gcls_WFP_427
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Toychiko Kagawa (continued).
"Kagawa lives out utterly the life of love, which he conceives to have been the essence of Christ's teaching. For years, during his slum work, he had but one suit of clothes and but meager covering for his bed. If he was given superfluous clothing, he gave it away to the needy. He refuses to concede that it is necessary to use violence for the improvement of conditions of life in Japan, and he has withdrawn himself from group after group which has desired to use the methods of violence. His only weapon is that of love.-----
"As his formula for social work is simply, 'I love them, that is all,' so it may be said that his formula stands him in stead for every occasion that life brings to him.----
"In a speech before Shanghai Christian leaders in August, 1927, referring to his early pastoral duties, he said, 'In connection with preaching in the slums I had to do these things: First, to help the needy, the physically weak, and wounded. To this end, I opened a free clinic. Second, to educate the slum boys. I began, therefore, to teach arithmetic and algebra for two hours in the morning beginning at five o'clock, and again from seven to eight in the evening. Third, to preach. At eight o'clock, after evening classes, I would go out with the students for street preaching. For the first four years of my residence in the slums I never stopped preaching in the streets.'
"From 1910 until the present time, Kagawa has continously been engaged in literary work and in the publication of books and periodicals for the furtherance of his work. 'I thought that, unless I wrote, it would be very difficult to reach the people en masse. Probably I write too much, but I have written about forty-five books, and am ready to publish more.'
The above is from a sketch of Kagawa's life by Eleanor M. Hinder and Helen F. Topping in Mr. Kagaw's book, "Love the law of Life," published by the Winston Co.
A sketch of Kagawa is also found in the section of our Lodge Book about Japan.
Kagawa expresses the love of Christ in life. He realizes that the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ in a man's life will bring joy and redemption. He expresses the love in his heart by practical deeds. He has been active in many labor and social movements in Japan. Yet he says violence and force should not be used.
"Christ's spiritual revolution will bring about the true State of God, where violence cannot enter, where the laws are those of love.--What we need today in the social movement is the man who can love others as Christ loves him--Bolshevists and Communists are killing the men who disagree with them. The last step in social reconstruction will be a society in which those in power will forgive those under them. While we suppress the ideas and principles of others, there is no real reconstruction going on. We can give every idea a chance, when we put all into the net of love----The love of Christ stands out as the greatest thing known to humanity."
We appreciate very much Mr. Kagawa's message to our boys.
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