I am back in Fukushima, again with friends, very special friends. My new friends, Shihoko and Ken Warren from Vancouver joined me and Midori this time. I have been increasingly sensing that this new chapter of my life in Vancouver might be about connecting Vancouver to Fukushima, to learn from the people of Fukushima, their suffering, their quiet, hard labour of recovering what's been lost since the 311 triple disaster.
Today was our day of a long road trip from Koriyama to visit Haramachi Bible Church in Minami Soma and to drive southward on the recently reconnected highway no.6 to Iwaki. We were able to see the cooling towers of the Fukushima Daiichi just from one or two kilometers away while driving.
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| Our journey: blue line starting at the center of the map, up to the coast and then down along the coast. |
As we were driving we couldn't help but sigh at the scene after another of the rows of giant black bags of radio-contaimnated top soil removed from the land. The government decided to tackle the radio contamination on soil by removing the top 5 cm of soil and store them in deserted towns near the
Fukushima Daiichi plant where no long-term recovery is possible.
Koriyama is a vibrant city with a major Shinkansen station. As started our journey westward into the mountains, we noticed some homes were again filled with life, signs of life and work in the soil, which must show an act of will, tears and hard labour.
As we approached Itate village, we started seeing black bags everywhere as the houses looked more like haunted house with no signs of life.
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| Black bags on the ground contain radio-contaminated top soil. |
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| Rice field after removing the top soil |
After our meeting with Rev. Ishiguro and his wife in Haramachi, we continued our journey, southbound on the highway no. 6.
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| Highway no. 6 - The sign on the left side of the road says "Fukushima Daichi" |
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| Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant Sign |
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| View to the cooling towers at the Daichii Plant (behind the tree line). |
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| Radio-contaminated top soil bags being stored. |
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| Close-up view of the bag storage in one of the deserted towns. |
Ken, a professional horticulturalist, pays close attention to these matters of the land because of his passion for creation care. With a deep sigh, he said to us, "It takes 250 years to build an inch of top soil. We have undone what God has done in 500 years, just in a matter of hours and days."
It didn't dawn on me until Ken said it that our God chooses to work slowly and quietly at the groaning of the creation because of his love for his creation and in his patient work of reconciliation of all things to himself. God will heal the land when his own people called by Him repent and turn away from sinful ways.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:8-21)
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14)
When I think of those Christians I met in Fukushima, I can see this daunting reality with hope. To have that kind of hope demands faith. Dear God, please increase my faith. Amen.
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