August, 1945. The Allied forces did not know how to end World War II. The German Third Reich had surrendered a few months before, but they could see no end to the war with Japan. Afraid the fighting would drag on, costing millions more dollars and thousands more lives, The United States used the best of its human wisdom and decided to take drastic measures (1).
An American plane dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. Sixty-seven percent of the city was destroyed, and anywhere from 70,000 to 140,000 people were killed by the immediate blast. Tens of thousands more died later from radiation poisoning (2).
The story of the first atomic bomb is basic U.S. history. Almost every American has heard it, so why bring it up now? Why tell it during Christmas? Why tell it in a missions newsletter? We’ll explain.
After FaithCamp in Tokyo, Japan, our team had the opportunity to visit Hiroshima and prayer walk around the city. One of the areas we prayer walked in was Peace Memorial Park, which is dedicated to the victims of the atomic bomb.
As Americans, we were sad to see firsthand how the end of World War II came at the cost of so many innocent lives.
As followers of Jesus, our hearts were broken for a different reason. Throughout the park, we saw monuments calling for peace, the sculpture of a mother shielding her children from harm, statues of various deities accompanied by prayers for peace, a bell of peace, and a flame set to burn “until the day when all such [nuclear] weapons shall have disappeared from the earth.”
Their desire for peace is beautiful, but where will that peace come from? Certainly not from human wisdom. The only one who can truly end war and bring everlasting peace into the world is Jesus, the Prince of Peace, yet they do not know Him.
Less than 1% of the Japanese people are Christians of any denomination. Most of them have likely heard the name of Jesus, but they have not had the opportunity to know who He truly is. They do not know that He loves them and is the solution to their deepest heart needs.
While in Hiroshima, we learned the younger generation seems less connected with the tragedy than their elders. Yet they, too, have heart needs only Jesus can fill.
So, what can be done for the Japanese people? We don’t have the answers, which is why we went there to pray–why we are still praying. We want to invite you to pray as well.
On December 25, people all around the world will celebrate Christmas. For many, including the Japanese, Christmas is a largely secular holiday. It’s a day for trees, lights, and presents, a day to spend with someone special. But why, then, is it called Christmas?Although Jesus was most likely not born on December 25, Christmas still presents a beautiful opportunity for the Japanese people to learn about the tiny baby, the Son of God, our Prince of Peace. Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again so that we could live, so that they could have life more abundantly, eternal life together with God.This Christmas, will you join us in taking some special time to pray for the people of Japan?
Please pray for:
Japanese people to be curious about the true meaning of Christmas
Divine appointments for Christians in Japan
Boldness for Christians in Japan to share their faith as the Holy Spirit prompts them
Jesus to be lifted up before the Japanese people
Many seeds to be planted
Thank you for your prayers!
If you have a burden for people in unreached areas and would like to support pioneer work in those places, please consider giving to the Unreached People Seed Fund, which is used to help start projects in places like Japan.
-Contributed by Jesus for Asia