Johrei
God is raising His very own hand of Johrei towards us,
within all of humanity, twenty-four hours a day
In the last years of his life, Meishu-sama repeatedly said, “From now on, we enter the world of sonen. Johrei is not so important anymore. Sonen comes first, so pray in your hearts.” He taught us that the divine work of salvation went from the phase of the visible form of Johrei of raising one’s hand, to the world of the invisible form, the “world of sonen.”
However, after Meishu-sama’s ascension, we neither gave our attention to this will of Meishu-sama nor inherited it. Instead, we betrayed it. The Johrei that was not supposed to be so important anymore became the center of faith in Meishu-sama. We conveniently fabricated this false ideal and walked that path until today.
In seeing that path we walked on, that posture of ours, it would not be surprising at all if Meishu-sama said to us, “You are no longer my followers” or “I will no longer use you for my divine work of salvation.”
However, Kyoshu-sama has been offering his intercessory prayers to Meishu-sama on our behalf and has apologized for our disrespect towards Meishu-sama. Still today, he apologizes for us.
Kyoshu-sama has been offering his intercessory prayers to Meishu-sama so that from here on, too, Meishu-sama can recognize us as his followers; so that from here on, too, we may be included, even if just a little, in Meishu-sama’s divine work of salvation regardless of what role we play. Still today, he offers his prayers.
Meishu-sama, who deems Kyoshu-sama’s prayers and posture as good, did not take Johrei away from us. Rather, through Kyoshu-sama, he entrusted us with a greater work of Johrei, a greater work of salvation.
That is, God is raising His very own hand of Johrei towards us, within all of humanity, twenty-four hours a day. This is the work of Johrei that Meishu-sama is truly wishing for. This is the work of salvation.
It is not the light that is emitted only when the hand is raised. It is not the light that makes us hopeless when, if not enough, illness does not heal. Rather, it is the light that envelops everyone and everything in God’s very own love, all the time and any time, without discrimination as to whom, whether a miracle happens or not, whether an illness is healed or not, whether your hand is raised or not. It is this light that is within us. God is always shining His light upon us. God is always facing us and is ministering Johrei to us.
If we do not acknowledge that light, if we are clinging to the Johrei by the raising of the hand, if we only recognize Johrei that results in a good change in the body, if we only recognize Johrei that results in physical miracles, would we say to Meishu-sama, who said he would live for 120 years but who actually passed away before that by illness of a brain hemorrhage, “You could not heal even yourself with Johrei”? Or to the many pioneers, close family members or friends who passed away without experiencing a miracle of Johrei, would you say to them, “Miracles of Johrei did not happen for you”?
That is not the way. Meishu-sama is teaching us that even for people whose illness is not healed, even for people for whom no miracles occur, even for people with incurable diseases, there is salvation. There is the light of eternal life. God radiates that light within us. Meishu-sama is teaching us to come, come to that light of God, and you, then, will be saved.
Through sonen, that is, our thoughts; through our breath, God’s mystery; and through the name of Messiah, we can serve, always and at any time, in this work of Johrei. Each and every thought and feeling that wells up in our minds and hearts, good ones and bad ones—we can surrender all these into the hand of God, that is, we can serve in this work of Johrei.
Until now, we would say, “I channeled Johrei to this many people today” or “I channeled Johrei for this many hours today.” However, if we are to serve in the work of the true Johrei, it cannot end on such a small scale like that. Rather, we must serve in the work of Johrei all day, every day.
We, who are the sum total of our numerous ancestors, have to always offer to God the thoughts and feelings of the many people who are connected to us. Never mind 10 or 20 people. It is together with hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of people—actually much, much more—that we must receive God’s Johrei.
At present, the light and power of Johrei has already strengthened far beyond our imagination.
A Johrei beyond Johrei.
The true Johrei.
Whether one is healed from illness or not, whether one experiences a miracle or not—it is the Johrei that can save anyone.
The Johrei that can truly save all of humanity.
The Johrei that holds limitless light and power.
The Johrei that gives birth to eternal happiness.
This is the Johrei that Meishu-sama is truly wishing for.
It is the true Johrei that directly reflects Meishu-sama’s will from his Sacred Word, “From now on, we enter the world of sonen. Johrei is not so important anymore. Sonen comes first, so pray in your hearts”—the true Johrei that Meishu-sama is wishing for.
The Johrei of World Church of Messiah under the leadership of Kyoshu-sama is this Johrei.
The holy members of World Church of Messiah are members who serve in this work of Johrei with all their heart, soul and strength.
When you find yourself wanting to raise your hand to minister Johrei or receive it through habit as we have been doing until today, let us read aloud Words of Light. Let us hum the song with lyrics written by Masaaki-sama “The Hand of Love.”
Salvation is within you.
Light is within you.
Always
And forever.
