed to reflect on.
Was there really no other way for the suspect to release the resentment he held toward his mother and the Family Federation? Was there nothing we could have done to reach out to the mother, who had come this way in search of salvation? So many things came to my mind.
He probably always felt lonely because he wanted to receive his mother’s love but could not spend time with her. That loneliness must have turned into resentment. There could have been a way to dissolve the rift between them and guide them towards happiness. When I think of this, I cannot help but reflect deeply on the situation as a pastor.
As you have studied the word and prayed fervently during this period, I am sure that you have also reflected on your own parent-child relationship. Have any of you had a nagging feeling in your hearts about what your parents had said or done in the past? (You may feel) “I wanted to do this, but they wouldn’t let me. I wanted this and they wouldn’t buy it for me.” Parents always want to do their best for their children, but from the children’s point of view, there are many things that go unfulfilled.
When you suffer from loneliness, having brothers and sisters can help. You are all brothers and sisters born of God’s lineage. As you open your hearts to each other and talk, you can sort out your feelings. So please do not turn away from your brothers and sisters who are alone, lonely, and in a pitiful situation. Do not ignore them. Don’t think that their problems have nothing to do with you.
True Parents challenged the communist ideology, which claims that there is no God, to a head-on fight. He also said that individualism is just as much of a problem as communism.
The Archangel Lucifer and Adam and Eve all fell because they could only think of themselves. Today, we live in a democratic world, but individualism that only insists on one’s own rights is prevalent. How much has Japan been affected by this? Do you think such a democracy can lead the world in a correct manner?
The Family Federation is taking responsibility to solve this problem. We are committed to altruism, living for the sake of others, and interdependence, mutual prosperity and universal value. With God at the center, people must live together and support each other.
Turn on the switch in your heart
All of you can turn this society into heaven. To do so, you must turn on the switch in your heart.
When you come home after work, your room will be dark. So the first thing to do is to turn on the light switch to brighten it up. In pitch-darkness, you may feel uneasy and restless, but when it is light, you can be at peace.
The switch in each of us is our conscience. True Father said that our conscience’s ability of discernment is superior to God. The conscience can judge things as good or bad just like God.
If your father, mother, brother or sisters’ hearts are not switched on and their expressions remain gloomy, turn them on. Don’t say, “My family is separated, but I don’t want to get involved with them since it’ll be troublesome, so I’ll just leave them alone.” True Mother repeatedly instructed us not to use negative words such as “It’s difficult” or “I can’t do it.” You can do it! Please be aware of this.
If you turn on the switch that allows you to be happy, you will start searching for God who sent True Parents. The time has come for all the second and third generation throughout the country to be resurrected. All brothers and sisters, who have felt lonely until now, will be revived.
True Parents have invested unceasingly to create the ideal world that God desires. To support this cause, your fathers and mothers were chosen from heaven.
True Parents sacrificed their own family for the sake of humankind. Similarly, your fathers and mothers have left you to pursue God’s will. Because they were investing all that they could (in the will), your cries of “Father, Mother, listen to me” were not heard. That is how hard they had dedicated themselves. I respect your fathers and mothers from the bottom of my heart.
History will change depending on whether Abel fulfills his responsibility
Korea was once ruled by Japan for 35 years. The name “Korea” was erased from the world map during that time. At that time, the people were divided into two groups: those who stood up for the independence of their country and those who tried to live with the powers that be.
Independence activists scattered to Manchuria, Siberia, and China to put up a bitter resistance. However, many of them died in the process. Most of them were young men around 30 years old.
When our country was liberated, who became the leaders to lead it? Was it those who did nothing and tried to live comfortably? The answer is obvious. Those who came to lead the new country were those who were fired up by the independence movement.
This is not limited to Korea alone. When we study world history, the people we see in our textbooks are those who had overcome all kinds of ordeals and triumphed, even if they had to leave their beloved families behind. There is nothing to be learned from those who live out their lives only thinking of themselves.
True Father has thirteen brothers and sisters. Five of them died in their childhood. There also seemed to be a lot of misfortune amongst his relatives as well. That means that the Messiah could not come in his family line without any conditions.
There are many different religions in the world. Among them, the Family Federation stands as the eldest son among the eldest sons and the eldest daughter among the eldest daughters. The eldest son and daughter are those that support the parents the most, right? Since True Parents are the parents of humankind, this means that the Family Federation must sacrifice and go through ordeals the most among the world’s religions.
The providence of restoration has been carried out by those in the Abel and Cain positions. And in the providence, whom did God entrust responsibility to, Abel or Cain? It was Abel. Noah, who spent 120 years to build the ark; Abraham, who offered three kinds of offerings and even offered his son Isaac; and Moses, who led the nation of Israel through the wilderness. Those in Abel’s position always went the way of hardship.
And history changed depending on whether or not they fulfilled their responsibilities. The failure of his son Ham in Noah’s family delayed the providence for another ten generations. Abraham’s failure in the symbolic offering led to the Israelites toiling in Egypt for four hundred years. Moses striking the rock twice in rage resulted in Satan invading Jesus symbolically.
All of you blessed central families and second generation, you are Abel among Abels. You are heaven’s heroes chosen by God. Each one of you are entrusted by God with an important mission. We must not forget that even for a moment.
We have nothing to fear because heaven is with us
I can say that the Family Federation in Japan is now in the greatest crisis. But I am not afraid at all. I am ready and determined to move forward boldly .
The United States was founded by Puritans from England. They fled the Anglican system and sought religious freedom, arriving on the North American continent aboard the Mayflower in 1620. Despite the sorrows and hardships from the cold, hunger, and disease—which resulted in the deaths of about half of all the crew within the first year—they laid the foundation for the founding of the United States on the basis of pure faith in God.
Compared to those Puritans, we live in much better conditions and have a better foundation. We are not a weak organization. We have the Principle that surpasses all doctrines and ideologies. Above all, the Heavenly Parent and True Parents are with us.
I hope that all of you young people will lead and support your churches with confidence. You have succeeded in your “treasure hunt.” You have found the True Parents, whom humankind has been searching throughout all history. What is there to fear?
The Christian church I attended had a congregation of a thousand people. Every week, ten times as many people gathered here would attend the services. I went to church early in the morning on Sundays so that I could be as close as possible to the pastor when he would give his sermon. Do you attend Sunday services with the mindset that you want to sit in the front row so that you can take in everything that God has to say?
I have witnessed to many people since I began my faith in the Family Federation. Every time I sent a witnessing candidate to the workshops, I would ask them one thing: to sit in either the first, second, or third rows. I believe that those who sit in the first, second, or third rows at workshops will receive twice or three times as much grace as those who sit in the other rows. This is because God responds to our willingness to seek His word more than anyone else. In fact, almost all of my witnessing candidates who participated in the workshops have become members.
Believe in the power of the Principle that you are learning here. It is fundamentally different from what is taught in Christian churches. It testifies of God the Parent, reveals the original sin of humankind, details the history of restoration which God and humankind have followed, and calls for the realization of an ideal world.
I have said this many times, but you have found the (greatest) treasure. Are you going to leave it hidden in your pockets? You have to be proud of it and share it with everyone around you. True Parents are great people. Please testify about them with pride. The more you testify, the happier you will be and the stronger you will become in your faith.
“I want to build heaven together with God and True Parents, and to live happily with my children.” Your fathers and mothers have walked this path with this kind of pure thought. I, along with your parents, will continue to invest our best for the Mother Nation of Japan and the countries of the world. Let us work together and do our best.
