On January 3rd, the twenty-four were taken to the crossroads of the first avenue of Upper Kyoto, where the left lobe of their ears was cut off. Then, they were paraded around Kyoto, and moreover around Osaka and Sakai.
As a matter of fact, at that time they had an opportunity to escape from being martyred. Before the lobe of their ears was cut off, officers told them on the bridge in the crossroads of the first avenue of Upper Kyoto,”If you don’t cross over the bridge and abandon faith, you would be exempted from cutting off the lobe of the ear and execution, and be pardoned. But, if you still persist in refusing to forsake faith, the path to death starts after crossing over this bridge.”
They were threatened with those words. But they did crossed the bridge with gladness. Then they were paraded with their ears cut off. They chose martyrdom — the journey to heaven. This bridge is called “Modori-bashi (Returning bridge)”. They didn’t return from the bridge. Crossing Modori-bashi (Returning bridge), their journey to heaven would start.
It is much harder for them to lose joy the Lord is with them than pain for flesh they receive on earth. I think they could not consider they would abandon the selection the Lord chose them as martyrs. They were with the Lord. They chose the Lord who is with them. It was not special choice.
We also made a visit to “Modori-bashi (Returning bridge)” shortly after we got married. Two of my wife and me crossed the bridge. That’s our confession of faith to God. It’s our confessing,”We never return, throwing away God’s selections and callings."
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