The Words The Kwak Family

Not At All Unusual -- Spiritual Experiences in Perspective

Chung Hwan Kwak
May 28, 1984
Excerpts
Morning Service
World Mission Center

Centering on Heung Jin Nim, spiritual phenomena is occurring throughout the different continents of the world. As Rev. Young Whi Kim testified, he is appearing to our members, leaders and even people who are not members of our church.

When you listen to news about spiritual experiences, I have noticed that some of you are anxious to have the same kinds of experiences yourself. It is important to have a certain amount of spiritual assistance. Spiritual experiences can fill us with new determination to fulfill our missions or certain goals. Yet it is essential to know how to interpret the spiritual experiences of others as well as any spiritual assistance we ourselves receive.

Testimonies of the spiritual activities presently occurring in Europe involving St. Francis or Father Meyer are actually not special stories. They are absolutely in accordance with the Principle. According to the Principle, everyone in the spirit world must eventually recognize and relate to the Messiah and grow to new levels by assisting people on the earth. Although these testimonies simply confirm the truth of the Principle, they seem exciting and interesting to us.

Applying the Principle in Daily Life

Many have learned the Principle and have even taught it, but there is still some gap between what the Principle says and its application in daily life. We are still imperfect people and do not live a completely principled life. If we would live one hundred percent centered on the Principle, we would not be so excited or interested in stories about the spirit world, such as that of Heung Jin Nim directing Mohammed to instruct his descendants. This is not a strange story at all. The Principle of Resurrection explains that ultimately all religions must unite into one, that the spiritual world must witness to the Second Coming and guide or direct people in their denominations living on the earth. This is basic Principle, yet hearing such a story excites you. It is important to reflect on the reason for your excitement.

Rev. Kim also shared the revelations of brothers and sisters who have learned about the relationship between Heung Jin Nim and Jesus. These facts, too, may be difficult to understand, but are based on the Principle and are not at all unusual.

Even though we become elated after listening to such accounts, they have no meaning if we do not change our attitude about life or do not relate them to the Principle and our daily lives. It would be far better for our spiritual growth to continue to follow the Principle and not hear about such spiritual experiences if we simply become excited and don't change.

Father Knows Both Worlds Intimately

Externally, True Father looks like an ordinary man. Yet when we listen to his words, thoughts and visions, we realize how different he is. Father knows both worlds intimately. Since Heung Jin Nim's Seunghwa Ceremony, Father has taught us about Heung Jin Nim's position and how the dispensation is changing through him. He has also told us that before Heung Jin Nim went into the spiritual world, there was no order; yet now Heung Jin Nim is organizing everything.

When people make even small predictions, the news media publicizes it as a big story. Yet Father has predicted so many things and is teaching both the physical and spiritual worlds. How can we interpret his teaching? Before Heung Jin Nim's Seunghwa Ceremony, none of us could have ever imagined his position in the spiritual world. Father explained the spiritual world to us. In this sense, we all as Unification Church members must once again recognize the precious value of True Parents.

Heung Jin Nim has been revealing so much about the spiritual world for our benefit. We have learned about the attitudes of St. Francis and Father Meyer, and others. These spiritual persons are not important to us individually. The important thing is that through learning about spiritual phenomena we can have new determination centering on our faith in the Principle.

Father has taught us about far more than Heung Jin Nim's position in the spirit world. Over the years he has constantly educated us about so many things. How seriously we adopt his teaching and direction to our lives is what is important now. We need to repent and make a new start, resolving to follow his guidance more than before.

Follow Father's Course

Although I mentioned that it is essential to have personal spiritual experiences, I want to urge you not to relate to the spiritual world too much. It might be a heavy burden for you to deal with it. There are some people, though, who have a special mission to do this. Sometimes God chooses a certain person who always sacrifices and relates to the spiritual world with a great deal of prayer and then receives guidance from the spiritual world.

If each of us focused on having spiritual experiences, we might in fact reach spiritual people, such as Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha, but whatever they would teach us can be found in the Principle or Father's speeches. If you were to pray hard and make contact with a spiritual person in order to ask about your future or the future of this world, you may have a certain expectation as to the kind of response you would get. Most people are generally interested in their own future. Yet according to the Principle and True Father's direction, we know our future. If we follow Father's guidance and fulfill our responsibility by laying conditions of Tang Gam, we should have no doubt about our future. It is guaranteed.

If you are concerned about the future of your society, nation or world, you will be able to find its direction in Father's speeches and the Principle. In this sense, our daily life is precious. We should follow Father's course -- do our mission, pray, lay conditions of Tang Gam for the sake of the nation and the world.

We are Moonies; the centers in which we live are dedicated to God. People throughout the world live in many styles of homes -- some live in mansions, some live in humble places. But our church centers, including also the World Mission Center, have been established for God's dispensation. We don't know how many billions of people in the spiritual world would like to stay even one night in such a dispensational building.

Perhaps if we were deeply to reflect upon such things, we would come to such a conclusion; the problem is that we do not relate our daily life with such precious points. When negative things happen, we can easily recall difficult moments from the past. Yet part of the problem is that we live with this pain and do not remind ourselves often enough of the preciousness of the life God has chosen for us. If we were to concentrate on remembering the beautiful moments we have had with Heavenly Father, True Parents, leaders, or other members, we could view whatever we do throughout the day as valuable.

There are so many spiritual people who want to relate to and assist each one of us. We each have a precious mission given by God, and in a spiritual sense, our daily lives have incredible merit.

In the early days of our movement in Korea, people experienced many kinds of spiritual phenomena. After Heung Jin Nim went to the spiritual world, according to his authority, he mobilized famous saints, sages, religious leaders and righteous people (especially on the Godly side), to assist Father's dispensational work. Previously the many evil spirits in the spiritual world had great power. Because of this negative environment, righteous spiritual persons could not easily assist the mainstream activities of God's dispensation. There are several reasons that the present circumstances are completely different. 'Due Parents now have a foundation of victory worldwide; also Heung Jin Nim is working to mobilize the entire spiritual world.

Our Five Percent Responsibility

I am not concerned with the amount of spiritual phenomena that will occur from now on. Rather I feel that each of us must be careful in digesting our spiritual experiences, making them a part of our lives but not the entire focus. Spirit people can give ninety-five percent assistance to a person living on earth; those on the earth have five percent responsibility. One's attitude towards spiritual phenomena is important. If you receive such spiritual assistance or have spiritual experiences, I recommend that you develop an even closer relationship to your central figure in order more correctly to interpret, adapt and approach how to apply the lessons you learn.

One important aspect to remember about spiritual assistance is that while spiritual beings want to help our work and assist the True Parents, they are also working towards accomplishing their personal goals. As we know from the Principle, spiritual beings need to assist people living on the earth in order to grow to higher spiritual levels. The person living on the earth is always in the subject position. Therefore, it does not matter how wonderful the spiritual phenomena is or what amazing things happen. Those in the physical world must never become objects to those in the spiritual world. It is important, therefore, to learn the Principle and to study Father's words more deeply in order to know the Principle view clearly. Without the strength of this foundation, spiritual experiences might easily confuse you and may even put you in spiritual danger.

Since Heung Jin Nim went to the spirit world, many high level spirits have been able to assist us. They do have their own purposes and goals, however, and might possibly be overly anxious and push us too much. For these reasons we must understand why they might be assisting us.

Through Rev. Kim's explanation, we have learned about the True Children's position in the spiritual world. Even Jesus has introduced Heung Jin Nim as "young Christ" or "new king." These are not simple words. We must once again thank God for giving our lives such meaning as He guided each of us to the Principle and our True Parents.

Time Parents' Position in the Spiritual World

We also must reflect on True Parents' position in the spiritual world. Many of us have had opportunities to see them and listen to them directly. God has blessed us with such precious moments. Yet, on the other hand, God tries to direct our lives through True Father's words. We must examine to what degree we actually fulfill his direction. How many times does he expect that we will fulfill after we pledge to do so? Yet, how many times do we disappoint him? We must feel ashamed that we have let him down; yet, at the same time, continue to be determined to fulfill his directions to us.

Keep your dignity and integrity before God. Remember how precious the position of 'Due Parents is and how important their teaching and guidance are. If you remember these points, you will not easily tire or become discouraged.

Father recently guided us about the meaning of "unification" in our church. He does not relate it simply to unification on the earth. Rather, his main idea of unification is the unity between the physical and spiritual worlds. We should continue to remember how the activities of our daily lives relate to this goal. 

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