Regional Director, Heavenly-Africa West
We are honored to join with our beloved True Mother, the Holy Mother Han, to usher in the Year of the Red Horse. It is also with great honour to be able to offer our special greetings to True Mother on the occasion of True Parents’ birthday, 2026. And to all family members worldwide, we wish you all a Happy True Parents’ Birthday Celebration.
We understand that the year of the Red Horse is associated with intense energy and passion, a time of significant transformation. It also represents a time for bold moves and rapid progress. Amazingly, the description of the year of the Red Horse closely matches what we are experiencing at this time. For us in Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community, the turbulence of the time, which started in the last third of 2025 and has persisted into 2026, promises and paves the way for transformation, bold moves and rapid progress.
Looking back, we recall that in April 2025, True Mother victoriously inaugurated the Cheon Won Gung Cheonil Sanctum, bringing glory to our Heavenly Parent. Just a few months later, in September 2025, we were all shocked to learn that True Mother had been placed in the detention center. That was our situation as we entered the year of the Red Horse.
As members of Heavenly Parent’s Holy Community, how did we process and digest this twist of fate? We were shocked, outraged, and anguished. We cried, prayed, repented for our shortcomings, offered devotions, protested, reached out to our friends and supporters, held daily prayer sessions in front of the detention center, and offered nightly vigils in our churches and Cheonshim Won prayer halls around the world.
Several weeks after our True Mother had been in detention, I ran into one person who was a one-time associate of ours. This person said to me, “Oh, I heard that your founder, Mother Moon is in detention. How are you all keeping faith in the church now?” I instantly understood the import of his comment and my reaction was sharp. “What do you mean by ‘keeping faith’? Are you implying that we should have run away because our Mother is unjustly put in detention?” Isn’t it fundamental that you stand by the one you love under any circumstance?”
History has taught us that people of true faith do not seek to escape at times of trial and persecution. We are good students of history. If anything, this is the time that our faith and commitment to Heavenly Parent and True Parents must be stronger than ever before. Perhaps those who persecute us are hoping that we will be broken under the weight of persecution, threats and intimidation. Once the truth is revealed, they will be ashamed. They are perhaps unaware of the history of religious faith. You can destroy that which is physical but you cannot destroy that which is spiritual. That’s why the Bible says, “Fear not those who can only kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)
The year of the Red Horse suggests that as we celebrate our True Parents Birthday, we do so with an internal attitude that is centered on filial piety, unity of heart, and active responsibility to complete the providential mission as owners of Cheon Il Guk. We must be focused on fostering a deep, sacrificial, parental heart that mirrors our Heavenly Parent’s unconditional love, in unity with True Mother as she strives to complete the Will of Heaven. With more intense energy and passion, let us move forward with a united heart, supporting True Mother, who at this time is walking a path of tribulation on behalf of Heaven.
As heavenly tribal messiahs, let us work to bring our families, tribes, and societies under the protection of True Parents. As we prepare to mark the 2026 celebration of the Holy Births of True Parents, we are called to strengthen our resolve through various levels of devotion (40 days, 21 day, etc.) to purify and prepare ourselves. Our internal attitude must be one of “absolute faith, absolute love, and absolute obedience,” rejecting a “grasshopper” mentality – held captive by fear and inferiority. Because we are direct sons and daughters of True Parents’ lineage, we are inferior to no one. As children of Heavenly Parent, we must always act with confidence and conviction.
We are called to be active participants in the establishment of Cheon Il Guk, rather than passive observers. We must intentionally align our personal lives with the church’s broader 2026 goals of expansion. To this end, a significant emphasis must be placed on the education of the second and third generations (Pure Water Youths) to carry the tradition of faith forward, helping them to grow into the pillars of the future, in accordance with True Mother’s wishes.
In essence, we should view our observance of True Parents’ Birthday in 2026 not merely as a holy day, but as a golden opportunity to renew our commitment and accelerate the establishment of Cheon Il Guk (the kingdom of heaven on earth) through intense personal and collective dedication and devotions.
As we welcome 2026, the year of the Red Horse, our internal attitude and heart must be defined by a deep sense of filial responsibility, profound gratitude, and a renewed commitment to the fulfilment of the three great blessings. Let us move beyond abstract faith and live in a way that attends and serves the Heavenly Parent in every aspect of our daily lives. We should commemorate True Parents’ Birthday as a day to light the “lamp of hope” for all humankind.
In 2026, the identity of blessed families lies in fulfilling our responsibilities as true sons and daughters who resemble our Heavenly Parent. This involves actively sharing with the world the truth about the Only Begotten Daughter, True Mother, and the essence of the Creator, our Heavenly Parent. We must live as models of true love in our families so we can naturally attract others to this message of truth, and take an active role in contributing to our nations and the world.
The current climate calls for a fundamental change in our internal attitude. Let us move from a faith centered on mere obedience to one driven by personal motivation and deep love. This way, we break free from past complacency, going beyond our comfort zones to face the challenges of the modern era, and we unite in spirit and truth to heal internal wounds and injuries incurred over the years, moving forward with one united heart.
With warm affection, Happy True Parents’ Birthday to all, AJU!!!
