April 23, 2008

Toyohiko Kagawa

John 8:31-37

Today we are recognizing Toyohiko Kagawa, (toy oh hee koh ka ga wa), born in 1888 in Kobe, Japan and died in Japan, on this date, April 23, 1960 at the age of 72. Kagawa was born into a wealthy Buddhist family. He was born to the concubine of his father, but lived with his father and step mother.

At a very early age, Kagawa’s mother, step-mother and father died. Kagawa then went to live with a missionary couple who taught at the Presbyterian school he attended. While at the missionary school, Kagawa became a Christian. Once Kagawa became a Christian his extended family disowned him. He would never see or speak to any of his family again.

Kagawa attended college at a Presbyterian school in Japan and then for graduate studies he attended Princeton in the United States. After his graduate studies, he returned to Japan. At some point in his young adult life, he became convicted for the care and support of the poor and marginalized. He left all his possessions and moved into a six foot square room and lived among the poor for seven years, working with them, getting them food and care, and helping as much as possible to get them out of their poverty. Later on, Kagawa took on larger tasks. Because of his commitment to the poor, he was appointed Director of Social Work for Japan. However, he was a pacifist and even though he worked for the government, he was arrested on three different occasions for pacifist activities related to Japan’s war with China and their war with the United States.

Twice Kagawa was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. One of the reasons he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize is because he was one of the authors of Japan’s surrender to the United States and he accompanied Japan’s emperor to the signing of the document.

Throughout his life Kagawa fought for men and women’s right to vote in Japan. While he was still living men gained the right to vote, but by the time he died, the women had not yet been granted voting rights and privilege.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America designated Kagawa to be commemorated on his date of death, April 23^rd. The Lutheran church saw Kagawa as a zealous disciple of Jesus in his persistence for the Renewing of Society through his efforts in social justice in his country of Japan.

Kagawa believed that in order to know God one must be active in God’s work, the work of justice, and of course, in particular social justice. He believed that we know God intuitively through the practicing and working through the love of God. He said that when we care for one soul in need, we know more about God than if we had read the whole Bible and all the devotional books we could find.

In our gospel today, Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” The more I read about Kagawa, the more I realized that even though he lived among the poor for many years, even though he was arrested three times, he was free in the truth of Jesus than most of us will ever be. It is in Jesus that we are liberated. It is when we work and practice discipleship in the love of God that we have a glimpse of the real truth. Because of his active discipleship Kagawa, more than the rest of us, probably knew more of the real truth that many of us will never know.

When we talk about these people that the Lutheran church and the church catholic have decided to commemorate, I just am awestruck and dumbfounded by their witness. Do I have that in me to do what they did? I don’t think I do. But somehow, God uses these very special people to have a major impact on others and because of that, the real truth, the truth imbedded in God becomes more known than it would ever have. It is because of these out of the ordinary witnesses, that God is known to the many. But it is also because of you and me that God is known to whoever we are in contact.

God uses all of us, some in an extraordinary way and some in an ordinary way. It really does not matter; in an ordinary way or in an extraordinary way, we all are disciples to the real truth that is revealed in Jesus.

Amen,

Pastor Scales