I do not believe that God has given us this trial to not purpose. I know that the day will come when we will clearly understand why this persecution with all it's sufferings has been bestowed upon us -- for everything that Our Lord does is for our good. And yet, even as I write these words I feel the oppressive weight in my heart of those last stammering words of Kichijiro in the morning of his departure: "Why has Deus Sama imposed this suffering on us?" and then the resentment in those eyes that he turned upon me. "Father", he had said "what evil have we done?" I suppose I should simply cast from my mind these meaningless words of the coward; yet why does his plaintive voice pierce my breast with tall the pain of a sharp needle? Why has Our Lord imposed this torture and this persecution on poor Japanese peasants? No, Kichijiro was trying to express something different, something even more sickening. The silence of God. Already twenty years have passed since the persecution broke out; the black soil of Japan has been filled with the lament of so many Christians; the red blood of priests has flowed profusely; the walls of churches have fallen down; and in the face of this terrible and merciless sacrifice offered up to Him, God has remained silent. Anonymous
About This Quote

This quote is about the suffering of the Japanese Christians during World War II. This did not happen due to God's will but rather was a result of human action. This suffering was imposed on the Japanese people by their own government because the Japanese Christians were trying to stop their country from being involved in war. The government feared that if they allowed Christianity to spread, that they might have more support for the anti-war movement.

The government decided that they must take action against this "evil" and therefore enforced a policy of persecution against anyone who would not denounce Christ. Those who refused were tortured, beaten, and sent to prison camps where they were forced to suffer terrible hardships while only being able to offer up prayers for their fellow believers.

Source: Silence

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