3. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CHURCH

1) Meeting Beloved Members in the Witnessing Areas

We must usher in the new era of springtime when we members can long for each other as members. In the past, because those of you who went out witnessing felt lonely, even just to meet one lonesome member didn't you travel on the road for fifty li? That was the time when we were walking on the individual level, but now is the time to head toward the national. At such times, only when you have the greatly yearning heart to go visit the members around you as many as ten times and not just once can we properly take up the name as the members of the Unification Church.

This has to be the case centering on a county or borough. Moreover, it is not enough for your own state to do well. In order for the whole state to prosper, you have to do things that will serve as examples before the whole state. In becoming an example, it must not be done for the sake of yourself. You have to be an example according to the will of the family and the parents. While carrying this out, you have to increasingly become a shining example as a filial son. (60-29)

When members meet here they are so happy, and centering on the leader here they meet with each other and stay up the night... This is how it was in the past. In the past, in our headquarters church in Chung-Pa Dong it was very common for people to stay up until two, three, or four in the morning. This is how we trained ourselves. So when I went some place, everyone, including women, old men, grandmothers, men, young ladies, and young men, all cried because they missed me so much. They wanted to see me. It was just as how the buds of pine trees, cabbages, cucumbers, and certain flowers turn their faces toward the sun. In respect to how they face the sun, they are all the same. (126-196)

Why have we abandoned our brothers? Why did we abandon our brothers? We have abandoned all that up to now and instead met with each other, because brotherly relationships that enable us to become even closer are bestowed upon us centering on God, and because higher content and a higher standard of values are given to us centering on God. Since we have met in order to seek after more valuable things, shouldn't the affection we have for each other be stronger than the love between physical brothers?

This is how it used to be in the past. There were instances when members witnessing in their assigned regions and placed in different regions were leaving each other after coming together for a visit, and because they missed each other so much one would see the other off by walking a quite a distance; but then they would both head back because the other one in return wanted to see the first off, so that in this way they spent the whole night traveling back and forth. This is what also takes place between brothers. There were times when, concerned about the difficult path of life that a younger brother was walking on, if there was anything to eat, wrapping it and saving it for his younger brother, he would travel fifty li just to bring it to him.

However, is this how it is among the members of the Unification Church today? Is it or is it not? Without building the bond of love among yourselves that is stronger than the relationship of love between physical brothers, you cannot enter heaven. You have to have strong brotherly affection with brothers who are not your real physical brothers, and serve them more than your own parents who are not your real parents. That is what a member of the Unification Church is like. In the Unification Church we talk about the True Parents and true brothers, right? Because we have been pursuing a true family centering on true parents, true couple, and true brothers and sisters, people who are not brothers must come together to develop a relationship of love that is stronger than that of real brothers, and serve parents who are not one's real parents more than one's own parents. This is the path that members of the Unification Church who are brought together must walk.

Look at the world. When you look at the relationships of people formed centering on the blood relationships, how countless are the examples of parents sacrificing for the sake of the children. Therefore, I question myself, "Have I, the Teacher of the Unification Church, been walking the path wherein I can accomplish such a mission?" If the answer were negative, I must retreat. (49-229)