Celebrating Indigenous People’s Day
Photo courtesy of Andrew James
This Indigenous People’s Day, formerly known as Columbus Day, commemorates the 1492 landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, while also symbolizing how the nation has progressed and evolved historically. Celebrated on October 9, this national holiday is an opportunity to get better acquainted with American history, as well as acknowledge the history of the Native people who were present before the settlers arrived.
To date, America has become a great synthesis of cultures, languages, beliefs, and backgrounds. True Parents, who first came to America in the 1960s, shared how this blessed land has been instrumental to God’s providence and hope for humanity.
Below is an excerpt from True Father’s 1973 speech, “America in God’s Providence,” where he imparts God’s plan for America.
God purposed the United States to fulfill the mission of the sacrificial nation. Therefore, God sent to this land the Pilgrims, who risked everything and made such a great country in such a short period of time. When the Pilgrims came to this country, they built first churches, then schools, and finally they built their own houses. The backbone of America's prosperity, the root of the development of the United States into a great nation, is the spirit which puts greater stress on the public purpose rather than the private purpose.
The most important thing for any nation is that she sacrifices all things for the world and all mankind. From such a nation will come out a system developed from Jesus himself. The future ideal world will begin from there. That nation will sacrifice her sovereignty for the benefit of the whole world.
The United States is far away from this position. Individualism is good in balance, but if too much stress is put upon that way of thinking, everything collective and virtuous is lost: the love of the nation, the brotherhood of the people, the family integrity, the relationship between parents and children, and finally, even the value of individuals themselves. If all things are leveled, you become like hawks and blow where the wind blows. That is the reason there is no peace.
For America to stand in accordance with the providence of God there must be a new movement in America. Americans as individuals and America as a nation must follow the spirit of God and the truth of Jesus Christ and make this nation a foundation for the expression of God’s ideal...
God chose America as a nation playing the role of John the Baptist, and also the churches in America to play the role of preparing the way for the Lord to come. But America and her churches are thinking of their own benefits more than God’s purpose...
America must go to the underdeveloped countries and the underdeveloped countries must follow America. In that way the whole world can survive and be united, even eternally. In the center of that unity, God dwells. Then one peaceful, ideal world can exist.
You can learn more about Columbus Day here from the Library of Congress.