“Systems of injustice can only be resolved with community and partnership”
Sophie with Rev. Omo, previous minister and mother of current minister at Myakojima Church, with the Newfoundland flag.
Credit: David McIntosh
Sophie Fitzgerald was one of two United Church young adults selected to attend the Minority Youth Forum in Japan, hosted by the Center for Minority Issues and Mission.
Sophie writes about her experience:
“As a young woman in my 20s who has lived and grown up in the United Church, I have always felt God’s call to spread God’s love and peace in any way that I can. Being involved with many organizations and missions with the church, I’ve had the privilege to do this many times in many provinces across Canada but never internationally, until this past March where God called me to travel to Miyakojima island.
“On a tour of the island, we saw exactly what the Japanese military is doing to Miyakojima. We saw how they are taking the beautiful beaches and using them as training camps, putting up missile bunkers in the middle of town next to peoples’ homes and so much more. We sat and talked about how our generation can help the people of Miyakojima have peace once again, and how peace cannot be created with military and military weapons. Throughout these conversations and visits to these sites you could feel an overwhelming presence of our Creator, and was saddened when coming to the terms that everything beautiful that God created was being destroyed and will be destroyed if war does occur.
“We all need to come together to be a community, a community of God’s children striving to seek peace in the world. All people of compassion, wisdom, and belief need to come together in order to take care of one another, and to take care of our beautiful world that the Creator made. Systems of injustice can only be resolved with community and partnership with one another. I am blessed that I get to bring the partnership and stories of the people of Miyakojima island back to my island of Newfoundland.”
The Youth Forum is an ecumenical initiative of churches in Japan, supported by The United Church of Canada and Mission and Service. Your generosity through Mission and Service helps programs like this one that inspire peace and learning. Thank you.