["We are Here!"--Attendance and Presence]

Thomas Selover 총장

“We are here!” ("우리가 여기 있습니다!") is a vivid affirmation of attendance and responsiveness. This slogan from the World Assembly of Youth and University Students aptly expresses an important dimension of attendance for all of us. For rising young leaders, it is an affirmation of dedication and zeal, a strong desire to contribute. For seasoned elders, it represents an affirmation of steadfastness and perseverance. We know that True Parents welcome and appreciate both. When we are present to our True Parents through the practice of attendance, we can bring joy and comfort to them, whether we are physically near or far.

In daily life in a family, the actions of filial piety take many forms. It is not only specific rituals and courtesies, but the heart of devotion behind them, as subtly revealed in our expressions. Part of attendance is cultivating a sense of closeness in daily life, through specific actions of mind and body together.

 How do we know we are saved, through attendance? By our desire itself, to be closer to our True Parents, to honor them and to understand them better. That desire, that caring is the spring from which the practice of attendence flows. And it shows that we have already received new life. At the root of attendance is a sense of intimacy, of love and personal connection.

There are many forms of attendance, just as there are many possible orbits around a sun, or around a nucleus. Each is essential, in its own way. True Mother encourages us all to be like sunflowers, following the sun from wherever we are. As Hyo Jeong Culture expands, and all kinds of talents are offered, there will be more and more beautiful manifestations of the heart of attendance.

Our True Mother often speaks of Heavenly Parent's Dream and True Parents' Dream. A parent's dream for his or her child is not just a command, but also calls for the child's active and voluntary participation--it is a shared hope, a dream of beauty, truth and goodness through true love. Our attendance to True Parents includes honoring and actively sharing that dream. Even though we may lose track of it sometimes, Heavenly Parent never does, and True Parents never do. They are always calling us to recall and rededicate to the fulfillment of that dream. Attendance is also something we do together, so that in attendance, we are also in each other's presence.

As a community and family, when we encounter differences of understanding from time to time, the attitude of attendance can bring us together. The best form of attendance is to seek oneness in heart, so we can say together, with Heavenly Parent and True Parents, “We are here!”