At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken – that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
(Heb 12:26-27)
Fukushima First Baptist Church was a thriving and influential church in Fukushima Prefecture before the Great Tohoku disaster on March 11, 2011. Located in 4.6 KM from the nuclear plant, many members of the church were employed by TEPCO (the company operating the plant) and the church was affluent with a few buildings. They had recently completed a building project just 3 years before the earthquake.
The nuclear plant had created many jobs in slowly aging communities with traditional fishing and farming industries. Young people moved in with hopes for a prosperous future life.
“Nuclear Power is the energy of the bright future” 
The slogan in the main street of Futaba near the power plant seemed as powerful a promise as the nuclear power it was generating.
Everything changed in the quiet afternoon of Friday, March 11. A massive tsunami after the violent earthquake swept away many lives in town, including some church members. Those who lived alone were too afraid to stay alone inside house gathered in the church building and spent the night together. Early next morning on March 12, when the official order of evacuation came with buses and trucks sent by self-defense troops, saying that there was an accident in the plant so they were evacuating people only for a couple of hours until they could settle down the problem. They were not given any details and no information was available. They simply thought they’d be back home in a few hours and their life would carry on.
The church members and the pastor took refuge near Tokyo three weeks after evacuation. They started living together in a camp site. They lost everything; homes, church buildings, livelihoods and jobs. A few members with poor health died in the first month after evacuation triggered by trauma. That evacuation order still continues after almost five months passed.
However, they have started gaining something priceless as a church together through this great suffering, ironically after they have lost everything material that they had owned. Pastor Akira's journal as an evacuee on the church website (http://f1church.com/) has been widely read,. Together with his church members he recently published their testimonies, Ruro No Tami, (「流浪の民」. 佐藤 彰) or “A Wandering People.” Midori read out a few quotes for me as below:
“It is clear that the Lord has shaken everything through our experiences of extraordinary lives.” (p.26) By Akira Sato
「明らかなことは非日常の経験を通し、すべてを主が揺さぶっておられる、ということです。」
佐藤 彰
“I think this is a time to reflect about the thing which is far important than wealth.” (p.131) By a female believer
「財産よりも大事なものがあると、それを見つめなおすときだと思っています。」 一女性信徒
“I cannot live outside of the community.” (p. 133) By a female believer
「群れの中にいないと生きてはいけない。」 一女性信徒
After the March 11 disaster, the whole area became a ghost town and the slogan on the street reflects the emptiness of its place:
“Good understanding of nuclear power leads to a prosperous life.”
(NB: These pictures were sent to me, nobody is allowed to enter the 20 KM zone currently.)
Will natural energy and the knowledge of what it can do truly lead to prosperous life? And prosperous life for what purpose?
What Fukushima First Baptist Church is experiencing now and testimonies of their life in community through suffering is something unshakable in the midst of everything that has been shaken.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
(Heb 12:28)
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