On June 1, Bishop Eric Matsumoto published a message entitled “A reflection on our troubled nation” on the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii website. In reflecting on the senseless death of George Floyd and what has followed, the bishop relates how the words of the song “Live and Light the World” came to mind. The song tells of the fabled two-headed bird, or Gumyocho, a symbol of interdependence and harmony.

A video version of the message is now available and we’ve embedded it here:

For the text of the message displayed on a web page, please visit A reflection on our troubled nation on the HHMH website.