Maine to Alaska: An Unforgettable Journey Abounds
Four weeks. Twenty-six states. Thirty cities. An unforgettable journey across America is about to begin early next week. A diverse team of young Unificationists is gearing up for the Peace Road 2020: Reconciling All People national tour, with a kick off on July 28 at Point Comfort, Virginia, followed by their van departure from Washington, D.C. at a later date. Several Unificationist communities are also joining Peace Road with regional tours, including a group meeting in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
“We want to come together as one people and repent for our history,” said Pastor Mika Deshotel, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) USA Northeast Regional Director. “Peace Road is bringing us valuable opportunities and enabling us to take action now. We are learning about the history of our states, as well as major figures and turning points.”
The teams are meeting with local faith leaders and public officials to offer prayers and repentance at historical sites and landmarks like Plymouth Rock, where the pilgrims first landed in search of religious freedom in 1620. “The pilgrims came and put God first,” said Pastor Mika. “They set an example to have God at the center of their new lives here, and that is what America must do; turn to God and put Him first. Plymouth symbolizes the victory of America and God.”
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Hundreds of miles down the eastern coast, prayers for peace and reconciliation will also be held at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula, where the era of slavery began. “I think Peace Road is about inheritance of God’s blessings and love for this country, but we have to acknowledge and repent for America’s past in order to bring a peaceful future,” said Peace Road National Coordinator Rev. Miilhan Stephens. “It’s an exciting opportunity to bring together younger and older generations and honor God.”
“I believe one of the reasons we’ve been seeing such an uprising everywhere is because we are coming into a new era and ideal,” added Pastor Mika. “God needs humanity to forgive, love, and unite.”
Faith leaders hope to bridge America’s tragedies and triumphs through Peace Road, and bring healing and reconciliation to all people. Peace Road founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon began the international movement in 2015 as a way to physically connect people all over the world, inspired by the enduring vision of her late husband and FFWPU co-founder Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon. In 2005, he sought to build a “Peace Tunnel” to cross the Bering Strait and connect the former enemy nations of Korea and Japan.
Similarly, roads connect nations and people, fostering exploration and cooperation. Peace Road has brought together hundreds of thousands of supporters of peace from around the world who have walked, rode, and drove in solidarity. “Peace Road really started from the ground up and it has been our unity that has kept it moving forward every year,” said Pastor Mika.
The national team is stopping along historic sites in Maine, New York, Rhode Island, and Delaware, among others, before venturing south and westward. The Peace Road tour will conclude August 21 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Stay tuned for more Peace Road stories, and follow the teams’ journey on peaceroadusa.org.