My name is Kuniyasu Mitsu, and I am the pastor of this church. I came to Sendai in August 2011. I lived in Tokyo for about 25 years. I started reading the Bible when I was a college student. When I was a student, I wanted to become a cook of Italian cuisine. I was in my first and second years of college. I dreamt that I would like to have my own restaurant and become a person who pleases others, and I worked as a part-time worker at a restaurant and as a subordinate.
At that time, I worked, studied, and lived a fulfilling life, but I think I always had something muddled in my mind. I was always worried about other people’s eyes. I was worried about whether I was a great person or a bright person to people, and I think it was because I was worried, and I never seriously thought about what I was living for. But she kept something muddled about her. Now I think the reason I wanted to cook Italian food was because I wanted to get away from that anxiety somewhere.
One day, on my way home from my part-time job, I had a car accident on my motorcycle. I spent about two months recuperating from my injury. Then there was a period when I couldn’t do anything. At that time, a great deal of anxiety came. “I can’t move; what am I living for? What is it for?” And then the anxiety that I’ve been hiding so far, like water spouting out of the faucet, came to me all at once.
But for the first time, I was able to face myself, and I realized that I was just trying to attract myself compared to others because I couldn’t love myself, and that I just wanted to feel safe there. I felt so empty about my existence. What am I living for? ··
Then I began to go to church, and I still remember the strange warmth of worship, the warmth of being myself. Then, gradually, I began to think of the existence of “God,” as evidenced by the Bible, and through the Bible, I gradually began to understand the meaning of life and where the joy of life lies.
Thus, I entered a seminary in Kobe about three and a half years later and came to Sendai as a pastor, hoping to convey the wonderful information of the Bible and to bring the joy of life that God gave me. I would like to convey the joy of the Bible in Sendai. This morning, I’d like to tell you a story about that joy.