Earth, Water, Fire - (or Quake, Tsunami, Hell)
This minute exactly one year ago, I had just returned to my Shizuoka City home after meeting with a Japanese friend. It was a beautiful day. I was thirsty from the walk home, and so I went to the fridge, started putting ice in my glass, & the building slowly started to sway. Then we began to rock in long, sweeping motions, back & forth for a seemingly 10 minute period, though it was only two. The previous strong earthquakes we had felt had been jerky & shaky, but this one was as if someone was taking you by the shoulders, keeping your feet planted, & quickly leaning you from side to side, as far as you could go while keeping your feet down.You know the rest. Tsunami. Nuclear accident. Death. Fear. Panic. Confusion. Unknowns.
My immediate thought, as soon as we grasped what was happening was, "My God, they're all going to Hell. My God, thousands of people are dying & going to Hell right now."
One year later, I am back in the states and starting my new ministry on the one year anniversary of the triple disaster. It is eerie, ironic, fitting, something personal that I can't quite put my finger on or describe about officially ending my missionary position on the first anniversary of 3/11. But one year later, the lostness of Japan still haunts me, & I hope it always does. Today, like yesterday, & the day before, & the years before, all I can think is, "Oh my God, they're all going to Hell."
Please pray. Every week more Japanese die than died on March 11, 2011 from the disaster.
