A happy new year to you. We are now into the 2nd year of the Corona era. I am sure many of you are staying at home to celebrate the new year.
Since the last year, the social distancing became the must, but aren’t we also keep the distance of our thoughts and minds to others? We may get a disgusting face with only a sneeze, or being discriminated just because being infected. We hear many stories as such, and make us feel sorry.
I am sure you all know a poem called “Ame nimo makezu (unbeaten by rain)” by Kenji Miyazawa. Particularly I like this part;
”In the East, if there is a sick child, Go there and take care of him
In the West, if there is an exhausted mother, Go there and relieve her of her burden”
They say, in fact, there was a model to this poem. His name is Soichiro Saito. He was a Christian, lived in the Meiji era, and harshly discriminated because of being a Christian. His beloved daughter died in the age of 9 from being bullied by her peers. He lost his job, yet he kept his faith. Instead of isolating himself from the society, he went out to shovel snow for neighbors. When he found out someone was sick, he visited the person to comfort and encourage him on his way back from newspaper delivering.
At the end of this poem, Miyazawa says “Such a person I want to be.” It is quite understandable. We are living in the world that discriminating and criticizing words flying across among us. Imagine it would so much better, if we could care for each other, instead. By the way, do you know who Soichiro Saito used as his model? Yes, it was Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ became a good friend to those who had no friend. Tax collectors, sinners, terminally ills, and many were healed by the Christ.
Jesus said “love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).” There are many people around us who wish to be connected and cared for. It does not have to be something in big, but just the words of “good morning”, “thank you”, or a line of email would do. Knowing that someone is thinking of them would make them so happy.
May the year of 2021 be filled with blessings.
Youth Pastor Kenshiro Goto
