December 12, 2020
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Photo by Laura Churchill Duke
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord. ~ Hebrews 12: 14
This past February our family traveled to Japan for a month-long visit. While there we visited several locations that had been profoundly devastated by WWII.
The most well-known place is Hiroshima, where on August 6, 1945, Americans dropped the first atomic bomb. Although the museum dedicated to the bombing was closed because of COVID-19, we could still tour the surrounding peace park. Throughout this park there are dozens of information boards with photographs of what the area looked like before the bombing. They talked about busy, thriving streetscapes and businesses, and gave stories of what the townspeople were doing on the fateful day. We saw shadows burned into concrete from the heat and light of the bomb. We saw the remains of the A-Dome, the only building the city left standing.
Off the coast of Hiroshima, we visited a small island called Ninoshima. After the bombing, thousands and thousands of people from the mainland flocked to this small island on makeshift canoes where a temporary hospital had been set up to help the wounded.
We also visited another nearby coastal island called Okufushima. It was here that the Japanese built and tested poisonous gas and chemical weapons also used during WWII. Now, the buildings are all abandoned, and the only inhabitants are thousands of rabbits who roam freely, their ancestors having been test subjects for the factories.
Japanese cities throughout the country have been completely rebuilt as most were flattened during the bombings. One does not need to go far to see the effects of war. Standing amongst it all there is a great sense of futility. What was the point of all this destruction and death?
Photo by Laura Churchill Duke
Although this all sounds grim and depressing, there is an overwhelming sense of peace and hope that shines through.
In the Hiroshima Peace Park is an eternal flame which will continue to burn until nuclear weapons are abolished worldwide. The many monuments, decorated with thousands of origami cranes, serve as a reminder of what can happen during war, and why we should strive for peace.
It is a humbling and moving experience that all who visit will never forget.
Dear Father in heaven, we pray that you will help us learn from the past, and to always strive for peace. Help us to not forget the many who died in helping us to remember. Amen.
Laura Churchill Duke is an author and freelance journalist who loves to travel with her family. Laura lived in Japan for three years after graduating from university and was so happy to finally return, this time to show her family this remarkable country.