"A 93-year-old woman, dejected over the ongoing nuclear crisis, was found hanged at her home in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, in late June, leaving behind suicide notes that said in part, 'I will evacuate to the grave. I am sorry.'" The Mainichi Daily
"When people are grieving, the feelings that lead to suicide are strong. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, suicide rates in the Tohoku region have gone up sharply. In Fukushima Prefecture, 217 people killed themselves in May. In 2010, there were 49 suicides there during the same month." the Japan Times
View Youtube video: Suicide Plague- Japan swept by Fukushima depression.
Of Christ the scripture says, ”A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Matt. 20:20.
D.M. Lloyd-Jones comments on the above passage. “One of the most gracious words, I think, in the Gospels is that precious word spoken by our Lord where he quotes Isaiah and says, ‘The smoking flax he will not quench.’ When you look at that flax you may wonder whether there is any fire there at all; it seems absolutely lifeless. But it is all right- there is fire, there is something there; and the smoking flax He will not quench. He will, rather, fan it until it becomes a flame. Though you may have but little life, hold on to the fact that you have life, and thank God for it.”
Please pray that many* would serve the broken people in the Tohoku area with supernatural compassion and that the broken would put their hope in Christ. I am concerned that the hopelessness will affect other parts of Japan too. Pray that the church would be 'awakened' to Christ's grace and then show and proclaim it with great humility.
* My wife plans to serve up there August 8-12.
