We were rambling along in our Mira (the Japanese version of the Mini-Cooper) and entering the city of Kofu. I dragged two Shizuoka University students along with me on my quest to find the remains of Takeda Shingen's empire. My friends were amused that this Potagee/Hawaiian was so interested in Japanese history. They felt an obligation to accompany me on this odyssey because they feared I would get lost in the mountains of Kofu. I was a mixture of crazed historian and Christian missionary in their eyes. A good combination if you ask me.
We finally got to the heart of Kofu and the remains of Shingen's castle. All that was left was the stone foundations of the former fortification. The wooden structure was burned to the ground by Tokugawa Ieyasu after the battle of Temmokuzan. The Takeda clan ceased to exist after this engagement.
I was saddened that such an illustrious house experienced complete annihilation. As I remembered the stone foundations I realized the only kingdom that will last is the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His kingdom will become the highest mountain or empire in the universe (Isaiah 2). All will go the way of the Takeda and other earthly kingdoms. They will be swept away by the power of heaven. Hallelujah!!!
During the 16th century Kofu was called Kai. It was known as the domain of Takeda Shingen, the most feared war lord in all of Japan. His fierce warriors and soldiering skills crushed his adversaries and gave him the reputation, the tiger of Kai. Like Napoleon, Takeda Shingen relied heavily on mass cavalry charges. He would literally run through his enemy lines. His war banner captured the dominating spirit of his army, Fu-Rin-Ka Zan (wind, forest, fire, mountain). He trained his army to be swift as the wind, silent as a forest, fierce as a fire, and immovable like a mountain. They were unstopppable.
They finally met defeat under the command of his hot headed son, Takeda Katsuyori. He ordered a frontal assault against Oda Nobunaga's (another famous war lord) line of defense. What he didn't know was that the Oda line bristled with matchlock guns. They decimated the once proud cavalry with volley after volley of gunfire. This marked the beginning of the end for the Takeda clan.
Proverbs states, "Pride goes before destruction." Takeda Katsuyori and many other arrogant leaders followed this same foolish path.
Pridefulness destroys many before their prime. 1 Peter 5:5-6 states, "Young men be submissive to those who are older. clothe yourself with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may lift you up in due time." Good words for those who want longevity in their service for God.
My time in Kofu was both interesting and sobering. We made it a point to buy some peaches before we came home. The Kofu peach is world famous. Did you ever eat a peach that exploded in your mouth with juicy sweetness? The liquid from the fruit literally dripped down the side of mouth as I bit into it. It was the best. God is good. He wants the best for us. He wants us to produce good fruit.
No comments:
Post a Comment