God’s Will and the Ocean
True Father Speaks on: The Founding of Ocean Church, page 16-19
October 1, 1980, Morning Garden

The Founding of Ocean Church

October 1st, 1980, Morning Garden

SOMETIMES YOU might wonder about some of our church customs, such as bowing down. You might say to yourself, "Why do we do that?" Even though it has been a custom in many parts of the world for thousands of years, it becomes easier to understand why we also practice the full bow if you hear a full explanation of it. First, it is a very symbolic act. You bow down with four limbs, meaning that you are standing on the four-position foundation. This bow also reflects the proper subject and object relationship, because, as you bow, you move from high to low, which symbolizes the vertical relationship between heaven and earth.

The Meaning of the Full Bow

To bow, you stand naturally, not in a stiff way, with one foot slightly ahead of the other. The right foot symbolizes man and the left foot symbolizes woman. The right foot should go slightly ahead of the left, symbolizing also the subject and object relationship between man and woman. Then, as you bow, all parts of the body come closer together, and this symbolizes how the four-position foundation becomes one.

The head symbolizes God, and both arms symbolize man and woman and the relationship that they have. The feet represent earth. So, when we raise our arms to touch our head, this shows the subject and object becoming one with each other and one with God, then coming down to be one with the earth. Even the face symbolizes this whole relationship. The eyes symbolize God, the nose symbolizes man and woman-one but with two parts-and the mouth symbolizes earth. The eyes look out and see; this represents heaven. The torso, the body symbolizes the universe.

In other words, the universe stands on the foundation of the four-position relationship. It's very appropriate to greet and respect God, and those who represent God, in this way. In Korea, this custom has existed for thousands of years. However, we do it, not because of the Korean custom, but because it coincides with the Principle. This is the way children greet their parents every day, every morning.

When you see children, especially still within the womb, you see them clutching their fingers together and making a fist. Why? The thumb symbolizes God, and the fingers symbolize the four-position foundation which surrounds it. If you look at that and really notice how the body reflects everything in the universe, you can see that of all the greetings that are given in every country around the world, this one is the most comprehensive and most meaningful. It is the most proper way to show respect because it reminds us in a very meaningful way of who we truly are in front of God and in front of one another. In your own centers and where you work on your missions, do you keep the Sunday morning Pledge Service? This is also very important to do each week, each month and each year. At these times, the man and wife, if they are blessed, should bow down in an easterly direction, because that is where the sun rises and this too symbolizes God. The North is another direction you can bow towards because the highest point, the North Pole, is in that direction. Also, the North Star, which has been the guiding point for mankind throughout history, is in the northern sky.

The Original Seed of History

In history, there have been many civilizations. The civilization of the North is now communism. Do you understand? Now, communism is widespread throughout many nations and it is about to conquer the world. That has been the intention of the Communists and they have the ability to do it. This is the last of Satan's work. However, when the springtime comes, even the farthest North Pole will have to melt down. What is unificationism? It is the beginning of a new civilization. Let me briefly explain. Ancient civilizations were in the tropical range, such as Egypt. The ancient civilizations started out in a hot climate. So, we can say they were "summer" civilizations. Today, we find the warm to cool climate civilizations which have risen from those times, such as Europe. These can be called the "autumn" civilizations. In autumn the leaves start to come down from the trees. In like manner, we see these civilizations coming down from their former greatness. The tree loses its leaves and the bare branches are all that is left. It's not utterly gone, but just the image of the tree remains and everything else comes down. Then, the cold winter civilization, from communism, from the North, will broaden out, and the autumn civilization be absorbed by it. It cannot remain as it used to be. The cold is merciless. Communism is merciless; it leaves nothing alone once it decides to intervene. It completely eliminates whatever is in its way. In these terms, we can certainly say that we have yet to see the "springtime" civilization. You should know that mankind was meant to start from the spring. We look back in history and see that there has never been a springtime in civilization. Mankind has never seen its flower truly bloom. So, perhaps this is now the beginning of true love and all the flourishing of the fruits of true love in its first bloom.

If we had started from the spring and then developed into summer, autumn and winter, the fruit would have blossomed from the original seed. However, no original seed was planted, thus when the winter came, nothing was left. If you have planted a seed, it goes deeper and deeper during the winter and comes out even more fully the next spring. However, without the original seed, the fruit will just die and there will be nothing left for the coming spring.

If you are going to live through the winter, through the severe cold and survive, you have to have the seed. The history of fallen mankind did not start from the original seed. God has to start a new history, this time with His seed implanted into it. So, what should this seed be like? It  must be very strong and hard. If you are like that, you can be planted before the severest winter and the cold will not destroy you. You will not be cracked open by the cold and when spring comes, you will begin to blossom.