I recently discovered that Toyohiko Kagawa autographed my father-in-law’s Bible in 1941.
Known as the St. Francis of Japan, the Japanese Ghandi, and other similar monikers, Kagawa was a Japanese theologian, peace activist, evangelist, friend of the poor, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Seminarian Joe Davis wrote a thumbnail sketch of his life, as well as a creative “celestial conversation” with him, if you want to know more about this great man, whose life example places him among the likes of Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. So, beyond the personal “wow!” of discovering his signature in my father-in-law’s Bible, I invite the church at large to discover the legacy of Toyohiko Kagawa.
Holistic Ministry Tool #6: Qualities of Holistic Congregations
The church is God’s chosen vessel for modeling and sharing the Good News of Christ in our world. There is an indescribable quality about a church committed to living out the gospel that whispers to your spirit: Yes, this is how Christ meant his followers to live, love and serve together.
