WE CONTINUE THE meditation on the equal calling of everyone in Christ and the possible equal fruitfulness of that equal calling.
One of the most important things that has happened in the post-war world was the announcement of the emperor of Japan that he was not divine. That deflated the situation, brought Japan down to reality, and laid the foundation for her amazing recovery and progress. It marks her out as the eventual leader in the Eastern world. What lay back of this announcement?
Soon after the Occupation took over in Japan, a representative of the Occupation said to Dr. Vorhees, the head of the Omi Brotherhood: “If we could get one thing done our work would be over. If we could get the Emperor to say he is not divine, we could withdraw. But of course that can’t be done.” Dr. Vorhees, an American who, on marrying a titled Japanese lady took Japanese citizenship and stayed in Japan during the war, was appointed liaison officer between the Occupation and the Japanese prime minister, Prince Konoye. He replied: “Oh, yes, it can be done. He doesn’t believe it, for he is a marine biologist. Leave it to us.” Dr. Vorhees went to Prince Konoye and laid the matter before him, and he replied: “Yes, it can be done. You write out what you would like the Emperor to say.” The emperor, hearing of this, wanted to see Vorhees, but being a citizen he could not have an interview, so it was arranged that the emperor would be walking in his garden and Vorhees would join him by chance. It was decided that the statement should be given to a court scribe who would put it into proper court language. It was a paragraph in the emperor’s broadcast to the nation on New Year’s Day 1946. It turned the Japanese world upside down—and set it right side up.
O Father, Thou dost match Thy servants against an hour of need. Thou didst match Vorhees against that hour of need. Thou didst begin a new era in the life of a great people, because a man was at Thy disposal. We thank Thee. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Let me be God’s right-hand man, at hand for the little and the big.
