It was just before the Passover Feast. The evening meal was being served. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father who had put all things under his power.

Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:1-5)

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:6-8)

When God sends his one and only Son into the world, he puts all things under his power. He has been doing so since he formed Adam from the dust of the ground until now. (Genesis 1:26-28) One and only Son means irreplaceable child, irrespective of whether there is one or many. All creatures and living things in this world are God's irreplaceable children. Each of them is his one and only Son.

The world is like a painting prepared before your eyes. You can brush freely according to your insight and your circumstances. The tsunami caused by a recent large earthquake in Chile, hit the Japanese coast only one day after the earthquake. Likewise, the impact of your brush stroke will spread throughout the whole world. A stroke of your brush may uplift the world, just as the painted dragon is brought to life by adding the final touch on its pupil. However if you brush in error, the dragon may die, and the entire world may collapse. You should undertake only one task, that is, to show the full extent of your love to the world. This is your own world after all. By washing his disciples' feet, Jesus showed them this truth.

The United States announced the dispatch of thirty thousand more troops, as part of its strategy to withdraw from Afghanistan starting from July next year (2011). U.S. Marine Corps and NATO forces in Afghanistan, together with the Afghan Army, launched a mopping-up operation against the Taliban at Marjah in southern Helmand province where the Islamic fundamentalist forces have been in control.

President Obama wants to withdraw immediately. However the American people will not allow this as it would appear to be an admission of failure or defeat. Therefore President Obama is desperately trying to demonstrate progress in order to maintain the dignity of the US before the withdrawal takes place. However he seems to be experiencing yet more problems as the military operation began with civilian deaths caused by American rockets.

The U.S. sent their army into some countries in a police action against anti-American forces based there following the September 11th terrorist attacks, ignoring the sovereignty of those countries. Though such military action is clearly a war, the U.S. sees its opponents as evil criminals and not negotiating partners. Therefore, until their annihilation, the avenue of peace is closed. This is self defeating, however, as the more the U.S. deploys its military forces, the more anger grows among local residents and the stronger the forces of the enemy become.

As a matter of fact, the United States is by no means the first to have ignored international sovereignty and to have exercised police power in other countries and to have fallen into a quagmire. The Military conflict between Japan and China that began on, July 07 1937, near the Marco Polo Bridge in southwest Beijing, quickly escalated into an all-out war. Later the Japanese army captured Nanjing, the capital of China, following the Hangzhou Bay Landings. However the Konoe Cabinet issued a statement at that time and said, "Japan will no longer recognize the Kuomintang government." The Japanese government stated, "This military conflict is not a war but retaliation. Military action for retaliation is internationally recognized and is a kind of clearing operations against marauding bands." Japan expanded the war and sank into the morass, according to “Sore demo Nihonjin wa senso o eranda”, authored by Ms. Yoko Kato, Professor of Literature at Tokyo University.

Prophets in the Old Testament all preached peaceful diplomacy with neighboring countries, such as Assyria, New Babylonia and Egypt. However, the mainstream of Israel always advocated war. Israel eventually lost and this resulted in the population being displaced.

King Josiah, who was the 16th king of Israel, instituted a major religious reform based on the Book of Deuteronomy, a book which was discovered at that time and added to the “Five Books of Moses” as the fifth book. Jesus, who frequently quoted from Deuteronomy, seems to have aimed at religious reforms modeled after King Josiah, and said, "Do not judge" (Mat 7:1), "Settle matters quickly with your adversary" (Mat 5:25), and "Love your enemies." (Mat 5:44) It is difficult for anyone to forgive his adversary after they have disagreed with one another. However Jesus taught us, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."(Mat 5:7)

The first step towards peaceful diplomacy is to recognize adversaries as equal negotiating partners, regardless of whether they are Kim Jong Il, Obama, Osama bin Laden, Netanyahu, Hitler, de Gaulle, Stalin, Roosevelt, Hideki Tojo, Chiang Kai-shek and so on. But that's not enough. If one wishes to achieve peace, he has to go one step further and to love his adversaries.

In fact, Chiang Kai-shek, the late President of the Republic of China, showed a mercy rare in history and abandoned the right to claim compensation from Japan and prevented Japan from being split and occupied by the victorious nations. He also ensured the safe return of Japanese military and civilian personnel in China and entrusted the Japanese nation with the decision as to whether they would continue with the Emperor system after World War II. He really practiced "overcome evil with good" (Roma 12:21) and demonstrated the love of Christ. (Eko-an Hensho: 2010-03-24)

According to the dialectic of the Gospel of John,

【thesis】　"A man can possess eternal life through accepting testimony of the Son of man and being baptized by him." (John 5:24)

【anti-thesis】　But "The one who comes from the earth cannot accept the testimony by one from heaven."(John 3:32)

How then can a man possess eternal life?

【synthesis】　"If you want to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, you can just go back to the word which was with God in the beginning (John 1:1) and certify that God is truthful. (John 3:33)"

When he said, "You are Huichao," Zen Master Fayan thrusted vivid Self in Huichao in front of his eyes. (The Origin of Christianity P.171)

Chiang Kai-shek joined the Methodist Church in 1931 and created the New Life Movement, a politico-spiritual program which contained elements of Christianity. He spared time for daily meditation and kept a diary in which he noted down the results of his introspection every week, according to Alden Whitman, a copy editor at the New York Herald Tribune from 1943-1951.

Weiwuwei

Do that which consists of no doing;

Shiwushi

Act in a way that is not acting;

Weiwuwei

Taste that which has no taste;

Daxiaoduoshao

Make large the small and many the few;

Baoyuanyide

Repay injury with kindness;

(Laozi chapter 63)

(English translation from Effortless action: Wu-wei as conceptual metaphor and spiritual ideal in early China, Author Edward Gilman Slingerland)

In anything one does, one should return to the origin and start from inaction or nothing. If one starts with nothing, there is no necessity to worry about losing anything, even honor, shame, hate or love. If one decides to practice “Repay injury with kindness”, he will not care any form of hate or insult.

Someone asked, "What do you think of the saying, 'Repay injury with kindness (Baoyuanyide)'? The Master replied, "With what, then, would one repay kindness? Repay injury with uprightness (Baoyuanyizhi), and kindness with kindness."

(Lunyu Xianwen chapter 14)

(English translation from Effortless action: Wu-wei as conceptual metaphor and spiritual ideal in early China, authored by Edward Gilman Slingerland)

‘Baoyuanyide’ is the ethic of heaven and ‘Baoyuanyizhi’ is moral on earth. We need to keep morals in this world. However we also require to frequently review morals based on the ethic of heaven.