Soar up! There is liberty
for the soul that reigns in
the heavens.

August 1981 issue

Dear sons of the eternal light, peace be with you!
This summer has been extremely hot, but do not be crushed by the heat. The temperature rises a few degrees and a person becomes miserable. Whether we live below these skies or not, are rich or poor, educated or not, strong or weak, there is no differentiation in the fact that we all look like dogs wandering about the fields in suffering from the heat. The once energetic dog now is ill at ease as it wanders from this corner to that corner panting with its scarlet red tongue hanging out. I cannot help but feel sympathy while looking about the 8,000,000 populated city of Seoul.
Water and fire become one on these three hottest days of the summer and cause people to fry in the heat. I hope you may all endure the heat. Man endures. Endurance is the epitome of man. It is not to escape the circumstances but to endure, conquer, adapt and to live in becoming one. My environment and I are one. Have I not ruined what the heavens have granted me? John the Baptist had spoken only the truth but was beheaded by the powers of tyranny and injustice. In regards to him, Jesus states "John was the lamp that was burning and shining!" (John 5:31-36) Think about with what sort of heart He spoke these words. I believe that our Lord carried the cross up Golgotha not with a heroic bravery but with an agonizing heart that would do anything to stop that one flickering lamp from burning out.
Dear sons of the Kingdom, the seeds of life are the flicking lamps today. This lamp must not burn out. What guards the hut that sits in the dark valley where the biting winds blow and fierce beasts roam are not large amounts of money, fame, or power. It is the one kerosene lamp.
Still, what keeps the kerosene lamp aflame? Is it not amidst the mother and father, the lamp of love that flickers even weaker than this kerosene lamp? When the kerosene lamp burns out the hut collapses and becomes a cave of beasts. When the love between two hearts flame out, the kerosene lamp burns out and the valley becomes a hell of darkness. Dear brethren of the Word, may your prayers become the oil for the kerosene lamp in this generation.
Love was the final request given to the handful of Israelites who were like a flickering lamp. This gave the hope of salvation to the generation. (John 13:34-35, 15:9-14) It existed since the beginning of history; it is the love of God.
At this time, we too must live with the love of the Lord to become a new creation. Is this not a love for the whole world and to all people? Did the apostles who received the request of truth love only amongst themselves? It was not an exclusive group in which they only stuck to each other. We must have the heart of the Lord which loves all people so that through this, the kerosene lamp of truth of the world's salvation would not burn out. Autumn is upon us. We must not allow the lamp of love to flame out.
Dear 'remnants' of this earth, do you yearn to hear new news? The new news is the new commandment, and this is love. Is the flame of love burning up within each of your hearts? When we meet, we always greet each other with, "What’s new?" This testifies to how our hearts are suffocating. Why would the heart suffocate? Because it cannot breathe. The winds of the world have decayed (Romans 1:28-32, 3:10-18).
The winds, the winds fill the heavens and the earth in abundance; the winds are the epitome of freedom; so how could the winds decay? Because the doors have been shut tightly. Why can't we breathe? Because we are choking our own throats. The winds gust by. The clothes ruffle as the wind blow by and those who are caressed by the wind exclaim, "Ah, the cool breeze." How great would it be to receive these winds? Man may or may not receive, and this is the sudden destruction that man has created. So-called heroes and tycoons toy with nature and make it so that these winds cannot be felt. Yet they exclaim, "Let's enjoy this together!" If there is anyone who cannot freely enjoy the blowing winds, this is true destruction. If destruction occurs, it will be a great and utter destruction (Isaiah 5:1-7, Job 18:5-21, 21:17-19).
Let us seek truth. Truth is in the whole. If a problem arises in one area, there is a problem with the whole. Seeking self is truth and truth must overcome. It is not strength but truth that is victorious. Even if it is in small numbers, if anyone has been falsely put down, truth must arise.
Are you suffocating? This is the sound of breathing of the small numbers struggling to survive. The fate of history lies upon that. Is your heart suffocating even now? This is because you have not been victorious in the battle between righteousness and evil. You may be unable to breathe and thus suffocating but to blame the reason for this on others is incorrect. There are outside factors in regards to tangible possessions but this is not true in regards to mentality. There is only a liberated heart (2 Corinthians 3:17). Therefore, I must take the ultimate blame for being unable to breathe. People of the world may blame the evils of society on others, but the seeds of life who cherish the nation within them must not say such things. When situations become difficult and my heart is stifled it is because God who seeks truth has placed me within tribulations so that I may qualify for the heavenly prize.
Thus, I cannot fall into despair. At the same time, with a heart that isn't willing to lose, I must not continue to place myself in impossible situations despite the fact I may lack the abilities.
We cannot hold hatred for a single person in our hearts. We must be without enemies in order to have a great soul. One cannot truly love his nation without having thoroughly denied self. Without passing this, one cannot know true self. Fundamentally, our ego is nothing but strength in material wealth; therefore, when a greater material strength arises our ego cannot help but to bow down before the latter.
On the other hand, when there is complete denial of that self, when I have completely denied from within me the powers of material wealth, a new power begins to work in that place. This is not by my doing but the path itself is at work. This is a power given by God. Jesus Christ put forth all efforts during His lifetime in, "Not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:36-45). This is why although He had put on the flesh He testified, "Whoever has seen me has seen God."
I appeal that you would quickly receive the breath of the heavens. Nothing but the breath of heaven can melt the hardened heart. This is the time to receive the breath and exhale and the time to breathe in the energy of life.
Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead I have overcome the world!

Reverend Abraham Park