Japanese Church Delegates Issue Cry
Delegates from churches in Korea and Japan this week called for the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and other ecumenical organizations to become more actively involved in bringing “critical attention” to issues related to nuclear energy.
Delegates said that the world could be faced with a “major catastrophe” if the church doesn’t become more deeply involved in addressing the concerns that disasters and problems at nuclear power plants around the world have raised.
Especially on the minds of delegates was Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power facility, which was destroyed following the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011.
Last year’s massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused reactor meltdowns and radioactive leaks at the plant on the coast of Japan about 150 miles northeast of Tokyo. The release of high levels of radiation has caused mass evacuations and widespread contamination.
According to news reports, workers are trying to dismantle the plant. But at the same time, tons of radioactive water leaked from a reactor this week, adding to people’s fears.
This tragedy underscores the need for churches to be more involved in discussing and seeking ways forward in a time when many countries rely on nuclear power plants for their energy, Korean and Japanese church representatives said at the WCRC’s Northeast Asia Area Council planning meeting that ended today in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Churches in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong are members of the council. The gathering was hosted by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
In a keynote address, Setri Nyomi, WCRC general secretary, told delegates that he believes human activity is destroying God’s creation. The ongoing problems in Japan’s nuclear power industry are one example of this.
“In the name of development, we have destroyed our natural resources and put in their places monuments of human greed. Our lifestyles have often led to unnecessary emissions of greenhouse gasses,” Nyomi said.
In a message to delegates based on the message to the church of Laodicea (Revelations 3: 16), WCRC vice-president Yueh-Wen Lu reminded delegates that they need to be “hot” Christians bringing love and justice and values for making a difference in the world rather than be lukewarm and passively participate in actions that are destructive to life.
In a presentation to the council, the outgoing president Yang-En Cheng said, “We need more theological reflection and praxis in eco-justice, followed by concrete faith action.”
WCRC was created on the campus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., in June 2010 through a merger of the World Council of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC).
Its 230 member churches representing 80 million Christians are active worldwide in initiatives supporting economic, climate and gender justice, mission, and cooperation among Christians of different traditions.
