On the Ocassion of the 80th Anniversary of The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings

On August 6, I had the honor of representing Bishop Jeff Johnson and the Sierra Pacific Synod at the Blessing Service for Peace marking the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings. The service was held at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, in partnership with the San Francisco Interfaith Council, the Japanese American Religious Federation of San Francisco, and the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.

We were blessed by remarks from Yo Osumi, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, and by beautiful musical selections from harpists and koto musicians. We were also greeted by Hibakusha—survivors of the blasts—Mr. Jack Dairiki and Ms. Seiko Fujimoto, whose compassionate hearts and enduring spirits deeply moved me.

During the service, we learned about the ginkgo saplings planted in the Japanese Tea Garden—descendants of a ginkgo tree that survived the atomic bombings—now serving as living symbols and calls for peace.

We also heard from Haneen Khalid, who as a young person founded a region-wide grassroots movement for nuclear nonproliferation in South Asia, mobilizing thousands of youth in Pakistan and India toward a nuclear-free world.

The service concluded with blessings from religious leaders representing Christianity, Buddhism, and Konkōkyō.

I learned about the atomic bombings in school, but being present at this service made clear that these events are not just history—they live on in the bodies of survivors and in the painful legacy of Japanese internment camps in the United States during WWII. I was moved that those gathered did not shy away from the atrocity, but instead called us to remember honestly and commit ourselves to doing better.

One speaker quoted Félix Houphouët-Boigny: “Peace is not a vain word. It’s a behavior.” I was struck by how people of different religions, nations, and histories—survivors, leaders, and advocates—have transformed grief, loss, and ancestral memory into a daily, lived practice of peace. May we do the same.

-Pastor Courtney Geibert, San Francisco Conference Dean & Synod Communications