World Peace

       

Hiroshima Revisited

PEACE WALK - TOKYO HIROSHIMA

13 October - 12 December 2000

Faith joined a two month 1000 km peace walk from Tokyo to Hiroshima in October 2000, together with individuals committed to peace They wished to commemorate the unspeakable suffering the people of Hiroshima experienced during World War II when a nuclear bomb was dropped on their city. The flame of the lamp they were carrying had been lit from a flame alight from the time of the Hiroshima bombing.

On 12 December 2000 (the 12^th day of the 12^th month of the 12^th year of the Heisei era by the Japanese calendar), the peace walkers joined people from around the world who had gathered in Hiroshima to pray for peace and happiness for the entire universal human community. The vision of these people was to seek to make the future one of peace for all.

Concerned residents of Hiroshima have consistently appealed for worldwide recognition of the foolish horror of war and the sanctity of peace. Their acute awareness of the absurdity of war derives from the painful experience of an atomic bombing almost 55 years previously. Yet world-wide, so many countries have built up enormous levels of these arsenals rather than resort to reconciliation, understanding and co-operation.

History reveals that the human race has tended to seek the interests of its own groups or countries with an intensity that generally caused those concerned to resort to war. Differences between us as individuals and nations - prejudices, ideology and belief continue to pose grave problems across the entire spectrum of human endeavour.

 

Whilst on the walk, she wrote the following:

"In Beauty We Walk"

PEACE WALK - TOKYO HIROSHIMA

13 October - 12 December 2000

Encapsulated within each 20-25km daily walk schedule is a lifetime of experiences. We walk together as one, yet individually our souls travel on an uncharted journey. We are truly living moment by moment as each wondrous day unfolds. We are blessed and the watching angels lighten our paths.

We are deeply touched by the enthusiastic support, generosity and open hearts of the Japanese people. From homes to temples and schools, linked with unexpected camping spaces, we rest and refresh with gratitude. Some more unusual overnight resting spaces have been within internal fire-warmed North American Indian tepees especially erected on the banks of rivers and deep within luxuriant forests filled with flowing ferns and sky-reaching bamboo.

It is a time of growing awareness of the environmental problems and issues within each community ..... a time of reaching out and sharing and most of all, a time of caring. The walkers ebb and flow as a river, each creating a space of peace within their hearts in remembrance of the pain and anguish of Hiroshima.

The base core walking group increases and decreases as concerned individuals join the walk for the space of time they have available, come rain or shine. For a few days we saw through newly opened eyes as a blind boy strode strongly ahead of the group without faltering. A father patiently pushing his sleeping daughter's pram kilometre after kilometre created renewed strength of purpose for the walking team.

Each morning and at specific points through the day, the praying walkers surround the lamp holding the living flame of Hiroshima. They focus their collective awareness on the purpose of the walk. Their hearts and energies are joined in united celebration and thankfulness for the sacredness of all life.

It is the deep concern of all walkers that this small flame of unity will radiate throughout our universe to create the healing energies our sacred mother earth sorely needs. They pray you will join their collective peace explosion prayers.

JAPAN - 8 NOVEMBER 2000

Faith Carter ©