The Bell of Peace echoes in Tokyo

68 years have passed since the nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tokiwadai Baptist Church of the Japan Baptist Convention, in Itabashi, Tokyo, rang the church bell in a prayer for peace for the first time this year. The bell was rung at 8:15 a.m. on 6th of August and 11:02 a.m. on the 9th, when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On the 9th, approximately 80 attended a prayer meeting for peace for the world.

At the prayer meeting, Micah 4:3 was read, and Rev. Tomonō prayed on behalf of all who were gathered. After a special praise time, a video of a Christian lady who was an atomic bomb victim was shown. Following this, participants had a time of silent meditation and prayer. Participants said, “I felt the pain of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I would like to pray that Japan will not become a nation that goes to war,” and “I hope they will continue to have this meeting.”

Rev Yasushi Tomonō, pastor of Tokiwadai Baptist Church, previously ministered in Nagasaki Baptist Church. Soon after Rev Tomonou began ministry in Tokiwadai last year, he found out the park near the church was called “Itabashi Peace Park.” He also discovered that the “Itabashi Light of Peace” had been lit continuously since 1986, and that the Peace Memorial Statue in front of the ward office was by the same designer as the statue in Nagasaki. Rev. Tomonō said, “I never knew Itabashi had such connections with peace.”

He later on found out that the church had a bell, but due to neighborhood complaints concerning its noise, it was not being used. Yet, when the bell was rung on the 11th of March, many shared their gratitude. “This year, we decided not just to ring the bell, but to have a prayer meeting in memory of the disaster, and ask people from the neighborhood to come to it.”

When he was ministering in Nagasaki, Rev Tomonō used to hear the bells ring across the city on the 9th of August, and joined in prayer. From that experience he came to think, “On memorial days of disasters and nuclear bombs, people of all faiths have a spiritual yearning to pray. Should not the church be ready to host such events?” Church members agreed.

They distributed their quarterly paper “Megumi” to the community, and went from door to door to share their intent to ring the bell. Far from opposition, they had a positive response.

“The Church has a mission to teach peace,” says Rev. Tomonō.

It is their desire to continue to ring the bell in prayer for peace on important anniversaries. 

From Christian Shimbun, August 25, 2013
Excerpt translated by Tim Williams