Summer 2022: Champions of Love
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
During the week-long summer workshop in August 2022, we have chosen to focus our attention on Love. Just as countless generations before us, we are called to conduct lives of servitude and compassion in the face of greediness and hatred. Recognizing the importance of this calling, especially in current times of war in Europe, we aimed to create together a workshop that empowers us to not only to be responsive to the calling of Love, but to become its Champions.
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What is love?
Before we can become a champion of love, we first need to understand what love is. Since God is love, we will study God’s heart and the ways he spreads love.
Key points:
• Love only exists in relationship to something. God had a very serious reason for why He created us: he needed us to be able to practice love. He needs every single one of us to create a world of love. This is true vice versa: we need God, the source of absolute love to experience the manifestations of love.
• Love is not a feeling, but an action, a decision. Love and lust are different, and when we’re in relationship with something/someone, we need to practice giving and forgetting (not counting who has given more or less).
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Who is a champion?
A champion is created within the mind and manifested through the body. This is why athletes often say that becoming a champion is 90% mental and only 10% physical. We can also say that being a champion is a state of mind - when you’re devoted to becoming better than who you were yesterday.
A champion is someone who…
• Thanks to their deep inner motivation and trust in their abilities, goes above and beyond, despite the difficulties and struggles they face.
• Has an integrated moral character. Whose mind and body cannot be split. Someone who lives his/her values every single day, regardless of the circumstances and the environment. Someone who acts the same way at home as at church!
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Someone who pursues great things will definitely meet obstacles and challenges on the way. Some more, some less difficult, but they still test the real inner motivation of all aspiring champions.
Some challenges on the way:
• Unsupportive environment. Staying authentic in an environment that supports the exact opposite of your values is a great challenge.
• Constant comparison to others endorsed by pop culture.
• One’s love is not always met with love. Imperfect parents raising imperfect children causes people to live in a world where love is often not how God imagined it to be. Most often it is our empty love tanks and our fallen nature that hold us back from receiving and expressing love towards the other.
• We lack basic trust in ourselves that causes fear from others’ opinions.
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A champion of love consciously builds his/her relationships, as he/she knows that on such a journey of life, travel companions are very much needed.
Key points:
• We need not take our relationships with other blessed children for granted, as at least two elements are needed for strong relationships: going towards a common vision and investing into the friendship outside of church activities.
• By helping each other build true friendships within the movement, we cultivate leadership within youth, which can help BC’s feel that they are also owners of their communities, and not just guests who only need to be taken care of.
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What else characterises a champion of love?
• Uniqueness and authenticity as an individual - understands that their existence is purposeful.
• Prioritises love.
• Has faith in the power of love, even when it is not accepted or embraced by others.
• Practices gratitude every single day - including for their own life. Blessed children exist thanks to True Parents and their parents. They cannot stay indifferent towards their family, environment and community.
• Forever seeks growth.
• Practices responsibility for their own life and for their environment and surroundings.
We couldn’t have done this workshop without the financial support of the FFWPU EUME HQ. Thank you again for helping in such a substantial way!