キリストから受けた初めの愛に立ち返ろう

※上は横田早紀江さんと　下は拉致交渉の際に贈呈された書「敬天愛人」

この英文（下部）は

かつて私がまとめた

日中平和友好にご尽力をされた

李徳全さんの働きの

日本語文書を

中華人民共和国の建国の歴史や

第二次世界大戦の戦後処理について

あまり知らない

アメリカはじめ

英語圏の方たちにお伝えしたくて

友人にお願いして翻訳をご協力いただいた

英語版の文書です

とりわけ、バイデンさんから

トランプさんに政権交代していくタイミング

だからこそ

ぜひともお読みいただきたい内容です

現在の北朝鮮の総書記で

国を指導されている金正恩さんも

お父さんの金正日氏の育ての親

キムヨンスンさんを通じて

李徳全さんのお孫さんのご友人を通じて

拉致交渉したその経緯をぜひとも

振り返っていただいて

日朝国交正常化に向けて

ご理解とご協力をいただきたいと願っています

2025年は

国民の未来の建設的な産業政策を

隣国同士手をとりあって

こどもたちの笑顔を奪わないためにも

尽力していきたいと願って止みません

真の平和が

世界の願いであり

個人の夢や目標ではないからこそ

是非とも多くの方に読んでいただきたいところです

北朝鮮とのことは

6カ国協議がありましたので

石破さん

習さん

金正恩さん

バイデンさんとトランプさん

尹さん

プーチンさん

政治外交はその歴史的な文脈を無視するときに

破壊や争いが起きやすいものですが

そこに互いに愛と平和と尊敬をもって

隣人、隣国と向き合うことこそ

世界各国の国民が願っていることかと

そのように捉えています

バイデンさんはカトリックのみなさんが

政治を支えていることが多いようで

トランプさんはプロテスタントは福音派や

ユダヤ人の方たちが多いようで

クリスチャンは宣教の歴史を振り返り

武力を使って民主主義を正当化したことが

過去に一度でもあれば

まずは、反省をしていかなければなりません

キリストイエスは

剣を取るものは

剣で滅びると教えた通りです

西方教会

東方教会と

大航海時代や

第一次

第二次世界大戦と

民主主義や資本主義を旗印に

他国を武力で制圧してきた

その歴史を改めて

反省していく時代ではないでしょうか

アメリカにも

中国にも

ロシアにも

韓国にも

北朝鮮にも

日本にも

平和のために

相手を殺して戦いをやめさせることよりも

自らの命を捧げて

一粒の麦となった名もなき神の器たちが

いたことをみなさん知っている通りです

イエスキリストが十字架にかかるとき

旧約聖書のメシア預言の解釈で

指導者たちは分裂しました

そして、したことを反省して

悔い改めたパウロもいれば

それを誤魔化して

賄賂でイエスの遺体を盗まれたことにして

フェイクニュースで人々を混乱させた

リーダーたちもいました

リーダーが認めて

謙らなければならないのは

国民はみな自分の所有物でもなく

政治家の下働きをさせる小作人でもなく

水飲み百姓でもなく

価値ある対応で公平な存在である

一人一人であることではないでしょうか

多様性を大切にする時代なら

2025年は改めて

70億人の中で一人ではないことを信じて

人の命の価値は

天賦人権論に立って

隣人と接していきたいと思います

だからテロも戦争もやめてほしいです

やがてそれが終わることに

心が飢え渇いています

神の似姿に造られた

大切な一人一人という価値観は

政治家の国民に対しての姿勢だけではなく

夫婦も

親子も

家族も

友人も

同僚も

隣近所も

隣国も

同様だと考えています

私はイスラエルを愛していますし

またアラブ人も愛しています

神の教会はアブラハムによって

信仰の家族となりました

そして、民族的なアブラハムの子孫は

本妻サラの子イサクと

側女ハガルの子イシュマエルと

どちらも神様が民族が増え広がることを

約束してくれました

イスラエルとアラブ諸国の平和の完成を

願っているものとして

我々の信仰の父

アブラハムとサラでさえ

神様の約束の時まで待てないで

ハガルとの間に子供をもうけてしまい

それが今にいたる争いの原因であることを

認めていかなければなりません

イサクの子孫も

イシュマエルの子孫も

キリストの愛と平和を知って

争いをやめて

平和に共存することを選ぶ人たちは

年々増えています

キリスト教会は

歴史において十字軍にしたこと

ユダヤ人にしたホロコーストや

宣教の大義のもとに

大航海時代に各地の

原住民にしたことを

心から反省して

初めの愛に立ち返って

キリストイエスから学んだ

隣人愛に生きる時です

教会の牧会者や神父やパーテルや

宣教者や伝道者たちが

神のように100点満点ではないことを

みな知っています

ルターが万人祭司と表現したように

万人が神の愛に生きるときです

世界が混沌として

戦争や戦争のうわさを聞かされるからこそ

政治判断を底から支えている

国民や企業経営者たちは

自分たちの利益だけを考えないで

助けあい

和合するあり方を

選択していくときではないでしょうか

沢山のことはできませんので

私は横田早紀江と知り合えたことで

横田めぐみさんたちの帰国のために

できることを

平和的に進めていけるように

コツコツと努力していきたいと思います

李徳全

中国から受けた無償の愛

Li Dequan

Extending the Unconditional Love from China

Chinese Christian politician Lee Dequan

who saved the lives of 32,000 Japanese

Extending the Unconditional Love from China

Love Covers Over a Multitude of Sins

“The end of all things is near.

Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.

Above all, love each other deeply,

because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:7-8 NIV (Bible)

If Japan had to make postwar (World War II) reparations,

the nation may have gone bankrupt.

When such concerns were being whispered and spreading in Japan,

God provided a way to liberate the 32,000 Japanese from China with no criminal charges or death sentences.

China generously extended an unconditional love to Japan; all were forgiven, and every single person was allowed to return to their homeland.

Most people did not know until the actualization of the Japan-China summit meeting in November 2014,

that there was a Christian couple working behind the scenes and contributing in the act of forgiveness and love that extended from China to Japan.

After World War II, the true reason of the liberation was revealed and was officially acknowledged by the Japanese government at the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Meeting on November 5th, 2014.

This formerly hidden fact can be traced back over 70 years ago. Just like how God delivered the whole nation of Israel during the ancient days of Daniel in the Old Testament, God also delivered the Japanese people from China 70 years after the war.

In 1945, the Second World War ended and Japan lost.

Many neighboring Asian nations experienced horrific deaths and because of this, the countries could not forgive nor love one another. After Japan was defeated in World War II, they had no idea how to compensate their former colony, China.

There were 1 million Japanese residents in colonized China, nervously preparing and waiting to be repatriated to Japan.

At the same time, there was a group of Japanese people who were stranded in China who didn’t have a clue how to return back home to Japan. These 32,000 people were war orphans, prisoners of war, class B and class C war criminals.

Immediately after the war, the Japanese government frantically sought ways to restore the relationship with China.

The Prime Minister of Japan was unable to directly negotiate with China to receive approval for the return of the Japanese.

He sought help from other global leaders, but no country was willing to cooperate with him.

When it seemed like there was no hope for the Japanese to return to Japan, God was preparing a particular Christian woman, Madam Li Dequan, who was the first minister for the Ministry of Health (MOH) of the People's Republic of China to do his work.

Li Dequan’s husband was General Feng Yuxiang.

Both General Feng Yuxiang and Li Dequan were key leaders of the People's Republic of China and also crucial figures for the birth of New China.

General Feng’s first wife fell ill and after her death, he married Li Dequan.

The two made it their mission to save the Japanese people by bringing them safely back home without any criminal charges or death sentences because they experienced Jesus’ unconditional love.

General Feng Yuxiang, a Christian general, is considered one of the influential leaders among Chinese prominent leaders like Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, Sun Yat-sen, Zhou Enlai.

General Feng met his latter wife Li Dequan at church. When he heard her sermon during the service, he felt that this woman would be his wife and eventually they were married.

Through Li Dequan, the general decided to become a believer of Jesus Christ.

General Feng Yuxiang had mobilized one of the largest private armies in the world.

 After becoming a Christian, he baptized tens of thousands of his subordinates and eagerly shared the gospel to them.

However, in later years, tragedy occurred.

A few months after writing his will, General Feng and his family were on a trip back home to China on a ship from the United States.

During the voyage, someone set General Feng’s room on fire.

Unfortunately, he and one of their daughters died from the fire and what remained was only a piece of his daughter’s clothing.

Another daughter witnessed the traumatic scene.

She was severely affected and became mentally ill for the rest of her life.

One of the daughters who was unharmed, later took over her parents’ position and played an indispensable role in China.

General Feng Yuxiang was a kind-hearted man, and deeply cared for the military forces’ family members who suffered from emotional and mental illnesses.

He invited American missionaries to lead his subordinates in the teachings of the Bible and even asked them to give counseling to their families and relatives.

One day, one of General Feng’s relatives, who suffered from mental illness, suddenly burst into a room, shot and killed one of the missionaries with a gun.

Feeling remorseful, General Feng sent a huge amount of money to the missionary’s son to pay for his tuition.

But the son returned the money.

Impressed by the son’s action, General Feng used the money to build a church and named it after his father.

Madam Li Dequan witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness and sincerity from the missionary’s son to her husband and the relative.

She was moved by mercy and compassion toward the Japanese people, despite having experienced her own suffering and loss of her husband and the negative impact the tragedy had on the daughter.

On October 30, 1954, nine years after the war ended,

the delegation was led by Li Dequan with a list of 1000 war criminals, orphans and POWs, and made it possible for the 32,000 Japanese to return to Japan without any trials or death penalties.

 It is mentioned in the Bible that,

“The end of everything is near.

So be prepared and pray for prayer.

First and foremost, love each other eagerly.

Love covers many sins.” (1 Peter chapter 4, verses 7 and .

It is written in the Bible that Jesus Christ took the cross for the sins of all people and ransomed their sins.

Naturally, the sins and wrongs were unpardonable, but Jesus Christ gave his life for us and took our place. That’s why we do not have to pay the price anymore. His death freed us from being captives by sin. Now our lives are completely changed and we are able to live as ‘a child of God’ .

The Bible tells us that just by believing in Jesus Christ, we can freely receive forgiveness of sins and we will enter heaven without any death penalties or judgement before God.

Love covers all sins.

General Feng Yuxiang, the founding father of China, witnessed and received Jesus’ love through the forgiveness of the American missionary’s son.

Madam Li Dequan became an instrument for China to extend forgiveness and unconditional love to Japan, enabling the Japanese people to return to their homeland .

The Christian politician Li Dequan explained how the 32,000 Japanese people were able to return home.

She said that it was because of the “2,000 years of exchange” between Japan and China that made it possible.

Li Dequan taught us that there has been an existing friendship between Japan and China since the olden days and it should never be forgotten.

In order to leave behind a legacy of peace for the future generations, the war should not be a cause of an evil seed to sprout grudges between Japan and China.

Madam Li Dequan paved a way to make peace throughout her life.

In a similar way, we need to learn from Christ's love and and follow their footsteps.

・・・・・・・・・・・・

    September 11th, 2019

・Translation - Rose Boeckl Ochiai 翻訳 - 落合ベッケルローズ

・Proofreading - Melody Hirayama Acuna 校正 - アクーナ平山メロディー