Today we remembered the many thousands of lives that were destroyed by the detonation of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima some sixty-one years ago–many were vaporized in an instant, others spent years dying slowly and painfully. The Irvine United Congregational Church, which I am considering more and more to be one of my several home churches, hung up a thousand paper cranes (as a prayer for peace, and in memory of one of the young victims–if you don’t know Sadako’s story, you should leave this post now and learn more about her), showed a documentary about the war, and invited Japanese-American concentration camp survivors tell about their experiences. My daughter and I folded cranes as Reverend Paul Tellstrom shared the story with the congregation.
Before I go any further, I just have to say, if anyone tells you that we dropped the bombs to save the lives of American soldiers, you’re not getting the full story. President Truman knew at the end of July 1945 that the Japanese wanted to negotiate a surrender. He also knew that the Soviets were going to enter the war on August 15th. There was a serious blockade option on the table. The decision to drop the bomb was an enormously complex one, and minimizing American casualties was one consideration among several. It can be argued that Truman dropped the bomb not to save American lives, but to end the Pacific war before the Russians entered it–avoiding an Eastern version of the partitioning of Germany and Berlin.
Okay, back to the today’s experience: there’s a lot to talk about, but I’ll just focus on two. The fifth hymn in UCC’s New Century hymnal has one Japanese verse, and is sung to one of my favorite traditional Japanese melodies (about the cherry blossoms). The sakura are symbolic of the fleeting, ephemeral beauty of human life, and the transient nature of this world. It was wonderful to sing a Christian hymn to such a haunting Japanese tune. Right before singing the song, we placed the little cranes we had folded into the offering plate. The tiny pink birds stood watch over the gifts of the people. It seemed entirely appropriate.
As Reverend Tellstrom prepared the communion, he poured out a bowl full of a thousand tiny little paper cranes (each smaller than a dime) onto the altar. When I went up to partake of the bread and wine, I also reached out and picked up one of the little cranes. The tsuru represents everything good about life, and the Sadako story has transformed each folded crane into a prayer for peace. When I looked up, I could see the lines of cranes that decorated the hall converging over the altar and then up into the light.
After the service, I asked Pastor Paul if the libation of cranes on the altar was something he had planned. He replied that it was spontaneous. If you ask me, it was inspired.
8 responses so far ↓
1 pilgrimgirl // Aug 7, 2006 at 6:11 am
Nice post, but where are the pictures that you took?
2 John // Aug 7, 2006 at 6:18 am
None of them turned out.
3 Miko // Aug 7, 2006 at 6:24 am
I remember reading her story when I was a small child—we then all made cranes in the class (it’s still the only origami I know how to do from memory). I then grew up in Germany, where WWII is a very interesting topic. I never got a good reason, though, about why we dropped the bomb on Japan (instead of, you know, the Germans…) until college. It may be an unbearable cynical view for this website, but I think that a large reason was that they wanted to know what would happen.
I hope that the prayers of your congregation and those of all the others in this world who pray for peace are enough to counteract all those who pray for war—by their actions & fears, if not on their knees.
4 Johnny // Aug 7, 2006 at 12:33 pm
I went to the UU church(instead of my normal ward service) to hear a sermon remembering that day. We actually read Sadako’s story. At the end of the story a women in the congregation spontaneously started singing a hymn about peace. The entire congregation instantly joined in without missing a beat. I guess more than one person was inspired that day to offer a plea for peace.
5 pilgrimgirl // Aug 7, 2006 at 7:40 pm
Johnny–the spontaneous song sounds wonderful. It’s heartwarming to know that so many people are seeking peace.
Thanks for sharing
6 parsifal // Aug 8, 2006 at 1:01 am
Nothing wrong with remembering Hiroshima, but don’t forget Nanking, Unit 731…
7 PodMonkeys // Aug 8, 2006 at 10:15 am
I just heard recently, that one reason for dropping the bomb was to be the first to do it. Apparently, the Germans were supplying radioactive material and scientists to Japan, and Japan had plans to drop a dirty bomb on San Francisco scheduled for just 8 days after the day we dropped our first one.
Nasty business about the Unit 731. Ground zero for Hiroshima was a Hospital. We also fire-bombed civilian residential neighborhoods in Japan. The British carpet bombed German cities at night, and the French cooperated with the Germans in setting up camps. I think no one came out of WWII innocent of wrong doings. Unfortunately, its the winners that write history.
8 John // Aug 8, 2006 at 10:02 pm
I haven’t forgotten the atrocities that the Japanese committed. I get angry every time that hear about the Japanese PM paying his respects at the Yasukuni shrine to the war heroes. And I’m well aware of the many rules that were broken in World War Two by the allies. The firebombings of Tokyo killed as many as Hiroshima or Nagasaki. In spite of all this, Hiroshima (even more so than Nagasaki) captures the imagination and symbolizes humanity’s ability to deal death to fellow humans.
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