Look How Far We’ve Come, Together
Dr. Bishop Kim spoke at the Washington Times during a banquet on the God’s Hope for America pilgrimage stop in Washington, D.C. Relaying words from True Mother and bringing a sense of great celebration of how far we’ve come, and hope for moving forward, Dr. Kim delivers a rousing speech, as follows:
First of all, thank you so much for coming and welcoming this Holy Ground pilgrimage. They are really doing a wonderful job and are trying to inherit the spirit of True Parents 50 years ago.
Please bring all of your problems to me, because I have very simple answer, as I just smile at him or her and listen. I like to share all kinds of problems so that we can solve them together. Early this year, True Mother shared a small table with a few leaders, and we had lunch together and shared about the Holy Ground national pilgrimage tour. Right away, True Mother responded, “This country is the best for going around on a Holy Ground pilgrimage.” Think about two thousand years ago, from Jesus to today. True Parents spent over 40 years in this country, America, and True Father loved this nation so much. In 1954, we founded our church in Korea. In his testimony he says, “Before I founded the Unification church in Korea in 1950, when the Korean War broke out, I was already thinking about America, and that I must go to America.” God’s chosen nation is America, and God prepared this nation for the sake of the world.
At Yankee Stadium on June 1, 1976, True Father titled his speech “God’s Hope for America,” but the original title was “America is God’s Hope”. True Father came as a doctor and a firefighter for America, but God already prepared this nation for the sake of God’s coming Kingdom. The pilgrimage is the best way you can come to America and go around and see God and True Parents’ foundation there. This 55-city Holy Ground pilgrimage in 43 days will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Think about it.
When True Father came here in 1965 to establish the Holy Grounds, he had first gone to and established eight Holy Grounds in cities around Japan, then 55 cities here in America, more than any other nation. In True Father’s heart, God’s fatherland is Korea, but America is where True Parents spent most of their time.
In 1965, not only did he establish the Holy Grounds 55 cities, but he also met President Eisenhower at the White House. They only gave him a five-minute time limit, as they usually treat guests like that, but True Father spoke with President Eisenhower for 40 minutes. True Father came to see him, and not just to say, “You did great job, I like America, I love this country,” not just blessed or kind words. He said, “Mr. President, listen carefully. This is not from Father or Mother Moon, this is from God. This message is from God. You must turn America around for the sake of God, not just for her own sake. Otherwise, this country will fall down, since this is the kind of value we cultivate.” It’s very clear that already at the time True Father warned this country’s President Eisenhower about attacking communists. The second point and the main discussion and main message True Father gave was interreligious: we must care for other faiths and religious groups. You cannot only save this country, but also world peace.” I really want to bless you for not only being the president of this country but the president of the world,” said True Father to President Eisenhower.
In the last two years, we have been challenged in many areas. As Dr. Balcomb and Dr. Jenkins , mentioned, think about True Father ascending to the spirit world two years ago. Think about True Mother. Very certainly, True Mother was challenged in so many things, tunnel after dark tunnel and challenge after challenge. She came back to America after True Father’s Seunghwa (ascension) ceremony and took a bus tour from Las Vegas to the east coast, determined here in this country once again. True Parents spent 40 years here, and she is determined to lead this country and our movement with this Holy Ground tour.
In the last two years here in this country, people have caused so much suffering, depression and disappointment, and so many such things are happening around the world. True Mother said to people who are beginning their tribal messiah missions (reaching out to their communities), “Yes, you will have a lot of challenges, and yes you will be struggling even if you already dedicated over 40 years to this mission. You will see a lot of challenges when you go back to your hometown and do this mission, but whenever you have that kind of suffering and that kind of difficulty, please know and remember how I overcame many, many dark tunnels and challenges. Remember me and how as True Mother, I overcame a lot of challenges in the last two years.”
In this Holy Ground pilgrimage, we are going from city to city. God prepared this land and True Parents invested all of their heart for the sake of this country, especially here in Washington, D.C. You are so blessed. I know we had so many elder brothers and sisters in this community who came to America to work for the Washington Times and support it. You did a wonderful job and without your dedicated heart there would be no Washington Times today. Today, the Washington Times is really making big history and testifying to True Parents more than ever before. I was very shocked last year that they presented True Parents in an article about their dedication of offering books, and I heard that this year again they are offering a Washington Times weekly magazine dedicated to True Father’s work in America for the sake of world peace. Let’s give them a big hand.
Early this year, True Mother sent some top Korean journalists to many areas: the New York, Bridgeport and Washington D.C. areas. A correspondent in New York was in the area ten years ago, and came back to America seeing Unificationism and True Parents’ foundation here. He was so impressed by how Unificationists are centered on True Parents, and now with True Mother we are building not only churches but this country, America. They are so amazed by Father and Mother Moon’s foundation. Sometimes we forget, sometimes we don’t remember, but the outside sees us and they are so impressed. They are so inspired about this and those who really worked so hard and laid down the foundation. This is thanks to the brothers and sisters from the Washington, D.C. community. We are really appreciative of your continual support.
As your pastor wherever I go, you know my mission and city change, but I always use the same title as my first Sunday service, wherever I go. My mission changes from city to city and from state to state, but I always use the same title. Does anybody remember? Forgiveness, Love and Unity. This is True Parents’ work and principle for the sake of president of America and for sake of this country and world.
In these 43 days of the pilgrimage, we really want to inherit the spirit of True Father and True Mother. We don’t want to simply remember; there is no meaning in just remembering, just thinking of the past. This brings no meaning in our daily activities. We have to build our vision for tomorrow, like True Mother’s vision for 2020. We must unite and rebuild our church and family, and make this country God’s Hope. This is a very hard job but we will do it, not with just thinking, but understanding and really knowing and wanting to do it.
Before beginning the Holy Ground pilgrimage, we had a lot of doubt, but True Mother’s commitment really helped us build up, and then so far so great. We will see tomorrow and in the next three weeks, and we will see and make our church, family and nation better for tomorrow. Please think about how much True Father and True Mother loved this country. This is our mission and our responsibly, and we should share this with our neighbors, as new tribal messiah activities. True Mother is now in Honolulu, and she called me yesterday while I was waiting in the airport before coming to Washington D.C. She said, “Please tell everybody thank you.” Thank you. God Bless you.