On October 9, I participated in and delivered a message at the “Evening Prayer—Doshisha University × Rikkyo University Message Exchange,” held at the Rikkyo Gakuin All Saints Chapel on Rikkyo University’s Ikebukuro Campus.
Doshisha University and Rikkyo University signed a mutual cooperation and collaboration agreement in 2024. Under this agreement, starting in the 2025 academic year, we have been sending faculty, staff, and students to each other’s worship services to deliver messages. In May of this year, Rikkyo University Chancellor Nishihara delivered a message during our university’s Chapel Hour.
In my message titled “Peacemakers,” based on Matthew 5:9—“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”—I spoke about the challenges of achieving peace and the importance of historical awareness, referencing the wartime histories of both Rikkyo University and Doshisha University. I also highlighted the poet Yun Dong-ju as a starting point for a “culture of peace,” connecting three universities, including Yonsei University in South Korea. I concluded my address by expressing my hope that Rikkyo University and Doshisha University would nurture people who, with a sound understanding of history, work together for peace amid global division and conflict.
The entire Anglican service was very solemn, and I spent a peaceful time listening to the choir's beautiful voices and the pipe organ's powerful performance.
