We run into obstacles whenever we expect to do everything we want or live the way we want. Why? Because this only leads to a certain ruination. The more truthful one's way of life, the more obstacles are thrown in the way. It's because we have fallen. God throws in obstacles all the way whenever we try something. That's the only way He can save mankind. We as fallen creatures cannot find our own ways of salvation. Only God can.

How does God find us? Not by abandoning humankind to their own devices, but by dragging us into a fortress to teach us a lesson. It's a form of kidnapping. It is evil to kidnap a good person in order to make him a bad one. But is it good or evil to kidnap a bad one to make him a good one through subjecting him to all sorts of trials? It is good to kidnap a bad one and, if he is stubborn, subject him until he realizes, "Oh, I am a good person." It is evil to subject a good person to such trials to make him evil. But how would the evil-turned-good person feel toward his tormentor? Would he feel thankful or resentful? What's your answer? Resentful or thankful? Of course, he is thankful.

Some of you have dealt with a farm ox. During rainy days you might want to skip feeding him. I sometimes got whipped by the ox tail when I was young. Some of you have obviously experienced it, because you are laughing. It's not just me. When you are told to take the ox out to the pasture and feed him by a certain hour of the day, but there is no grass in the pasture, what do you do? Then you say, "Well, there is a spot with good grass up on the hill. Let's go there," and take the ox up the steep hill. But on the way, the ox finds some grass, quite meager by comparison, and wants to settle there. Then you have to whip him and kick him without pity. Have you ever done that? Would the ox's feelings be hurt and refuse to eat once you finally get to the place with abundant grass? No, the ox would be ear-to-ear in gratitude and would really go to town on the good grass.

Rev. Moon understands this and has been whipping and kicking you, but you don't understand this. You don't know that there is a pasture with good grass out there. But if you knew that, you would want to be whipped and kicked to get there. Do you understand what I am saying? Once during the Korean War I witnessed the following among the refugees. A mother was carrying her five-year-old child on her back but the fellow, now knowing anything about the war around him, was singing and having a good time. Then the mother got tired and told him to walk, and the boy refused, whining, "I don't like you, Mom. I don't want to go any more unless you carry me. Carry me, carry me." (laughter)

What do you think the loving mother should do to the child? She must carry the child, that's the correct way; however, under the circumstances, trying to carry the child would result in both of them dying. So, what to do? She must make the boy walk. She might have to threaten him, slap him in the face, to make him walk, until they reach safety. If you were the parents, what would you do? Abandon the child? Kill the child? Or use force to take him? Which is the best method? Abandon? Kill? What to do if neither is possible? You must drag him by all means, even if you have to pull him by the nose or by the ear.

This is true love. If you dragged him by force like that he would be absolutely grateful afterward, saying, "Oh, boy, thank you, Mother for saving me, while all of my friends are dead." One would be struck by lightning if one complained about the match-making harm that the pulled ear or dragged nose would cause in the future. Rather, the child would renew his appreciation whenever he sees his deformed ear: "How great is my mother's love, how awesome is my mother's love," he would say over and over as long as he lives.

Some of you say, "Our Teacher lives to torture us." Don't you? I have no sympathy for you when I put you to work. I feel sympathy only when we are together. I feel like pulling you by the nose when I need to put you to work. I feel like whipping you, kicking you whenever you refuse to go. This is the correct way. Why do we have to do that? Because we want to enter the highest sphere of God's love. We want to monopolize God's love in a way that no religious teacher before, no organization before, no nation before were ever able to attain, by surpassing all that they tried to do before in history. This is the correct education, this is the correct strategy. ( 32-255)