Celebrating National Bible Week
Photo courtesy of Timothy Eberly
“America has a great tradition. All you have to do is revive it. I went to awaken America’s spirit, to save America from destruction, to urge people to repent and return to God.” — True Father, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen (2009).
During the week of Thanksgiving, from Nov. 20 to 26, Christians nationwide observe National Bible Week. Established in 1941 by former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, those of Christian faith will spend this week honoring the Holy Bible, as they recognize all non-believers and offer readings and guidance from the pages of scripture.
True Father, who was raised Christian and received a spiritual revelation from Jesus to carry on his work of salvation, established the Unification movement to unify all the world’s people beyond barriers of religion, race, nationality, culture, and ideology.
“We ... hung out a sign that read “Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity,” True Father wrote in his autobiography. “We chose this name to signify that we belonged to no denomination, and we certainly had no plans to create a new one.”
“‘World Christianity’ refers to all of Christianity worldwide and both past and present,” he continued. “‘Unification’ reveals our purpose of oneness, and ‘Holy Spirit’ is used to denote harmony between the spiritual and physical worlds built on the love of the father-son relationship at the center. Our name is meant to say, ‘The spiritual world, centering on God, is with us.’”
True Parents worked tirelessly to unite the Body of Christ, bringing together faith leaders across all denominations worldwide through a range of forums, seminars, conferences, and other programs. New avenues of reconciliation emerged over the years through different national and world tours — notably “The Future of Christianity” and “God’s Hope for America” — as well as campaigns and various initiatives including the launch of the ACLC, and later, the WCLC, YCLC and KCLC.
“I spoke about how America was founded on the Puritan spirit and had grown to be the strongest country in the world in just 200 years because it received God’s boundless love and blessing,” True Father wrote. “I reminded the audiences that America’s freedom comes from God but that today America had cast God aside.”
Despite heavy persecution and numerous abuses over more than six decades, including unjust imprisonment multiple times, True Parents remained dedicated to bridging contrasting beliefs and worldviews while building peace among diverse people and between enemy nations. Most recently, a special “Conference of Hope” on Nov. 12 was organized by the Unification movement’s affiliate organizations — part of an ongoing series of virtual programs addressing global peace and religious freedom while promoting reconciliation of the Korean Peninsula.
“It is my heartfelt and deep conviction that every human should have the most basic rights of religious liberty,” said Pastor Paula White, a recurring featured speaker and senior pastor of City of Destiny megachurch in Florida. “One fundamental principle and truth is that our rights do not come from the government, they come from God.”
As we honor our roots in Christianity and the Holy Bible, let’s reawaken America to its founding spirit. “Christianity today must have a great awakening and come together as one,” wrote True Father. “We must fulfill the important mission that God has given to America. The situation cannot continue as it is now. There needs to be a new reformation.”
National Bible Week culminates with International Day of the Bible on November 27. You can learn more about the history of National Bible Week here.