By Rev. Ronald Jansen
We associate Nagasaki, Japan as the target for the second atom bomb dropped on Japan in 1945.
However in 1597 Nagasaki was the site for the crucifixion of three Japanese Jesuits, six Franciscans, one Korean, and sixteen Japanese laypersons. In the sixteenth century, Jesuit missionaries, followed by Franciscans introduced the Christian faith in Japan. One of those missionaries was named Francis Xavier. By the end of the sixteenth century there were perhaps 300,000 Christians in Japan. For a variety of reasons, including competition among missionary groups, political difficulty between Spain and Portugal and factions within the Japanese government, Christianity was suppressed. By 1630 it had been driven underground.
When Christian missionaries returned to Japan over 250 years later, to their utter surprise they discovered thousands of Christians in the Nagasaki area who gathered to worship in secret. The Christians in Japan who continued to cling to their faith in Jesus, who lived, died and rose again for all people, challenge us to consider the cost and commitment of discipleship. How might the martyrs in Japan move us to be faithful to our calling to walk in the way of the cross?
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