Happy Year of the Tiger
The Korean New Year, or ‘Seollal,’ is a time when millions of Koreans return to their hometowns to celebrate traditions dating back to the 7th Century. This day, February 1, is a cultural celebration as well, influenced by China with its roots in traditional Chinese Confucianism. Based on the lunar cycle, 2022 is the year of the tiger and indicates a prosperous year as the tiger represents great strength, fearlessness, and bravery.
As the homeland of True Parents, Korea is the chosen nation to bring about God’s providence on earth. Let’s celebrate this Lunar New Year with our brothers and sisters of the East as we honor their rich history and traditions, as well as the great teachings of our founders. Below is an excerpt from True Father’s 2000 speech “God’s Fatherland” in which he shares how Korea is the microcosm of the world and integral to uniting all people from East to West.
Excerpt:
Korea represents the entire world. The North-South Korea struggle is one of wealth and culture. There is a battle between the Eastern world and Western world, and those global situations are represented in Korea. South Korea has a severe East-West problem, just as exists in the world. The East represents the world of spirit and the West represents the world of material. The saints came from the East, whereas the Western world represents the world of material. But materialism will end because it is horizontal. But the vertical world has no end; there is but one straight line to God.
What will happen between East and West in the world? Exchanges are needed. For example, there are rich children in the West and poor children in the East who should be joined in marriage. If there were only two such families, would they live separately?... If there are brotherly relationships in which an elder brother could die for the sake of his younger brother and vice versa, rather than their killing each other, unification will be realized. When the parents see their children united they will also unite...
International marriages conducted worldwide will bring about the unity of East and West... America has enjoyed affluence, but in the midst of this is doomed to perish. The only way to save America is to give everything, to offer everything to poor countries and save them. My conclusion is that we should look at this on our own family level. As long as there is unity among the man, woman, son and daughter in your family, the world will be united...
Without true love and True Parents, unification cannot be realized. True love is repeatedly giving and forgetting, for the sake of others... So the time will come for settlement in the father nation of Korea, the mother nation of Japan, and the elder son nation of the United States.... Then you can restore God's fatherland, our homeland, our motherland.
You can learn more about the Korean Lunar New Year here.
