April 2025 Voice of the Divine Parent
- Rev. Nobuharu Uzunoe
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Vol. 25# 4
Rev. Kametaro Nakayama - The Dangers of Overprotection - continued from March
When I was traveling to Akita Prefecture some time ago, it was right before the rice harvest. That year, there was no damage from typhoons or cold weather, so rice fields were filled with beautiful harvests. However, in one section, the green rice plants had fallen over.
Out of curiosity, I asked a farmer, "Is this a different variety of rice?" He replied, "No, it's the same kind, but it has been over-fertilized." Until then, I had assumed that more fertilizer was better. However, he explained that excessive fertilizer causes the rice to grow too much, reducing the harvest, and making the plants more vulnerable to wind.
Isn't this similar to parenting? If a mother’s love for her child is excessive, they may grow up without independence and lack self-reliance as well as initiative.
The Contradiction of a Mother’s Love
I also had the opportunity to speak at a women’s prison where I met a woman serving a seven-year sentence. She had a kind face, and I wondered how such a woman could have been accused of something so terrible as to have to serve those years in prison. When I asked a prison officer, I learned her tragic story.
After losing her husband, she struggled in poverty and thought, "It's too cruel for my children to live like this." Believing she was acting out of love, she attempted a family suicide. Her children passed away, but she alone survived. As a result, she was convicted of murder and sentenced to seven years in prison.
As a mother, she truly considered her children’s future and happiness. But can this really be called true maternal love?
A mother's love sometimes carries painful contradictions.
Parental Responsibility and Children's Individuality
Raising children with love and care is a wonderful responsibility. However, trying to shape them entirely according to a parent's wish just because they are “my children” may actually be a burden on them.
Some parents disregard their child's individuality, choosing their school or career based on their own social status or forcing their personal interests upon them. Others try to live out their own unfulfilled dreams through their children.
This “instinctual yet contradictory maternal love" must be refined, deepened, and enhanced. I believe that it is through faith that this can be accomplished.
It is important to raise children with love that is refined, deepened, and enhanced by faith. A child's spirituality grows naturally within a mother’s faith-based life. Children come to love what their mother loves and believe in the God their mother believes in.
The Right of a Child to Choose Their Parents
In Ellen Key’s book, The Century of the Child, it is stated that "children have the right to choose their parents." Every child has the right to be well-born, well-raised, and well-educated because no child is born by their own choice.
While children are ours to raise, they are also gifts from Kami. Parents should not raise their children solely based on their personal emotions but with the awareness that they are entrusted with Kami’s children. Therefore, we should strive to be good parents and lead a faith-based life.
For the Future Generations
Children are the foundation of the next generation and essential to building a new society. It is crucial to respect our children and nurture them as valuable members of the community.
The founder of Konkokyo referred to children as "young leaves", finding great joy when they came to worship. He prayed for children to grow up in a good environment and for faith to be passed down through generations.
A child's world is one of peace and purity. It is our duty to nurture these precious “young leaves” to become responsible citizens and develop a rich spiritual foundation so they may contribute to society.
Only when children find true happiness can adults also experience genuine fulfillment.
Every child is precious and ultimately is Kami’s child.
To be continued in the next issue
Exercises for the Mind/Heart/Spirit |
012 Wash the soles of your feet first |
When you wash your body today, why not start with the soles of your feet? These are parts of our body that we may not pay much attention to. However, they are hard workers that support our body all day long. Let us express our gratitude for their hard work. |
Konko Church of Gardena and Los Angeles Announcements
Morning Service and Cleanup
On April 6, morning service will be held from 9:00 a.m. After the prayer, let us clean the inside and outside of the church together. No Shinto-kai meeting this month.
Monthly service and From Farmer to Founder Study Group
The monthly service will be held on April 13 from 10:00 a.m. The study session on From Farmer to Founder- Biography of Konko Daijin is to be determined.
Gardena Church Shinto-kai Chicken Curry Rice Sale
Please join us on Sunday, April 27 for the Chicken Curry Rice Sale. The curry will be served with potatoes and carrots with options of Mild or Medium Hot for $9.50. Order forms are available in the link below. The deadline to order is Monday, April 21. Thank you!
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