Cultural Bitterness

Yesterday in my afternoon 2nd and 4th grade classes, we were assigned to read a kids version of Time Magazine. The article that we read was called, "Let's Help Japan." I was excited to have the class read this article, hoping it would spark interesting conversation about how we can help others. Little did I know, a big conversation was to come. We read the short article and then began the worksheet to go along with it. We answered questions about the earthquake and tsunami. Then came the question, "Would you want to help Japan? Why or why not?" At first I thought this was a dumb question, of course we want to help... Wrong. When I asked the kids, all but one girl said they would not want to help. At first this made me angry. I launched into this speech about how if someone hurting, we need to help. They just gave me blank stares. Ok, new approach. I began asking why they did not want to help. The answer was the same for all. "Japan is bad." When I asked why they thought this, they said that in the past Japan had taken over Korea. The kids didn't have the vocabulary, so it was interesting to watch them try to explain through drawing pictures. I know the vague history, but not as much as I should. Yes, Japan captured Korea multiple times and did some horrible things to the Koreans. My initial thought was, "Yes, but that was so long ago! Why can't you just forgive?" It bothered me that it is ingrained in these children to hate Japan. Then I had a thought. If a huge natural disaster hit Iraq, would Americans want to help? We know it is wrong to hate, but I guess I now have a better understanding why. How will this cycle of hatred ever break? Now in many Korean churches, the pastors are preaching that this disaster in Japan is God's punishment for the evil that Japan has done in the past. I don't believe that either, but all this is definitely making me think.