To the children suffering from bullying

 If I were to send a letter to all the children who are now suffering from bullying, I would like to tell them as follows.

 Hello. nice to meet you. Maybe you are so sad and painful that you can't hear any words. But if possible, I would like to write to you in prayer so that what I want to convey to you, if necessary, will reach your heart. If you are an elementary school student, the content of this letter may be a little difficult, but I will write something important for children of all ages, so please read it.

I had the same experience about 6 to 15 years old as you are suffering from. Also, because of my character, I tend to get bulled, and even after graduation of junior high school, I often suffered from it. No one has the same life as others, so my similar experience may not be exactly the same as you, but at least I can imagine how much you are suffering now.

When I first experienced bullying, I was very confused. Gradually, it became common for me to be bullied. (Although it was sad and painful, and it was impossible to get used to it forever.) And when no one was bullying or despising me, I was confused again.  I was really surprised that everyone treated me without any unpleasant feelings.

While being bullied, I continued to wonder why I was the only one to encounter this. I was jealous of the child who went to school happily without being bullied, and hated the child who bullies. My teachers and parents often told me to be stronger. Some adults said to me “If your enemies hurt you, take double the payback!” I've always thought I was weak. I felt like I wouldn't have a place to stay because my world at that time was only school and home.

I have been bullied by various children and adults, but as I was bullied several times, I began to understand the horror of becoming a target of bullying. Also, when one child bullied me, everyone hated me so that they wouldn't be out of the group. Every day I was exposed to words that I don't want to remember, and sometimes I was hurt physically. I was often alone. School was like hell, but I thought I had no choice but to go, so I continued to go to school every day. There were many times when I wanted to die. I also did self-harm to ask for help.

After such experiences, I couldn't pay attention to what I had experienced for a while. But over time, I was able to calmly look at the experience of bullying. Now I can think deeply about the meaning of being bullied.

The school gave me a lifelong important friend and met a good teacher. It has a great side. However, on the other hand, school is also a place with great danger in modern times. At least in Japan. The school itself is said to be similar to a prison because it is suitable for management. Also, many schools quietly force everyone to do the same thing at the same pace and to have the same values as much as possible. Children cannot comply with such coercion often spill out of the circle of the group. I was one of them. Schools can also cause collective dynamism, which can lead to the incapacity of human beings to desperately unite their fragile, unconfident positions by making one enemy . (Is not only true of schools, but also in all history and places due to the nature of human sin).

It is very difficult to find the meaning of being bullied, even in light of all the values in the world. But only in Christ, I was able to find meaning in the experience of bullying. I have been taught about Christ by my mother who believes in Christ since I was little, but first, I didn't care that much. When opened my heart to it was that I suffered and began to look at Christ again. This is not a religion story, so please listen without prejudice. The glorious and wonderful figures in the Bible are persecuted. Also, Christ, the center of it, is cursed, hurt, and dies of the cross. But everything starts here.

Those who have been persecuted can always receive more glory. Also, the Bible teaches. "Love your enemies" "Pray for those who persecute you" Everything in Christ wins persecution with love.

While looking back on what I had experienced, I was able to feel at ease only within this sense of values.

I am now thinking about the children who were bullying and praying for them.

Now that I graduated from school, I am looking at a really wide world. What you see is completely different from when only your home and school were your own world.

What I want you to know is that the world isn't just about schools and homes, and that you don't have to go to your current school if it's a place of unjustified suffering.  Look at the starry sky. Outside the earth at your feet, the lights that departed from various times are shining at the same time. Don't you feel the flow of time and the size of the world that are completely different from school? Now, many people think that it is absolutely normal to go to a general school. But what is school for? It's just for your rich life.  

If so, it is strange that the purpose and means will be overturned, but not many teachers and adults are aware of this. So I dare to say that you can quit school if you can't be yourself in your school. Leaving school is insignificant if you die from that unjustified suffering. Rather, if you look forward, it will be a great profit and a driving force to move forward.

Find a place where you can be you. In addition to general schools, there are free schools, correspondence schools, and credit-based schools in the world, and it is important to take a rest because not everyone needs to live at the same pace. Besides, you can get great learning outside of school.

The reason why I was able to pray for the children who bullied me was because I realized that persecution was a chain. Persecution never comes from a single human being. Anyone who persecutes is always persecuted somewhere, with a gaping hole in his heart and suffering unnoticed. The persecutor is the one who has been deprived of peace of mind. They too need help. However, there are children who break the chain of persecution with great strength.

This is what I want to tell you the most, but it is you who are suffering from bullying and fighting loneliness who are devoting themselves to breaking the chain of persecution. The bully secretly sees your strength in his own weaknesses. Because they always target children who never revenge on themselves. Never revenging is not a weakness, but an irreplaceable strength. And although they are always in groups, you are fighting it alone. You have the strength to beat anyone else. I don't know how great it is to not give people the persecution you have suffered. Are there any teachers or adults around you who can do that? This is worthy of respect for people all over the world, both adults and children. You have something really great. It's really great strength.

Sometimes a chain of persecution is done by the child being bullied by hurting himself, not by others. That's why suicide never ceases. Please do not hesitate to ask for help in such a case. Some people often criticize suicide coldly, but unloving criticism produces nothing and is unnecessary in the world. The time to commit suicide is when the affection of those around you is questioned.

I now feel that it was not meaningless that I was bullied. Because I can share my experience with you and write this letter from it.

Please remember that there is one person here who wants to be on your side even if you turn the whole world into an enemy.

I mentioned earlier about schools that are meant to enrich your life, but life asks you only one thing that evening. What does life ask you?

 That's love.

Life asks about love. It is also nurtured in loneliness. It shines in sadness. It's the same as turning off the lights to see the stars.

Please live. Be sure to live for you in the future, where you will find love and feel great joy in the wide world. You'll be really suffering from that pain now, but it's time for your countless wounds to shine in the brilliant light.

Although I said something that looked great, I myself am a very weak person, and even if I write it here, I may not know anything myself. Still, I sincerely hope that you will have hope for living.

There are still many things I want to convey to you, but I will not convey them with paper and ink in the future.

I sincerely pray that you will regain the joy of living.

I love you very much.

To wonderful children, wonderful children loved by God.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you. Isaiah 43: 4