Okinawa Memorial Day 2026: Peace Message

What thoughts run through our minds as we gather here today, on this day, in this place, about what happened 81 years ago?　Perhaps we recall the lives of our families, relatives, and friends, whose whereabouts remain unknown.　Or perhaps the heartbreaking sight of Okinawa, reduced to scorched earth by a fierce storm of iron.　Or perhaps the terrifyingly cruel scene of mountains of corpses piled high. Few people today carry such raw emotional wounds. However, the more than 200,000 who perished with unbelievable regrets, and those who survived the ravages of war, wandered the same battlefield, experienced the same absurdity and humiliation, and walked together on the brink of life and death. That fact and trauma will never disappear, regardless of life or death. Now, let us close our eyes and focus our hearts on those heavy, deep scars. And let us reflect on that fear and pain, and try to share it, even just a little. Now, with tears in our eyes, we pray that they may rest in eternal rest through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, who shares their suffering. And together with them, we cry out: “Never again should anyone have to experience the bitterness of war!”

War is Evil.

However, the current global situation is one of imminent crisis, threatening the worst war. In the fighting in Gaza and Ukraine, and in the missile attacks in Iran and surrounding parts of the Middle East, countless innocent people continue to be killed. The whole world is caught up in military buildup and arms races while competing under the guise of defense and the protection of sovereignty. Weapons that produce nothing, weapons made solely for the purpose of slaughter and destruction, soldiers trained only to win wars, stripped of their humanity and consumed. Everyone knows that these things are wrong and should be avoided, yet no one can stop this war. However, even by creating a noble cause, pretending there is no other way, and loudly proclaiming defense, war cannot be justified. In a global trend toward even abolishing the death penalty, no killing can be condoned. There is no such thing as a just war; war, in any form, is evil.

The Path to Peace

To eliminate all war, we must stop the cycle of retaliation. We must break the cycle of hatred. Invasion, border crossings, occupation, and plunder for the expansion of territory and interests are out of the question, and retaliation only brings more death and ruin. Hatred only begets hatred. Retaliation only invites further retaliation. The victims are always the weak and the small, those who do not participate in the war.

Even after experiencing the storm of steel and the hellish conditions of the battlefield, Okinawans harbor no resentment towards anyone. They do not even hate their enemies. They cared for the misfortunes of young enemy soldiers as if they were their own children. In Okinawa, conflict is most abhorred. They thoroughly avoid fighting. They reject war. They walk the path of nonviolence, choosing the path of peace even if it means being wounded themselves.

The Spirit of Absolute Peace-Seeking

Let us imagine. The most important thing for realizing such an ideal. It is not a deal, a bargain, diplomacy, or a treaty. The deepest core of “permanently renunciation of all belligerency and armament” is “grief.” It is reflecting on the “deep, deep wounds” inflicted by war. The oyster, quietly nestled deep in the ocean, when a painful stone or other source of pain enters its body, struggles and suffers, yet repeatedly strokes and embraces this source of pain that it cannot remove, eventually transforming it into a radiant pearl. Just like this pearl oyster, the spirit of non-war and non-violence born from the brave, sincere, and earnest Okinawan people is truly like a pearl. Without using the scars of war as a basis for resentment, bitterness, or revenge, and without rejecting or attempting to erase those wounds, they ruminate on this “sorrow” within themselves, weeping, and embracing within themselves the resolve that this suffering must never again be inflicted upon anyone, allowing their souls to shine like beautiful pearls. This “spirit of absolute peace-seeking” of Okinawa is truly a treasure for the world, an irreplaceable treasure.

If we cherish, respect, and learn from this precious spirit, true world peace, which may seem impossible to achieve, will surely come to pass. Because such a way of life leads us onto the path of peace. A path shown to us by our Lord Jesus Christ himself.