"I won't be long but I gonna be strong." With these words Archbishop Stallings began his speech to a packed church of ACLC ministers and guests. He was not long, only speaking for half an hour, but in that time he was very strong, as he challenged the ministers to recognize Father as a revolutionary with the same vision as Jesus and who has walked the same course of unjust persecution as Jesus.

Our Family Church pastor, Rev. Walter Frank recognizes the difference between John The Baptist and the disciples. The scribes and Pharisees went in large numbers to hear John. He was the greatest one of them a living prophet and they listened to him and pondered on his every word. No matter how much the disciples loved Jesus the learned religious world could only see Jesus as a carpenter's son and the disciples as a bunch of fanatic followers, who were fishermen, tax collectors and worse. They could accept John but their ears were closed to Jesus and his disciples.

Likewise, we as disciples have all had a challenging time getting the ears of the Christian ministers. Yet we are not here to repeat history but to restore it. Today at last John the Baptist is fulfilling his mission in proclaiming the Messiah. This is the third time this year that we have invited Archbishop Stallings to San Diego and every time has brought a great harvest. Our plan has been to have regular ACLC monthly meetings and every few months invite John the Baptist. The next stage is to teach the ministers Divine Principle.

Rev Robert Ard, pastor of Christ Church of San Diego and well known in the community used to be strongly against us, yet when we invited him to hear the Archbishop in January he came. In a small backroom of Coco's restaurant the Archbishop spoke to the group, but especially to him. Rev. Ard visibly changed, so much so that when we asked him in November if we could hold an ACLC meeting in his church he welcomed the idea. "Now Rev. Ard you do understand that this is clearly an ACLC meeting, talking about Rev. Moon?" Rev. Walter had asked.

Two days before the event we received e-mail from Rev. Ard. It was a list of fifty ministers that he had invited and their responses. Twenty had confirmed. Fourteen of these were ministers who had never attended any of our events. We didn't even know them. We had no idea whether they were positive or negative. Feeling the potential for blessing and need for spiritual protection I immediately reported to Rev. Ku and the archbishop. Finally it was 6:00 pm. Thursday December 2nd. The barbeque beef ribs and barbeque chicken dinner with coleslaw and beans was delivered and a few guests had already arrived. I asked Rev. Dorsey to give the grace and the banquet began. Our sister Hiromi had made delicious cornbread and Yuriko had made chocolate fudge brownies. The small dining room filled quickly. Barbeque to a minister is like honey to a bee.

During dinner Rev. David Roberts gave a presentation of Service for Peace activities in San Diego. One tall slim white gentleman arrived and introduced himself to Rev. Walter as Wayne Sanders. In November San Diego elected a new mayor, Jerry Sanders. Rev. Walter jokingly said to Wayne "Oh, the mayor of San Diego."

"Well, no, actually he is my cousin," replied Rev. Sanders. As he read the program he noticed the name "Reverend Sun Myung Moon." He told Rev. Walter this was not the place for him, but Rev. Walter persuaded him to stay, just to hear our side of the story. More of this later.

After dinner we all moved to the sanctuary. It was packed and the congregation clapped loudly after both songs from the Family Church band All The Above. Then Rev Ard welcomed everybody and asked Rev. Dorsey to give the invocation followed by the Bible reading given by Rev. Annie Watson. Next we showed the video "In Search of Peace", which in itself is a powerful testimony to Father, his life and achievements in a profoundly Christian format, thank you Rev. Schanker. We followed this with a brief message on the importance of lineage by Rev Walter Frank who then introduced Archbishop Stallings.

After reading John 18:31-37 (Pilate questions Jesus) the archbishop stated that we are all revolutionaries because we want to change the status quo. Authority doesn't mind if you talk the talk, but is threatened when you walk the walk, when you truly love the enemy and practice what you preach. So it was for Jesus and M L King. So it is for all revolutionaries. The authorities react with trumped up false charges to destroy character and get rid of him.

"We all love Jesus now, oh how I want to be with Jesus, but at the time it was very different." He proclaimed. We all want to be in the crowd waving palms at Jesus, but it was the same crowd that shouted, "crucify him" five days later. Were we there?

Now that Malcolm X is dead we try to make him a saint, but alive he was despised, a revolutionary, a terrorist, a threat. So it is with Father Moon. He, a yellow man came to America not to give some transcendental message and leave, but claiming America needed a doctor, a fireman and he was the doctor, the fireman who God had sent to put out the fire. He didn't go away. He stayed. People got worried. He believes in loving our enemies to the point of marrying them to each other. He marries whites and blacks together (can you imagine that?) and says that black people's fortune is rising. Rev Moon is dangerous to the status quo. He has come to change it and create the kingdom of heaven. He had to be dealt with. Frame him on false charges of tax evasion and lock him up.

Then the archbishop challenged the ministers. "Why don't you find out for yourselves?" It was almost a scolding with love. He left them with a time bomb in their hearts. I am sure they will ponder on his words for many days. They will wrestle with the truth and finally accept it. Coincidentally this was the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks famous bus trip, so we closed by singing "We shall overcome." Rev. Ard gave the benediction. The last person to leave was Rev. Wayne Sanders. Remember him, the tall white guy? He spoke to Rev. Walter. "I have learned and I have been enlightened. I am the president of the San Diego Ecumenical Council and we must talk and do more together."

Other guests included a group from the Nation of Islam, two Native American couples, a well-known local broadcaster on ABC Channel 10 news, some Hispanic ministers, Rev. and Mrs. Leong from the Chinese United Community Church and Dr. Lam, from Uganda, where I was born who was happily surprised when I greeted him in his native Swahili. Another guest was a lady who used to live on Capitol Hill one block away from Imani Temple when Archbishop Stallings founded it. Close to forty clergy attended, several ministers brought their wives and there were over sixty people in all.

This time we had invited Archbishop Stallings to bring his family, so the next day we took them to Sea World. That evening we invited two prominent San Diego ministers to dine with him and a few members at his hotel. The next morning Archbishop Stallings and his family flew back to Washington D.C. Before he left he gave a prediction, "San Diego is about to blossom."

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