Jesus is calling us to become true parents. He said that even evil fathers know how to give good gifts to their children. Jesus was being generous. Do parents know that our greatest gift is a culture that honors and protects the purity of true love, that safeguards the child’s mind and body, and that prepares the child to become a true spouse and a true parent?
“Which of you fathers,” Jesus said, “if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?”
Our greatest gift to our children is a culture that honors and protects the purity of true love.
We are allowing our culture today to give our children snakes and scorpions. We need to do as Jesus then counseled—cry out to our Father in heaven to “give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” True Family Values is the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It empowers us to pray and study, to re-examine our purpose in life. It empowers families to live the three-generation vision, even at a sacrifice. We are not born for ourselves and we do not give birth for our own sake. We are born to give good gifts to our children—and our greatest gift is ourselves as parents, our strong husband-wife love, and our commitment to the multi-generation family. As Father Moon said, “We should be devoting all our hearts and minds to becoming the progenitors of goodness… We should be the parents of good parents.”
As a community, let us teach the Holy Marriage Blessing, especially to youth. Let us study about marriage and family life in our homes or our community centers. Let us create singles groups focused on sexual purity through living for others. Help everyone avoid malicious, unhealthy content in the media and Internet, and build healthy, God-centered relationships that create the foundation for an everlasting marriage.
Avoid malicious, unhealthy content in the media and Internet.
Let us introduce the Blessing ministry to churches, masjids, temples and synagogues. Family values are a bridge to interreligious harmony. All spiritual traditions, even yoga classes, martial arts studios and cub scout troops can encourage purity, fidelity, good parenting and filial piety. It is a win-win for everyone.
Let us ramp up a culture of parental heart. We’ll talk about this more on Wednesday.
(Citation: Luke 11:13; Second Cheon Seong Gyeong, p. 331, #18. The photo is from the True Family Values Banquet in Chicago, November, 1999. )
