On Saturday, I joined a few brothers and sisters witnessing in Croydon.  I really enjoy sharing my faith with people, especially as openly as I do when I approach people on a high street:

“Hello, my name’s Matthew.  I’m a member of the Unification Church.  Can I ask: Why do you think God created us?”

This question separates the atheists from the theists.  But for some reason, the atheists always seem like the nicest people, with whom I would pursue the deepest conversation.  I guess they’ve already done a lot of thinking, which at this stage has resulted in them losing faith in God, but perhaps they’ve at least grappled with the important questions of life.

Croydon high street is incredible on Saturdays.  It’s like a religion market, where you can take your pick from the Hare Krishnas, several denominations of Christianity, the Communist Party and, of course, the Unificationists, all of whom are vying for your attention.  I loved it!  We’re all passionate about God (well, all of us except the communists, who didn’t stay for very long!) and we want to testify to God, as witnesses of His/Her love.  I happily received a flyer from one church group, promoting a free concert.  Some MCs were rapping with a PA system (I’m assuming they were from the same church) and I actually enjoyed their marriage of message and music:

“Are you born again?
” – what?
“Are you born again?
” – what?
“Are you born again?!
” – yeh!”

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON, more popularly known as the Hare Krishnas) were singing and dancing.  There were many young people witnessing for all these religious groups, and some of the ISKCON members were especially young, which gave me confidence that the HARP witnessing day we’re organising for Saturday 27th February will go swimingly.  Do any of you remember the good old days, when Aunty Mary Franklin organised HARP witnessing days at the end of every month?  Well, very much inspired by her example, we’re going to resurrect that activity, so if you’d like to come along to 43 Lancaster Gate at 10am this Saturday, you’re very welcome to join in!

On the topic of sharing my faith, I read something today which annoyed me.  The CanadaEast.com’s news article about True Father’s 90th birthday, cited recently on the family fireplace,  reported that True Father “has proclaimed himself a messiah sent to complete Jesus Christ’s work on Earth.”  Why am I upset?  I’m not upset with the news agency, as they’re being entirely accurate.  No, my beef is with the fact that True Father is forced to declare himself as the Messiah.  Why should he have to do it?  It’s because not enough prominent people are doing it on his behalf.  All the news agencies should be reporting that WE are declaring True Father to be the Messiah.  And not just “a messiah” among many, but THE Messiah, the one chosen by Heavenly Father and Jesus himself to complete the Messianic mission.  We should become prominent in society and be so reputable that Father doesn’t need to declare himself Messiah, since we’ll already do it for him:

“In 2010, Matthew Huish declared Sun Myung Moon to be the Messiah, sent to complete Jesus Christ’s work on Earth”

If you like the look of that sentence, copy and paste it into a response replacing my name with your name there instead!

My favorite old man does combat with trees, or at least he used to. Tree smasher, embracer, bully fighter, eel biter, feeder of starving people.

The requirements of Providence are kitchen table conversation to him in a way they haven’t been since nineteenth century America. My favorite old man is a wizard. He owns the hallways of time, has the Prophet, peace be upon him, on speeddial.

He has lived long enough to get word that his siblings have died. Sunrises have been born, lived, snuffed and born again. As have heartbeats, longings and promises received. Each kindness, betrayal and repentance (sometimes from the same person in the course of one day) is scrubbed and filed, tucked away in rows of cabinets, each one labeled my best final plan. His wrinkles are honestly come by.

Only a beast more fearsome than the Beast of Time can unite a people incapable of unity. My favorite old man is the more gnarly beast who goes out of his way to kick over a cigar-chomper’s colored lawn jockey or tell a casino pit boss mine’s bigger than yours. Forever the tree smasher.

Even he cannot outlast the relentless piling up of years upon years, but he will beat the Beast of Time just the same by experiencing his final heartbeat hating no one.

He was not an ordinary man who became like this; he was always this way. What he did become that he wasn’t before, is a person who makes things so by declaring they are so.

Larry Moffitt
23 January, 2010

Report by Michael Balcomb:

See the Slideshare summary – Click on the links below

Consider all things holy. Why does a handkerchief owned by a holy man become so valuable? Because of the vibration of the holy man. So you, too, should give all things a holy value. When you touch something, feel that you are giving it glory.

The same holds true for the people we meet and live with. When you see another person, how much do you care for him or her? How do you feel towards that person? You must really love the people you meet, because they are the temples of God. When you touch another person, feel that through your touch, both of you will be blessed.

Each of us has two aspects, mind and body. Our true mind wants to touch our body with heart and give love to it. We should think of our mind as God’s mind, because God loves it and that is where He dwells. Look at each man or woman as a holy person. Regard each person’s body as sacred and their mind as hallowed.

If you live like this, soon you will hear inside of yourself a small voice, the sound of your mind. Wherever you walk no evil or darkness can remain. Only good spirits can touch you if you create such an atmosphere. If you place yourself in such a position, then spirit world will pour down upon you its abundant blessing and power. [Rev Moon, November 27, 1978 (edited version)]

Famous American humourist and cartoonist: Al Capp’s conclusion to his interview with the Reverend Moon:

“out of him shines the most enormous good nature..the most enormous good will, and the most enormous affection…”