Smiling Umbrellas

Koji Mizutani had a simple message when he displayed 100 ‘smiling umbrellas’ in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2010. “I want to send a ray of hope to ease the friction of war and conflict where bombs were dropped,” he said.

After traveling to the United States and seeing girls whose smiles were wonderfully hearty and carefree, he experienced an inspirational flash. The smiles expressed what Mizutani thought was ‘extreme happiness’.

Believing that a smile represents the very best in what design can offer, Mizutani reduced his workload and began his quest. He visited 26 nations and photographed about 40,000 beautifully smiling subjects.

Printing smiling faces on panels and umbrellas was his hope of expanding the circle of ‘smiles and happiness’.

To mark the 65th anniversary of Hiroshima’s atomic bombing, Mizutani displayed umbrellas featuring the smiling children he photographed from around the world. He also used this opportunity to listen to survivors' experiences.

A 100 smiling umbrellas ‘bloomed’ on August 1, in front of the ‘A-Bomb Dome’ in Hiroshima, where citizens read peace messages.

A similar event was held in Nagasaki on August 7 at Nagasaki Peace Park in front of the ‘Peace Statue’.

“Because the two bombed cities experienced much despair, I hope they can now be filled with smiles,” Mizutani said.

Source: Yomiuri News

Until you follow Christ, you have no true hope.

Romans 12:12

 Rejoicing in hope; 

patient in tribulation; 

continuing instant in prayer;

 Ps 146:5 ¶ Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, 

whose hope is in the LORD his God:

 Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, 

and whose hope the LORD is.

When you have real Biblical hope, rejoicing is the ‘new normal’.

Romans 15:13 ¶ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy

 and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, 

through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Begin to hope and your heart will soon brim over with joy and peace!

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you,

 that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Choose Christ and you will understand the deeper meaning of a smile!

Onion Tears

Japanese poet, Yoshiko Tominokoji wrote the following poem:

When one peels onions;

One doesn’t hesitate to shed tears;

Even in front of others.

This poet is not the only person who has experienced tears, blaming them on an onion instead of any other possible reason.

On January 16, 1995, Kuniyuki Yonezu, 7, and his sister Miri, 5, who were living in the city of Ashiya, Japan, cooked curry together for the next day's dinner. It was the first curry they ever made, but the two would never eat the memorable dish they worked on together. They were killed by the Great Kobe Hanshin Earthquake the following morning.

“I have a brother and a sister I've never met,” 12-year-old Hanna Yonezu said on January 17, 2010 during her speech at a ceremony commemorating the 1995 disaster.

“My family never fails to eat curry on the 17th day of every month,” she added. “Tonight, we will do the same.”

Even though years have passed, I think the parents can still hear the merry voices of the two little children cooking curry with such delight. Taking that into consideration, it doesn’t take much imagination to guess what happens to that mother's eyes on those days when she peels onions for curry.

Every year on January 17 and also on March 11, the day of the Tohoku earthquake, when onions are peeled for a curry dish, there is much more than just the sting in the eyes of mothers who lost their children.

Source: Yomiuri News 2012-01-17

We are emotional beings and there will always be times of crying!

If the loved ones that have gone before us as well as ourselves know Christ as our personal Saviour, we don't need to shed tears of no hope.  We might shed some in longing to see them but we will gather together again in heaven some day.

If we belong to the household of God, the last time we will ever cry will be in heaven! 

 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.  Rev. 7:17

God will wipe away tears from the faces of those who come in from a world that was a vale of tears. Here is an image of happiness; an impression that is one of exquisite tenderness and beauty.

Never again will sin ravage us -- never again will we feel hurt! Never again be ill-treated, sad or suffer the woes of the previous world. In that new world there is to be no pain, no disappointment, no bereavement and no tears!

Our prayer is that you know Him too so you will suffer no more tears

Hope still for today?

I am a grandmother--there were other parents and grandmothers and grandfathers involved in the horrible killing on this December day who now only have memories for this Christmas instead of special small ones to hold close and dear.  Mine aren't close but at least I know others who will be able to hold them close. Those powerful guns didn't kill those dear children and wonderful staff; the blackened heart (by what we do not know) led to inanimate objects being used for bad by a very living human being.  Does that make all guns bad? Does that make all human beings bad?  No it does not.  But the only thing that can make a bad heart right and PROBABLY not resort to senseless works of darkness is through the Spirit of God who can dwell in our hearts to take away the 'night' and turn it into day...I read a saying online a few moments ago--Christ was born in the night--his parents met him in the dark; they dwelt amongst hard dark times as well (the ruler was seeking to kill all babies and children 2 and under).  Christ was born to change dark into light.  As we pray for these hurting families and for hurting hearts of those that now might live in fear--let us remember the ruler of light is Jesus Christ and through Him is all darkness taken away.  Be a shining light this Christmas if you know Christ; and if you don't--you can KNOW Him. 

1Timothy 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 

I trust the parents and grandparents of the families involved will be comforted and helped during their dark days. 

JOY OF HELPING QUAKE VICTIMS

(Written by Sachiko Saito, a third-year student at a Girls' Middle School)

"Wake up Sachiko!" my mother called to me. "Mr. Takahashi and his family are evacuating here to Nagoya and I need your help in preparing for them." They were fleeing from the 3/11/11 triple disaster.

Early on the morning of March 18, my mother received an urgent e-mail requesting that we host this family until they could return to their home in Sendai, which was heavily hit. It turned out to be quite a few months before they could get back to Sendai.

Mother and I went to work immediately to create a semiprivate space for the Takahashis in our own home. We cleaned our largest room and emptied the closet of old clothes and other items we had stored there.

It wasn't easy to prepare a guest room for four people in one day but it made me realize how much sentimental junk of little value was lying around the house and how unimportant it all seems when real people are in true need.

Mr. and Mrs. Takahashi, 14-year-old Mako and 8-year-old Koko arrived at our home looking very tired, but relieved. Mako and Koko were quiet at first, but just like the spring flowers in our garden, they began to bloom! They loved the plant life in the garden, my mother’s home-style dishes and above all, playing games and listening to music in the evening.

The experience of having a family in our home taught me a lot. I learned that the simple things we often take for granted are actually invaluable. I learned that helping others when they are in need gives joy.

I used to think that happiness depended on having lots of friends! But friendship for selfish reasons should not be the priority of a happy person.

For a person to be happy is to love and help people and that gives purpose in life and a sense of fulfillment. 

When the Takahashi family returned to Sendai, my mother prepared rice balls with plum for their lunch and she gave them gifts to take with them.  She gave Koko a red "Hello Kitty" bag to carry her things in.  And to Mako, she gave a tiny old statue of an angel she had pet on her desk for a long time.  On the angel's back there was a carved word.  It said "hope".  Hope is the one feeling that heals the wounds of sorrow and gives us renewed strength for the future.  I now realize that family, home and friends are what fill my heart with hope.

Life is for love and friendship and home is where the heart is.

 

( Sachiko received First Place for this speech at the 63rd All Japan Inter-Middle School English Oratorical Contest held in Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo.)

God's love through us as Christians should be even more happily given than this family who gave of themselves to help others in need.  I Peter 4:9, 10 says "Use hospitality one to another without grudging.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God." 

God’s gifts of grace come in many forms.

Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others.

You should use it faithfully


Hospitality is grace and love in action and demonstrates the grace and love of God.

Hope is also found through the love and grace of God and may be found by others when we show forth the hope we have in our experiences.  

Be a blessing to someone today.