Fukushima, the Future is Here

Friday, July 29, 2011

The Fukushima Future Forum ended on Thursday. So much has happened during that short few days, I needed some rest before I could post an update!

From Monday night nearly 30 participants from 12 local churches in 7 different cities in Fukushima reflected on the four following questions as they were resting and listening to God and to one anther.

• What is the meaning of this triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami and radiation) in God’s big story and his grand purpose?
  


• If Jesus were Governor of Fukushima, what would he do?
  


• What is happening on the ground since March 11? What stories are there from sacrificial love shared by members of these local churches?
  


• How can they move on from now on to restore all things to Christ and bring healing to the land of Fukushima?

The Fukushima Future Forum started off with deep personal reflections, prayers and testimonies, at the end of the forum the participants drafted a declaration of their communal commitment to rebuild Fukushima’s future with God’s help. The declaration will be released next week.

At the end of the conference, I spoke with a pastor of a small but very active congregation (30 some members before the disasters). Since March 11, his church processed hundreds of volunteers from all over Japan and from overseas, and served more than ten thousand victims in their city, Iwaki. They actually ended up advising the city’s relief efforts! Pastor Mori is not satisfied with the short-term relief projects, but has a long-term vision to build a sustainable community based on the love of Jesus.

A Long-Term Perspective for building Fukushima's Future





The forum was ended with foot-washing. It started by all husbands washing their wives’ feet first. That in and of itself was a big counter-cultural action in Japanese male-dominant culture! I knew that the future was already here!