The Great State

Thought-provoking words came last week from Japan's best-known Christian, Toyohiko Kagawa, who is currently evangelizing for Japan's United Church of Christ. Said he, in the Christian Century:

"By the abandonment of war,* we in Japan have emerged from the era of barbarism. . . . If only we had done this willingly ten years ago, history would have taken another course. . . . We are going to alter the definition of a 'great' state. A truly great state is not necessarily big, nor rich, nor quarrelsome with its neighbors. The great state is one which is wise, moral and Godfearing. The ideal we pursue is that of making Japan a state with which God can be pleased."

* Says Article 9 of Japan's new constitution: ". . . The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish [this aim, arms] will never be maintained."

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