wfn.org | Presbyterian Group Hears Story from Blind Survivor of A-Bomb Blast

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

Reply-To: wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>
29-March-1999 
99127 
 
    Presbyterian Group Hears Horror Story 
    from Blind Survivor of A-Bomb Blast 
 
    by Evan Silverstein 
 
HIROSHIMA, Japan - In one horrifying instant, Sun-byung Sun's life changed 
forever, as a bomb of unimaginable force exploded above Hiroshima, reducing 
the city to a charred atomic desert. 
 
    Sun, 70, recalled the events of Aug. 6, 1945, for a delegation from the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) gathered at the Hiroshima Korean Church. 
 
    Through an interpreter, the survivor of the first atomic bomb described 
a chaotic world cut off from civilization, where survival was difficult and 
the future was uncertain - especially for Korean nationals like himself, as 
Japan cast his people from its fallen empire. 
 
    "After the bombing it was a very difficult situation," said Sun, who 
was left blind and partially disabled from the effects of the bomb. "There 
was great confusion to get the roads back in order. After the war, some 
ethnic Koreans were able to go back to Korea, but that was difficult 
because it was not home any more." 
 
    Many Koreans had been forcibly brought to Japan to work as laborers in 
the heyday of the empire. More than 20,000 Koreans were among the estimated 
140,000 people who died of the acute effects of the bomb by the end of 
1945. 
 
    Today, Sun wears sun glasses to cover his eyes, one of which was fused 
shut by the explosion. He has problems standing up and sitting down, and 
walking is difficult. 
 
    He was one of the lucky ones. 
 
    Countless people unable to endure the pain of their injuries and burns 
jumped into the Motoyasu River near Ground Zero. Thousands of corpses were 
seen floating in Hiroshima's rivers in the days after the bombing.. 
 
    "It was like the sun exploded," Sun said afer a luncheon held in honor 
of the PC(USA) delegation's March 21 visit. 
 
    The nine-member delegation is visiting educational institutions in Asia 
as General Assembly Moderator the Rev. Douglas W. Oldenburg celebrates the 
church's involvement in education around the world. While visiting schools 
in Japan, the delegation worshiped with the 80-member Korean-Japanese 
congregation. 
 
    Oldenburg, who earlier preached at the Christian church during morning 
services, decreed that such an "atrocity" should never be permitted again. 
 
    "We from the United States not only pray for God's forgiveness, but for 
your forgiveness," he told the Japanese. "So, as we say about the holocaust 
in Germany, so we say, `Never again. ... Never again.'" 
 
    The church was founded in 1948 by survivors of the atomic bomb. When 
the congregation built a new church in 1988, they named it a "house of 
peace" in honor of those who lost their lives in the bombing. 
 
    "All these people come together as a community to work together as 
peace makers," said Chong Wha Lee, an elder at the church and an official 
with the South Korean Consulate, "and that's the thought behind the 
church." 
 
    Three women survivors on hand for the luncheon found the matter too 
difficult to discuss and declined comment. It was similarly daunting for 
one member of the American delegation. 
 
    "The most powerful thing today was being in a room with those 
survivors. It really brings it home," said the Rev. Daniel Force, executive 
secretary for the Medical Benevolence Foundation, a validated mission 
support group for health-related efforts of the PC(USA). "It's not 
theoretical (to me) any more -  it's very real." 
 
    Later, the Americans toured the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which 
honors the victims of the bombing. The museum features recorded testimony 
from survivors, and uses artifacts, models, photographs, drawings by 
survivors and panel exhibits to present the Hiroshima story. 
 
    "The experience of being at Ground Zero is beyond words. The solemn 
nature of Peace Park amidst the reality of such horrible destruction forces 
one to reflect on what happens when humans attempt to be God," said the 
Rev. David Maxwell, coordinator for global education in the Worldwide 
Ministries Division. "As a Christian it made me recommit myself to do all I 
can in my life to follow Christ's call to be a peacemaker and to help 
prevent this ever happening again." 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  This note sent by PCUSA NEWS
  to the wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>.
  Send unsubscribe requests to wfn-news-request@wfn.org