Triangle Family Church Sunday Service on April 27, 2025
Music Offering
Sermon
The speaker emphasizes Gandhi’s philosophy of “Satyagraha,” advocating for truth and nonviolent resistance against injustices. The sermon highlights Gandhi’s Salt March, which demonstrated civil disobedience against British colonial rule in India. The speaker further discusses the legacy of Gandhi’s teachings and how they resonate with the ideals promoted by True Parents, focusing on selflessness, the inherent goodness within humanity, and the importance of peace and ethical living.
Furthermore, the sermon acknowledges the challenges faced by individuals and communities under self-interest driven governance. The significance of the Cheong Won Gun is framed as a center for educating and inspiring people to embrace love and unity. The speaker concludes with a call to recognize the goodness within ourselves and each other, encouraging the congregation to aim for a harmonious community reflective of the teachings of the true parents.
Key Insights
- Faith and Action: Cheon Il Guk presents an ideological framework that links faith with actionable steps toward community improvement. The concept encourages believers to embody the principles of peace and unity in everyday life, illustrating how spiritual beliefs guide social actions. The sermon indicates a movement towards integrating religious beliefs deeply into societal structures, paving the way for a community nurturing spiritually inclined governance.
- Historical Context of Nonviolence: Gandhi’s life and struggle against British colonialism provide a historical precedent for the power of nonviolent protest. His Salt March is not simply an event in history but a model for modern movements advocating for justice and rights without resorting to violence. Understanding these historical contexts offers contemporary audiences methods to combat injustices in various environments today, including issues faced due to governance motivated by self-interest.
- Transformative Potential of Education: The Cheong Won Gun is positioned as a transformative space aimed at educating individuals about the teachings of True Parents. This concept reinforces the idea that knowledge can fundamentally alter perceptions and behaviors within society. In sharing the legacy and philosophy of individuals like Gandhi and True Parents, education serves to heal societal divisions and promote greater understanding among diverse populations.
- Unity vs. Division: The sermon addresses current geopolitical tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan, to illustrate ongoing struggles with unity. By promoting the teachings of Gandhi, the speaker advocates for reconciliation and mutual acceptance.
- Human Goodness as a Foundation: The belief in inherent goodness serves as a cornerstone for the teachings presented. The speaker emphasizes that by recognizing and nurturing this goodness, individuals can begin to cultivate communities founded on love rather than self-interest. This notion disputes prevalent narratives of human nature being primarily driven by selfishness and highlights the capacity for selfless engagement.
- Hope for the Future: The concluding remarks highlight a vision of hope and perseverance as the congregation is called to embody the principles of goodness. The encouragement to strive for model citizenship establishes a crucial point that future transformations start with individual commitment to embody the virtues promoted within the faith.
Transcript
Slide1
My sermon topic is Faith in Goodness for Cheon IL Guk.
Slide 2
We will begin with the Cheon Won Gung Cheon Il Sanctum Entrance Ceremony, discussing its purpose. We will also explore biblical teachings on non-violence, including Gandhi's influence, methods, and legacy. We will look at the purpose and features of Cheon Won Gung, including its contributions to peace and culture.
Slide 3
What was the Cheon Won Gung Cheon Il Sanctum Entrance Ceremony for?
Slide 4
Before AI, Google only listed web pages related to our search words. Now, we can ask Google questions directly. Google answers to the question; “it celebrates humanity's return to Heavenly Parent and marks God's dream for a unified world.” Google does a good job, doesn’t it? This kind of big ceremony raises several questions for us.
Slide 5
What is Cheon Il Guk, and what are the steps involved in building Cheon Il Guk?
Slide 6
Is Cheon Il Guk a nation where our church's faith is established as the national religion?
Is Cheon Il Guk a nation where the majority of the population consists of members of our church?
I think Cheon Il Guk represents a vision of a nation founded on God’s principles, aiming for spiritual and social harmony, and faith in goodness is the key component of Cheon Il Guk. I will talk about a historical figure who inspired people to create an independent country. Discussing a historical figure who inspired the creation of an independent nation can illustrate the importance of visionary leadership and the movement.
Slide 7
Let us read Bible Matthew 5:39-42
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Slide 8
Jesus is not advocating for passive acceptance of injustice, but rather a non-violent approach to conflict resolution.
In the cultural context of Jesus' time, a slap on the right cheek was a significant insult.
Turning the Other Cheek does not mean passively allowing further abuse. Instead, it suggests a refusal to engage in a cycle of violence.
Jesus' instruction is about responding to personal insults with forgiveness and non-resistance, demonstrating faith in goodness, love and respect for the other person.
Slide 9
The historical figure I am talking about is Mahatma Gandhi known as the "Father of India".
Slide 10
The British took advantage of colonized India primarily by exploiting its resources, industries, and labor for their own benefit.
The British forced Indians to sell their goods at low prices and buy expensive British goods, creating a system of trade that enriched Britain at India's expense.
The British used divide-and-rule tactics, manipulating existing rivalries between different regions and communities to maintain their political control.
The British imposed heavy taxes on the Indian population. One of the examples is the tax on salt.
The British prohibited Indian people from producing or selling salt independently.
Gandhi, along with thousands of followers, embarked on a 240-mile march to the coastal town of Dandi to break this law by making salt from seawater.
Slide 11
This march is known as the Salt March or the Dandi March. It was a nonviolent protest led by Gandhi in 1930 against the British government's salt tax in India. It sparked widespread civil disobedience, highlighted the injustice of British rule, and received extensive media coverage. The march and the subsequent civil disobedience movement significantly increased support for the Indian National Congress and the push for independence.
Gandhi believed that through nonviolent resistance, the truth would eventually triumph, and the British would be forced to leave India.
Gandhi's philosophy is called Satyagraha. The word is from Sanskrit. Satya means "truth". Agraha means "insistence" or "holding firmly to". Satyagraha means "holding firmly to truth" or "truth force".
Slide 12
Gandhi's methods, rooted in non-violence and civil disobedience, were a unique approach to challenging the British authority.
Slide 13
He encouraged Indians to disobey unjust laws, boycott British goods, and refuse to cooperate with the government, creating a sense of disruption and unrest that the British found difficult to control.
Gandhi was imprisoned multiple times, spending a total of approximately 2,338 days in jail in both South Africa and India.
He was an influential figure for both Indian people and British officers in India. Upon his arrest, a British officer inquired how he planned to achieve India's independence from British rule. Gandhi responded that they would attain independence with the help of British officers, believing in people's goodness. He instructed his followers not to use violence to protest British actions. Maintaining non-violence is challenging, as protests can easily become violent. When his followers resorted to fighting back against British authority, Gandhi would fast until the violent protests ceased. His followers respected him and would stop the violent protests in response to his fasting.
Slide 14
When he observed the shortcomings of his followers, he attributed them to his own inadequacies in guiding and supporting them. He maintained that self-regulation of personal desires was essential for attaining inner peace and exemplifying ethical behavior. He notably undertook what he referred to as "experiments" with willpower to evaluate his capacity to manage sexual desire.
Slide 15
India gained its independence in August 1947. But Gandhi only saw it for a few months; a Hindu extremist assassinated him on January 30, 1948. Over 1.5 million people marched in his massive funeral procession. Around the period of India's independence, the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan as a result of Hindu-Muslim conflict. The Hindu and Muslim communities were unable to achieve the unity and mutual acceptance that Gandhi had hoped for. Recently, there has been an increase in tension between India and Pakistan. We hope they learn how they gained independence from British rule.
Slide 16
There are similarities between Gandhi's philosophy and life course and those of True Parents.
Slide 17
Local people in colonized India experienced hardships due to British rule focused on its own interests. Similarly, individuals in the fallen world have been facing difficulties resulting from governance influenced by self-interest and physical desires. True Parents took actions to free us from the self-centered and physical desire-oriented governance of the fallen world.
True Parents believed in the inherent goodness within humanity as God does. True Father was imprisoned six times. His conduct in prison set an example and had a positive influence on others.
True Parents continued to advocate for love for God and humanity despite misunderstanding and persecution. When observing shortcomings of members, they took responsibility and provided numerous opportunities called “special grace” for a fresh new start, emphasizing self-discipline.
Slide 18
Why did True Mother build Cheon Won Gung?
Slide 19
Google gives the answers to the question; Why did unification church build Cheon Won Gung?
The Cheon Won Gung was built by the Unification Church as a place to educate and commemorate the teachings of their founder, Sun Myung Moon, and his wife, Hak Ja Han Moon, whom they refer to as "True Parents."
The Cheon Won Gung serves as a place to learn about the life, teachings, and accomplishments of True Parents. It includes a museum, and an educational hall dedicated to the teachings and history of the Unification Church.
Slide 20
The establishment of Cheon Won Gung symbolizes the fulfillment of True Parents' dream to spread their message globally. Cheon Won Gung stands as a beacon for the church's mission of achieving world peace and unity among all people.
The teachings of True Parents promote understanding and embrace, essential for fostering unity and peace in the world.
Slide 21
Cheon Won Gung is intended to foster a new culture where people from different backgrounds can come together to appreciate the love of God and True Parents.
Slide 22
Some people believe our church collects money for Cheon Won Gung out of self-interest. Historically, money has been misused in various ways. Church members have contributed to Cheon Won Gung to uphold True Parents' philosophy of serving God and humanity.
Slide 23
In conclusion, Cheon Won Gung and Cheon Il Guk represent a commitment to peace, education, and ethical living. The legacies and the teachings of the True Parents continue to inspire individuals towards a harmonious society.
Our inherent goodness inspires us to serve others and be selfless. Cheon Il Guk will begin from individuals practicing this core virtue. Let's aim to be model citizens, families, and communities of Cheon Il Guk.
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