Kia ora! I’m Hiro, your host here at Kernel of Wheat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After working as a primary school teacher in Japan, I moved to New Zealand, where I’m now a stay-at-home dad raising two kids with my wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in my teaching days, my life revolved around work. But then something happened that changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In October 2020, I was suddenly struck by a serious illness in Auckland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hovered between life and death, but experienced a miraculous recovery \u2014 and through that journey, I came to place my trust in Jesus Christ and became a Christian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I want to share with you through this blog is a piece of incredibly good news \u2014 something I myself had no idea about until quite recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s this: “You are, in fact, a precious and irreplaceable person.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to draw your attention to two words here: in fact<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I used to work in schools in Japan. In moral education classes and pastoral care, this kind of message came up all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’d often say things like, “Every single one of you matters.” “Your life has meaning and purpose \u2014 so keep going!”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But then, in science class, I’d stand in front of those very same students and say something quite different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Everything in this world \u2014 including human beings \u2014 came into existence through a series of random chance events.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words: we’re nothing more than matter, and your existence is simply an accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn’t until just before I left teaching that I realised the enormous contradiction in what I’d been saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m sure some of my students must have been thinking something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our teacher says nice things to make us feel good about ourselves. But science has already shown that there’s no reason we had to exist at all.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe this kind of thinking is shared by many people who went through the Japanese school system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I deeply regret that I may have planted these thoughts in the minds of the children I taught. I’m truly sorry for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s why I now want to add those two words \u2014 in fact<\/strong> \u2014 and share this message with as many people as I can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “In fact<\/strong>, you have value.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n This message isn’t just comfort or encouragement \u2014 it’s an objective fact. It’s truth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact that you are a precious, valuable person is something you never need to doubt, never need to downplay. You can believe it completely, just as it is.<\/strong> That’s what I want you to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m sure you’re thinking:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “How can you say that so confidently? If you’re calling it a fact, you’ll need evidence. Where’s the proof?”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The evidence that you are someone precious actually exists in abundance \u2014 and in visible, tangible forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’d like to find out more, I’d love for you to keep reading this blog.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope to share with you the many pieces of evidence I’ve come to know.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you for being here, and I look forward to exploring this journey with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve started a short video series on YouTube called “Today’s Bible Verse”<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I upload Bible verses every few days. If you enjoy them, I’d really appreciate a subscribe and a like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kernel of Wheat \u2014 YouTube Channel<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’d like to support Kernel of Wheat, please visit the Donations<\/a> page for more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All donations go towards running costs and contributor support.<\/p>\n\n\n\nKernel of Wheat \u2014 YouTube Channel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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