Kamino kuniwa chikazuita, semei monkara hairinasai

Sermon at the Methodist Church at Kuwadzana

on 6th of December in 1998

日本語

Rev. MIMURA Osamu, Sado Church, the United Church of Christ in Japan

Greetings from the churches of Niigata District of Kanto Conference of the UCCJ, the United Church of Christ in Japan.

Niigata District rejoice that it is allowed to share the joy of community building here in Zimbabwe, through participation in the formation of African University, in communion with Methodist Churches in Korea and in the United States.

I came from a small church on a remote island. The number of the participants of the worship on Sunday is about four or five. But we believe that, even though there are only two or three people in the church, God is with us, and we know that we are praising God together with Christians all over the world.

Our small congregation celebrated the foundation of the World Council of Churches on twenty-eighth of September, and since then, the congregation has prayed towards Harare Assembly of the World Council, in solidarity with the churches in ecumenical network, following the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, and we have been looking forward to this day.

Thank God, today, here, face to face with you, I am experiencing this worldwide communion visibly, on behalf of the people who are living ecumenical spirituality in Japan, and of the people who are striving for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation on that small island.

The name of the island where I live is “Sado,” which is well known for its gold mine. The mine produce gold for nearly five hundred years. It was closed about ten years ago. A part of the tunnels of the mine is now used as a museum for tourists.

Near the museum, there are some tombs, called “the tombs of the homeless.” There was a time that thousands of homeless people were brought to the mine by the state authority.

When you dig a tunnel, you have to confront water which comes out from the soil. The homeless people were forced to work in the tunnels just to lift up the water day in, day out.

The labour was so hard that the lives of the laborers were very short. “The tombs of the homeless” remind the visitors of the people who worked at the bottom of Japanese society for the sake of the economic stability of Japan.

But sensible people of the island notice that another important thing is missing. During World War Two, Japan invaded neighbouring countries, Korea, China, and other Asian countries.

At that time, Japanese government brought a lot of men and women from the invaded countries and forced them to work like slaves.

It was a great shame of Japan, and not a few people feel deeply sorry for what was done by Japanese officials under the authority of Japanese Emperor, but Japanese government has hesitated to make a humble apology to Asian people and make sincere compensation.

More than one million Koreans were brought to Japan, and it is said that more than one thousand of them were brought to the gold mine of the island. Many young people visit “the tombs of the homeless” and think of the Japanese laborers, but they leave the island not knowing about Korean laborers.

A voluntary group, which consists of leaders of labour unions, a Buddhist priest, Christian pastor, and those who are interested, started a fact-finding process about six years ago.

After the World War Two, some of Korean laborers went back to Korea, and some of them have lived in Japan. Japan has enjoyed its prosperity at the sacrifice of Korean people. It is a brokenness of Japanese. Bringing this brokenness, seeking forgiveness, the group met former laborers both in Korea and in Japan, who live, healing from their wounds on their own. The group listened to the stories of former labours, searching for what they can do for the next step.

“Kamino kuniwa chikazuita.” These are Japanese words which mean “the Kingdom of God is near.” The Kingdom of God might be the place where people live reconciliation with God and with others, based on God’s justice.

As I mentioned earlier, only four or five people come to our church, although seventy thousand people live on the island. More than a hundred years have passed since our church was place on the island. The first Japanese ordained woman pastor, Rev. Ms. Hisano Takahashi, was born on this island in 1871. She was ordained in 1933 and entered ministry from our church. It is a great honour of our church. However, our church might be one of the smallest churches of the UCCJ, and still the number of the congregation of our church is rather decreasing. In this context, our church hears the words of Jesus Christ, “the Kingdom of God is near.”

The process towards reconciliation between Korea and Japan emerged from the civil society of the island. It is amazing for Christians since Christians tend to think that it is only Christians who can take initiative towards reconciliation. But our small church on the island is witnessing that the process towards the reconciliation is taking place outside the church, transforming the differences of political stances, and of religious beliefs. “The Kingdom of God is near.”

For reconciliation, we know we need to be humble. Japanese words, “Semai monkara hairinasai” mean “enter through the narrow gate.” To live humbly is not easy for human beings. It is like entering through the narrow gate. Where humble people are striving for the reconciliation between Korea and Japan, authenticity of the humbleness of the church is tested.

 

The Kingdom of God is near. Today, the church is place in the world, in which many people are living humbly without Christianity, and not a few of them are striving for reconciliation between people and it seems that the unique roles of the church are disappearing.

The Kingdom of God is near. Still the church understands that reconciliation itself is something given by God. It is a miracle, ultimately impossible without the grace of God.

Enter through the narrow gate. What is required of the church might be the faithfulness to God, who is working in the midst of the wounds of the world, healing the wounded memories of the people, and inviting all the peoples to reconciliation. To be faithful to God would mean to share the wounds and hurts, and the process of healing, working together with the people who are striving for justice, peace, and reconciliation.

The Kingdom of God is near. When we hear an unexpected word of forgiveness from our neighbours, we meet the reality of God who heals our wounds, giving unity to human beings, through the brokenness of you as well as of me.

Let us pray.

God, You reveal yourself where we face our weakness and brokenness, finding no hope, no way out. In this hope we rejoice. Let us return to God, through working together with all people who are striving for justice and reconciliation, for peace and the integrity of creation. In the name of Jesus Christ, who trusted in you on the cross, having his body broken. Amen.