A Movement in Crisis

Stephen Downward
May 16, 2011

Dear brothers and sisters,

I would like to share with you my perspective on why I believe our movement is currently in crisis and has in fact been for some time.

My name is Stephen Downward, I live in Christchurch New Zealand, and I was blessed in New York in 1982 (2075 Couples).

As this letter may reach a wide audience of brothers and sisters who have had very varied experiences, understandings and insights of the Unification Movement, our teachings and Father's words, including experiences with True Parents, I have tried to tread a middle ground given the spectrum of human experience and understanding that each of us have. Obviously some of us have had more intimate experiences with True Parents and True Family, and more experience with the teachings of our church and religions as a whole. Others may have had more experiences with spirit world and gained insights that the rest of us don't have. So this letter is written by essentially a grassroots member, centering on Father's words from a variety of speeches, to all of you in this wide ranging spectrum.

To start, let us remind ourselves why God created. He created in order to have give and take of love with an object partner, namely His children. The Principle says, that God motivated by Heart, (the impulse to love), desired to have give and take of love with an object so He created an objective reality to fulfill that desire. Therefore as God's children, our purpose is the same. We want to establish a world whereby the give and take action of love is realized on the worldwide level starting from within the family having accomplished the four position foundation through spherical relationships and then expands out to encompass the whole world. Love is not contrived nor forced, otherwise it would not be love. God does not demand the love of His children, it is something freely given and developed through give and take action.

As this ideal was not fulfilled through God's first children, a course of re-creation was walked requiring obedience, faith and love. In terms of restoration, humanity has endeavored to walk this course which we can also refer to as 'the religious realm'. However with the advent of True Parents who bring forgiveness of original sin and the Blessing we are then able to walk the 'way of principle' from the top of the growth stage as a couple and through the completion stage to emerge above the completion stage into the Direct Dominion of God -- now in this era of CIG we are walking the way of 'the Original realm'. Father has also referred to this as 'True Religion'.

Due to the failure of Christianity, True Parents and the Unification Church had to restore this providential history in order to recover the lost foundation to receive the Lord of the Second Advent. Therefore the wilderness course had to be repeated, following Moses in the desert and obeying commands. This was ultimately fulfilled through the Parents' Course that took place between 1960 and 1981. Then in October of 1981 Father made a startling announcement. He declared a New Era, "The age of the leader-centered movement was over and now the age of the member-centered movement is to begin." What was now important was to focus on settlement and establishing an environmental kingdom. In other words, the time for just following leaders and commands was over and now more importantly we live by give and take of love as brothers and sisters. Father clearly outlined this new era in his Historical Children's Day speech of October 1981. This was the start of the Children's 21 year course. However, as we look back and also observe our current situation, this direction and proclamation was not I believe followed, discussed or even considered important otherwise we would have a very different movement and reality today. I also believe it would not have required all the offerings of True Family being made including True Parents helicopter accident/crucifixion.

If there ever was a case of not uniting with the central figure as we are constantly reminded of, this was it. Even though True Father clearly explained that we were initiating a new era in his speech, as a movement, we did not even begin to practice it. Ultimately the greatest responsibility for this failure rests with leaders and elders who should have spearheaded this change and then the rest of us for allowing this situation to have continued for so long. The bulk of our church's problems I believe stems from this failure to accept the providential change in the age Father spoke of, just as the Jewish leadership didn't accept the providential change that Jesus was bringing. This resulted in Jesus' crucifixion, our failure resulted in True Parents' crucifixion. This is not a success story.

Therefore it's important for all Unificationists to go to Father's October 1981 Historical Children's Day speech and read it and understand what it is Father asked of us, what Father explained, as this was a speech given to us in the position of the 'first generation children' outlining what we need to understand and what we need to accomplish in the Children's Era. This was our inheritance, our road map for the 21 year Children's course. If we didn't read this, hear about it, take it on board and practice it, then that is the reason our movement is in crisis. It would be like Christians not understanding what faith, re-birth or forgiveness of sin is. In fact, that was the reality of Medieval Christianity, ordinary people didn't understand what there faith was about and furthermore were deliberately kept in ignorance. It is much easier to control and manipulate an uneducated and uninformed group of people. That is why that period is also known as the "Dark Ages"

However, throughout and beyond this 21 year time period of the Children's course the leader-centered movement was in fact maintained and reinforced where leaders were inviolate and any failures or shortcomings were attributed to 'faithless' and 'disunited' members. Members have been treated more like servants and slaves similar to the 'nobi' of Korea who were the domestic slave class of dynastic Korean society which supposedly ended at the beginning of the 20th Century. The concept of child of God has not been upheld, Father's teachings flouted and misrepresented and our current state of meltdown is attributable to these failings. This is not a problem that we can just attribute to recent events but to a longstanding problem of not practicing the basic tenets of our faith which is to live for the sake of others, love one another and in fact love one another more than we love God and True Parents as Father directed in his Historical Children's Day speech. We maintained a top down church devoid of real communication in terms of feedback which would be, practicing Give and Take action described in the Principle.

As a movement we have paid lip service to Father's teachings and have just established another hierarchical command based organization no different from any other currently or throughout history. Without true give and take and dialogue and processes to review and change practices and behaviors, we are another authoritarian movement not interested in the views and opinions of its membership. We cry out for human rights from the societies we live in, wanting to enjoy the basic freedoms and rights of democracy, but what human rights and basic freedoms are we allowing within our church? Challenging leaders or disagreeing with them is considered to be an act of fallen nature or even now, heresy. Such hypocrisy from those who espouse religious ideals and beliefs. Being told if you love True Parents you should do this or that, and that this is the Will of God. Our very faith being used against us. Holding members to ransom by their faith and love of God and True Parents is an egregious breach of heart and love not to mention human rights. This is a violation of the Heavenly Constitution where Father declared that people's hearts should not be hurt.

Let's look at the section that I previously mentioned from Father's "Historical Children's Day' speech. I've highlighted what I believe is most significant and important to understand in the context of this discussion.

Today is Historical Children's Day. What does that mean? God cannot erect His Kingdom alone. God needs a champion, an assistant to act as mediator. Should God's children or His servant be the mediator? Would He prefer being served by a servant, or by His children? There must a unified effort from four directions of north, east, south and west, and we shall be the unifying factor. So far it has been the unification tradition to follow an Abel figure, but how much did we really give the same kind of fidelity to our brothers and sisters?

I tell you that running after Dr. Durst will not lead you to the Kingdom of Heaven. The important thing is that you must unite among yourselves centered on him, and then you will enter. Divine Principle says that Cain and Abel must unite before any restoration takes place. If the central figure only wants you to unite around him instead of with each other, he is a false central figure.

In the Sermon on the Mount there is an important phrase -- the peacemakers shall be called the sons and daughters of God. The Bible didn't say that only those who obey commands will enter heaven. With how many people have you made harmony? Loving each other means loving the world because here in Unification Church we have a small world; what you are doing here is actually being done on the world level.

Those who can harmonize with other people will rise higher and higher, and ultimately become great leaders. If a blessed couple only worries about their own family, they're in the wrong. They should worry about others before they worry about themselves. They should give themselves to the brothers and sisters first; those true blessed couples shall be admitted to heaven.

The Cain-Abel theory in Unification Church is very strong, and sometimes I worry that it is understood incorrectly. Leaders who are given responsibility sometimes have the mistaken idea that they have sole authority, but I tell you that Abel is only Abel when he saves Cain. Divine Principle teaches that you must love and embrace Cain, and then bring him to the mother. If you sometimes don't get along with your leader but you take care of brothers and sisters, that leader will still look for you because without you he cannot be successful.

This is why the Bible says that when two or more gather to pray then God will be in their midst. Your prayer is not powerful when you pray singly; but only when you pray together. Brothers and sisters must truly unite so they can share life together. Today I am declaring a new beginning: the leader-centered movement is over, and the member-centered movement is going to begin. Why should it be like that? If the head of the family thinks only about himself, the family is unhappy. Only if he worries about the whole family can they be successful and happy together.

The Unification Church is one family. I am concerned and worried about each one of you, and you should be concerned with each other as brothers and sisters, and together come to parents. What we need now is an environmental Kingdom of Heaven. If you only move in one direction, that is no good. You must move in 360 degrees, in all directions.

My teaching today is this: as much as you love God and True Parents, you should love the world and unite with it. Don't shy away from adverse conditions, or from smelly or ugly brothers and sisters. They are the ones who need you. Willingly participate in the dirty places and make them fragrant. Don't run away from problems, but face them and conquer them. God feels greater joy when He sees that you love each other more than you love Him. Parents want to see their children loving each other more than they love their parents. The 36 couples are the elders of our Church, and this rule applies to them as well unless they love the true children and the members more than their own families, they are the enemies of our movement.

Our ultimate goal is Canaan. While we are marching toward Canaan, our supreme duty is to follow orders, but once we enter Canaan we don't live by commands but by love. This is that time. We are arriving now, and we must live in a God-like way. The second three seven-year courses have been announced. In the first 21 years we marched toward Canaan, and in these 21 years we shall live by love.

I am teaching you that you should love one another as much as you love God and True Parents. Then the dwelling of God is with you, and Mother and I shall be with you. Because this day marks the beginning of that new era, I called this the Historical Children's Day. Those who have not been blessed should make unity with each other first.

There are four directions and four seasons, with three months in each season. When you arrive at heaven in spirit world you will see twelve pearl gates. Your relationship with your leader is important, but it is more important to unite with twelve types of people on earth. Even Jesus practiced this way of life by serving his twelve apostles. Rebellion occurred, however, and they sold Jesus. The most sacred act Jesus performed was washing his disciples' feet and saying that he did not come to be served but to serve. That was the supreme expression of love. By doing so he became the central figure around which twelve people joined. When people are linked in unity they cannot be separated.

There are three categories of people: married people, engaged people-or people living together without having had a formal ceremony-and virgin men and women. These three have providential meaning. Married people represent Adam's family, where husband and wife joined out of their own will. Engaged people represent Jesus, who came to look for his bride, but could not achieve that goal. The virgin men and women represent the Second Advent, in which they are matched by heaven. The entire world is a mixture of these kinds of people.

Twelve of each of these types were chosen for representation in the 36 couples; that's why this number of couples was chosen to be the ancestors of mankind. not twelve couples. Their mandate is to unite all 36 types of people. If the 36 can be united, it represents harmonizing all three levels of twelve personalities, thus bringing everyone into the Kingdom of Heaven. I have been serving those couples, those tough individuals-matching them, providing them with homes, sending them to travel. When they come to America, Mother and I shop for them, getting clothes and furniture.

Some people think the 36 couples are masters of the Unification Church, seeing that I shop for them and listen to them, but that is wrong! I have been setting the example of the servant. If I gave the order, they would immediately go to the jungles of Africa. After you serve twelve types of people and 36 couples, serving one God and one set of True Parents is an easy task!

The heavenly dispensation is like a relay game, with each person carrying the baton in turn, back and forth, down through the 36 couples. Some people think that they don't even want to look at the 36 couples, who are all Korean. But I am telling you that you need them. Without them there is no foundation, no backbone for Unification Church. The backbone carries the central nervous system, so it is linked to every tissue. Jesus wanted to consummate his service to twelve people, but three of them betrayed him.

Spring, summer, autumn and winter make one grand circle, and when you complete one dispensational circuit, you start in the opposite direction. Through the fall of man, however, the same circle was continued.

Would you want to be eligible to go through only one gate to heaven, or through all twelve? If you can only enter one gate, you can only move back and forth in one direction. But if you can enter all twelve gates then you have total freedom of movement.

You get the pass to enter all twelve gates by serving 36 people. Then you can enter both heaven and hell. Would you want to be limited in spirit world as though you were in a prison cell or do you want total freedom? Look at each person as one gate. A soft person is the spring gate; a tough person is a winter gate. There are twelve different styles. Look at each person as another gate to God, and think that you will melt his heart and win him.

Black and white are like north and south; there is no center. When there is a center everything can come alive, but there has been no center so far. My mandate to you is to unite among yourselves. Where you can do that, the dwelling of God shall be with you. Can you do it?

During the exodus it is a virtue to focus on following the leader, but when you enter Canaan you live by the give and take with brothers and sisters. From today on our membership around the world shall perfect that way of life. Even if I am not here, it should not matter. You already know the secret of going to heaven-loving each other. At night you should think that you are a parent to someone; pick someone to care about the next day, and the following day pick another person. It doesn't matter whether he is younger or older. The cardinal rule is to forget yourself.

You will turn the three satanic elements into heavenly elements. You will give sacrificial love and talk about "our position," not "my position." Satan is arrogant, but you will go to the lowest place to lift the people up. Satan is throwing all kinds of hooks around you, but when Satan tries to pull them in, nothing should move. Then he will cast his hooks again, but when nothing ever moves he will say good-bye to you forever.

Have a love competition among yourselves. It doesn't matter whom Mother or I love most, but who is the king of loving brothers and sisters. Who loves me? I know your love is real, so now pledge to me that you will love your brothers and sisters more than you love me. That will please me more than your love for me.

Who says that they can only love me and love God? That is baloney; there is no substance to that love. Who says that they know the truth, and from now on they shall open the Kingdom of Heaven on earth? Amen!

Clearly in this section of Father's speech he has emphasized the importance of loving brothers and sisters even more than loving God and True Parents, stating that the secret to going to Heaven is loving each other. In another speech, Father asked,

"What is a child of filial piety? They are not those that make devoted efforts for their parents. You should know that those who make devoted efforts for their brothers and sisters as they would serve their parents are children of filial piety...'
(1984 /7/19) Cheon Seong Gyeong, p 376, left hand side bottom paragraph.

This is very different from the orthodox and much touted view of filial piety expounded in our church and again this emphasizes the importance of loving brothers and sisters, the horizontal plain which Christianity initiated and developed. Clearly this understanding has not been part of Unification culture and thinking.

Instead, the spirit of the Archangel has dominated our movement for the past 30 years. The Historical Children's Day speech heralded the Children's Era. Just as God took responsibility for the creation of the Cosmos through the six days of creation and then on the seventh day God was to take Sabbath and subsequently His children who were approaching adulthood were given their 'Historical Children's Day Commandment' and responsibility, "Do not eat the fruit..." Central to supporting that direction should have been the Archangel Lucifer. Lucifer should have continued his guidance and protection of God's children helping to raise them up to reach maturity and perfection. In doing that he himself would have also gained his perfection and received the love of God through Adam and Eve. He chose not to do that and embarked on an elaborate plot to not only bring down the children of God but God Himself presuming to make himself 'ruler of this world'.

From the moment Father declared the end of the era of the leader centered movement to the era of the member centered movement, based on this commandment, the elders and leaders themselves in the Archangel role plus the whole movement should have worked to accomplish this new direction from Father in the position of God. Clearly this wasn't done and over the intervening years has led us to this time of confusion, division and crisis. Leadership has wanted to maintain power and control seeking to be served and not to serve, cementing a top down church dominating members through members' own faith in God and True Parents, using that very faith to manipulate members as is still happening now. Lucifer manipulated God's word to control Adam and Eve.

The egregious crimes of Unificationism is not in burning women at the stake, torturing so called heretics and butchering millions in the name of Christ but in stealing our birth right to be true sons and daughters of God by impeding our ability to fulfill our own portion of responsibility in our own relationship with God not the so called central figure, which in fact, is YOU (History of Restoration and "I".) We have been subjected to futility groaning in travail waiting for the day we could be liberated from the chains of expedience, exploitation and elitism that has been so prevalent in Unificationist culture.

Brothers and sisters have been turned into slaves as Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and as Jacob's own uncle Laban deceived and exploited him. No for a surety that a man's enemies will be of his own household. Just as Judas dipped his hand in the bowl with Jesus. The infamy of the so called Unification Church is the betrayal of brothers' and sisters' hearts, hopes and ideals, betrayal on all levels.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, a desire fulfilled is the tree of life." Adam's hope was perfection. Where is the perfection of actions, behavior and culture in the Unification church? It doesn't exist. We pride ourselves on being the followers of True Parents, "Out of these stones God may raise up followers of True Parents." We are meant to be God's children first; do we even know God, if we did we would be loving our brothers and sisters as we love True Parents, in fact as Father directed in the speech we must love our brothers and sisters more than we love God and True Parents. Have we? No! because we are behaving like servants under the dominion of the Archangel. We seek praise, to be acknowledged and be seen in a good light within the Unification community as good members, Abel-type members and that is our undoing. As Jesus said, "The Messiah came to serve not to be served... love one another as I have loved you... people will know you are my disciples by your love for one another... and my Father and I'll be with you."

Compare with what father said, "Mother and I'll be with you." "I am teaching you that you should love one another as much you love God and True Parents. Then the dwelling of God is with you, and Mother and I shall be with you". Therefore how can God or True Parents be with us when we don't love one another and have not created that culture of heart. We have just created a religious institution devoid of real life, that's only purpose is to serve that institution not brothers and sisters. That seems to be more like communism where people just serve the state but have no opportunity to develop personally and find happiness in a truly, life giving community. Everything becomes about the state, not the individual. Let's read the following passage again.

Today I am declaring a new beginning: the leader-centered movement is over, and the member-centered movement is going to begin. Why should it be like that? If the head of the family thinks only about himself, the family is unhappy. Only if he worries about the whole family can they be successful and happy together.

The Unification Church is one family. I am concerned and worried about each one of you, and you should be concerned with each other as brothers and sisters, and together come to parents. What we need now is an environmental Kingdom of Heaven. If you only move in one direction, that is no good. You must move in 360 degrees, in all directions.

"The Unification Church is one family. I am concerned and worried about each one of you, and you should be concerned with each other as brothers and sisters, and together come to (the) parents". The parents' heart is always concerned about the welfare and future of the children. On that foundation of heart a community emerges, develops and matures. As Jesus asked, " Was man made for the Sabbath or was the Sabbath made for man?"

I also believe that because we didn't listen to Father and establish the member centered movement, then the True Children became offerings. Father stated in the Historical Children's Day speech, "The 36 couples are the elders of our Church, and this rule applies to them as well, unless they love the true children and the members more than their own families, they are the enemies of our movement". From 1984, three of True Parents' children have become offerings, Heung Jin Nim, Young Jin Nim and Hyo Jin Nim, all went to the spirit world not able to fulfill all that they, God and True Parents would have hoped for them. Then there was the crucifixion of True Parents themselves which we proclaim as a great miracle because no-one was killed. What is wrong with us?

Do we proclaim the crucifixion of Jesus as a great miracle even though he resurrected in spirit? True Parents helicopter crash was a tragedy, brought on by our failure to LOVE. No, it was more important to just unite with your leader and serve them no matter what they were espousing and asking you to do, than to listen to you and respect your relationship with God, therefore violating God's principle of give and take through which all things, exist, act and multiply and love. It is, and still is, because we don't practice true give and take action as Father has described, that our movement is in a state of dysfunction, and during the Children's course three of the true children have gone to spirit world. That was on our watch.

Divine Principle simply came to mean, "unite with your leader, your Abel etc. This great teaching in reality was reduced to that level of consciousness and practice. What a travesty, what a shame, what a disgrace. Who was responsible for this? Those that Father entrusted to be leaders, the elders of our movement 'unless they love the true children and members more than their own families they are the enemies of our movement' as stated by Father. Let's clarify the Cain Abel relationship with Father's words.

"..Japanese leaders -- aren't you teaching a principle that I do not teach, when you say" I am Abel because I'm church leader. You are Cain. Cain obeys Abel. This is the Principle so obey." There is no such principle. The person who does not fulfill his mission and become the embodiment of love is not Abel. People automatically and naturally bow before the power of love. The same holds true on the family, clan or tribal level. So if the Unification movement is the Abel movement on the world level, it must gain victory by shedding blood on the world level, and it must gain Satan's signature on the certificate of victory. Only then can the Unification movement become the Abel movement for the first time.
God's Will and the World, "A Day When We Welcome The Blessing" P. 465 An Abel is known by his love. Japan 78/9/22

Again, the chosen people failed as was the case with the first and second Israels, those who opposed God's Will and claimed to be the representatives of God and the Messiah, now we can add the third Israel to that list. The hope now lies in the fourth Israel, the fourth Adams who are beyond doctrine and religion, who have cultivated their faith in God and their love for people. Father stated that the Age of Religion is over.

"The mission of the HSA-UWC is over and so is the mission of religion. For the first time in history we are entering into the new age, an age when humanity does not need salvation. The Family Federation is creating ideal families in order to complete the work of restoration to establish God's ideal of creation.."
Cheon Seong Gyeong, P. 2360, RHS

The era for the unity of Christianity has already passed. Since the restoration of the right of the eldest son, and right of the parent have been completed, we have entered the era, not just for the unity of Christianity but for the unity of the world. Therefore as of April 10 (1997) we should put aside the name "Unification Church" and instead work under the name of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

With the completion of the mission of the HSA-UWC, the mission of religion has been brought to a conclusion. For the first time in human history we have entered a new era that does not require salvation through religion. The objective of the Family Federation lies in transforming families into ideal families, thereby restoring and perfecting God's ideal of creation and establishing the ideal heavenly world.
Cheon Seong Gyeong, P.1606 LHS

Now we need true practice through true love. We don't need an institutionalized church that seeks to glorify vertical tradition and the religious way over living for the sake of others and actually creating a culture of love. This following quote of Fathers is very profound and important and you would think that these were the words of a heretic save for the fact that Father spoke them.

"If you are one with God you must love Cain. If you stand in a position of receiving God's love, just as you love God with all your heart, soul and mind you must love your tribe, people and nation. This is the first commandment on earth. It is a commandment not of Heaven but of God's Kingdom on earth. The commandment of God's Kingdom in Heaven is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. However the first commandment of His Kingdom on Earth is to love our nation and race with all our soul, heart and mind..."
Cheon Seong Gyeong P.717 RHS 3.5 (1970/8/29)

We speak of the Principle yet we don't practice it. We say that God was motivated by heart to create an object of love and that He sacrificed Himself completely for that purpose; then isn't that the principle, living for the sake of others. Therefore what is the principle in essence; living for the sake of others, loving and serving people. That is why Father said the most sacred act Jesus performed was washing his disciples' feet. That's the Principle. Yet somehow we have understood the principle to be to primarily unite with the leader who has been incorrectly called the central figure. I can think of several regimes in the last century, which had that very same thinking also.

Father explained in his Children's Day speech of 1983 that leaders are in the Archangel position and members, Adam and Eve; doesn't that tell you something? If there is any central figure then it is the children, Adam and Eve, therefore the members, brothers and sisters. The goal of God's creation was His children. It reminds me of the Sergeant Major who trains the non-commissioned officers to become officers after which he salutes them and calls them Sir.

Unfortunately in our church the Archangel reversed dominion and unrighteously controlled the children. Following is an excerpt from the 1983 Children's Day speech.

''The mission of the Western world is to lift the Unification movement into the worldwide level. Without even knowing it, you have already been grafted into the True Parents' family on the individual, family, tribal, society, national and worldwide level. Someday you will have a moment of realization and you will say, "Yes, I am truly linked with the True Family." These next three years will be your opportunity to come to that poignant realization. This is why the Korean elders have come here, I wanted you to achieve that emotional link between the Korean and Western tradition. You will inherit such a heartistic connection, not from me directly but from the Korean elders, who are in the position of archangels to Adam and Eve.

It was God's design for the archangel to take the position of teacher to the growing Adam and Eve even though he was ultimately in the servant's position. The Korean elders will bring all the children of the True Parents-whether Oriental or Western-together into one family. Only when you are true brothers and sisters can the True Parents completely accept you. From the Divine Principle point of view, the Korean elders are in the position of unfallen archangel in the Garden of Eden and you are in the position of Adam and Eve. Their primary purpose is to teach God's tradition to you.''
Children's Day 1983

Based on what I have already explained, I would suggest that they have failed to do that and will continue to fail until they understand what their role truly is, and then repent for not seeing from God's viewpoint, leaving their proper position, reversing dominion and multiplying the wrong tradition. They have misused their position and the responsibility given them to lord it over brothers and sisters and our mistake was to let them. The children, those who are the object of God's Heart must say No! Eve only had to say "No!" to Lucifer. "Get back into your proper position". A teacher teaches, he doesn't control your life and dominate you. The Archangel misused his position of trust to unrighteously control and dominate God's children.

He was there to serve and support not make himself subject and put in a position to be worshipped or venerated. Haven't we seen a lot of that in our church with various leaders (isn't that the definition of a cult) and what became of so many of these leaders, what happened to Chung Hwan Kwak who Father himself from the position of a servant, raised and educated for over 50 years. Still, he didn't understand Father's heart as is the problem with leadership today. Is it a problem of understanding or in actual fact, not being humble enough to live for the sake of others and 'wash your brothers feet'. Why else would Father say, "the most sacred act Jesus performed was to wash his disciples feet".

For Father to have walked the course he has, above any virtue or strength you can think of, the most important quality Father possessed was humility. Without humility there was no way Father could accomplish his mission. Without humility, his mission would be doomed, hence Jesus' most sacred act. I can hear some people say, " What about Father's great love?" True, but remember, many times Father said he had to just walk the way of the Principle even though he wasn't feeling [God's love] or even he was just sick, battered and bruised. Father demonstrated absolute humility to the will of God and the ideal of true love. That is what makes Father a great man, and still today he is ready to forgive his enemies, even those who are most closest to him.

In fact, I believe, that that, is what is inside his heart, which he is crying out to accomplish. As a hen her brood, Father wants to gather together all of God's children, good and bad and bring reconciliation and unity. But as Jesus said in that verse,..."but you would not". Not what? Respond, listen, allow yourself to be guided and protected. So instead, all were scattered, Matt 26: 31-34. "Then Jesus said to them, 'All of you will be made to stumble this night because of me for it is written, I'll strike the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered'.....Peter answered and said to him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of you, I'll never be made to stumble." Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I say to you, this night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times."

True Parents were struck and what has happened to us? In heart, many of us if not all of us have been scattered not truly knowing what to do even though Father has told us many times to love one another and to love this world as we would love God and True Parents, but the reality is, we have lacked the humility to do that. So in fact we have denied True Parents many times, more than just three times. Instead we rush to build the golden calf and graven image of True Parents and bow down and worship them thinking the more I bow and honor True Parents the more righteous I am. The more I sing their praises the more I'll be loved by God and True Parents. 'Blind guides, white sepulchers full of dead man's bones!' This is not what Father taught, this is man made religion. As Jesus said " People will know you are my disciples by your love for one another." As you love the least of these so you love me." Father stated, "I am teaching you that you should love one another as much you love God and True Parents. Then the dwelling of God is with you, and Mother and I shall be with you".

Therefore, I believe a big problem in our movement, is that we don't truly understand who we are. We are not servants, we are not adopted sons and daughters but in fact we are the lineal sons and daughters of God and True Parents, maturing through the growing period to become true sons and daughters. This is the key point; we are the lineal children of God. Never before did God have lineal children. Through True Parents forgiveness of original sin and the Blessing we became the children of God and True Parents. We make mistakes, sometimes big mistakes, we are still immature, our hearts and minds are growing but we are not ''sinners'. That denies, repudiates what True Parents have most essentially fought for and successfully accomplished as the True Parents.

The Messiah came to eradicate original sin, engraft humanity into the lineage of God and bless people. Not bless people and then say they are sinners. That makes a mockery and lie of the Blessing. Sinners belong to the realm of death through the Fall, hence belonging to the blood lineage of Satan. That's how we became sinners, through the fall. No matter how selfish Adam and Eve may have been during the growing period, had they not fallen there would be no such term as sinners. Even though children may hurt their parents heart in some way they would not be sinners. Do you think of your child as a sinner when they don't listen to you or act selfishly? I don't think so, especially as they are born without original sin. The word is incorrect, in fact it is a falsehood to use it regarding blessed members and blessed children.

We have been through change of blood lineage and blessed emerging from the womb of True Mother, we conducted the three day ceremony, participated in the Registration Blessing, the Cosmic Blessing, the New Beginning workshop, liberation of ancestors, we recite the family pledge beginning, "Our family the Owner of Cheon Il Guk..." but by the way, you are a sinner. I don't think so. What is the origin of the word sinner? The Fall and mankind's ensnarement to Satan's blood lineage. We are beyond the time of ensnarement. We are living in the time after the coming of Heaven. Let's read some quotes from Father.

The Blessed families are equal in value to the world and cosmos. They are like the sons and daughters of Rev Moon's direct lineage, who can act on his behalf. When I gave them the Blessing, I did so in order for them to become better than me, by following me. So once you have the heart of absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience, you can do the things I did. When God created He started with such a heart. God the subject partner, said, "When I speak my object partners of love substantially appear." This is absolute faith. Upon this He meets the partner of absolute love. To be an owner of love a partner of love is indispensable. That is why even God Himself obeys love. A circular movement arises whenever we adopt an absolute response.
Cheon Seong Gyeong, P.2523 RHS (1999/4/16)

The fact that you have received the Blessing signifies that a time has come to start a new era in the name of the husband and wife. This new era is based on the chosen people, the church and the tribe and the foundation the Messiah has laid on the earth for the past 2000 years. Can all of you become tribal Messiahs.? Even Satan can not do anything from preventing you from becoming Tribal Messiahs because you are connected to Father in a father and son relationship. The Blessing is truly amazing.
Cheon Seong Gyeong, P. 1244 LHS (1968/8/13)

In Chapter 8 of the book of Romans, it is recorded, "But we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies!" It also states, " For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out 'Abba, Father.'" Therefore the best we can hope for is adoption. The Christians of today are adopted sons and daughters. Adopted children come from a different bloodline...."
Cheon Seong Gyeong, P.1256 LHS (1964/10/5)

True Parents will save the whole of humanity as true people by engrafting them to the true love, true life and true lineage of God. They will do so by conducting the Blessing of holy matrimony through which the conversion of lineage takes place. Furthermore the people will then form true families and establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
Cheon Seong Gyeong, P.1263 RHS (1997/3/13)

Yes, the adopted son religion is still connected to Satan's bloodline, even though they may believe in Jesus. Jesus didn't set the conditions to forgive original sin so yes Christians are still sinners even after they are re-born spiritually and will remain so till they die. Only True Parents offer spiritual and physical re-birth. Yes, we still have our portion of responsibility just as Adam and Eve had theirs, they were sinless but not perfect. They were in the growing period as we are. However we are not adopted children, we are lineal children of God and True Parents. There is a world and cosmos of difference.

Wake up brothers and sisters, we are not the servants of a servant, we are God's children to become God incarnate in the flesh, not just True Parents. We are no longer walking the way of restoration but the way of the Principle -- check your internal guidance notes from your 21 day workshop. If you want to remain as a servant or adopted son that's up to you but then we have missed the significance of the Blessing and all that we have striven for. (Jacob's course and wrestling with the angel).

We have been living a lie and the only way to liberate ourselves from that is to love people and seek after love.

There is no need for you to seek God. You need to seek love before seeking God. If you have love in you, God will automatically come to you. He will be drawn to you and bind Himself to you. That is why if you want to seek God and love Him, you must think of human beings in this world as your brothers and sisters and love them and relate to them as you would your parents, or even God. If you do so, God will come to you. This is why religion puts so much emphasis on love. However, until now, this has not been achieved, and so the Unification Church must conduct these activities in order to restore that...."
Cheon Seong Gyeong, P. 1245, RHS (1997/2/20).

The question is, are we?

Love people before loving God or love people as you love God but we can't truly love God until we love people. Love brothers and sisters more than we love True Parents. Stop worshipping God and True Parents (have a real relationship with them) and focus on humanity. We can't love God and True Parents until we love our enemy because that is what God and True Parents have done and continue to do even in relation to us, those who dip their hand into the bowl with Father. That's why Father calls us thieves and he can't believe us. We will never comfort Father until we love people as Father did.

How can Father truly relate to pretenders, those who haven't walked the suffering lonely course of serving humanity. Everything else is just pageantry, a light show, a circus under the big top. We don't need big churches and temples. What we need is sincerity of heart and a passion to love others. "Feed my sheep, tend my flock, feed my lambs." Not fleece my sheep. Why else would Father say the most sacred act Jesus performed was washing his disciples feet, not his miracles, healings, sermons, etc. washing his disciples feet. This is akin to a parent bathing their child. What's Fathers autobiography all about? Living for the sake of others -- serving and loving people, the sick, beggars, prostitutes, laborers, his torturers through to religious leaders, political leaders and you and I.

We don't need to be dominated by religiosity and the religious realm. That is why Father said the Age of Religion is over. (Refer previous quote.) This is the Age of the Noon Day sun, God's Direct Dominion. Sons and daughters don't need to be told that their parents are their parents. We don't need a servant to tell us what to do in relating to our parents. Lineal children know who they are. We are the lineal children of God and True Parents. That is what we need to understand, proclaim and celebrate.

From there we can love humanity and liberate this world and in doing so liberate God and True Parents themselves. Hanging round True Parents like bees round a honey pot will not build the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why Father called us thieves because we are always wanting to take from Father but what have we created, accomplished. What are we offering True Parents that resembles what they have done. A subject feels joy when he sees his object reflect/emulate him. When we realize that we have to love humanity more than we love God and True Parents then we will have the power and ability to change this world. That will draw down God's spirit in a substantial life changing way. As long as we just want to glorify God and True Parents nothing will happen because the children aren't doing anything. We can say we are following the greatest couple in human history but unless we do something by following Father's course nothing will change and the family of God will continue to be as dysfunctional as it ever was.

Father is waiting for us to pick up our crosses and follow him, not have grand stand seats and just watch True Parents. Do you remember Father speaking to us about becoming second Sun Myung Moons, becoming Sunnies and graduating from being Moonies. The sun gives out light, the moon just reflects it. If we want God to be with us, then LOVE and God who incidentally is a God of love will want to be with us as He sees His nature and character being expressed by His children. Similarly Father will be attracted to those who are truly living for the sake of others and not just focusing on him and feeding him creative reports.

What is Father's and God's greatest legacy? Loving their enemies. This is the internal course God has walked through history loving the children of His enemy and promoting that reality horizontally on earth through individuals like Jacob, Tamar, Joseph, Jesus, Christian saints and ultimately True Parents. True Parents accomplished this on the cosmic level through the 8 step course of restoration. To go before Father as a true son we have to also walk that course or at least be trying to, not just cheering Father on.

To conclude, the only way to comfort and support God and True Parents is to love people first; refer quote. The Age of HSA-UWC and religion is over, this is now the Age of Familyism and perfecting those relationships found in the family. The focus now is on loving and serving people. This is true attendance in the Age of Attendance.

As Father stated, "Who says that they can only love me and love God? That is baloney; there is no substance to that love. Who says that they know the truth, and from now on they shall open the Kingdom of Heaven on earth? Amen!" What is that truth. "You already know the secret of going to heaven-loving each other."

Practically, as a movement we need to take more time for intra-faith discussion and critique. Channels need to be set up for national leaders, national messiahs and others to be able to have discussions and meetings with Hyung Jin Nim. I believe it is very important for Hyung Jin Nim to have time to share and listen to our grassroots' membership as well. I don't believe there can be satisfactory feedback from just the Korean Continental Directors. Indigenous members need to be listened to. Without real give and take and real relationships we will not accomplish anything substantial, that can affect change in our world. If we can't change our movement how can we change the world. In fact we will just become part of the problem if we haven't already. Remember, there is no existence, action or multiplication without give and take action. How is it that our movement has not understood this?

If you believe this message is important and relevant, forward it on to brothers and sisters and anyone whom you would like to share it with.

With brotherly love

Stephen Downward