Source: SIM USA, November 13, 2013
It was March 11, 2011 – the date of the triple disaster in northeast Japan. First, the 9.0 earthquake devastated the area and brought on other tragedies. In minutes, a tsunami claimed 20,000 lives and caused a meltdown at the Fukushima First Nuclear Reactor. A mandatory evacuation followed.
As pastor of Fukushima First Bible Baptist Church (just a few kilometers from the No. 1 reactor), Akira Sato shifted into survival mode, checking on members. Within weeks, his now-homeless congregation was invited to live in a Christian campground in west Tokyo, nearly 300 kilometers from their hometown. Roughly 70 of his 200 members moved to this camp; the rest of the survivors found safe haven with relatives all over Japan. Sato authored two books about his church’s experience.
Along with the retaining wall that fell with the tsunami, three other walls have broken down [says Sato]:
1. The wall separating church and community. Prior to the disaster, local churches were relatively unknown by most Japanese people. Some 99.5% of Japanese are not Christians. However, because churches and Christian volunteers stepped up to provide relief supplies and other assistance, they earned a tremendous reputation throughout the country.
2. The wall between churches and denominations. Denominations have set aside differences, banding together to meet needs in their communities. One church could not afford to purchase the land they were leasing, so three different denominations collectively raised the funds to purchase the property. The common pledge across the denominational spectrum is: “We commit to work together – not build walls between ourselves.”
3. The wall between Japan and the world. The global Church has rallied to Japan’s side following this horrific disaster. The resulting sense of community will continue for some time. The people of Japan are in awe, touched that Christian foreigners continue to give, come, and serve.
The destruction of these metaphorical walls coincides with a spiritual openness among Japanese people unseen since the end of World War II.
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