Thank God We Lost the War
Darlene Deibler was preparing to return to the United States after being liberated from a Japanese internment camp and four years of captivity. The young missionary was approached by a Japanese officer with a surprising declaration:
Some people would not understand if I said this to them, but I think you will. I’m thanking God we lost the war. I really mean that! We are a proud people, and if we had won the war, the doors of Japan would never again have opened to missionaries. Many people would say I was a traitor to my country, but I love my country and my people enough to suffer the humiliation of defeat, that they might have the opportunity I have had of hearing that Christ is the Son of God, and that He died for all. There are many among the soldiers of my country who are now asking questions. There is a receptivity to my ministry, since the worship of our ancestors has failed to give us the victory. They are searching, and I ask that you pray for them.542
No one would ever wish for a personal, family, or national disaster. Unfortunately, such events will inevitably happen. At such times, we can only pray for the strength of faith evidenced by this Japanese Christian. In the face of a national tragedy, he saw hope that more in his country would turn to the true God. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks America saw an apparent resurgence of faith across the land. “God Bless America” was seen everywhere. Unfortunately, as conditions returned to normal, these displays subsided. I pray that it won’t take a devastating disaster to bring about a more widespread and lasting return to faith among our own “proud people.” On a national or a personal level, when prosperity blinds us to our dependence on God’s mercy and the importance of God in our lives, it is surely a curse.
“Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
—Luke 18:25–27
Religious services on the USS South Dakota. (National Archives)
Gen. MacArthur signs the surrender documents. (National Archives)