It is incredible what people are capable of doing.  We are not ordinary in any sense of the word. Sometimes people say that we are little more than very sophisticated animals. But I believe we operate on a completely different level because of our spiritual nature. We are more than just our physical bodies.

We are capable of great sacrifice, even at the cost of our own lives. In fact it is embedded in the core of our being or spiritual DNA. Rev. Moon recognized this when he said:

 “Love would not be possible if human beings did not have an original nature to sacrifice. We do not think of it as a sacrifice when we sacrifice for someone we love. We feel it is worthwhile, even as we sacrifice more and more.”

Memorial Day is a very special day because it reminds us of sacrifice and love of country, and all that has been given for our freedom so that we can live in peace. It’s in our nature to live for something greater than ourselves. We are not satisfied with just living for ourselves. Perhaps, we may do so for a time period but after a while an empty feeling creeps into our original mind, to tell us this is not enough. We want more. It’s this desire for more that gives us our humanity and connects us to our divinity.

This quality of heart to live for something greater than ourselves is often seen in times of war when sacrifice is thrust upon people. I was reminded of this recently when I attended a showing of Black Hawk Down. The sponsors had the veterans of that conflict in attendance to share with us what really happened that day. I was struck by the very evident relationship between these men. They talked about how battle often starts out as a commitment to God and country but in the heat of conflict it becomes about the man or woman fighting next you. You are willing to give your life for the person fighting at your side. John 15:13 comes to mind:

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Commitment

Memorial Day reminds us of the commitment that people in uniform have towards the ideals of freedom, to God, if they are a person of faith, to their nation and family. That commitment is precious because it gives depth and meaning to their life.

“Without commitment you cannot have depth in anything, whether it’s a relationship, a business or a hobby.” –   Neil Strauss

We often look at commitment as a one-time thing, instead of commitment as having a beginning point followed up by continual investment. We cannot expect our emotion toward what we are committed to, to remain constant without some kind of consistent attention.

Commitment is the rock on which we build our lives whether that be in the realm of relationships, family, career or commitment to country, a set of ideals, including our faith. We need to develop this quality because this is what elevates us to reach God’s heart. Our Heavenly Parent always keeps His promise. Heaven remains constant – no matter what.

Becoming an owner

As we celebrate Memorial Day and the heroes it honors we need to not only think about their sacrifice but also about what we are willing to give. Our veterans put our lives above their own. Our response can be to live lives worthy of their great sacrifice. This puts the onus on us to commit to something in our life that can honor all that has been invested to give us the freedom we enjoy.

I was caused to contemplate this idea yesterday. I attended an event where Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, or Mother Moon as I prefer to call her, spoke. She had just returned from a European speaking tour. She had visited numerous historical sites such as Notre Dame in France, the Vatican and other buildings.

Some of these churches had literally taken hundreds of years to build. That seems so mindboggling. Think of the investment behind their construction. Their ceilings are so high because they were designed and built as an effort to give people the experience of reaching up to heaven. They are outwardly magnificent but Mother Moon’s impression was they felt hollow. They were built during a time in history to honor Christendom but in a way, that time has passed.

Dr. Moon shared that God wants to do something more. God wants to exceed the past and usher in the substantial Kingdom of Heaven or ideal world. She asked us to think about what we want to build or contribute. How are we going to impact the world so that we can create something that can last and be better than what we have now?

In one sense, God has never had a home on earth. We have to create that for the sake of the future. To achieve this we have to have a sense of responsibility or the mentality of an owner: it’s up to me to do something to inspire future generations.

Having the mentality of an owner means you have the conviction that “I will do something; I will act. I will commit.” When you commit it can’t be the result of someone else’s conviction or will. It has to be because you have decided to take something on. This is true on every level whether you’re talking about an international organization, a business or a family. In terms of size, a family and a big organization are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but the same principles operate.

Living generously

I encountered a beautiful example yesterday of people committed to doing something. Their “doing something” is to promote living generously. I was driving up I-84 through Connecticut and passed a sign that announced “free coffee and snacks – next exit.” I’ve seen the sign before and driven on by, but this time my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to pull in. I was greeted by incredibly friendly people wearing T shirts that proclaimed “Live Generously.” They wanted to “be the message” in their acts of service. It was so inspiring to meet people who are willing to be owners and do their bit to improve the world.

The mentality of an owner is key to success

The principle of ownership was exemplified in WWII during the invasion of Normandy. Germany had more fire power and had the potential to win the day but the Allies had a secret weapon: decentralization of power. They allowed small units to make decisions in the field. If a unit commander was killed the next senior service member stepped up. They had ownership. The Germans on the other hand had centralized authority and wasted precious time getting permission for tanks to move and through a series of communication blunders lost the day.

We can learn a lot from this. If we want to succeed we have to take initiative. We can’t be waiting for someone else to tell us what to do. Mother Moon emphasized that we should decide what we are called to do and take action. We are all responsible to help build the ideal or the Kingdom of Heaven. Maybe we can take initiative in our family; we can step up and take ownership to improve it. Or we may feel called to do something in the community. Even our nation needs us. I was listening to the song “America the Beautiful” and was struck by the line “mend thine every flaw.” America isn’t perfect but that is no reason to give up on her. We can all do something to improve our country.

Getting unstuck

Mostly, people don’t act because they don’t know what to do. Have you ever been in a situation where you literally didn’t know where to turn or which way to go? I know I have. It’s hard to be committed when you are not sure. This is where we have to call upon our relationship with our Heavenly Parent. We all have direct access if we choose to connect. But what kind of prayer do we need to pray?

Although ritualistic prayers can help when you are not sure what to say, they can also prevent you from sharing what’s really on your heart. Alternatively, without any structure you may get spaced out. That has happened to me more than once! I remember one evening, after a long day working in a camp kitchen, I tried to pray and found myself half asleep praying about carrots! Real prayer requires first that we are awake and in an emotional place where we are willing to be honest.

Arguing with God

The book “World Scripture and the Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon” reveals some interesting insights into a relationship with God.

“Since we can experience God as a real person, who loves and cares for human beings as His children, it is not enough to respond only with simple devotion and blind faith. Having questions we cannot answer, struggling by ourselves and making no headway, we stop and demand that God give us the answer. With our feet firmly planted we take a stand, questioning the way things are and arguing that they can be better. The prophets and sages who disputed with God were neither doubters nor atheists, nor were they complainers of little faith. Rather, they dared to stand up and confront God, motivated by a burning desire for deeper insight into Gods’ truth and the experience of His Presence.

 Abraham argued with God; he challenged God to be merciful on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses pleaded with God; he took the blame upon himself for the Israelites’ apostasy when they made the golden calf. Muhammad argued with God to reduce the number of obligatory prayers from fifty down to five. Job argued with God because conventional wisdom said that his suffering must be the just punishment for his sins, yet he knew himself to be innocent. The Talmudic sages argued with God to uphold the value of human free will.”

To get through to God requires a little honesty and courage.

Praying Useful Prayers

• This is the situation – if you don’t clearly lay out your problems you will end up praying carrot prayers! And will remain in confusion. God wants you to articulate the problem. Get it off your chest.
• This is what I think – God cares about what you think. He can’t help you if he doesn’t know what you think. Also, you have to be honest with God and yourself about where you are at. Otherwise it’s impossible to move forward.  You need to empty out before you are ready for an answer, so don’t even think of seeking an answer before letting go!
• What do You think? Seek a larger point of view than perhaps you have. You need to speak out loud so you can distinguish the hot emotions you may have and all the voices and competing ideas from the still small voice of God.
• What if anything needs shifting in the way I am looking at the situation or behaving? That’s a scary one. You may have to be willing to change something in your life.
• Please share Your wisdom with me. Help me see from your point of view.

Our commitment comes when we learn to rely on ourselves because we are relying on God. It’s more nuanced than just being self-sufficient- that’s an American value but our Heavenly Parent prefers interdependence.  There is wisdom in relying on God.

This is at the heart of the Bible verse: “You must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Spiritual maturity is the ability to seek and find God’s point of view.

Remembering those who gave their all

Today we want to express our gratitude to the service men and women who have given their lives for our freedom. Let us not forget. Today is also a special day as we are commemorating the 1,000^th day since Rev. Moon’s passing and honoring his life that was epitomized by the ethic of living for the sake of others. His is an incredible story: “As A Peace Loving Global Citizen” His lifelong commitment was to liberate the heart of God. Mostly, people go around thinking of their own suffering and become wrapped up in that, expecting God to save them. I know I sometimes find myself down that rabbit hole! But Father Moon had this unique relationship with God. He wanted to relieve God’s suffering heart.

“God must be so exhausted, coping with the billions of fallen people in the world. How tired must God be as He strives to fulfill His Will! So if you pray, “Heavenly Father, don’t worry. I will do it!” even if it is just words, God would approve. When you pray in such a way, God says, “Wow! That person is great.”

Each one of us have to find our own conviction and nurture that in prayer so we can take ownership of the piece we can do; the difference we can make while we are on earth. On Memorial Day we pay tribute to the men and women who gave their all, but all of us can give some. What is your some?

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