About the project
This year will mark the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Five years ago I was privileged to be in Japan to attend services and ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary. It was an unforgettable and emotional time which included so much that it is hard to put into words. Powerful experiences included watching hundreds of peace lanterns, lit in memory of the victims, float down the river into the sunset; sharing the peace with a survivor of the bombing of Nagasaki and feeling sad to have to say ‘no’ to a group of enthusiastic schoolgirls who asked if children in the UK knew the story of ‘Sadako and the Paper Cranes’. Do you know the story? I didn’t then but I do now, and it deserves to be widely shared. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament a partner in the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), have put Sadako’s story at the heart of this year’s campaign. I hope lots of us will want to read it, think about the message of hope, and take part in the simple act of folding paper cranes to remember and pray for peace.
Full details of the story and how to make the paper cranes can be found here. It would be good to share some pictures of our efforts too and hopefully bring all the cranes to church for our worship at the beginning of August. If you are able to make a donation to the campaign that is of course welcome too but if you can’t don’t worry you can still take part.
The Revd David Kirkwood, Rector
Watch the tutorial here: