Boys, be ambitious!

This photo was taken at Hitsujigaoka observatory in Sapporo while a mission team from Hawaii was in Japan. “Boys, be ambitious!” is a word of wisdom from Dr. Clark, William Smith. He was invited as the first head of teachers, an actual president, of Sapporo Agricultural College (now Hokkaido University) by a treaty between Japan and America. At first, he was told to prohibit teaching the Bible by the administrator at that time. However, he taught the Bible in a Sunday school without making compromises. Also, he said that it is impossible to raise people with rules or crackdowns and taught students to be gentlemen.

What kind of ambition did he expect from young people there? The life of students who signed on the commitment of Christians, Mr. Nitobe, Inazo who became a Secretary General of the United Nations, and Mr. Miyabe, Kingo who became a representative botanist of Japan shows us Dr. Clark’s expectation.

Mathew 7:20

* Sadly to say, current Hokkaido University is a primary launch pad of many cult groups. Many years ago the university made a plan to hold a lecture meeting of Mr. Asahawa, Shoko who was a founder of Aum Shinrikyo. On the other hand, the university prohibited all the political and religious activities inside the school festival last year. (This rule conflicts with basic civil liberties and later on the university withdrew this rule after the school festival.) As a result, it is puzzling phenomenon that people who follow rules are regulated but cult groups or social organizations can do anything.