God is Our Root: Love, Life, and Lineage
As couples from all over the world prepare for the 2023 Cosmic Marriage Blessing in May, Unificationists in the U.S. and their partners born outside of the movement had the opportunity to learn more about the sacred ceremony’s significance together.
The BFM’s live orientation program, held online for intergenerational couples on March 25, drew some 60 participants. Mrs. Yun-A Johnson delivered a special presentation covering the historical influence and importance of the Marriage Blessing, and how this commitment shapes our relationship with God.
“For all of us, our greatest hope is to have a loving, happy family,” said Johnson. “Yet there is this inner struggle and contradiction that wasn’t in our original nature ... No one is excluded from the challenges and breakdown of love in society, [and] the concept of lineage is important because it traces back to this concept of love through our own roots.”
Johnson referenced the teachings of True Parents, who first began the Marriage Blessing movement with their own union in 1960 before extending it to couples around the world. She explained that the Marriage Blessing — a restorative ceremony between a couple that centers on God — has been the anecdote to “corrupted love” found throughout history, which started with our first human ancestors engaging in a relationship prematurely.
“Corrupted love is a painful pattern,” Johnson said. “It’s not what we want, or what fits God’s ideal and what He intended for us. God intended for us to create a love that reflects His heart, which is absolute, unchanging, and unique.”
“We need to connect with our lineal roots to heal the pain that humanity is experiencing,” Johnson explained. “The experiences of our ancestors do leave an impression or mark on us that we feel in our body and spirit. Our experiences impact our genetics and affect our behaviors.”
Johnson outlined how the Divine Principle highlights the manifestation of self-centered love in different ways and how that “builds into irresponsibility.” She also articulated some of the consequences of premature relationships and examples of selfish love, including having a self-centered viewpoint, dominating others, and blame and justification.
“As human beings, we are very resilient in overcoming challenges,” Johnson said, “but we see that selfish love has caused a lot of pain and suffering. We’re constantly confronted with this inner contradiction of selfish love, [and] this destructive pattern is replicated in every generation.”
True Parents’ teachings — which examine the root cause of corrupted, selfish love — and the Marriage Blessing ceremony have been critical in the solution to creating healthy, long-lasting true love between couples. “The purpose of marriage is to synchronize the man’s heart and the woman’s heart to perfect their love,” True Father said. “The wedding ceremony is the proclamation of the couple’s commitment and determination toward that goal. If you start with the goal to perfect your love and heart through your married life, you are on the way to fulfilling the ideal of family.”
Johnson noted family connects us back to God, stating, “Family is God’s first and only institution that is created in love. Family is the school of love, and the Marriage Blessing is an instrument to healthy healing and establishing God’s ideal of love.”
Johnson recommended that couples embarking on a fresh start through the Marriage Blessing should separate from their past –- through forgiveness, overcoming resentment, rejecting self-centered love, and committing to building true love. Unconditional love heals, she said, and by connecting with God and our lineage, the Marriage Blessing purifies corrupted love and paves the way toward a peaceful world through blessed families.
The participants also received education about the Marriage Blessing chastening ceremony, as well as the 40-day and three-day ceremonies.
You can catch a repeat session of the intergenerational couples’ program online here April 1 at 8:30 p.m. EDT.