Bibles

  • Dates
    2019 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Topics Social Issues, Contemporary Issues, Documentary
  • Location Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

A Christian church named Zion Church, in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, was blown up on 21 April 2019. 31 people were killed.These are the Bibles of believers who attend this blasted church.

A Christian church named Zion Church, in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, was blown up on 21 April 2019. The day was Easter. 31 people were killed by Muslim violence affected by IS. This was a terrorist attack aimed at blasting a series of Christian churches. More than 250 people have died in Sri Lanka as a whole.

These are the Bibles of believers who attend this blasted church.

How is their life connected to Jesus?

We imagine these Bible owners.

I was surprised that their various personalities were in these Bibles. Even after the terrorist attacks, they read the Bibles and go to church. The reverence of that action prompted me to start this project.

I interviewed them.

Where were you at that time?

These ask us various questions. Why they died, why they survived, and why they lost their children. It is also in a note with the Bible in this last photo of the church pastor.

"Why would bad things happen to good people"

We have achieved various developments. And it spawned everything and continued to destroy. The Bible, born long ago, is said to be the world's most-read book. A scripture for those who believe in Christianity. For those who have seen the future according to the words, how do they look at this world, reflect and live? What exists between God and them? Here are other existences of those who believe in Jesus.

© Kai Yokoyama - Image from the Bibles photography project
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Michelle (54) : Pastor's wife. After she talked to the person who committed the suicide bomber, she returned to the house on the premises and was in the kitchen. and after just 1-1/2 minutes the blast happened. She is a Sunday school teacher. She lost many students. Due to the firefighting activities of this blast, her Bible still has a trace of water bleeding.

© Kai Yokoyama - Stephanie (26) : Daughter of Pastor and Michelle, the owner of the Bible in the previous photo. She was with her mother.
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Stephanie (26) : Daughter of Pastor and Michelle, the owner of the Bible in the previous photo. She was with her mother.

© Kai Yokoyama - Sharah (10) : She was in the library, the closest to the blast. She has died.
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Sharah (10) : She was in the library, the closest to the blast. She has died.

© Kai Yokoyama - Image from the Bibles photography project
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Sharon (12) : Sharon and Sarah, the owner of the previous Bible photo, were sisters. A file that summarizes documents and the Bible used in Sunday school on that day. She has died with her sister.

© Kai Yokoyama - Casilda (54) : She was near the blast. She was saved but lost her 13-year-old son.
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Casilda (54) : She was near the blast. She was saved but lost her 13-year-old son.

© Kai Yokoyama - Unknown : They still don't know who owned this Bible.
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Unknown : They still don't know who owned this Bible.

© Kai Yokoyama - Jerushika (18) : She was not at the church at that moment. but her younger sister died in the blast.
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Jerushika (18) : She was not at the church at that moment. but her younger sister died in the blast.

© Kai Yokoyama - Image from the Bibles photography project
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Ann (12) : She lost her younger brother Peter. She went to the bathroom with him and entered first. Meanwhile, he was caught in an explosion outside and died.

© Kai Yokoyama - Image from the Bibles photography project
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Rufas (8) : He was at the entrance with his parents. He was saved but lost his parents. This Bible was used by his mother. The red text on this right page is Psalm 27: 3 "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident." Nowadays he uses this Bible.

© Kai Yokoyama - Rohini (65) : She was not at the church.
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Rohini (65) : She was not at the church.

© Kai Yokoyama - Image from the Bibles photography project
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Yogeswary (63) : She was near the blast. She lost her hearing due to the explosion but is now regaining a little. She also had shrapnel removed from her body.

© Kai Yokoyama - Image from the Bibles photography project
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Jane (12) : She was near a pastor's car in a church parking lot. The place was near the point of the blast, but she was saved.

© Kai Yokoyama - Shiranee (48) : She was on the balcony of the church.
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Shiranee (48) : She was on the balcony of the church.

© Kai Yokoyama - Sophia (13) : She was in the church with her friends.
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Sophia (13) : She was in the church with her friends.

© Kai Yokoyama - Pastor Roshan (55) : He was at a church in Oslo, Norway.
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Pastor Roshan (55) : He was at a church in Oslo, Norway.

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