From a sermon given by Rev. Sun Jo Hwang on April 16, 2000, at the Headquarters Church in Seoul.

It is imperative for us to know exactly what the current providential situation is. As those who are going the way of God's providence, if we are not aware of this, we cannot realize who we are, where we stand, and what our life signifies. Thus, maintaining a consciousness of God's providence is crucial to all of us. At which point is the providence at this moment?

As you know, history is directed toward a distinct purpose. Human history is not just vaguely developing. It is doing so certainly and progressively. But the process of its development is not always the same. Sometimes it stops or even goes backwards. Sometimes it rapidly progresses and develops, overcoming various crises. Its process of development is like the life story of a single man. Father explains life in this way: childhood is preparation for young adulthood; middle age is preparation for old age; and old age is preparation for entering the spirit world. Father says that life in this world is a period of training and preparation in order to possess cosmic character.

Just as one life is progressively developing toward an ultimate purpose, so is human history. There is a main axis in history. Through the flow of this axis we come to understand the theory of the central figure. When we analyze God's history we see that God has chosen the central figure, central tribe, central nation, and central religion. We find a certain flow through which the providence has developed. There must be a substantial group that has succeeded in and developed the mainstream of history.

The general public has not influenced the history of God's providence very much. Rather, it is whether central figures have fulfilled their responsibility or not that has caused history to develop or decline. In the present, we must now be that central historical group. In this sense, history will certainly develop according to our life and practice. If we are such beings, what is most important is to precisely understand the providential meaning of this age.

Since the fall of Adam and Eve, the history of humankind has been endlessly repeated through providential events. Sometimes God's providence has had to undergo periods of quiet; at other times it has come to the forefront of history. Whether in a major or minor way, whether hidden or revealed, God's providence has been constantly woven through history. In all that immense stretch of time, which age is of greatest importance? The answer is, 'this one.

How important this time is! The hope of human history has been to have an ancestor of goodness on this earth. This means that the ancestor of goodness had to come in order to change the evil lineage of humankind and to begin a new history. Until now, history has been mainly in preparation for the advent of that ancestor of goodness. Jesus came as the ancestor of goodness after four thousand years of preparation. Then again two thousand years later, True Parents came to the earth. They have passed through numerous providential courses. As you know, True Father was born in 1920 and is now eighty years old. When he reached forty years of age in 1960 he was blessed with True Mother and together they began the True Parents' forty-year course. True Father's first forty years was a course of preparation to become the True Parent. And the next forty years was the course as True Parents. Now we have entered yet another era.

On April 5, 2000, on the 41st anniversary of True Parents' Day, True Father said, "From now we begin another forty year course." Father clearly showed the current providential situation. From the viewpoint of True Parents, we can understand this time as being that of the complete resolution of the past and the opening of the future. While there have been many kinds of providential events in the history of mankind, the final and the most dramatic event has been the advent of True Parents. That does not of itself mean the completion of God's will. Rather, the advent of True Parents means the start of a new history. They do not accomplish everything themselves. They have been establishing a central foundation that will never be shaken. As True Parents they had to restore the basic foundation of the eternal, unwavering Kingdom of Heaven.

Last February 10, we celebrated True Parents' birthday, especially True Father's 80th birthday. And we will celebrate the fortieth anniversary of True Parents' Holy Wedding on April 20. These events mark the closing of the previous age and the opening of the new age. I have said that there has been a transformation in quality providentially. Until now all providential periods and activities required changes in quantity. Every providential event has shared the same trait that they have been based on setting conditions of restoration through indemnity. Whether requiring a large or a small amount, everything should have been restored through conditions of indemnity. There were no exceptions to this. However centering on True Father's eightieth birthday, history has completely changed from the history of indemnity to that of being indemnity-free. In this sense, we ought to appreciate what a precious position we are in and what a significant age we are experiencing.

I usually mention two points as appropriate indicators for the great changes of God's providence: first, the age has been transformed from the age of the third Adam to that of the fourth Adam; second, the age has been transformed from the age when we prayed in the name of True Parents to the age when we can pray in our own names. This may be the ultimate change. Such changes may not come again. The emergence of the fourth Adam may be the final change in the providence. That is to say, the age of the fifth Adam will not come at all. And the age of praying in anyone else's name will never come either.

We should know who we are. We must be the fourth Adams. We must be tribal messiahs. How can we clearly identify ourselves as a fourth Adam and tribal messiah? I can say it is as those who are to bequeath and pass on our tradition. We have to think of what we have to do as a fourth Adam and tribal messiah. First of all, as the fourth Adam, we have to follow the path to restoring the position of original human beings, as True Parents have done. Together with our tribes we must also complete the four position foundation centered on God and expand its realm to the cosmos.

On the other hand, how can we possibly do all this? I think that we should first be those who bequeath tradition. Bequeathing tradition is different from simply conveying it. Conveying means to connect A and B. Conveying something means communicating it in an oral, written or other form. However, tradition can be passed on only through an inheritance of heart that is possible only through life.

We are now living in attendance of True Parents. We have to seriously concern ourselves with how to connect the tradition of True Parents' lives to our descendants and to the Cain realm. It is only possible through inheritance. And inheritance is only possible through participating in life.

We can find the best lesson on inheritance in the courses of Noah and Abraham. Why couldn't Noah bequeath his faith to Ham? How could Isaac inherit the faith of Abraham? Noah and Abraham both had excellent faith. Yet we call Abraham the ancestor of faith. According to my understanding, Noah did not involve his sons in his work when he spent the120 years constructing the ark. If Ham had joined in his father's work, he would have felt the greatness of the flood judgment through his entire body. There cannot be any true inspiration without participation. When you are thirsty, you can feel the taste of water. Unless you feel through your body, you cannot feel through your heart.

Now in America, True Mother's rallies are proving very successful. But we cannot really feel such an atmosphere from so far away. If you could have been in the same arena and had brought people to share in the victory of the event, you would experience completely different feelings.

We are tribal messiahs and pray in our own names as fourth Adams. We should seriously think of how to convey True Parents' lives to the world and in future history. That can be possible only when we totally attend the providence of True Parents. Here we can find the meaning of our life. Yet how can we communicate the meaning and value of or life unless we leave traces of it in the providence as the people who have lived in attendance of True Parents? As we are destined to be living in this age, we must conclude that our value and importance stems from our actively joining the providence of True Parents.

The purpose of the providence unfolding through True Parents has been set anew at the beginning of this new age. It is the restoration of independence. It is the restoration of independence centered on God. That means to establish a true nation centered on God. How can we accomplish such a goal? True Parents blessed Korea, which was chosen as the third Israel, and set the goal of establishing God's sovereignty in this nation. Father proclaimed that he would establish that through the unification of North and South Korea. The unification of North and South does not just mean that of the Korean nation or the Korean peninsula. This means unification centered on God. In this sense, the unification of North and South Korea is a microcosm, and the ultimate unification is that of mind and body, and of East, West, South and North. It means overcoming total disunity. Accomplishing the unification of the two Koreas was chosen as a means of establishing God's original fatherland. This is the present goal of the providence.

We have two ways to achieve this goal. One is a grass roots movement, and the other is the blessing campaign. On this occasion of a new start in God's providence-that is, another forty year course based on True Father's forty years' preparation course and True Parents' forty year public course-True Parents have been investing all their energy into Korea with the purpose of establishing the fatherland.

We are now in the first forty-day condition at the beginning of another forty-year course. What should we do during this period? We should mobilize for the great providence of True Parents. In the past, mobilization was in the age of restoration through indemnity. This mobilization, however, is the opening of the new age, and the great task of passing on this eternal present that connects the past with the future.

The method of mobilization has completely changed. This is mobilization in the age of settlement. In the past, we had to leave our hometown and family to be mobilized. Now we have new types of mobilization in the new age. That is why Father said we can mobilize ourselves by doing activity and sleeping at home just once every four nights. That means we visit our relatives and tribe for three days and sleep somewhere other than our own home. It does not matter whether you are at a relative's, a spiritual child's house or some other family's home.

It is time to shout. It is said that if we keep silent, stones will shout in our place. It is said that if we keep silent, Satan will accuse us. We should not let stones replace us. The time has come for us to speak out. We will not be opposed by anyone.

I discussed with my wife about joining this mobilization. We first decided that we would stay in the dormitory where missionaries stay temporarily, next to the headquarters. From the first day of this mobilization I felt I could not stay at my home. I recommend that those who have come to this chapel this morning keep this condition. We should not let Father's words just drop to the ground. They absolutely must bear fruit.

During this period we should establish a new tradition in the new age. Otherwise we cannot be the owners of the new age. If you do not have a place to go during this period, you can go to a workshop center, visit either your spiritual children or another member's home, or stay in the church.

In the leaders meeting we came to the conclusion that we should first reorganize ourselves through the Word. In order to begin this new age according to True Parents' words, we leaders and core members should first of all practice them. The regional church directors, church ministers and elder members should put them into practice.

And as church president I absolutely intend to put Father's words into practice.

[Originally published in Today's World, 2000 April]

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