By John Redmond
Recently, we have been called to resume witnessing in the Unification Movement in order to recapture the spirit of the 1970s, a time when most of its American members joined.
I’m a veteran of those days and have come to the conclusion they are firmly behind us. However, I am strangely optimistic about the future of our movement and of witnessing in general.
What do I mean by “witnessing?”
In the Christian ideal, it is a communication of a personal, deeply spiritual event which has affected one so positively that one feels compelled to offer that insight to others so they can achieve that experience as well. Christianity testifies to individual salvation: your conversion and life of faith is between you, God and the Holy Spirit.
Saints in Christian tradition are individuals, both men and women, who have modeled in their lives evidence of a transcendent, loving God.
In Buddhism, one is encouraged to reach a higher consciousness, step out of the day-to-day grind, control the thoughts circling in your head, and try to feel and be aware of a higher, universal interconnectedness and add that reality to your daily life. The monks and nuns in Buddhism model that ideal.
In Unificationism, we witness to the Three Blessings and the three generation family. Individual salvation is not enough, and creating an individual spiritual success is only the foundation for a multi-generational family and wealth. Our salvation is not complete until we have accomplished all three goals. It stands to reason then, that our challenge is higher and deeper than individual witnessing and will require creativity and honest evaluation and persistence.
In my experience, all successful witnessing is done by example. Many of my generation joined our movement because of who they met, not because of what was said.
An English member recently told me of walking through Boston and meeting another Englishman who invited him to an event and he politely declined. Later he met a Japanese woman who couldn’t speak English and had a confusing flyer but he went to the program anyway; he just trusted her. The Principle gets you to stay and commit, but the character of the people and their spiritual foundation allow you to listen.
In the 1970s, our American movement successfully witnessed to thousands of people and in the 1980s, CARP inherited and modernized much of that early success. In Oakland, CA, the singing, “love bombing,” and sacrificial care for spiritual children was often copied; however, it was the unseen foundation of fasting, the 24-hour chain prayer and the conditions set by the staff and members that brought success. In CARP, we copied many of the Oakland methods, but all of our best witnessers were the top fundraisers from the previous month on MFT. Their clear, focused spirit was the foundation of their success.
When done well, witnessing is inspiring and thought-provoking. The best and most effective type of outreach now is on the Internet. TED Talks are famous for short, inspiring presentations that move others to reflect and consider new information and values. Internet “influencers” are people who share everyday stories in a way that makes others want to be like them, “follow” them or subscribe to their channel, and buy things from them.
A perfect example is American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the culture that surrounds her. Swift is the first billionaire musician based solely on her songs and performances. Every time she has a concert in a major city, the economic impact on the city is equivalent to hosting the Super Bowl. She did 56 concerts last year. The “Swifties” are more numerous and spend more money than most churches in America.
Her authenticity is her secret super power. Columnist Peggy Noonan observed last November:
Nine years ago, in an interview with CBS’s Gayle King, Ms. Swift coolly self-assessed. “My life doesn’t gravitate towards being edgy, sexy, or cool. I just naturally am not any of those things.” Pressed for what she is, she said: “I’m imaginative, I’m smart and I’m hardworking.”
Swift is witnessing to the American Dream: “Be your best creative self and you will be rewarded with happiness and wealth.” It turns out she may now also be experimenting with role modeling how to find an ideal mate and perhaps will move on to creating an ideal family.
A stylized depiction of Taylor Swift.
We can’t all be pop stars. What is the essence of what good witnessers, celebrities and Internet influencers share? It is authenticity: “You shall know by the fruits” (Matt. 7:20). If you are comfortable with who you are and happy with yourself, your family and your life, it will positively affect other people wherever you are.
The opposite is also true. When we have a selfish hidden agenda to “get” a member, witnessing can drive people away from the ideas being considered. Some examples:
- Witnessing to doctrine. Having a book table with tracts and articles and overpowering the curious with facts, ideas and figures. Church people who appear at your door with tracts, and campus book tables are the best examples of this style.
- Witnessing systems. When you visit a church, you often are greeted by the witnessing committee, who overwhelm you with calculated kindness and concern. While kindness and concern are important to any relationship, when the system is more important than the person, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the person on the receiving end.
- Witnessing for profit. When the end justifies the means, such as inviting people to join a cool group, and finding out you have been invited to an Amway (i.e., multi-level marketing) party.
I recently attended a business seminar on salesmanship and one slide showed how communication is achieved in an interaction. Seven per cent is from the words used, and the other 93% is body language and tone. The sarcasm, cynicism, sincerity, and heart of a communication are all decoded by the listener through non-verbal cues.
“I can’t hear what you are saying, because who you are is shouting so loudly.” Who we are and who we are becoming is the most important part of witnessing rather than the method or words.
What are we “selling”?
I have a friend who insists we should not be witnessing for the Unification Movement or Father and Mother Moon (whom Unificationists call the True Parents), but for the Three Blessings. The “Three Blessings” movement is universal and non-threatening, anyone can do it, and most people are already trying to achieve them without thinking.
True Parents and the church become an important secondary benefit to a person or family seeking to fulfill the Three Blessings.
Most of us are not model citizens, let alone perfected individual truth bodies. That should not stop us from witnessing. Most people will forgive someone who espouses high ideals and hasn’t achieved them yet, as long as they see a sincere effort to reach for that excellence. Authenticity and sincerity mean a lot.
The whole milk problem
My father was president of a large dairy cooperative, and one of the problems he spoke about was the difficulty in selling milk in competition with soft drinks. Milk and milk products are so good for every person at every age that it was pointless to make a list of good attributes because it was taken for granted. What worked was “Got Milk?”, an advertising campaign that focused on how good milk tastes with cookies.
Unificationists have a similar problem. The vision of the Principle is so high and deep that it is almost pointless to talk about it, since it seems unreachable for many.
The two most successful witnessing strategies in Oakland was to speak about our organic farm in Booneville, and later to talk about Project Volunteer, a gleaning program to bring food to the inner city. These programs embodied the accessible ideals of the Principle without overwhelming the listener.
A true family, centered on high ideals and public service, is tangible evidence of the presence of God and potential of a life well-lived. I think this will be the “new normal” for our movement and the foundation for 21st century witnessing.
The hypocrisy problem
A significant problem for Unificationists is our internal failure to live up to our intentions and ideals. When we were young witnessers, we talked about the theory of the Principle because we hadn’t had time to live it. But now we have spouses, children and grandchildren. How are our fruits?
By many measures, our movement has internal problems we are still trying to solve. Disunity and confusion weaken the resolve to witness. The issues we have with our own children and within our local churches undermine our confidence to speak out.
While these failures speak to our challenges, how we respond to them speaks to our long-term prospects as a movement. If you are a movement of high ideals, failure to reach that ideal immediately is offset by a long-term plan to reach the goal. Each person is responsible to make a multi-generational plan to bring their spiritual and physical lineages in line with God’s will. This creates energy and purpose and that gives power to witness.
So when Mother Moon calls for a revitalization of our movement, evolving toward joy and away from suffering and indemnity, what is she envisioning?
When I see a three generation family at a restaurant, I can usually tell how they are doing. If the kids are on their phones, or the teenagers are rolling their eyes, or the parents aren’t speaking to each other or the grandparents are silent — that’s not good. In contrast, a lively intergenerational conversation is beautiful to watch and leaves one feeling full. That’s my vision of the ideal we are promoting. It may take time and love to achieve that level of joy, but what are we doing that is more important?
21st century witnessing
Here are ten key points for 21st century witnessing:
- Joy is the center of successful witnessing. We started witnessing for a great mission, and now we need to witness about the victory, not the fight.
- The Internet is the new bus station. God has prepared this tool for us.
- A picture is worth a thousand words; a video is worth 10,000.
- Success at the Three Blessings is the key. After that, words and lectures will come easily.
- We don’t witness to get people to join; we witness to liberate them and God from sadness, anger and hopelessness. Anything less and our self-interest ruins the process.
- Our children and grandchildren are the ultimate witnessers. In or out of the church, their natural beauty and success says a lot more about our movement than our doctrine.
- We need to get our own house in order as we reach out. Lonely, angry, sad, and disaffected members should be embraced as a condition for reaching out.
- The third blessing is equal to the first two. A poor, badly run, and disorganized church is an anti-witnessing tool. Being poor is not a sin; being short-sighted, superficial and out of control is.
- We don’t have to be perfect, but we need to have faith that we can be. And we need a visible plan to accomplish that together.
- Aim high in witnessing. We should witness to our peers, people who have a faith-filled vision of a better world and who have the skills to help us accomplish it.
Witnessing is not a mission, it is a by-product of a life well-lived. While we develop programs and outreach efforts, the key is not the tools, the font used, or the organization. It is the love and heart of the witnessers.
I’m always deeply moved by anyone who stands for God. They don’t have to jump up and down but they should hold each other up and lean forward. These are my people. To me, this is what will create the foundation of the American movement going forward.
Optimism has always been the great strength of America. It’s time to bring it back to our Movement.♦
John Redmond is married to a clever wife, is the proud father of four interesting children, and is one of the Tri-Pastors of the Mid-Hudson Family Church in New York State. He has high expectations for the American Unification movement.
🦻Listen to this text using the NaturalReader Google Chrome extension. Download it here. 🙂
Applied Unificationism 
John,
Thanks for this piece. Enjoyed it much.
A well-run organization (according to its stated purpose and aim) engenders feelings of confidence, team play, personal development, professionalism, and “success,” right? It can be about winning (Boston Celtics) or profit (Nvidia), or a good cup of coffee (Starbucks).
Not so with the “business of religion,” as far as I can tell. All the above can be present and operating like a fine-tuned electric car motor, but the driver can still be unhappy and miserable, right?
If one’s “witnessing” efforts are predicated on how well the witnesser feels the organization is being run, I’d venture to conclude the “salvation” promise embedded in DP is unfulfilled in the heart/soul/mind/inner being of the individual.
I’m thinking of the multitudes of Christian missionaries of the 18th and 19th centuries who traveled to far flung corners of the world to “save” lost souls…. Did their fundamental confidence rest in a secure knowledge the local church back home was “kicking ass” on all cylinders?
A larger question to consider might be: What is the aim and purpose of my life?
Jack,
I appreciate your thoughtful reflection.
I fully agree the moment is ripe to consider “what is the aim and purpose of my life”. Better late than never.
The time for authenticity has come. Saviors can’t alas save others if they themselves aren’t. First generation Unificationists might not feel anymore “as the center of the Cosmos “. Grand mottoes and “choo choo pows” have lost their intoxicating power over time.
Concerning witnessing, some Unificationists “have gotten many spiritual children” through just giving leaflets away. Does the objective remain to increase the membership or to inspire people to have a happy fulfilled life?
Rev Moon said in 1998: “When you enter spirit world, the number of people you evangelized will determine your right to ownership”
How should we understand such a statement?
Thanks, John, for your thoughtful article.
I thought I’d share briefly some of the history and experiences we have had at Shehaqua that you and others might find useful. We began in 1995 as a camping experience with 11 families to bond and share age appropriate DP with our children. Now, going into our 29th year, we are still going and some of our core ideas and principles are the same, some have changed and evolved.
The goals and outcomes are still the same: (1) To provide age appropriate DP for kids up to 18; (2) For everyone to have direct experiences with God; (3) For everyone in the family to experience what a Community of Faith looks and feel like.
We formed our own non-profit and provided 100% of the funds to grow and develop. We decided early on to provide programs that were family-centered, which included and required adults/parents to participate. We have and still offer week-long programs in the summer and have had shorter weekend programs 3-4 times a year. We have probably had 1,000 kids come through our programs, now adults in their mid- to late 20’s to around 40.
The programs are now being run by those young families with their own kids and sometimes the grandparents attending. We always held after review meetings to assess what worked and what did not. Our finances were fairly simple, as we had no paid staff and we were able to rent facilities at favorable rates. We always encouraged families to invite their friends and we have had many come through our programs. There were no special accommodations for these and really never felt the need to change things for them.
A few lessons learned:
With DP content — less is more. Focus on the three blessings.
Sharing/bonding were central and this happened throughout the day(s). The entire experience is about a community of faith.
Parent involvement meant more volunteers and the experiences were shared, parents and children.
We have specific programs, like candlelight prayer, that provide the venue to direct experiences with God. We have witnessed so many amazing experiences here.
Care of volunteers — we thank them often and specifically. We do not waste their time. We let their roles evolve over time.
After action review — we have consistently reviewed what was working and what did not. This is the only way organizations can learn, grow and develop.
We have been transparent about our finances.
We keep in touch. We have written recommendations for college and job applications. We have heard from people still involved and many not involved in the UC. They valued their experiences at Shehaqua as an inspiring and safe place.
I can tell you that all those kids, now adults who are not blessed, not involved in the UC, are almost universally doing great things, and are successful in so many ways. We are proud of them and honor their decisions and are grateful to have shared some time with them as they grew up.
With committed leadership now, I can see this program continuing for another 20 years.
I can only applaud and congratulate you Rob and all the enthusiastic Shehaqua teams for your precious substantial accomplishments.
Genuine care for volunteers, regular assessment and financial transparency are undoubtedly three unavoidable ingredients for success, which the Unification Movement could greatly learn from nowadays to become a more attractive organization.
Thank you. This has always been a team effort. FYI, here is an AU Blog article I wrote a few years back about the founding of Shehaqua.
A few comments:
Patience – we spent our first three years figuring out how to go about this.
We listened to each other and to our community.
We learned as a community – we always reviewed our plans, what worked, what did not, without blame. Organizations do not learn and grow like individuals. They can actually get worse over time without this. We were sorry to see the Educators’ Conference cancelled. It was the one place where people could meet and share best practices.
We stuck to our role and mission. We did not feel we had to solve every issue in the world.
We had fun, or as we always say, the purpose of life (and camp) is joy!
We have been consistent. We plan, never let others (UM leaders) interfere with our work.
My wife and I stepped down after the first 12 years (around 2008). It is essential to let others lead, make decisions and grow.
Organizations and leaders are not God. The Providence evolves and so must we. The DP shares that the Providence has shifted many times. This may be true of the UM.
Authenticity, transparency and genuine respect of individuals and collective decision-making (directly or through accountable representatives) lead to joyful cooperation through enlightened consent. I recognize here the basic inspiring qualities of the forefathers’ spirit, and the ideal of American Democracy. Many oppressed people around the world still dream to live one day in the Land of the Free, the land that I love.
Can such a legitimate aspiration truly be compatible with the settlement of foreign royal sovereignty of a messianic family? Such a question will need to be answered sooner or later.
I’m curious if others know about all the Cheon Bo couples, if they are involved in some capacity or not? Is this a symbolic thing? Is this not witnessing or is it something else?
Rob,
Regarding your comment about Cheon Bo couples: My impression is that many are resting on their laurels, considering their work to be done.
Thanks, John – what you write is so important.
Down here in SR2, we have begun a deep dive into “witnessing.” I prefer to use the term “sharing my faith.”
I agree with almost all the points you mention. Indeed, authenticity is the key. But we do need an education system (maybe not a “witnessing system,” as you mentioned). Oakland had the template: 1) Evening program 2) Booneville 3) Camp K 4) Actionizing. And it worked. Underneath it all, of course, was the incredible spiritual foundation that Onni Durst taught to us Americans. You might say, the Sung Sang and the Hyung Sang. And both are needed.
So we have developed a 21st century version of the 5 steps above, and all online. We work for authenticity by focusing on communicating. We do share simple DP points, but each presentation is followed by a robust discussion group. Noah Ross pioneered this online approach a few years ago; we have picked up on his initial efforts, and things are hopeful.
Authenticity. Recently, a woman attended our Create A Life You Love intro program and stated, “This is such a warm community; I feel like I can share more deeply.” Bingo. And this was online. It can be done — we’re hoeing new ground in the 21st century.
Finally, we focus on “natural witnessing.” Meaning — invite people you know: neighbors, relatives, workmates, the woman you keep seeing at Starbucks, etc. Most of our members don’t want to “go out” and talk to strangers, but we can invite people in our sphere of relationships.
Finally, to be completely honest, most of our members, and certainly our younger folks, are hesitant to invite anyone to something the movement offers — afraid that it will turn them off. We have a lot of work to do. In that regard, our intro program is a safe place. At best, someone is moved like the woman I mentioned. At least, they will simply not be interested. But almost no conscientious person will be turned off or confused.
Here’s a link to our intro: https://21stcenturypeace.systeme.io
Regarding witnessing, it’s a complex business and intensely personal when it comes down to it. It is also not American as other nations hold different values and levels of consciousness. In addition, I wonder why the now defunct Christian system is often cited as this belief system is both incomplete and fading into its historical background. Any understanding of the historical context and an understanding of Divine Principle will tell you that. Christianity faded into history with the advent of psychology which looked into the internal realities of the Self so here we have a date of 1903 to contend with so think about what that means.
And for the most part, history has moved on, leaving people with other beliefs and activities to contend with. The notion of church is also defunct as churches lie dead in most places and in America they hold to a multitude of peculiar beliefs anyway. Sincerity, therefore, holds to a different account concerning the times we now live in and the realities of the “Principle” which might be better understood and practiced in a meaningful way without people constantly telling us Christian churches and Taylor Swift might better serve us as a model.
John’s article seems to be a long way of saying that witnessing is just life, or as Yogi Berra might have said, “You can’t fake authenticity.”
Rob Sayre and friends’ Shehaqua creation should be a textbook on the subject. What a beautiful legacy.
Witnessing is an articulation of one’s understanding of the truth. Conversion on the part of the listener is another matter. So, the question is, who is actually open to conversion? Witnessing the truth to people who haven’t already made up their minds seems to be a good bet. Catch them at a point in their lives when hearing the truth just rustles them out from their stupor.
Honestly, we’re expecting the spirit world to do the pushing and shoving to begin the long process of re-thinking what was formerly known to be right. But, right is now been re-defined with new meanings. The only begotten daughter has appeared; she has been born. How do we get right with the truth? A two-to-three page synopsis of the Divine Principle would keep this ball rolling.
I find this an excellent article and worthy of further discussion. While I agree that DP has content that can stir the mind and soul, the format from the 1970s and 1980s of getting people to a residential workshop when first meeting them on a street — seems very last century. There’s no getting around that a person spending five minutes doing a Google search on our movement would more likely turn their heels and head in the opposite direction.
Interesting comments here as well. The reality is that any kind of organised religion is also very last century. DP’s message now needs to be more cleverly delivered and I’m afraid myself and others are very much last century when it comes to how that is done. Being authentic in your belief though would be a good start. If change and reform doesn’t happen voluntarily then events (the hand of God?) tend to force that change and reform.
There is no doubt that “If change and reform doesn’t happen voluntarily then events (the hand of God?) tend to force that change and reform”. I really like this expression. That’s indeed a precious piece of wisdom we can all ponder on to feed further discussions.
Religious witnessing can actually be an adventurous exercise.
We certainly all need hope and exalted witnessers are undoubtedly very good at inspiring people with enchanted tomorrows.
However, the challenge remains to demonstrate that having a dream doesn’t mean to delight in one’s own delusion.
The future is definitely full of tomorrows which some prophets and politicians often depict as glorious for those who will trust them. However, with time passing, tomorrow’s appealing truth and seductive promises might sometimes unfortunately look like yesterday’s erroneous perceptions and empty promises.
Therefore, true honest witnessing should preferably refer to present substantial realizations and the actual fruits of one’s grown planted trees.
Thanks, John, for this thought-provoking article.
You ask, “What do I (John) mean by witnessing?” – but don’t we (also) have to ask what the spiritual head of our movement means by witnessing? She means something very different from simply witnessing to the Three Blessings and family success as “a by-product of a life well lived.”
She means bringing young, single people, as we were back then, people who can devote to mission (bringing more members and maybe money) and being blessed. This is evidenced by the fact that she is encouraging as many as possible to be CIG missionaries out in the field.
But today is so very different from the 1970s. It may be that young people are joining through street-witnessing in “the East” – including Eastern Europe, but I am pretty sure that even if young folks were out as we were en force, the results in the USA and Western Europe would not be worth the effort.
I’m not quite sure why this is so; I like to pick the brains of our young folk and get their opinions but there is no consensus.
You are absolutely right that a well-lived authentic life is the best witness, but that method is too slow and there are too many Unificationists past and present who, for various reasons (often those out of their control), have been unable to establish anything even resembling a three or more generations blessed family unit.
Back then we were “gonna build a kingdom” and were witnessing to an ideal that we thought would become reality in our lifetime. We were so sure that the progeny of the Blessing would carry the banner and be a force to be reckoned with, but let’s face it, it ain’t quite so.
I joined in Oakland despite an invitation from a rather odd couple on Market Street and ideas which seemed hopelessly prudish and out-dated to a child of the swinging sixties.
But it was the authenticity and purity of young people living an ideal which held me until I could figure out the implications of the Principle.
I returned to San Francisco last year for the first time since the 1980s and wept as I walked up to the old Bush Street center. You can hardly get further away from the Kingdom of Heaven or CIG than this.
Really good stuff, John. All true.
Another facet, though, is that most of those who appreciate the Divine Principle and the Founders are not motivated to “witness” anymore. They have lost energy (aging) or lost hope, or lost “oomph.” Others have lost interest in introducing people to our movement as it is now.
More importantly, the younger generation has no interest in “witnessing.” They are also disillusioned, and even those who have some inspiration about the DP and the Founders have no concept of introducing others to it. As one young woman told me when — when she expressed she loved our Sunday service — why she didn’t invite anyone to come, she said, “Oh, they wouldn’t understand.”
Quite frankly, as an organization, we are in a rut. John, I deeply appreciate your optimism. How do you think we can get out of this rut in America? For sure, America needs what we have to offer (as you, an understanding of the Three Blessings and what it means for a life lived).
The concept of “guest friendly” worship services has been discussed for quite some time — even in Korea. With the emergence of many second and third generation children there ought to be a dialogue to ascertain how we might be more “understandable” and attractive.
The fact that many BCs are now blessed but don’t find the current iteration of Sunday services to be all that enticing, requires, IMO, a willingness to discuss the “rut” circumstances that you allude to.
Isn’t it the deeper the rut, the deeper the gap with the rest of world?
Second and third generations might perceive the first generation as having unknowingly lost touch with the outside world.
A circle/committee has worked on a new curriculum for Shehaqua, in particular for teachers to provide age appropriate DP. I can’t upload a PDF here, so if you would like to see this, email me.
Another point is that back then we were (mostly) enthusiastic about witnessing; we had something we really wanted to share. When people feel this way “witnessing” is totally authentic and natural and new strategies, glossy pamphlets, etc., are secondary. We have to ponder deeply why this enthusiasm has largely gone.
Indeed, Catriona — and that enthusiasm, perhaps, has never been there with our second gen.
Like any other organization, the Unification movement can only be strong from its members dedication and fervor.
Queen Elisabeth II had a long reign because her people kept an amazing fervent love for her, that which is difficult to understand for other people in the world.
It does take more than a crown, a scepter and palaces for a kingdom to exist.
Resonate with this point made by Rev. Moon in a talk he gave in April 1977 at East Garden, “How to Witness”:
“In approaching individuals on the highest levels and in meeting the public in general our approaches are parallel. If you just witness to someone without having some personal foundation of your own they will not respond. You must consider how each of you is going to create your own foundation.”
Thank you, John, for evoking this fundamental witnessing issue and sharing some wise proposals towards answering questions which might have unfortunately been forgotten for too long.
Who in this world today can genuinely witness like in the 70’s?
If my memory doesn’t fail me, witnessing in those days used to be about the urge to give to everybody the amazing opportunity to realize that:
1-The returning Messiah was then walking on the earth.
2-The first ever sinless ideal True Family was being set up in our midst.
3- All humans were therefore in the position of Jesus’ disciples and should just quit their own family, friends, studies and jobs to follow and unconditionally obey the Messiah whose words were God’s absolute words to be unwaveringly believed.
4-All should whole-heartedly help achieving God’s Kingdom on earth through efficient God-conducted holy crusades during the perfected Messiah’s lifetime. This Heavenly Kingdom should already have been achieved by 1952, but unfortunately couldn’t, since Korean Christians failed in 1945 to receive Rev. Moon.
5-Everyone had the chance to definitely be freed from original sin, and at last be re-connected to God’s lineage through drinking the Holy Wine.
6- International Blessed couples which God Himself would personally match through Rev. Moon would give birth to the most glorious generation of humans, full of wisdom and wonders. These sinless children would have an incomparably deep connection with God and would therefore rapidly become exemplary leaders in the world.
7- We would study war no more. Weapons manufacturers would then become bankrupt, unless they invest in building international highways and digging tunnels between Japan and Korea.
Today, this empowering feeling of emergency from the 70s’ might have been fading away among Unificationists. Their focus and their priorities are definitely not the same anymore. The shift of priority to the paid liberation and Blessing for oneself and ancestors didn’t exist back then, nor the holy candies distribution campaigns, nor did the God knows how many billions of dollars building the Cheongpyeong complex, including the upcoming Holy Palace in Korea from where True Parents will be supposed to preside over all the nations. Can these more recent Providential concerns be inspiring enough to conquer the hearts and minds of non-Unificationists?
While most dedicated members admit that everything is far from been fulfilled 50 years later, which of these first seven above previous messianic priorities (which directly stem from both the Divine Principle and Rev. Moon’s teaching) might efficiently be emphasized again today by active Unificationists in their new given witnessing missions?
Undoubtedly, when the 2027 witnessing goal which Dr. Hak Ja Han had set up in 2020 — one third of humankind — will be achieved, all the present money problems related to the Palace building will definitely be solved through the ancestors’ liberation fees from these 2.5 billion new Unificationists.
I appreciate John’s perspectives and those who’ve commented on his essay.
Obviously, there are different ways to do “outreach” in our attempts to spread the faith. And “spreading the faith” in the hopes of getting more people to buy into the values and virtues that we believe can bring transformation, individually and collectively, has always been the central purpose of FFWPU. True Father said that our proprietary rights in spirit world will be based on how many people we “saved.” (Cheon Seong Gyeong: Book 5, 2.8.2)
We refer to ourselves as “tribal messiahs.” The Bible referred to Jesus as the messiah and a “mediator” between God and humankind (1 Timothy 2:1-7). How we can be effective mediators in our attempts to advocate for Godism is our essential trial. Creating a common base with those who we might witness to is an important first step. It may be music, or sports, or service projects that allow us to interface in meaningful ways with those who we hope to “save,” whereas religion or theology may not be the best topics that allow us to have meaningful conversations and relationships.
I’ve just returned to the USA after almost eight years in Korea. A major focus of the movement in Korea has been the unification of North and South Korea; as such, there have been weekly workshops that emphasize True Parents’ efforts in the unification process. In speaking with many Koreans, young and old, I found that there is an indifference about just how important that is. That’s not to say that unification is not a providential priority, but not all Koreans share our concerns in this matter.
Interestingly, True Mother has placed an emphasis on art and culture. In her memoirs she states that it’s art and culture, rather than politics, that can change people’s hearts and open them to new ideas. To Jack LaValley’s point, in my witness to musicians in Korea (and many coffee shop owners), it was my professional foundation and experiences in music in the USA that got their attention and allowed me to have meaningful discussions about the values and principles that I believe all artists (and coffee shop owners) ought to advocate. Being an effective “mediator” can take many forms.
John,
Your article is indeed a challenging one. It leads us to think differently and look at things from a different perspective — and possibly from a reformative perspective. Such an exercise isn’t easy. It can be painful, greatly shocking, but truly refreshing and hopeful.
The Three Blessings represent less than 15% of the Divine Principle. And its content isn’t a Unificationist exclusivity. Internal growth, family values and development of creative talents are promoted and valued by many other spiritual movements as well as countless self-development groups all over the world. So, through emphasizing what Unificationists are labeling “the Three Blessings”, they can easily develop fellowship with quite a large part of other spiritual seekers. All can learn from and lift up one another.
On the other hand, the largest, remaining 85% of the Divine Principle doesn’t seem very attractive anymore, since it may appear as a mere speculative ideological tunnel explanation to designate who ultimately should be untitled to get the crown and the scepter.
Observers can furthermore notice that this same Divine Principle explanation is presently being used simultaneously by the Unification Movement, the Sanctuary Church, as well as a few other Korean fringe new religious movements. However, each and every one of these groups are similarly stuck in their respective growing process.
Can we confront that cruel reality? What then is God, or History, trying to tell us?
John,
Thank you for sharing your faith and hope for the future. It embodies the attitude often attributed to St. Francis: “Evangelize always. If necessary, use words.”
I appreciate your efforts made to delineate goals and methods to get to where we hope to go.
David Payer
The Unitarian Universalists have an adage: “More important than the creed is the deed.”
This suggests an emphasis on service and charity as ways to create conditions for “natural surrender.”
In 1995 in a meeting with our founders in Brazil, there was a discussion about how to effectively witness to artists. A key point was to help others with their projects. In so doing, we could endear ourselves to those we were assisting, and then we might inherit their foundations. This was how I went about my work with the Israeli singer David D’Or after meeting him at a MEPI concert in Jerusalem in 2004.
After that concert, David asked me if I would be willing to collaborate on a large-scale composition for choir, orchestra and solo singers in order to use music as way to promote interfaith harmony. I agreed to do so and in 2005 I composed a full-blown cantata based on several of David’s themes as well several of mine. David was so inspired by what I did with his melodies that he organized a recording session in Tel Aviv in 2006 with an orchestra and chorus, mostly at his expense.
Once the recording was completed he was able to convince several of his contacts in the Israeli diplomatic sphere to produce performances of the music with several European orchestras. We did several performances in Europe in 2007 and 2008, and in the ensuing years excerpts of the cantata were performed in Cyprus, Vietnam, Taiwan and New York at the Manhattan Center in 2009 and at the United Nations in 2011 (as part of a 9/11 memorial concert), and in 2012 (during the UN’s first Interfaith week.)
We often say that “God works in mysterious ways,” and that was certainly the case in this instance. But it started with a willingness to assist David D’Or with his vision. As my mother likes to say, “Love is an active verb.”
No one wants to join a cult. Everyone wants community. I think those were Rob Sayre’s words that I’m paraphrasing. There is a lot of cult fear out there. We need to distinguish ourselves as a group that doesn’t have just a political agenda or a fundraising agenda. What does that look like? I’m still asking this question after 50 years.