Our Commitment to True Parents

On Wednesday, June 21, FFWPU International Vice President, Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, shared the following message in anticipation of the True Parents at the Garden event just a few weeks away.

Thank you, and good morning, everyone. Before I start my talk, I’d like to invite two representatives from the Filipino community, EJ [Rapade] and Joy [Theriot], to share how hard they are working in their community. Please tell us about your determination to each bring 500 people from the Filipino community to True Mother’s event at Madison Square Garden. [The two give brief testimonies.] Thank you. They are both committed to bringing 500 people.

Your action comes from your commitment. In relation to the upcoming July 15 event, do you feel, “I’m a part of that,” or do you feel, “I don’t feel that is part of my life”? Do you have the kind of fire burning within you that  Archbishop George Augustus Stallings Jr. [National Co-Chairman, American Clergy Leadership Conference] and Pastor T.L. Barrett [Member of the National Executive Committee, ACLC] have? We really need commitment. We say, “Peace starts with me,” but what about commitment, excitement, and inspiration? You must inspire yourself.

True Mother is coming. True Mother is our subject, and True Mother is the main speaker. When True Mother gave a message to America in the Kennedy Caucus Room on Capitol Hill on November 30, 2016, she was not only telling America: God needs you. Her key point was: You need True Parents. This country needs True Parents. This is the only way you can save this country and yourself. This was the key message: You need True Parents, the Second Coming of the Messiah.

God’s daughter is coming to the city of New York, the heart of this country. I really want to talk about who True Mother is. Who is our dear True Mother? This is my prayer and what I must convey to you in these monthly meetings, especially since True Mother is coming to Madison Square Garden. Yes, this is a historic moment. We can change the world. We can change our country.

Last Sunday, I told the Chicago family members that the Madison Square Garden event is not just for America’s sake—it’s for the world’s sake. I said that it’s for the universe’s sake. The universe, spirit world, and physical world are coming together to be liberated centering on True Mother. I pray every day and night to True Father to please send all the blessed and good spirits to the earth to support our members. I’d like to briefly talk about who is our True Mother.

I was surprised while accompanying True Mother during the last 10 days to Bangkok, Thailand. I spent at least five days sleeping on the airplane. I can still adjust to the time from here and there because the spirit of True Parents is always leading me to understand who I am. These are unforgettable experiences. As Pastor T.L. Barrett mentioned: Is the Madison Square Garden event just an event, or can everyone have an unforgettable experience of a lifetime with True Mother at Madison Square Garden? This is the matter at hand. Let’s have an unforgettable, life-changing experience of a lifetime with True Mother. Without this commitment, we cannot change this country and the world.

I’ve been to Korea many times, but whenever I go there, I can see changes; it’s not the same as last month. I was amazed at True Mother’s efforts to change things through investing physically and spiritually. People are coming there to see the Kingdom of Heaven on earth with their own eyes. Who else wants to build this foundation? True Mother wants us to see the real Kingdom of Heaven—not in heaven, but on earth.

This is True Mother’s commitment. Has anybody ever heard of any pastor, any religious leader, who said, “I’d like you to see the Kingdom of Heaven on earth?” Usually religious leaders tell us, “You can pray and dedicate yourself, and God will show you the Kingdom of Heaven in the spirit world after you die.” True Mother, however, is saying, “I’d like you to see the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth.”

Just one example is True Parents’ museum. You’ve never seen this kind of museum before. Let’s give Heavenly Parent and True Parents a big hand. They already have all the permits, and they already started construction.

This is True Mother, and she is coming to Madison Square Garden. The Messiah is coming to Madison Square Garden. Yesterday I gave a strong warning to the Universal Peace Federation staff members, and maybe they were hurt by my guidance, but today I’m very relieved at how they’ve committed to do well for the sake of welcoming True Mother, not just their usual schedule.

If you live today, tomorrow, the rest of this month and next month, as usual—“I come at 8 o’clock, I go back home at 6 o’clock, then I come back”— this is our ordinary life. If you do that, you cannot feel excited that the Messiah is coming to us.

So everything starts from your commitment. You want to change it? Then ask an ACLC coordinator, like Hitoshi Onishi [New Jersey], Bruce Grodner [National Executive Director], or Tom Cutts [Georgia]. “Tom, do you have any place for me to go? I really want to volunteer. I really want to testify about True Mother. Whenever they see me, they’ll see True Mother behind me. If you can, I’d like to be there tonight.” Or: “I’d like to invite the Filipino community leaders to my home and have dinner together, a Filipino noodle dish.” Put in extra effort.

I’m warning you and, at the same time, I’m begging you. I want to invite you to come to our team, so that we can glorify God and True Parents. When was the last time you felt God’s love? Raise your hand. When was the last time you really felt God’s love? Maybe it was too long ago. I really want you to have that kind of God’s love, to feel God’s love within you.

I’d like you to feel God’s love every day. Do you want to hear my secret? Mobilize yourself. How do we give the Blessing to 450 couples, like Tomiko-san [Duggan, Director of Public Affairs, UPF USA]? She determined to do it, and I see that she’s changing. Her spirit has been changing since the Famicon meeting in Las Vegas last April. She is committed. I can feel it invisibly and visibly. She proclaimed today that she blessed 450 couples yesterday. Let’s give her one more big hand.

I hope that from today onward you will mobilize yourselves. Don’t do things as usual. I’ve never been to Madison Square Garden every day, four, five, seven times, before. Since I heard about the 40-day condition, I go every morning and evening. Instead of praying in my room, I pray while we’re walking, and I stand at the Madison Square Garden sign. Maybe I pass by people and they think, “What’s this young gentleman doing over there? Why is he standing there with suit and tie? He looks like a good person.” People probably thought, “He’s not lost, or anything.” Yes, I found it. That’s why I’m standing here, because I found the spirit of the Messiah. The spirit of the Only Begotten Daughter. That is the reason that I’m standing at this podium, and standing at Madison Square Garden every day.

I really want you to participate. The key element is true love. Participate—Oh! Oh! Archbishop Sulanch Lewis-Rose [National Co-President, ACLC], come here. I don’t know why I haven’t seen you. I just found out that you were here. Come over here.

What is one thing that you’re worried about today? Nobody mentioned the donations. When I go to a place, I request information about donations. Leaders are very shy when it comes to talking about donations. When we have the annual True Family Values Awards Banquet in Chicago, I always know what we’re going to do. Twenty to 30 community leaders come together, and decide the best way to encourage offerings. Even 20 years ago, we asked each family for $800 to help welcoming True Parents. We were never short of money. This time we are asking each family to give a donation of $700. Who has fulfilled that donation? Raise your hand. Only a quarter of you. Thank you.

Even though they were in the front row, they didn’t raise their hands! You feel sorry. One man gave me two checks to welcome True Mother. Do you know how much each check was? $300,000. He’s not a rich man, but he offered all of his effort. I told this to True Mother, “True Mother, he doesn’t want to reveal his name, but he gave two checks.” True Mother, and everyone around the head table, was crying internally.

America, this is the reason True Parents decided to come to Madison Square Garden. America, you are ready to welcome True Parents, welcome the Second Coming of the Messiah, for the sake of the world! America, I really want to move forward for True Parents’ sake, for God’s sake, for the world’s sake, and for the universe’s sake. Yes. I see many miracles. Mari [Ota] is here today. Mari, where are you? Financial Department, is Mari here? Stand up. She collapsed five months ago from a stroke. She came today, and has started coming back in the last few months.

I heard today that a second generation member collapsed, and we believe that God will raise her up again for the sake of God and True Parents.

Everything starts from you; you can take care of this business seriously if this is yours. My conclusion? Take ownership. You are an owner. You’re not just an employee here and there, you are an owner of Madison Square Garden for True Mother.

Life or death. If you invite your guest to be there, he or she can be saved by True Mother. You need True Parents; this is True Mother’s message. I want to feel God’s love every day from morning to evening, even at night in my dreams. Once again, thank you. I’d like to invite Archbishop Sulanch Lewis-Rose to come over here. Thank you so much. I told True Mother last time about the $5,000 donation, and True Mother was very happy. Give her a big hand.