Hello, Bishop. You don’t know how happy we were for spending some blessed moments with you and Mrs Ester. Thank you very much.

Regarding the katana, the “samurai sword”, it represents the honour and strength of Japanese warriors. Samurai swords are personal and handcrafted.

This is how a katana is forged:

First, the blacksmith chooses some good quality steel.

He cuts the steel to the perfect size and heats it in a forge until it is molten red. With the steel softened by the heat, the blacksmith hammers and pounds it repeatedly into the desired shape. While still red-hot, the blade is plunged into cold water, giving it a thermal shock. This process of going through fire, beaten by a hammer and shocked by the cold is repeated as many times as it takes until the sword the right shape, and the blade can finally be polished and sharpened. The reason why these three stages are necessary is:

Fire – it softens the steel, making it more flexible.

Hammering – it allows the blacksmith to mould the steel the way he wants.

Cold water – it tests the steel’s resistance. If it’s weak, when placed in cold water, it will crack. If that happens, it’s a sign of bad quality and the steel is good for nothing. But if the steel is good, it resists the fire, the hammering, and the cold water. And in the end, it becomes a genuine weapon of war.

That’s how a good KATANA is made.

We Christians are forged like a katana. If we are good, we resist the battles, the adversities and become even stronger. If we are not good, we “crack” and are not fit for the Work of God.

Kindest regards,

Bishop Natal Furucho