Cham Bumo Gyeong: Episode 158

Cham Bumo Gyeong
Book 6: The World Tours and the Global Mission
Chapter 2: True Parents’ Settlement in the United States and Their Public Speeches
Section 3: United States Speaking Tours, Impact
Section 3: United States Speaking Tours, Paragraph 08

Section 3. United States Speaking Tours

Impact

During their third world tour, True Parents gave a series of public speeches in major cities across the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. On January 28, 1972, True Parents published their first full-page advertisements announcing the events. These were carried in The New York Times and The New York Daily News. A writers' competition for the best account of Jesus' life attracted considerable attention. The theme was "Jesus Christ's suffering on the cross: Was it God's Will or humankind's mistake?" The competition and tour were covered by the press in Korea and internationally. Through such media coverage, the activities of True Parents drew the attention of the world. On February 2, 1972, the 60th day of their third world tour, True Parents organized a "Rally for God" in the Wall Street district of New York as the kickoff event of their speaking tour. From February 3 to March 11, True Father delivered speeches in seven major cities across the United States: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Berkeley. The poster advertising the speech declared, "God Speaks Today." It introduced True Father in large print as a "New Christian Master from the East" bringing "spiritual enlightenment." In a short time, the Unification Church created a stir in the United States and stood out as a group with financial power, a large pool of young volunteers and a strong organizing capacity.

1  When I went to the United States in December 1971, the American members thought I was out of touch with things there, and some of them argued that despite my presence, they should continue their previous course. At that time they could not even imagine holding large-scale revival meetings or conducting activities to raise public awareness about major issues. The Korean missionaries who had come to the US were also of the opinion to continue doing things the way they believed best suited the American situation.

But I pointed out to them, "You have to follow my directions. You are in a position to work in accordance with the decisions I make, so you should act the way I tell you." But after giving these directions, I still observed that because they felt they knew the country so well, they did not take my words fully to heart and were hesitant. This is why I personally went to New York and contracted with Lincoln Center, and thus began the seven-city speaking tour, launched on February 6, 1972. It was a risky endeavor.

After that tour I spoke in England and Germany and spent time in Korea. Returning to America in November 1972, I continued giving public speeches throughout 1973. Because I felt such a great responsibility, I held speeches in 21 chosen cities. The last of these took place January 28, 1974.

2  I started the three-year course beginning in 1972 by conducting a revival tour based on the principled numbers of 3 and 21. I spoke in 7 American cities for 3 days in each city. After that, I undertook speaking tours in Germany and England, in 9 cities altogether. Then in 1973 I gave speeches in 21 cities in the United States. I will complete this period by having given speeches in 40 cities before the end of 1974. During this time, I need to convey my message to America's citizens no matter what it takes. I do not care whether good rumors or bad rumors spread. I'm all right with either. This was the way it was for Jesus, and how it has been for me. The question is how I can awaken the American people. When they hear the rumors, the people who were chosen and prepared by God will connect to us spiritually and flock in. Even in the case of a nation doomed to perish, it is God's principle to always leave behind something based on the number seven—perhaps a group of 7,000 people. The ones who are looking for the new providence of God and hoping for a new world to unfold will therefore have no choice but to unite with the movement of the Unification Church.

3  We need to initiate the world-level foundation three years before the end of the second seven-year course. Jesus was to have gone out to the world after finishing his three-year course, and I have to connect to that by the mission of linking to the world level during our second seven-year course. This is why, beginning with the preparatory public speeches in the United States in 1972, we had to make True Parents known to all of America by April 20, 1974, the year the second seven-year course comes to an end. There should be no one in America who does not know about me. This three-year period is the time you need to do whatever you can to make True Parents known. Whether you use this method or that, and whether they think well of True Parents or not, you have to let them know. This is why we should make our case through international media such as The New York Times, Time and Newsweek.

4  From 1972 to 1974, what should we who stand in Abel's position give the American people? We need to give them something from both God's internal nature and external form. We have to give both internally and externally. This is why I plan to speak in person during this three-year period. This is the first time for me to be appearing before people at public gatherings.

The public path of the Messiah has to move to the world level from the national level, and not from a lower level. We are able to accomplish this move because we are already heading toward the world-level era. So these three years are precious. This is a significant event in history, and both the spirit world and all humanity are paying close attention. People from ten countries are participating in this work.

5  From when I began my revival tour on February 6, 1972 at Lincoln Center in New York, until the time I spoke in Washington, D.C., and Essen, Germany, I never used a written text. You too should train yourself to speak without notes and still hold the attention of the audience. Have the conviction, "There is nothing wrong in what I am saying." The most important thing is to make your emotions one with your words; this brings what you say to life. This is the fruit of my years of experience.

The key issue is not the content but how much you can immerse yourself in your emotions and influence your audience with them. When you reach that state, you can simply speak as you usually do. You can even make up your speech right then and there. A speaker who can move the hearts of 10 million people can easily change the direction of his speech depending on the audience or their mood at the time. He or she should be able to adjust the tone, rhythm, flow and power of the speech according to the disposition of the audience.

6  We cannot save and lead America with democracy or Christian thought. Neither can the communist bloc unite the world with its heartless ideology. The time of all of these has passed. This is why as soon as I came to America in 1972, I challenged the churches over their shortcomings. What I did was unprecedented in American history. In the end, I launched an audacious challenge to Christianity. Yet the churches cannot oppose me, so they only watch me closely. We have entered the stage where the people who think about God's Will and look to Christianity with hope are showing a renewed interest in True Parents.

7  The seven years from 1972 to 1978 is a critical time for America. We need to establish a world-level foundation here through the three years ending in 1974, in order to complete the third seven-year course and offer this victory before God. It is the way of the providence to advance toward a new era through a three-year period, and 1974 is the end of this three-year period. We should always prepare three years in advance. In the same way that Moses prepared, we have to enter the new era based on a three-year period. When we reach that stage, America will have no choice but to follow us. We have to fulfill our mission as the subject partner.

8  I reached this level after establishing the foundations of servant, adopted son, true son and parent. The reason I can come and work in America is that I have completed this foundation on the national level. Now, through America, I am trying to connect this foundation to the world during the three-year course until 1974, in which I am working together with you Europeans. The period in Korea reversed the failure of the First Israel, which was in the position of a servant. On that foundation we inherited the mission of Christianity, the mission of the adopted son on the world level. Now we have reestablished the spiritual foundation of the adopted son on the world level. We came to this global Christian nation of America to create that foundation and expand it worldwide. The foundation of the servant had been lost and the Christian foundation of the adopted son had been lost, and so we had to establish them again. Because Jesus resurrected spiritually, he was able to create a foundation to protect the nation at least on the spiritual level. Based on this national standard, the Christian foundation could develop and expand worldwide. Similarly, by assuming the same position as Jesus, we can engage in global witnessing today. In short, we can carry out the movement for world redemption. I am trying to teach you about my victorious foundation during this three-year course from 1972 to 1974. This three-year course is a struggle to enable you and all people to inherit victory on both the lost national foundation of the servant and the lost worldwide foundation of the adopted son. We became adopted sons, and now we need to become true sons. You need to become true sons.

On behalf of Jesus, who tried to ascend to the national level and world level during his three-year course, you yourselves need to usher in the world-level foundation. The period to do so is this three-year course, during which you can go from the era of the adopted son to the era when you can receive the authority of the true son. We are the worldwide movement that is trying to find the Bride and the Bridegroom that Jesus spoke about.