“Christianity and Welfare-Salvation ―The New COVID-19―”
April 19, 2020
Kobe International Christ Church
Pastor Iwamura Yoshio
Theme Scripture: “For I am the Lord, who heals you.” (Exodus: Chapter 15 Verse 26)<Introduction>
In Japan, sometimes, some people who are not familiar with “welfare” talk about “welfare”. It isbecause that they think welfare and religion are different things. I remember the book,“Rongoyomino rongoshirazu (論語知らずの論語読み)”1.
In order to understand the genealogy of welfare, it is impossible to think about it without religion.
History has always left a trace on how the salvation of the people has been carried. For example,
regarding the dominical year of abbreviations, regardless of the position of agnostic or atheism, B.C(short of Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini <<short of the Lord’s era>>), and recently, C.E.
(short of Christian Era) have been used2. The “religion” that the Japanese recall is different from the“religion” used in foreign countries. Japanese people easily say that “I have no religion”. Then, it iscommon to get a strange reaction in overseas. However, Japanese people don’t understand why nonreligion is unacceptable. Then it can be said, they have no sense of religion. And even mostJapanese people visit shrines or temples at the beginning of the new year, they are not aware ofbeing “religious believers”. In other words, in Japan, religion is something people don’t know when
and who started, but it is something appeared spontaneously and also an indigenous thing. People
do not make a big deal about typical religious acts and ritual events, such as “Niinamesai (新嘗祭:
Rice offering festival)”, “Jichinsai (地鎮祭: a ground-breaking ceremony)”, and “Daijyosai (大嘗祭: Ceremony of the Accession to the Throne)”. The rituals are just a spiritual practice that fit
naturally into customs and manners, and it is common to determine that there is no problem because
those are not religious things. Therefore, it is not against the policy of separation of politics andreligion, so it can be admitted in court even those are clearly events of Shinto-style3. On the other
hand, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, etc. have three sets; a founder, scriptures, and sects. Global
universal religions and institutional religions have developed based on “evangelism”.
When thinking about what “welfare” means, a slight misunderstanding probably widely has been
spreading to the general public, not only religious world, government offices and welfare workers.
Social welfare scholar Shimada Keiichiro [1909-2003] mentioned the origin of “welfare”. The
word “welfare” was used in the book of the Han Dynasty era, “Ekirin(易林)” that “Welfare is tobring joy to others by giving all of your life.” That means, it has started to mean that things arebrought from God by God’s act.4
1“程子曰. 讀論語. 有讀了全然無事者. (Teishinohi iwamu, rongowo yomite, dokuryoshite zenzenkotonakimono ari:
Master Teishi says, there is a person who doesn't understand it at all even reads all of teaching [Rongo].)”. Publishedby the novelist Agawa Hiroyuki [1920-2015] in 2010. Kodansha Bungei-Bunko.
2 2016. Miyamoto, Y. Religious Keyword. Yuhikaku Publishing. 135.
The entire history is the manifestation of God’s will, and thus all of the events in history are considered to beoriginally God’s revelation.
3 1977. Shimizu, M. Place of the Law. Vo.30. No.10. Principles of separation of politics and religion in theconstitution. 13.
4 1986. Shimada, K. Creation of new community. Japan National Council of Social Welfare; 1998. Yokoyama, J.
(Coauthor). The Bible and Welfare: Seeking for a symbiotic society. Emmaus Press. 51.
According to “welfare” in the etymology of U-University on the WEB, it is defined as follow. ①Fortunately,
happiness, fukuchi. ➁ Salvation of life from urgent emergency in spiritually-negatively, and it is a prosperity of life

1This morning, at the time of spread of the “new coronavirus”, I would like to think about
Christianity and welfare from the Bible.

Table of Contents(1) The early days of welfare
a. Disease, aging due to longevity, injury in war
b. “Charity” in Jewish society is the work of volunteersc. Charity activities of Japan(2) Separation of national power and religion
a. Create the ethea that “religion is dangerous”.
b. “Public religion” as an imposition by policymakers
c. Weakening of shrines, religious groups and churches.
(3) “Resurrection of Rice Field, Mountain, and Bay”
a. Homeless people, schizophrenia, hikikomori (a person who avoids social contact)
b. “Respect one person”, not “Wa (和: harmony)” of the organizationc. “Public” religion for the weak(1) The early days of welfare
a. Disease, aging due to longevity, injury in war
It is possible to trace the historical lineage of why religious people exist at the origin of welfare.
The greatest sufferings of the ancient people were disease. In the age that medicine yet
underdevelopment, it was the religious people or the sorcerers (healers) who cured diseases5.
According to the “Dictionnaire Des Religions”, there is a trace of healing disease and people took
importance of their gods to receive health and prosperity at the Sumerian temple in Mesopotamia,
where is one of the birthplaces of a cradle of civilization6. The work against “disease” was at thecenter of “charity”.
It is recorded that there was a man called Job who was believed to be at ancient Israel, and was
described as an active worker towards the handicapped, the poor and travelers. “I was eyes to theblind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger.” (Job
29:15-16)
When we study the origin of religion, our daily lives will be highlighted.
Onuki Takashi, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, is conducting historicalverification. “They look at tax collectors, criminals, prostitutes, beggars, poor people and people
with disabilities who were discriminated as unclean people, and they had formed an inclusive
in positively. (The 1st edition of “Kojien”. 1995)
It is the word that appears in “韓詩外伝三(Hanshigaiden san)”, which is left by one of the schools of the Handynasty’s court, that is included in the oldest poetry collection of China, “詩経(Shikyo)”. It means “①Fortunately,
gladness, happiness”. (Kangorin. Taishukan Publishing)“福 (Fuku)” originally come from “a sake jar dedicated to God, <Left part of 福 =畐 (Fuku) = sake jar>, and it is the image tooffer sake to God and pray that people would be fulfilled like a filled sake jar. “祉 (Shi)” means “the happiness of being in theplace where God stops”.
Looking back to the etymology of the English word “welfare”, “In 1303, happiness, well-being, and health. ‘Fare’ is the remnantof ‘farewell (good bye, separation)’” and “In 1904, it appeared for the first time as the word that means social interests andsupports related to children, unemployed people and well-being (the stated of happiness).” (1998. Robert K. Barnhart, Sol
Steinmetz. Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology. H.W. Wilson Co.)
5 2005.Kasahara, Y. The life of Jesus Paradox. Shunjusha 56.
6 1994. Eliade, M; Culianu, Ioan P. Dictionnaire Des Religions. Translated by Okuyama Michiaki. Serica Syobo. 35-36.; Thorkild, J.
The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion. 447-466.

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community by healing diseases and eating foods together.”7 “Not the “holiness” that is obtainedby discriminating and excluding the pariah of the society, such as the poor, the sick, the physicallychallenged people, the tax collector, and the prostitutes. Only the restoration of the wholeness of the
inclusive community that make no one as lost a person but a person who is made to live fully at thepresence of God, will make Israel as a holy people of God.”8
At the starting point of Judaism, there is the law that is given by God9. Among them, there is thelaw “peah”, which means “the work of mercy”, that is, the charity welfare. “peah” means a“corner” in Hebrew. In terms of field coop amount, we should keep the products at the “corner” tothe poor and the foreigner10. Through Moses, the Lord admonished, “When you reap the harvest of
your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest”.
(Leviticus 19:9) The reason is noted in the follow line. “Leave them for the poor and for theforeigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 23:22)11“In the Jewish law, there is a principle that the widows, foreigners, refugees, and the poor could
survive by picking up left gleanings. (Deuteronomy 24:19) When people oppress the weak andexploit from the poor, God give a warning through prophets. (Amos 2:6-8; Jeremiah 5:26-31) And
God repeatedly tells us to protect the human rights of orphans and widows rather than offerings at
the altar. (Isaiah 3:13-15; 11:11-17) ”12
God has prescribed that oppressing the weak is against God’s own will. It has been commanded as“Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed. Do not mistreat13 or
oppress14 a foreigner15, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Do not take advantage of the widow16 or
the fatherless17. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be
aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children
fatherless.” (Exodus 22:20-23) And it became a mandatory18 (obligation) to the Jewish from God
that guarantee the rights of vulnerable women. It is defined that oppressing these women is against
God’s law. As it is written “The women living there said, ‘Naomi has a son!’ And they named him
Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David”, “the women living” served to community ofmutual assistance. (Ruth 4:17) Since women became more intimate and understand each other, so
even there was no social convenience from administrative level has given, the community welfare
services were provided enough. You can imagine from the word of “They made the bronze basin
and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent ofmeeting.” (Exodus 38:8)

ha'Pe

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1998. Oonuki, T; Satou, M. History of Jesus Study-From Ancient to Modern-. The Board of Publications The United Church of
Christ in Japan. 357.
8 ibd. 359.
9 1986. Vaux, R de. Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions. Translated by Nishimura Toshiaki. 445.; 1972. Finegan, J. Handbook of
Biblical Chronology: Principles of Time Reckoning in the Ancient World and Problems of Chronology in the Bible. Translated by
Takasanomiya Takahito. 28.
10 2006. The Timechart History of Jewish Civilization. Chartwell Books. 2. During 1300-1200 BC (since Ramesses II [12791213/12 BC]), the Jews escaped from slavery status in Egypt and the Law was given by Moses to them at Mount Sinai.
11 1997. Miyoshi, M. Talmud: Pe'ah. Miki Corporation. 2.
The purpose of a tithe was a charity activity.
It is written in “Talmud: Ketubot (1994.195)” and Genesis chapter 28 verse 22 as, “and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will
be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”
12 2013. Iwamura, Y. Magazine Mana. Word of Life. 76-77.
13 hn:y: (yanah) <<Means oppress, abuse, violate>>
14 $j'l; (lachat) <<Means oppress, enforce>>
15 rGE (ger) <<Means foreigners / refugees>>
16 hn"ml' ]a; (almanah) <<Means widow>>
17 !/ty: (yathowm) <<Means an orphan without a father>>
18 2014. Kihara K. Social welfare and human rights. Minervashobo. 115.

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b. “Charity” in Jewish society is the work of volunteers
Jesus Christ himself, who is said to be the founder of Christianity, is not a Christian (Cristianos)(Acts 11:26; I Peter 4:16). That means he was not the one who founded Christian sect. For the entireof his life, he was a follower of the Judaism (VIoudai?smo,j ioudaisms). This Jesus, he was aperfecter of volunteer.
Jesus did “Kyoku (共苦: Share sufferings)” with people who has severe disabilities, blind and deaf.
“Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him
before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on theroof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front ofJesus.” (Luke 5:18-19) Volunteers described as “some men” in this verse. It tells you that thosepeople existed in Jewish society. In the following verse 20, it is written that “When Jesus saw theirfaith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’” Jesus declared that people with uncomfortable life,
lonely and helpless were “forgiven” by seeing volunteer’s “faith”19.
Christ gave a great influence on the Jews of the time in their work on others. “The crowds (o;cloj
ochlos)” from “the crowds learned about it and flowed him” is the poor, the weak and the sick who
are same as ochlos who had listened to Jesus’s message of “the Sermon on the Mount”. (Luke 9:11)
Those are “All of those are people who have several diseases and sufferings, demonic possession,
the throes of a seizure, paralyzed, and unhealthy condition.”20 21
Eventually, the work of Jesus’s disciples spread along the Mediterranean coast. Dr. Carl Kester ofHarvard University mentioned that “The origin of organized care for the elderly people can be seenin the facilities for the elderly widows of Christianity. Those women could not marry again, so theyreceived cares from the community. The establishment of the poorhouse, orphanage and hospital areundertaken by Christian emperors.”22
Similar to the epidemic of new coronavirus pneumonia, the plague that shook the Roman Empire
at that time attacked. More than a half of people of the major cities had died. It is possible to assume
that since the hands of Christian persecution had loosened and it became an opportunity to becomea national religion23.
The cause of the decline of the mythical authority that was used to united the classical Polis“Sin” is a Greek word “a`marti,a hamartia <<means the spiritual status that humans away from God and disobey>>. Jesus
declared that we became “free” from those status of separation. The person had not been “forgiven (avfi,hmi aphiem <<means let
leave, go>>)” because of confession of its belief. It is the scene of “sin” is forgiven by act of neighbors.
20 2009. Honda, T. Kamagasaki and fukuin: God stands with the poor and the smallest people. Iwanami Shoten. 90.
21 Iwamura, Y. Christianity and Disaster. (Worship sermon. March 15, 2020. 9)“But the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed(Greek word, iva,omai iaomai <<doctor, healing by doctor>>) those who needed healing (Greek word, θεραπεια
serapeia<<healing, service, taking care>>. The noun form of qerapei,a therapeuo).” (Luke 9:11) As a result of the treatment,
some may have been healed. But Christ’s main work was “healing”.
22 1989. Koester, H. Introduction to the New Testament, Vol. 1: History, Culture, and Religion of the Hellenistic Age. Translated byInoue Daiei. 436.
23 2015. Doi, K. Theology Studies. Vol.62. The Cyprian Plague as a Historical Fact. 25-39. It is the time of era that Cyprian [Early
3rd century – 258 A.D.] was a bishop of Carthage (God-pesterer / director).
(1) The cause of the plague is that the blood of many dead people to rot the sea, and the plague that was produced by the decay
and it was carried by the wind to spread. (2) The population from age 40 to 70 before the plague outbreak was more than the
population from age 14 to 80 after the plague outbreak. (3) Because of the consequence of the death of people one after anotherand the young generation became to scare, people lost their energy to live and became torpidness.
In 262, it seems that the damage from plagues in Roma and Greece were even severe. Since then, it can be thought that probably
people had started to gain immune power, so the epidemic of plagues finally started to come to an end. About during 11 years, thesame kind of epidemic occurred intermittently throughout the Roman Empire, and the plagues attacked each state for several
times. Although the true nature of the plagues remains unknown, its symptoms were associated with diarrhea and dehydration,
severe pharyngitis, vomiting, eye congestion, necrosis of the extremities, inability to walk, and loss of hearing and sight. Possibly
the maximum number of dead was nearly a half that can be determined from the first Easter Epistles of Dionysius. At that time,
Christians tried to cure others and sometimes lost their lives.
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community, one of them was the epidemic.
Cholera and the plague, and the epidemic death disease, which still unidentified in these days,
attacked Roman Empire. The city itself has been squeezed from inside, both financially andpolitically. It was a collapse phenomenon. Traditional morality, ethics and religion became nolonger functioning. In those eras of the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., Jesus and his flowing volunteers
had started “welfare” to those people with diseases, poverty and discrimination. It is because thatpeople who are “crying” at the bottom of society have been abandoned. If Jesus is the consummatorof volunteer, is the “crying” of the weak Japanese at the “place” of the Far Eastern listened by him?
c. Charity activities of Japan
In the Nara era of Japan, the people were not only forced to live in poverty and hunger, and more
over, but also were exposed to natural disasters, plagues, lean harvests, and famine24. In the firstJapanese poetry collection “Manyoshu (万葉集: Ten thousand leaves collection)”, which wascompleted in 759, Yamanoueno Okura [660-733] who is a poet of lower aristocrat in the early Nara
period, sang as follows. “Yononakawo ureshitoyasashito omohedomo tabitachikanetsu
torinishiaraneba (I think the world is hard and severe to live so my body feels like becoming thin,but I can’t fly to anywhere. Since I am not a bird).”25 “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have thelaw, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do nothave the law”.(Romans 2:14)
Empress Kōmyō [701-760] established two facilities, “Seyakuin (施薬院)” and “Hidein (悲田院)”
after 723, and gathered the sick, orphans and beggars who were suffering to poverty, and provide
things. Even in the Far Eastern, the “wind (Hebrew x;Wr ruwach)” that take care of the poor reachedto the people.
However, the Ōnin War [1467-1478] was broke out due to the succession conflict after the 8th
Muromachi shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, and entire Japan was involved. Even capital Kyoto
became a burned field. Along with the deterioration of public security, religious groups also
strengthened their forces, and the monks started to take control. As a result, 3,000 or 10,000
believers of the Hokke sect became victims26.
After the death of Francis Xavier [1506-1552], a trader Luís de Almeida [1525-1583] who is a
Portuguese with a doctor license visited Japan, he saw custom of infanticide, so he established achildcare center at Bungo district (current Oita City, Oita Prefecture) in 1556 by investing his
personal property. The following year, he started Japan’s first general hospital. Almeida responded
well to the demands from monks and others, and helped the poor as a doctor27.
In 1859, before the Meiji Restoration [1868], James Curtis Hepburn [1815-1911] landed in
Kanagawa at his age of 44. He started providing medical treatment in an empty temple as aresidence. He treated patients regardless of their high and low, and did not ask a single money fromthe person who were in need. In order to secure his status from attack of supporters of Sonnō jōi (尊皇攘夷: Revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians), as his protection, he devised the Hepburnromanization when he edited the first Japanese-English dictionary in Japan. He was also engaged in
the Bible translation project. John Cutting Berry [1847-1936] in the west, in contrast to Hepburn inthe east, he established the hospital for poor “Keisaiin (恵済院)” and “Hyogo Prefectural Hospital(Kobe Hospital: Predecessor of Kobe University Hospital)”. Berry also provide free medical care to24

2011. Nakayama, O. Japanese philanthropic spirit. Shodensha Publishing. 154.
“I think that the world is filled with pain and feel like my body become thin, but I can’t fly away and go anywhere.”(Contemporary translation. https://nbataro.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-354.html)
26 2015. Shintani, K. The Research Trend of Konoe Rokkaku Clan. Ebisukosyo Publication.
27 1986. Dictionary of Christian Biography. The Board of Publications The United Church of Christ in Japan. 87.; “History” of
Almeida Memorial Hospital in Oita City. http://www.almeida-hospital.com/almeida-history.html
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the poor. In 1887, he founded the first nursing school in Japan28. Religious people who practiced thespirit of love for neighbors had started, progressed and developed a relief projects for orphans,
education for girls and rehabilitation service, but probably they could not provide the work to cover
the negative heritage because of Japan’s “Fukoku kyōhei principle (富国強兵: Enrich the Country,
Strengthen the Armed Forces)”. I wrote on the 10th anniversary magazine of the reconstruction of
Kobe Bible House that, “Kaga Toyohiko, who was known as one of the three greatest philosophersin the 20th century in foreign countries. Jyo Nobu, who gave influence to elderly people and suicide
wanna-be29. Although they contributed in breaking away from Fukoku kyōhei principle, feelings of
discrimination and the awareness of human rights in some extents, but they could not be thedeterminate power and they accommodated themselves to the politicians of that time.”30
After the Meiji Restoration, the ethea that could not expose its weakness was covering the entire
Japan archipelago.

(2) Separation of national power and religion
a. Create the ethea that “religion is dangerous”.
Mr. Abe Shiro [1926-], who was the president of the Japanese Society for the Study of Social
Welfare, talked as follows. In 1871 [ Meiji 4], forty-six ambassadors including Iwakura Tomomi[1825-1883] and Ito Hirofumi [1841-1909] visited twelve countries in Europe and America for two
years. “Even they saw the terrible condition of poverty at slums in London, they said ‘Poor relief isbetter to be done less’, and their eyes didn’t open for helping the poor. After returning to Japan, theycreated “Jyutsukiyu kisoku (恤救規則)”, and started to save the poor. However, due to thepromotion of Fukoku kyōhei principle, it was more emphasized on the poor themselves help eachother and the local government should have responsibility, not the state31. In 1872 [Meiji 5], whenGrand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich of Russia visited Japan, the government forcibly kept 240
vagrants in isolation. The place was called Tokyo City Youikuin, which was located at ŌtsukaTsujimachi Koishikawaku Tokyo City. It was the position of the government that they cannot allow
the state guest to see this and they ashamed about vagrants. Although they promoted Fukoku kyōhei
principle, they treated injured soldiers as crippled soldiers. In short, even military personnel was
thrown away when they lose their combat capabilities.”32
Inoue Kowashi [1844-1895] had an idea to defeat Christianity as a myth from his early age. He
drafted the Imperial Rescript on Education and played an important role in creating the Meiji
Constitution. He insisted on legalism that “The Lord can interfere freely the conscience of his
nation.”33
Inoue said strongly as the Minister of Education that “We allow ‘inside thoughts’ but prohibit‘external manifestation’. The details what necessities I thought to prohibit were; publishing theBibles, evangelism such as preaching activities and conduct funerals in Christian way. Believing is
28

2001. Kondo, H. Kobe and the Bible. Kobe Shimbun Publishing Center. 58-62.; 1874. Chikenrok. Kobe University Library
Digital Archive. Rare Book. http://www.lib.kobe-u.ac.jp/kichosyo/chikenroku/
29 Jyo Nobu [1872-1959]. A social entrepreneur from Meiji to Showa period. She protected war orphans and war widows. (2013.
Fukushi Shimbun. July 22)
30 2013. Iwamura, Y. Holding hands. Organizing committee of KBH 10th Anniversary Magazine. Kobe Shimbun Publishing Center.
14.
31 1959. Ogawa, M.; Fukushima, M. (Editor). Establishment of the Jyukyukisoku (Poor Laws): The process of the formation of the
Meiji Absolute Poor Laws. Edited by Fukushima Masao, Family Registration System and “House” System. University of Tokyo
Press. 264.
The Jyukyukisoku is carried over to the Public Assistance Act of 1950 [Showa 25] after the World War 2.
32 2015. Abe, S (Coauthor). Present and Future of Christian’s Welfare. The Kirisuto Shimbun. 27-28.
33 Tsushiro, H. Light and Shadow of Public Religion. Shunjusha. 143-144.

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only allowed if it is kept in the mind individually, but social acts such as evangelism work aretotally prohibited.” It means to divide “religion” into “inside (inner of the individual)” and “outside(evangelism activities)”, and attempted to introduce the way to treat “inside” part as the official
religion to the nation34. This become a truth opportunity for the Japanese to think that they have “noreligion”.
The bureaucratic dictatorship that was hidden in civilization, the abolition of Anti-Christian Edicts
and democracy was going to include welfare projects of religious people under to their lower
organization. “Outside” activities started to be controlled by “Okami (the government)”, andsociety became to have a distance from works, services and activities that have a religious color.
The people were also manipulated to think that religion is a scary thing. It is a division of “public”
and “religion”.
In Japan, Kanchishyuken (官治集権: Direct administration by the government), that is“Yushisensei (有司専制: The bureaucrats rule things arbitrarily)” has been thoroughly implemented
since 1873 [Meiji 6]. Okubo Toshimichi [1830-1878] started a bureaucratic politics that formulates
and implements policies without passing parliament. The illness of bureaucrat that they don’t want
to lose their powers, budgets and man power that has been already admitted would have been not
cured yet. No matter how large-scale disasters occurred, bureaucrats could not reform themselves.
Central bureaucrats have demonstrated outstanding talent for the integrity of the legal system. For
example, at the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, among the victims of the widespread tsunami
damage, about 90% were death from drowning. In this regard, it is possible to infer that there weremany victims of the physically challenged people and people in need of nursing care, because they
could not escape on time. The welfare recipients became also two to three times of high-rate victims
compared to those of general disasters35. At the Flood Disaster in the Hanshin area (1938 [Showa
13] July 3-5), 933 people were dead and 72% of Kobe City, 696,000 people were affected at thattime. The collapse of “Sabo dam (Sediment control dam)” was the main cause of this disaster. It
was a human cause disaster36. Current welfare, relief for the vulnerable people and dependence on
the Self Defense Forces cannot solve this problem. Dutch journalist Mr. Karel van Wolferen(Professor Emeritus of the University of Amsterdam) talks about Japan by comparing it with othercountries. “They are good at maintaining the status quo. Bureaucrats are extremely reluctant toradical change of the environment. It is because that that change would work negatively to theirbelonging organization. They only accept the change in case of it would strengthen theirauthorities.”37
b. “Public religion” as an imposition by policymakers“The gap” that “religious people” who tried to make “welfare”, “charity” and “care” as a corepillar of the country was covering the Japanese archipelago. Because, people were exhausted due to34

2006. Ama, T [1939-]. Why have Japanese no religious faith? Chikumashobo. 78-79.
On page 83 of this book, it analyzes “the emperor worship” as, “Japan’s modern nation aimed for a strong centralized state that theEmperor is the center, and it successfully created ‘a common sense’ that fragment religions into ‘inside’ and ‘out’ according to theinterests of the governance, and only the religion of ‘inside’ could be recognized by the state after lifted the Christian ban.”
35 2013. Kakurai, Y. Whereabouts of medical care and community development. Shinnihon Shyupansha. 28. On the page 29 of thisbook, it says “Since many of hospitals have three or four floors, even if you evacuate to the upper floors and save your life, floors
become cold by snow because the lifeline has been cut. So, there are many hospitals lost elderly seriously injured people died of‘hypothermia’ one after another.”
36 2019. Iwamura, Y. From the Era of Crisis to the Wra of Regeneration. No.2 – Abandoned Masue –. March 31.; 2016. Iwamura, Y.
Christianity and Volunteer-Dō (=The Principle Way of volunteer) –From the Horizontal <Movements> to the Vertical<Activities>–. Japan Religion Coordinating Project for Disaster Relief. Tokyo University. May 1.
37 2000. van Wolferen, K. The False Realities of a Politicized Society. Translated by Suzuki Chikara. Shinchosha Publishing. 105106.

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battles such as the movement to overthrow the Shogunate, the Boshin War [1868-1869] and the
Seinan War [1877]. The weak were always sacrificed in civil wars, wars and isolations. Foodrobberies, torture to people, killings and rape were essential of bad acts. Japan was a developing
country for a charity work against the spreading diseases at that time. Before prioritizing “welfare”,
Japan tried to establish “public religion” in order to catch up with the West.
Professor Nakano Minoru, the Faculty of Law of Meiji University pointed out about religious
management and control of “Okami (the government)” as follow38. “Schematically speaking, thehistory of Japan’s relations of politics and religion begins with the intimate relationship between thereligious authorities and the king in ancient times. In the middle age, an explicit equal relationshipbetween political power and temple groups had maintained. And in modern era, it had beendeveloped to strengthen management and governance of Buddhism and temples by a prohibition offoreign religion Christianity and Terauke seido (寺請制度: Temple guarantee system).” In otherwords, Japan was trying to establish a modern nation through pursuit of making “Shinto” as a“public religion”. The Emperor ruled all the nation as “subjects” based on the Constitution of the
Empire of Japan [1889] and the Imperial Household Law of 188939. As a result, “Eta / Hinin(discriminated lower class people)” was ranked at the bottom of the hierarchy of modern status
systems. The state power has also consistently maintained the idea of high and low rank. Although
they talk about equality, the abolition of the status syste and basic human rights, the “Buraku(discriminated community) problem” still stays strongly at the social level. Is it because that apresence of discriminated people is necessary to make the Emperor a precious one? People of Ainu,
Ryukyu, and Koreans living in Japan are also still left at the bottom line and their human rights aretreated as peasantry. Japan have been received six times of correction admonishment from United
Nations Commission on Human Rights in the past, regarding to discrimination against Chōsengakkō (Korean schools in Japan). Moreover, Japan received concerns and correctionadmonishments regarding to hate speeches, the rights of Ainu people and the US base problems in
Ryukyu / Okinawa, because those are also discrimination problems. Committee on the Rights of theChild said at the press conference, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland on February 7 last year,that the Japanese Government should treat Chōsen gakkō as “same as other foreign schools inJapan”40.
Therefore, I think that it is the time to rethink the basic values of the “public things” and“collaborative things”, which Professor Emeritus of University of Tokyo Shimazono Susumu
suggests, in this pandemic time41.
In the Japanese education system, the right of education of children with physically challenged
have been denied. Since 1979, the compulsory system of school education for special schools havebeen realized, and a system for attendance of all students has been established. However, isolationof children and students with disabilities from the general education system creates special negative
38

1998. Nakano, M. Religion and Politics: Political Science of the 21st Century. Shinhyoron Publishing. 137.
2001. Issue of Buraku / Human Rights Encyclopedia. Edited by The Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute(BLHRRI). Buraku Liberation Publishing House. 1016. Freedom in the legal and political systems could not see “disbandment(liberation)” during the existence of community discrimination in the general public.
40 2019. NHK. February 8.
41 2014. Shimazono, S. Religion and Public Space: Reviewed role of Religion. University of Tokyo Press. 242.
“If we consider ‘religious things’ and “scientific things’ as approaches to the truth, it cannot be said that they are absolutely
conflicting each other in the first place. Rather, both of them would be complementary. Rational skepticism is indispensable in theheterologous research for ‘religious things’, and sensitivity to <existence = power> is very useful in the research for ‘scientificthings.’” (ibid. 248-249)“The religious spirit emphasized that the nuclear power plant ‘is a threat to `life`’ and it thinks importantly that it ‘can beestablished by the sacrifices of someone’, and furthermore, it seeks ‘the way can harmonize individual happiness and welfare of
the human beings. And for that, every one of them should be aware of ‘knowing contentment and being humble in the presence of
nature.’” (ibid. 276)
39

8

values from society. This is an appearance of negative values at the social level42.
c. Weakening of shrines, religious groups and churches.
According to the chief monk Mizuki Shyodou from Jodo Shinshu Honganjiha, “Now is the time ofdisappearance of temples”43. Mr. Ukai Shyutoku [1974-] who is the author of “Disappearance oftemples: The loss of ‘locals’ and ‘religion’’ said that, ““The time when local relatives carefully takecare and send ‘death’ is becoming a past thing. People die alone, and after that, the ‘association’between the dead and the alive would disappear.”44
From the pet funeral, we can see the face of the urbanization and the trend toward nuclear families
in Japan. Contrary to the shrinking of form of human funerals, the pet funeral industry is growing
widely. The end of the nuclear family is lonely death. After the funeral had carried out in Chokuso(直葬: Simple funeral styles without doing a regular process) way, a cinerary urn left as if cremains
were left behind on the train rack45.
Religion is not the only thing to save people. Not only pastors and monks but also non-religious
secular counselors and welfare activists are included in disaster-affected areas, marginal villages
and discriminated villages. Traditional meaning of religion is no longer a necessary requirement46.
The ethea that denies “religion”, which is the original home of “welfare”, “charity” and “love forneighbor”, is surrounding Japan. Why is religion not popular? Is it because “religion” itself has losttheir vigorous act and become “a more secular one”? Is it because that the number of believers does
not increase due to typical a Japanese idea “non-religious view” and this influence would not allow
to progress activity? Professor Inaba Keishin of Graduate Schools of Osaka University points outthat there are Japanese “unconscious religiousness”47.
Furthermore, Thomas Luckmann [1927-2016], Professor Emeritus of University of Konstanz inGermany, argues that even though religion seems like becoming secular, but it is too quick todetermine that it became weaker. He said, “I criticize the conventional theory of secularization,
which grab religion only in an organized form (like a church) and seeking the decline of religion in
simplistic way.”48
Professor Kaneko Akira, who teaches at Tenri University that was persecuted by “Okami (thegovernment)” even before the war, said that “Not only sympathize with the practice of religious
people and be together with them, but sometimes it presents an inconvenient truth to them. It would
be a radical opportunity to rethink own self as a social existence. This situation would collapse theexisting teachings and pressure to dismantle the world of faith, but if we try to reinterpret theteaching from the opposite way, it probably can be a support to rebuild the world of faith.”49
42

1993. Ninomiya, Akiie H. Quality of life for persons with disabilities.
Translated by Yokosuka Shunji. The Board of Publications The United Church of Christ in Japan. 21.
43 2016. Mizuki, S. Dissolution of Temple. Shinchosha Publishing. 117.
Depopulation → Disappearance of local temples → Decrease in levy that should have brought to the main temples →Possibility of levy increase → Cry out of 檀家 (Danka : a supporter of a Buddhist temple) → Acceleration of extinction ofexisting temples → Entire Buddhist world declines.
44 2017. Ukai, H. A society without funerals. Nikkei BP Marketing. 5.
45 Hyogo, Osaka and Kyoto Prefectural Police have received at least 91 reports of acquisition after 2010. Among of these, 69 cases(76%) haven’t identified its owner. (2015. Kobe Shimbun. August 29)
46 2019. Nakamura, K. Western “atheism” and Japanese “agnostic”. Discover 21. 243.
47 2011. Inaba, K. Altruism and Religion. Koubundou Publishers. 123.
48 1976. Luckmann, T. The Invisible Religion: The Problem of Religion in Modern Society. Trasnlated by Akaike Noriaki.;
Swyngedouw Jan. Jordan-Sha. 25-60. “Secularization is the change from an organized institutional religion (visible religion) suchas a church to a ‘radically personalized religion’ (invisible religion) that does not take the form of an institutional religion.” (ibid.
147-159)
49 2017. Kaneko, A. Summary: The 76th Annual Scientific Congress of the Japanese Association for Religious Studies. University ofTokyo, Hongo Campus.

9Reinterpreting the scriptures, doctrines and explanations and let’s try to find a unique practicing
way of religious people as themselves.

(3) “Resurrection of Rice Field, Mountain, and Bay”
a. Bag people, schizophrenia, hikikomori (a person who avoids social contact)
Even the “religion” that emphasizes the salvation of an individual’s soul, they have not been able
to solve any hopeless people those who are not dealt by “welfare”, “charity” and “religious
community”.
The center of welfare work of the church is how to support the lives of teachers and their families.
After the war, the theory of welfare nation began to appear, Christian church was biased toward theidea that “Welfare is the responsibility of the government so we leave it to the state. Church will go
on a single way, evangelism”, and many of them still only think about their own churches and sects
even we entered into the 21st century50.
It is becoming rare to see on daily newspapers about increasing number of people living on thestreet, victims of stressful society such as schizophrenia, increasing number of hikikomori, andunequal society in Japan. The lonely death due to the nuclear family is not limited to the disaster
affected area.
Local society, temples and shrines, and churches are cautious about sexual minority of LGBT
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender). Of course, there are some maverick people who argue
heatedly and practice it. Mr. Shinmen Mitsugu, who published “‘New’ Christianity Introduction(2)”, is the one. This book denounces the intolerance toward LGBT that religious people have been
avoided so far.
Just like him, we must ask how to live with having a responsibility on this earth against apoisonous fang of Economic Neoliberalism Society on physical side, lack of world ethics andirresponsibility of religious people.
Therefore, from the original meaning of “welfare”, if it is an evangelistic missionary that overly
expects that becoming a Christian believer is the way to become “happy”, it will turn away from themind of Japanese more and more. For example, is there a follower in the Bible record who has lived
a peaceful and a blessed life? Rather, only the people who struggled, tasted, suffered in helpless,and walked with wanderings and difficulties. Sufferings and wanderings are the main part of life, so
it probably better to rephrase that sometimes there are a "time" of joys, happiness and peace.
What does a religious organization in Japan that should be called as a mother of welfare look like?
It has been openly approved that “People who have economic power and status in society act big inthe church. And those who are exposed to discrimination and prejudice in society are hated andavoided in the church. Indeed, the world is a society of power, but also power and ability areimportant in the church. There is human competition in the church.”51
Currently, it is said that there are 110,000 shrines and 70,000 temples. Among them, in bothshrines and temples, there are facilities where don’t have regular priests and monks to live in. In thecase of temples, 15,000 temples have no monks. Christian church is also approaching the serious
age of without father (no pastor, priest, or clergy). The number of Christian related people is
1,921,83452.
If religions and welfare exist for happiness for human being, I think that it is good to increase
Christianity believers more not only in Japan but throughout the world. Religious scholar Mr.
50

2015. Abe, S. Present and Future of Christian Welfare. The Christian Newspaper. 36-37.
2010. Katsumoto, M. Sick Church of Sick Society. Word of Life. 62.
On page 93, it introduces about the status that does not differ from the values of the world. (ibid. 122)
52 2018 Shukyo Nenkan (Religious Yearbook, Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs.
51

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Shimada Hiromi [1953-] pointed out that, “Christian literature, which once formed one literarygroup, is almost disappearing. Christian believers of non-church sect are losing their influential
power as conscientious intellectuals. Christianity has not only failed to grow its followers in Japan,
but it losing their influence in the intellectual world.”53
Christian missions are not evangelism. The ministry that have mission to get believers is too old. It
should be the practice of love54. We should not just talk or pray “may peace with you” to theinconvenience of people with handicapped. People of “homeless”, “schizophrenia, integration
disorder syndrome, depression”, and “hikikomori” are at the disaster affected area and do volunteer
for agriculture, forestry and fishery of “Resurrection of Rice Field, Mountain, and Bay”, and also
serve for maintenance of satoyama (community-based forest), agricultural methods and seaweed
harvesting. The appearance of providing facemasks to orphans of overseas who are under strugglingfrom the new coronavirus, single women who lost their husbands in wars and disasters, and elderly
single living people is full of happiness. This is because they are doing“Kyoshin (共振:Sympathized resonance )”“Kyoku (共苦: Share sufferings)”, and “Kyosei (共生: Life together)”.
b. “Respect one person”, not “Wa (和: harmony)” of the organization
In order to continue the Tohoku Volunteer, brother Ishikawa Masumi [1948-2010] who was blind,
continuously said. “Although I can’t go to Watanoha Ishinomaki City Miyagi Prefecture, but I
always be at the disaster affected area with you together.”. Even he could not see the site, but heknew many things about the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami more than anyone. He reminds me
blind Lorenzo Ryosai [1526-1592]55 and blind Damian [around 1560-1605].
Regarding Francis Xavier [1506-1552] and other Christian missionaries after their landing inJapan, one of Japan’s leading religious thinkers, Buddhist monk Shyaku Tetsushyu [1961-] talks on.
He analyzed that “Since the era from Sengoku to Azuchi-Momoyama was the era when the
traditional value system broke down with a big noise, so the knowledge class such as samurai andformer Buddhist monks converted into Christians.”56 However, the reason why the number ofChristians increased is that it was certain that some of the samurai from the feudal lords joined, but
most number of people were from the bottom of society57.
“A person who has been made smaller (from an institutional system)” was born through disasters,
and they always pray, ask themselves and take actions in the way how they can have a responsibility
for the series of typhoons in last year, volcanic eruptions, the Japanese archipelago with earthquake
and tsunami, and the climate of severe condition that is more than desert area.
People of “bag people or homeless”, “schizophrenia, integration disorder syndrome, depression”,
and “hikikomori” have visited the disaster affected area many times. These days, they become totake charge in various functions of the Kobe International Sustaining Organization, and they are theflagperson of “liberation” in the world of promoting discrimination. There is no recommendation
letter, commendation, or qualification. They are the volunteers with invisible recommendation letterfor the care of the sick, poor and handicapped.
What is “care” such as welfare, charity and medical treatment?
53

2016. Matsutani, S. Unknown “Christianity of Japan”. Poplar Publishing. 18.
In this book, the reality of Church is raised that “In churches, some sects have not been taking a retirement age system and thenumber of applicants decreases along with aging, and it is the real situation that many of pastors and priests are still active atchurches in their age of 70s and 80s.”
54 2020. Matsutani, S. Ministry. Vol.44. The Christian Newspaper. March. 36.
2020. Iwamura, Y. Christianity and Disaster―The 106th Tohoku Volunteer Report. (Worship sermon. March 15, 2020. Kobe
International Christ Church)
55 2013. Saika, N. Kirishitan Kuroda Kanbe. Vol.1. Saika Edit Studio. 130-131.
56 2011. Shyaku, T. Fucan Fabian: A Religious Person Who Abandoned Both God and Buddha. Shincho Sensho. 20-21.
57 2016. Okiura, K. Missionary Xavier and the Hisabetsumin. Chikumashobo. 187-188.

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Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris VIII, Mr. Fabienne Brugère says as follow. It isa little longer line, but he mentioned about the “care” in the real site is becoming a rigid system of
medical treatment, caregiving, nursing care, welfare, bed-bath, and care for patients with bedpans,
urinary bottles, etc.
“It is important for all those who practice ‘care’ to form bonds for mutual assistance, solidarity
and consideration. However, those people are unable to speak out, not participate in public policy
decision and have lower income, but they devote to people in their individual dedication capacity.
Examining the ideological context of ‘care’, it is obvious that the practice of ‘care’ has not been
considered in ethical characteristics, but it has made to obey the criteria of economic profitability
and management. In the management of ‘care’ by neoliberalism, the fact of the problem ‘care’ itself
and intimacy field is neglected. Why is that so? When a care giver takes care of the body of
dependent person who exposes his or her weakness, a subject that is different from the subject thatgives autonomy as the supreme command appears. It is the subject that depends and needs others.
Dependence is in a delicate and unclear (which may become a violent) relationship. Therefore, thesupport of people, association and institutions become important. As Joan Tronto points out, theauthority in consideration is not on the side of the person who cares. It is on the side of the person
who decides the practice of care. The doctor ‘accepts with responsibility’ the patient. Even if thenurse takes care of the patient and points out something that the doctor does not notice. The doctor
gives medical treatment to the patient ‘with responsibility’, but ‘care’ change into worries about
several problems of the patient body. That is, for example, the case when a nursing assistant cleans
the patient’s body. However, such ‘care’ is rarely valued in the global market. Cleaning of body is
an important element of care for people (children, the elderly, the sick) who are in dependentcondition, and this kind of care has been left to women or people from immigrant’s and workers’
group, whether family members or professionals. ‘Care’ is related to social division by gender, race,and hierarchy. Therefore, ‘care’ is, even if it is an essential to a market society, it becomes a lowpaid work (a work that controlled people serve to controlling people). Consideration is involved ineveryday life, but its value is not acknowledged. Consideration is a response to people’s
weaknesses, but often with a chain of weaknesses are created, and a chain of exploitation of people
who practice ‘care’. According to Toronto, ‘care’ becomes difficult to continue in the institution,and it will be marginalized and weakened, and it will be forced to fit into the conditions of market
and economic profitability.”58
In other words, the structure of ruler of society and ruled people in the welfare field of Japan has
been already completed, and the process in charge is specialized. They treat their client
mechanically. The difficult, dirty and simple labor are operated in an economic system to get lower
wages. The heartful exchanges between people, intimate conversations, and even inspiring smiles
have been cut off. On-site work is entrusted to trainees from Southeast Asia, and managers playgolf.
I keenly feel that the values that make the world open to God as “public”, which the ancestors ofhuman history have been looking at far, must be “restored”. I don’t say that “cure to care”, “social
capital”, and “〇〇 network” is a valueless. However, eventually it became a convenient suborganization for promoting “publicness” for politicians, bureaucrats, business world. Isn’t it thetime to return to the original view of the world from the social climate, air and the affect values oftrend? That mean, it is the “public” based on “religion”. Religion has been formed the most
58

2017. Brugère, F. L'ethique du《care》. Translated by Harayama Tetsu, Yamashita Rieko. HakusuiSha. 80-81.
“The ethic of ‘care’ that can be said as ‘anti-intellectualism’ was born in America in the 1980s, at the time of President Regan
regime. The new mechanism of financial capitalism became a priority, so the welfare state, which inherited the Declaration ofPhiladelphia, the Bretton Woods system and the establishment of the United Nations, was set back. At that time, although it was alittle but, the ethic of ‘care’ had been discussed in consideration of the psychological burden of work, its invisibility, and the factthat the work of care was treated as a lower part in moral development. More generally speaking, the ethic of ‘care’ is in the flowof ideas, which claim that human bonds cannot be given back to the exchange of markets. This restoration of human value, whichcannot be given back to the market, askes its psychological and moral basis by questioning ‘social problems’.” (ibid. 20-21)
2010. Supiot, A. L'Esprit de Philadelphie: La justice sociale face au marché total. Le Seuil

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fundamental world for humans. Despite of that, religion has been excluded from the public“place”59. Japan that treat the most fundamental thing with silent contempt, should return to“welfare”, “charity” and “volunteer”, which take importance of “one person”, at this newcoronavirus as a turning point.
c. “Public” religion for the weak
When we visited Ishinomaki City Miyagi Prefecture on March 21, 2011, there was a spot where 24
people lost lives because of the tsunami.
The tsunami flowed up to the ceiling of the 1st floor of psychiatric hospital in Ibaratsu area whereis about 1km away from the sea.
When I passed by there, I felt coldness on my back. I saw a patient whose mouth was widely open
because the person was shouting with inflamed scared feelings, terrible expression of eyes, andpeople try to raise their hands up to the upper level. It was 10 days after the event, so inside thebroken window, there were only a dead people who couldn’t be there anymore. Actually, there were
inpatients until April 1. The facility was called “Keiai Hospital”, and the surviving neighbors weresilent and did not speak anything. People told us quietly with weak voice that “There were people
who could escape to the 2nd floor and stayed two nights, and they had a scary experience”, but it
was hard for us to understand everything because of their Tohoku dialect. The hospital was forsevere schizophrenia and dementia patients, and there were 120 people. I have been a guardian ofschizophrenia for nearly 10 years in Nagata district Kobe City, so I could not think that is not
something that just happens to other people. If there is no one to ask for help, their hands shake andfaces be flushed from being extremely nervous, so some people who meet them would be surprised.
There is a reaction that their hearts may burst with even a little isolation. In that case, even doctors
have no choice but give an administration of sedative agents to make them silent. The head of this
hospital, Mr. Kimura Tsutomu (66 years old at that time), who could survive at Keiai Hospital, told
us two weeks after the disaster that, “Almost of all medical closet and food storage was kept on the
1st floor, so everything was eradicated”. The surviving patients were transferred to Saito Hospitalon April 1. This is the first hospital we visited from Kobe for delivering medical supplies.
On the 3rd day after the tsunami, the director of nursing Fujinaka Yoshiko told us that, “The mostimportant thing right now is the lights. It is a pitch darkness to go to the bathroom. The condition ofpatients goes bad because of disturbed consciousness, which is called delirium.”60
Even if there were drowning bodies nearby, if other people were together, they would have beenable to encourage one another in the "darkness" until the rescue came. Being beside of people ,“Kyosei (共生: Life together)”, “Kyoku (共苦: Share sufferings)”, and “Ku-en (苦縁: Relationshipto share sufferings)”, is required. Even those who is a driveler, have bad breath, and act bad
behavior, they are able to work as long as if they have a heart to be with disaster affected people.
Professionals, subordinate slaves, or useful tools are not asked.
“Disaster affected people”, “the sick” and “the poor” are the “soul”. The Old Testament scholar
J.Pedersen says, “The body is an externally shaped soul”.61
What is the “ghost” I saw? Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain talks that “Since the soul has no
molarity, it will not be subject to decay. Since the soul has no ingredients, it will not be
decomposed. It is a self-existence and it will not lose its own unity. Moreover, it contains all thesources of energy within itself, it cannot lose its internal energy. The human soul does not die. Once59

2001. Inagaki, H. Aiming to Build a Public Philosophy. Kyobunkwan. 269-270.
2011. Ikegami, M. From here again: The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami / 50 days of People in Ishinomaki. Poplar Publishing.
199-209.
61 1997. Hick, J. Philosophy of Religion. Translated by Mase Hiromasa, Inagaki Hisakazu. Keiso Shobo. 263.
1926. Israel. Oxford University Press. 170.
60

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it exists, it never disappears. It inevitably exists forever and continue infinitivally.”62 Thinking fromhis deduction, indeed, humankind will be asked to have a sharpened sensitivity that is a susceptible
worldview that everyone was used to has in the early days.
Professor Emeritus Murata Jyuhachi of Hannan University said, “Religion, it provides the place
where is supported by transcendent beings such as God or Buddha. In that context of such
relationship, believers have a completely equal relationship and support each other. In this sense, it
is important for us human beings to live with religion.”, while he is serving the youths of the Kobe
International Sustaining Organization63.
As Abe Shiro says, “The philosophy of welfare is not a theoretical reason or idea on the table, but
its characteristics are rather sharing suffering of those who face needs, be allies in their concerns,
and an effort to bring out a deep consideration as a response to “groaning” of those people.”, let’s
exercise it on the site through asking oneself64.

<Conclusion>
What important is probably how to physically live responsibly on this earth against the poisonousfang of Economic Neoliberalism Society on physical side, lack of world ethics and irresponsibilityof religious people.
Despite the fact that the number of Christian followers is only 1% of the whole of Japan, thereason of the significance of Christianity has been recognized for nearly 150 years is from aheritage of serving to the poor who need welfare, charity and care. We must not let the historical
traces of “a religious person is the mother of charity” be a thing of the past.
We must not be confused that we can gain a trust by social establishments, such as the higheducation degree of Christian, Supreme Court justices, university professors, and doctors. We must
not have a wrong idea. And we must not be proud of having members who have high status insociety, evaluations and many incomes, in your congregation.
The person who is used by God to renew and “restore” the Earth, which is at the asphyxia,
exhausted condition, and the terminal phenomenon of national particularism and ego priory, isunalterably “the lowly things” in the Bible.
“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wiseby human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose thefoolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame thestrong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are
not—to nullify the things that are.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-28)
In Japanese law, there is no indication of “restoration”. There is no definition. The people of“homeless”, “schizophrenia, integration disorder syndrome, depression”, and “hikikomori” have thekey to pouring new life into old skin-bottle, and they would be shown it in their way of life. They
exercise the testament of “I am the Lord, who heals you” by their action not by talking.
Acknowledgement
I received a proofreading of my sermon manuscript by Mr. Mitsuru Murata, a board member of theKobe International Sustaining Organization. Also, I would like to thank Ms. Yumi Tokudome, Ms.
Miwa asaki，Ms. Yukiko Dote for pointing out unclear sentences and parts of my writing.
62

ibid. 261.
2017. Murata, J. Between Christianity and Sociology. Koyo Shobo. 243.
64 2008. Abe, S. Philosophy of Welfare. Seishin Shobo. 9.
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