Meishu-sama’s Sacred Word
“Removing fear”
As I always say, our objective is to save humanity. To save humanity, in short, is to remove all sorts of fears from human society. Needless to say, the biggest fears we have are of disease, poverty and conflict.
Among these three, the fear of disease must be the greatest. Nothing is more threatening to human beings than illness. No matter who you are, you cannot escape that anxiety for all of your life. Even though the second greatest fear we have is that of poverty, the cause of it is usually disease, as you all know. No matter how much culture advances, the fear of disease never lessens. Rather, I say it seems to be growing. Since people believe that germs are the cause of most diseases, they have an intense fear of germs, something the ancient people did not have. As the fear of germs is so strong, look at what we do: we get regular medical checkups, vaccinations, X-rays and so on. To prevent disease, we have facilities such as health centers, clinics and public and private hospitals all over the country, wherever we may be. I say it is too much. Just think about the expense and effort that go into these facilities. It is so much that it is almost immeasurable. The people must also be shouldering a big burden to maintain these facilities.
Let me now talk about the fear of poverty. The main cause of it, as I wrote earlier, is disease. When an individual falls ill, the cost of medical expenses that person needs to pay is enormous. Some even need to quit their jobs because of it. When the chief breadwinner of a household becomes ill and especially, in the unfortunate case that they die from it, the bereaved face a terrible plight. I suspect that the reason why the crime rates dramatically increased after World War II lies somewhere here, too. I mean, of course, the war itself must have been one major reason why the crime rates increased, but we have to consider how even though damage caused by war is temporary, damage caused by illness is lasting and is the gravest.
Next comes the fear of war. I think you are well aware of how distressing war is, especially given the situation that all humanity is facing now. Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union are running so high that a war could break out any minute now. In this day and age when terrifying atomic bombs have appeared, some experts say that if World War III were to break out, humanity would inevitably perish. Oh, how fearful war is for humanity!
Now, to solve the aforementioned three major fears is a formidable task that humanity has been presented with. No one can deny that, until today, humanity has been living in a world where suffering is never-ending. But if God does indeed exist, the love of God should not allow this kind of world to last any longer.
This kind of era of suffering must end now, and a marvelous paradise on earth must be born. We, who are firmly convinced of this above all else, move forward with an unshakable heart and mind. Jesus Christ also prophesied that heaven is at hand—this paradise on earth must be the same thing.
My conclusion is this: the true mission of religion is to solve the three major fears I have discussed here. I strongly believe in this.
Light, no. 44, January 7, 1950
Bible
Hebrews 2
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified:
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?
You made them a little lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
and put everything under their feet.”
In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again he says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
