Happy Birthday, True Parents!

We had a wonderful celebration of True Parents’ birthday today in Cheongpyeong, Korea. More than 20,000 people in the Peace World Center were thrilled to a dramatic musical about our movement’s early days in Eastern Europe, were moved by a mass choir, directed by our very own David Eaton, that premiered a new anthem written by True Mother herself, and stirred by the congratulatory remarks of the Hon. Jose de Venecia, long-time speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives.

Sun Jin Moon, President of FFWPU International, gave the welcoming remarks, and Wonju McDevitt, Chief of Staff of True Mother’s Secreteriat, read a commemorative poem. After all the festivities, FFWPU North America Continenal Chairman, Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, led three cheers, simultaneously concluding the celebration and opening a week of commemorative events, including a martial arts festival, the Cheon Il Guk Leaders’ Assembly, and many other festivals and conferences.

Later, at a luncheon banquet, True Mother spoke briefly and eloquently to some 600 guests gathered at the Peace Palace, including over 100 members of parliament from 50 nations, as well as many others from the worlds of diplomacy, media, academia and the arts.

“Fumiko and I found ourselves seated with a group of young members of the Sri Lankan parliament, some still in their 20s,” remarked Dr. Michael Balcomb, FFWPU USA President. “They were keen to know a little more about the Unification Movement, and what distinguished it from other religions. All agreed that if religions are going to fight, then we need less of them, not more.”

They listened carefully as True Mother got right to the point, thanking everyone for being there to honor True Parents’ birthday and then sharing in a few well-chosen words the essence of God’s long and very painstaking efforts to restore his children back to a realm of grace.

She dwelt most on the life of Jesus and the tragedy that God’s only begotten son could not find his bride, the only begotten daughter. “When Christ comes again, he said he will celebrate the Marriage of the Lamb,” she said, “and for the first time in history, God’s family will stand on earth as the model for all others.”

This, of course, is indeed the mission that our True Parents are called to fulfill, and even though True Father has been in Heaven these three and a half years past, True Mother carries on the work with love, confidence, and resolve.

Happy Birthday, True Parents!