Our Spiritual “Anpanman”
Delivered by Rev. Dr. Tim Boyle on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
英語のテキストの後に日本語訳があります。こちらはChatGPTによる機械翻訳であり、文法的な誤りが含まれている可能性があります。基本的な正確さを確認しております。
Passage:
John 6:25-58 (NRSV)
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us, then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away, 38 for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day. 40 This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”
41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day, 55 for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which the ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
Sermon Text:
Every weekday morning, NHK broadcasts a series of 15-minute dramas – basically what we would call a “soap opera” in the US when I was growing up. I used to pay little attention to those, as I couldn’t keep up with them anyway with my busy schedule, but after retirement, I began to get interested in them. I really got into the series that just ended a couple of weeks ago, as it sure looked to me as being infused with Christian themes, though, of course, it was never explicitly stated as such. The “Anpan” series was based on the real-life story of a cartoonist by the name of Yanase Takashi, who was probably best known for “Anpanman”, a “manga” comic with a rather unusual hero who was loved by young children in particular. My own children grew up with this character and spoke fondly of him when I asked what they remembered.
The TV drama began with the childhood of Takashi and his wife-to-be, Nobu, during the 1920s and 1930s and how their lives were so deeply affected by and even traumatized by their experiences during the war as young adults. How much of the actual history is rewritten for the sake of the story as presented in the drama series, I don’t know, but from what I was able to find out online, the basic outline was completely historical. The plotline seemed quite realistic, and it had a strong antiwar peace theme throughout. I remember thinking to myself, “I wonder how many pastors in Japanese churches are making reference to this drama series.” I would imagine there must have been quite a few such sermons indeed.
Anpanman himself flew through the air like Superman, and while he was intent on rescuing those in distress, his method was radically different from that of Superman and other such fictional superheroes. Anpanman’s method was not through brute strength but through the giving of himself to feed hungry people. Anpan is a Japanese-style pastry made of sweet bread with a red bean paste filling, often referred to in English as a “bean bun.” I doubt it would be considered a particularly healthy food as such, but it certainly is tasty and filling.
In the various children’s books and TV cartoons, the theme of Anpanman – Mr. Bean Bun – caring for the hungry was central throughout. He didn’t distinguish between those who were considered to be enemies and those considered to be friends but brought anpan to all who were in some sort of desperate condition of hunger. In fact, since his face was a perfect circle made of anpan, he would even have the particular individual or group he was helping take a bite out of his face and would then fly back to his home base to have the baker, “Jamu ojisan” (Uncle Jam), restore it like new again. Unlike other superheroes in comic books, Anpanman didn’t have superhuman strength with which to defeat evil forces and was often bruised and battered in his efforts to feed the hungry and to deal with his arch nemesis, Baikinman (Mr. Bacteria). He would have to fly back to have Uncle Jam renew him in order to continue his mission.
The theme song of the TV cartoon series not only had a catchy tune but a deep meaning as well. Almost 40 years later, my daughter said she could still remember the words. I won’t attempt to sing it, but the first verse went like this: “そうだ。嬉しいんだ。生きる喜び。たとえ、胸の傷が痛んでも、何のために生まれて、何をして生きるのか、答えられないなんて、そんなのは嫌だ.” That translates as, “I’m so happy to experience the joy of living, even though the wounds in my heart may hurt. I don’t want to live a life not knowing the purpose of my being born or what I should do with my life.” “Anpanman March,” as it was called, continues with the idea that kind-hearted Anpanman is protecting the dreams of the children – that is, helping them to fulfill their dreams, and it also includes a similar verse that translates, “I don’t want my life to end without finding what true happiness is and what brings me joy. So don’t forget your dreams.” It implies that Anpanman is there to bring love and courage and to help you achieve your dreams no matter what challenges you may face.
Needless to say, this certainly does sound like an allegory of the true “Bread of Live”, Jesus Christ, doesn’t it. In the story, Anpanman comes into being when a “shooting star” lands in Uncle Jam’s oven while he was baking anpan. Was the manga artist, Yanase Takashi, at least subconsciously thinking of the “Star of Bethlehem” that appeared at Jesus’ birth? Some have suggested that Yanase must have been a Christian, but he never indicated that he was and explicitly stated that he was “non-religious.” But these ideas he expressed in his manga – as well as the themes portrayed in the NHK drama – certainly show some sort of influence from Christianity.
The analogy between Jesus Christ and the Anpanman character is most evident, of course, in the symbol of bread coming down from heaven, as it were, to give sustenance to people in need. In this allegory, anpan “bread buns” aren’t simply raining down from above like manna was given to the Israelites in the wilderness. Anpanman seeks out those in distress and gives of himself in this seemingly bizarre way of tearing off pieces of his own “anpan” face and feeding hungry people. While his self-sacrifice restored the people he was helping, this act was depicted as painful and debilitating to Anpanman, and so he would have to fly back to Uncle Jam to be renewed with a new face of anpan – a kind of “resurrection”, as it were.
In our Scripture reading from John chapter 6, we see where Jesus states that he is the “Bread of Life” come down from heaven. This occurs right after the feeding of the 5000, where Jesus performs this great miracle of multiplying a small amount of bread and fish to feed all those people. John describes Jesus as realizing that the crowds are so enamored by this that they want to try to force the situation and make him king. This, however, would prematurely short-circuit God’s overall redemption plan, and so Jesus withdraws from the crowds to prevent that. It’s the next day, then, after Jesus surprised his disciples on the boat at night by walking on water, that our Scripture reading begins. It says that the crowd who had been a part of the feeding of the 5000 finally caught up with Jesus again back in Capernaum and asked him about what they needed to do and what sign Jesus could give them so that they could believe in him. You would think that the miraculous multiplying of the bread and fish would have been a sufficient sign, but apparently, they wanted further confirmation and referred to the sign of manna from heaven God had given their ancestors.
In the following dialog, Jesus declares that he is “the bread of life” and that whoever comes to him “will never go hungry” and “never be thirsty.” The crowd finds this both very appealing but also very confusing. They ask Jesus for this “bread from heaven,” but when Jesus declares that he himself is that bread, they begin arguing amongst themselves, saying, “Is this not Jesus, son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven?’” Things really get confusing for them, however, a few verses further down, where Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” And then he adds, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
To those hearing these words for the first time prior to Jesus applying the symbols of the Passover Feast to himself and instituting what we know as the Holy Communion, these words must have seemed truly bizarre and puzzling. In fact, in verse 60 it says, “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’” And then in verse 66, it says, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” If you and I had been there, would we have turned away as well? Jesus was truly an enigma to his contemporaries. He obviously had great miraculous powers, and yet he said such seemingly bizarre things. If anyone else had said such things as that, they would probably have been thought to be mentally ill. We who are alive today have the benefit of hindsight and can see how it all fits together, but that was not the case then. Thus, you can see why for those at the time, Jesus would have indeed been an enigma. I think that many of those who had turned away at these words later on, after the crucifixion and resurrection, did come back to Jesus when they could finally understand.
Back to the analogy with Anpanman; in the TV drama series, when Yanase first came out with his character, many considered it absurd and even inappropriate for children. The idea of a superhero giving of his own “flesh” to feed the hungry seemed simply bizarre for a superhero character, and so Yanase and his wife Nobu had to overcome quite a bit of initial resistance. It was the reaction of young children, however, that turned the tide and caused the publishers and TV executives to come onboard with the concept. This reminds me of Jesus’ words about little children, where he says, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” And, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” So, was the Anpanman comic character inspired by the story of Jesus? While, as far as I know, Yanase never indicated that it was, it seems the logical conclusion to come to.
The Bible teaches us that God has created all human beings with a conscience that is an integral part of being created in his image. Thus, people everywhere know instinctively that things aren’t right in the world, and thus they long for a solution where everything is put right again. In thinking about how this longing has played out in human history, one thing that stands out to me is how many stories have been influenced by the story of Jesus – namely, the Creator coming down into human history as a fellow human being to deal with the problem of evil and “make things right again.” There were perhaps hints of this motif in pre-Christian times, such as “Hercules” in Greek mythology, but even there we have no way of knowing how much such stories may have been modified by the Christian story in later times, when the versions available to us now were finalized. The conclusion I have reached is that the story of Jesus coming into the world forms the basic motif on which all such superhero stories are based.
When thinking of modern superhero stories such as Superman, it’s obvious that the idea of a special child coming from outside our world to be raised in an ordinary human home and then as an adult being transformed into a kind of savior figure is simply borrowing on this motif. The big difference, of course, is that these superhero stories that are like Superman involve the use of superhuman physical powers to overcome evil, while Jesus’s method was nothing like that at all.
But what about such stories here in Japan? Take, for instance, Momo Taro, or “Peach Boy” as it’s translated. In that story, a baby boy pops out of a giant peach and is raised by a poor farming couple. He grows up into a strong man who fights against evil and rescues people in distress. Again, we see the same motif – something that reflects the stories of Jesus carried along the Silk Road by traders and immigrants into ancient Japan. We also encounter this in the stories that surround Prince Shotoku, who is said to have had a miraculous birth in a stable – a barn for animals. Where do you suppose that idea came from? And while we’re at it, we have in the story of “Mito Komon” a nobleman who disguises himself as a peasant in order to ferret out wrongdoers and bring them to justice. That too, it seems to me, is an idea inspired by the story of the “ultimate nobleman” lowering himself and taking on the form of a servant.
Much more could be said about the various stories around the world that have been inspired by or at least influenced by the story of Jesus, but the point I want to make is that while all these stories are mere fiction and fantasy, the story that inspired them all is actual history. But of all those made-up stories that borrow from the motif of the true story, Jesus Christ, Anpanman is the only one I know of that actually parallels the method of Jesus. All others I’m aware of vanquish their evil foes through brute force, while Anpanman is more like the suffering servant who gives of his own life. Yanase had experienced the horrors of war firsthand as a soldier in occupied China. He also experienced the terrible pangs of hunger, almost dying himself from starvation during the chaos of final days of that tragic war. Shortly before he died at age 94 in 2013, Yanase gave an interview in which he said, “I’m of the mind that wars arise from greed and desire. Countries may be blessed with land and resources, but if their appetite outgrows their means, leaders begin to cast ravenous eyes on neighbors. The result is almost always war.” The interviewer concluded, “With his ability to feed those around him, Anpanman thwarts such avarice. Offering up a piece of his head, he curbs greedy tendencies by freeing the world from the pressures of hunger.”
It's a laudable sentiment, of course, but we all know that that alone is not enough to bring true world peace. The Bible teaches us that true and lasting peace will come only when the “Prince of Peace”, Jesus Christ, ushers it in with his return. In the meantime, he calls on his followers to be peacemakers in this broken world, and that includes doing everything we can to end world hunger – just like Anpanman. And as important as that is, the more critical need is to work towards ending the spiritual hunger that is rampant in our world. We do that by introducing others through our words and deeds to the only one capable of alleviating that spiritual hunger, Jesus Christ himself. Jesus is our “spiritual Anpanman”. May he rule in each of our hearts as we feed on him through faith. He is the true “Bread of Life” who alone can satisfy our spiritual hunger. He alone is the “Blood of the New Covenant” that can alleviate our spiritual thirst.
Let’s close in prayer.
Our Father in Heaven, as we’ve thought about how the “Prince of Peace”, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is our “spiritual Anpanman,” we’re particularly cognizant of need for peace in our world, both on the individual as well as societal level. On the individual level, we pray for that “peace which surpasses all understanding” that Jesus promised all who put their trust in him. And on the societal level, we pray for peace to come to troubled lands across the world. We are so encouraged by the peace accords ending the terrible situation between Gaza and Israel, and we pray that the release of the hostages and everything else in the agreement will be finalized without further delay. We also pray that the Ukrainian war will also come to a quick resolution, all with all the other entrenched conflicts around the world. As Jesus declared to his followers, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” May you raise more peacemakers who can work together to bring about a lasting peace. Help each of us to be catalysts for peace in our spheres of influence so that when we’re called to give an account for our lives, we will be able to hear those blessed words, “Well done you faithful servant.” Strengthen each of us so that we can walk in your footsteps. For it’s in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that we pray. Amen.
日本語の翻訳：
毎朝の平日、NHKでは15分のドラマシリーズが放送されています。アメリカで言う「ソープオペラ（昼メロ）」のようなものです。現役で働いていたころは忙しくて見る余裕もなかったのですが、退職してから少しずつ興味を持つようになりました。最近終わったドラマシリーズは特に心に残りました。というのも、キリスト教的なテーマが込められているように感じたからです（もちろん番組の中でそう明言されていたわけではありませんが）。
そのドラマ「アンパン」は、実在の漫画家・やなせたかしさんの人生をもとにした作品でした。やなせさんは子どもたちに大人気の「アンパンマン」の作者として有名です。私の子どもたちもアンパンマンを見て育ち、今でも懐かしく思い出しています。
ドラマは1920〜30年代から始まり、たかしさんと後に妻となるのぶさんの幼少期、そして戦争を経験した青年時代が描かれていました。どこまでが史実でどこからが脚色なのかは分かりませんが、調べてみると基本的な流れは実際の出来事に基づいているようです。全体を通して「平和」や「反戦」のメッセージが強く感じられました。見ながら私は、「日本の教会の牧師さんたちは、このドラマを説教で取り上げているだろうな」と思ったほどです。
さて、アンパンマンはスーパーマンのように空を飛び、人々を助けるヒーローでしたが、その方法は他のヒーローとはまったく違いました。力で敵を倒すのではなく、「自分を与える」ことで人々を救うのです。アンパンマンの顔はあんぱんでできていて、お腹をすかせた人に自分の顔を少しちぎって食べさせるのです。助けたあと、彼は「ジャムおじさん」のところに戻り、新しい顔を焼いてもらって再び飛び立ちます。
アンパンマンは悪役のバイキンマンと戦うときも、力任せに倒すのではなく、傷つきながらも人々を助けようとします。まるで「自分を犠牲にして他人を救う」という聖書の教えを思わせる姿です。
アニメのテーマソング「アンパンマンのマーチ」は、単なる子ども向けの歌ではなく、実はとても深い意味を持っています。40年たった今でも、私の娘はその歌詞を覚えていると言います。歌の最初の部分はこうです。
「そうだ うれしいんだ 生きる喜び たとえ胸の傷が痛んでも
何のために生まれて 何をして生きるのか
答えられないなんて そんなのはいやだ」
この歌詞は、「たとえ心が傷ついても、生きる喜びを感じたい。自分がなぜ生まれ、何のために生きているのか分からないままではいたくない」という意味です。
そして歌は続きます。「ほんとうのしあわせってなんだろう。夢を忘れないで。」アンパンマンは、子どもたちの夢を守る存在として描かれています。つまり、「どんな困難があっても、愛と勇気をもって夢をあきらめずに進もう」というメッセージなのです。
この歌と物語には、キリスト教の「愛」や「献身」の精神が感じられます。力で世界を変えるのではなく、自分を差し出すことで他の人を生かす。アンパンマンの姿は、まるで「自分のいのちを与えることで人を救う」イエス・キリストの生き方を思い起こさせます。
だからこそ、私はこのドラマやアンパンマンの物語を見るたびに、「本当の強さとは何か」「生きる目的とは何か」を改めて考えさせられるのです。
言うまでもなく、これはまるで「いのちのパン」であるイエス・キリストをたとえた話のように思えますよね。ドラマの中でアンパンマンが誕生するのは、「流れ星」がジャムおじさんのオーブンに落ちて、焼いていたあんぱんに命が宿るという場面からです。やなせたかしさんは、少なくとも無意識のうちに、イエスの誕生を知らせた「ベツレヘムの星」を意識していたのではないか――そんなふうに感じる人もいるようです。実際、やなせさんがキリスト教徒だったという噂もありましたが、ご本人は「無宗教です」とはっきり語っていたそうです。それでも、彼の作品やNHKドラマに描かれたテーマには、どこかキリスト教の影響が感じられます。
イエス・キリストとアンパンマンとの共通点は、「天からくだってきたパン」という象徴に最もよく表れています。アンパンマンの世界では、パン（あんぱん）が空から降ってくるのではなく、アンパンマン自身が困っている人のところへ行き、自分の顔――つまり自分自身――を分け与えるのです。彼の「自己犠牲」によって人々は元気を取り戻しますが、アンパンマン自身はそのたびに力を失い、傷つきます。そこで彼は「ジャムおじさん」のところへ帰り、新しい顔を焼いてもらって再び元気に飛び立つ――まるで「復活」のようなシーンです。
聖書のヨハネによる福音書6章には、イエスが「私はいのちのパンです」と語る場面があります。この出来事は、有名な「五千人の給食」の奇跡の直後に起こります。少しのパンと魚をイエスが増やして、たくさんの人々を満たしたあの場面です。人々はその奇跡に感動し、「この人を王にしよう」とさえ思いました。しかし、それは神の救いの計画を早まらせることになるため、イエスは群衆から離れて一人になられます。
翌日、弟子たちが舟に乗っているところにイエスが湖の上を歩いて現れるという出来事のあと、人々は再びイエスを見つけ、カペナウムという町で彼に尋ねます。「私たちはどうすれば神のわざを行うことができるのですか。あなたが神から来たというしるしを見せてください」と。五千人を養った奇跡だけでも十分なしるしのはずですが、彼らはさらに確証を求め、「昔、神は私たちの先祖に天からマナを与えられた」と言いました。
そのやり取りの中で、イエスはこう語られます。「私はいのちのパンです。私のもとに来る者は決して飢えることがなく、私を信じる者は決して渇くことがありません。」人々はこの言葉を聞いて魅力を感じながらも、同時に混乱しました。「天からのパンをください」と願うものの、イエスが「そのパンは私自身です」と言われると、「この人はヨセフの子、イエスではないか。私たちはその両親を知っているのに、どうして『天から来た』などと言えるのか」とざわめき始めました。
さらにイエスはこう続けます。「私は天から下ってきた生けるパンです。このパンを食べる者は永遠に生きます。このパンは、世のいのちのために与える私の肉です。」そうして、イエス様が言われました。「はっきり言っておく。人の子の肉を食べ、その血を飲まなければ、あなたがたのうちにいのちはない。私の肉を食べ、血を飲む者には永遠のいのちがあり、私はその人を終わりの日によみがえらせる。私の肉はまことの食べ物、私の血はまことの飲み物である。私の肉を食べ、血を飲む者は、私のうちにおり、私もその人のうちにいる。生ける父が私をお遣わしになり、私が父によって生きているように、私を食べる者も私によって生きる。このパンは天から下ってきたものである。あなたがたの先祖はマナを食べても死んだが、このパンを食べる者は永遠に生きる。」
イエスがこの言葉を語られた当時、まだ「最後の晩餐」や「聖餐式（Holy Communion）」が行われていなかった人々にとって、「自分の肉を食べ、血を飲む」という表現は本当に奇妙で理解しがたいものに聞こえたことでしょう。実際、ヨハネの福音書6章60節にはこう書かれています。
「これを聞いた多くの弟子たちは、『これはひどい話だ。誰が聞いていられようか』と言った。」
そして66節では、「この時から多くの弟子たちが離れ去り、もはやイエスと共に歩まなくなった」とあります。
もしあなたや私がその場にいたとしたら、果たしてどうしていたでしょうか？ イエスは当時の人々にとって、まさに「謎の人物」でした。大きな奇跡を起こす力を持ちながら、同時に常識では理解できないようなことを言う。もし他の誰かが同じようなことを語ったとしたら、きっと「この人はおかしい」と思われたに違いありません。
私たちは今、聖書全体を知っているので、その言葉の意味を後から理解できますが、当時の人々にはそうはいきませんでした。だからこそ、イエスは本当に不可思議な存在に見えたのです。けれども、当時離れていった人々の中にも、後に十字架と復活の出来事を見て、ようやくその意味を悟り、再びイエスのもとに戻ってきた人もいたのではないかと思います。
さて、ここで再びアンパンマンの話に戻りましょう。NHKのドラマでも描かれていたように、やなせさんが最初にアンパンマンを発表したとき、多くの人がその発想を「変だ」と思いました。「自分の顔（つまり自分の体）をちぎってお腹のすいた人に与えるヒーロー」なんて、子ども向けにふさわしくない、と言われたのです。やなせさんと妻ののぶさんは、最初のうちは強い反対にあいました。
しかし、流れを変えたのは子どもたちの反応でした。子どもたちはアンパンマンを純粋に愛し、彼のやさしさに感動しました。その姿を見て、出版社やテレビ局の人たちも心を動かされ、作品が広まっていったのです。
このことは、イエスの言葉を思い出させます。イエスはこう言われました。
「天と地の主である父よ、あなたをほめたたえます。これらのことを知恵ある者や賢い者から隠して、幼子たちに現してくださいました。」（マタイ11:25）
そしてまた、
「まことにあなたがたに言います。子どものようにならなければ、天の御国には入れません。」（マタイ18:3）
アンパンマンというキャラクターは、イエスの物語から直接生まれたのか？ ――やなせさん自身はそう語ってはいませんが、そう考えるのは自然なことかもしれません。
聖書は、人間がみな「神のかたち」に造られ、良心（conscience）を持っていると教えています。だからこそ、世界のどこにいても、人々は「この世界には何かおかしい」と感じ、「すべてが正される日」を求めています。
歴史をふり返ると、この「世界を正す救いの物語」がいろいろな形で語られてきたことに気づきます。そして多くの物語が、実はイエスの物語――つまり「創造主が人となってこの世界に来て、悪と戦い、すべてを新しくされる」というテーマ――に影響を受けているのです。
古代の神話にも似たモチーフは見られます。たとえばギリシャ神話の「ヘラクレス」もそうです。けれども、今日私たちが知る形にその神話が残っているのは、キリスト教の時代を通した後のことなので、どの程度影響を受けているのかは分かりません。私はこう考えます――イエス・キリストがこの世界に来られたという物語こそ、すべての「ヒーロー物語」の原型なのだと。
たとえば近代のスーパーマンのような物語を考えてみても、その基本の形は同じです。「この世界の外から来た特別な存在が、普通の家庭で育ち、成長して人々を救う者となる」という構図です。ただし、大きな違いがあります。スーパーマンのようなヒーローたちは「超人的な力」で悪を倒しますが、イエスの方法はまったく違いました。力ではなく、愛と犠牲によって世界を救われたのです。
では、日本の物語の中にはどうでしょうか。たとえば「桃太郎」の話を思い出してみてください。大きな桃から赤ちゃんが生まれ、貧しい老夫婦に育てられます。やがて立派な若者となり、悪と戦い、困っている人々を救う――まさにここにも、イエスの物語と共通するテーマが見られます。このような物語は、昔シルクロードを通って伝わったキリスト教の話や思想の影響を受けているのではないか、と考えられています。
また、聖徳太子の物語の中にも似た要素があります。太子が「馬小屋で生まれた」という伝説があるのです。――その発想、どこかで聞いたことがありませんか？ そう、イエスが馬小屋で生まれたという聖書の物語と重なります。そして「水戸黄門」も同じように、「高貴な身分の人が身を低くして民の中に入り、悪を正す」という物語です。これもまた、「最高の身分であるお方（神の子イエス）が自らを低くして僕（しもべ）の姿を取られた」という聖書のテーマと似ています。
世界中の物語を見ても、イエスの物語に影響を受けた、あるいは似た構成を持つものは数えきれません。しかし、ここで大切なのは――そうした物語がすべて「作り話」であるのに対し、イエス・キリストの物語だけは実際の歴史の中で起こった「真実」だということです。
そして、その「真実の物語」から生まれた多くのフィクションの中で、イエスの方法と最もよく似たものが「アンパンマン」なのです。ほとんどのヒーローは「力」で悪を倒しますが、アンパンマンだけは「自分を与える」ことで人を救う――まるで「苦しむしもべ」としてのイエスの姿そのものです。
やなせさんは、戦時中に兵士として中国に派遣され、戦争の恐ろしさを身をもって体験しました。また、終戦間際には飢えに苦しみ、死の直前までいったと言われています。2013年、94歳で亡くなる少し前のインタビューで、やなせさんはこう語っています。
「戦争は欲と欲望から生まれるものだと思います。国がどんなに豊かでも、欲が限りなく大きくなると、他の国をうらやむようになり、やがて争いが起きるのです。」
インタビュアーはこうまとめました。
「アンパンマンは、自分の頭の一部を分け与えて人々を満たすことで、欲望を抑え、飢えのない世界を目指した。彼の優しさは、貪欲によって生まれる戦争を止める力を持っている。」
素晴らしい考え方です。しかし、私たちは知っています――それだけでは真の平和は訪れないということを。聖書は、「平和の君」イエス・キリストが再び来られるときにこそ、真の平和がこの世界にもたらされると教えています。
その時が来るまで、イエスは私たち一人ひとりに、「平和をつくる者」となるように呼びかけておられます。それは、飢えに苦しむ人々を助けることも含まれています。アンパンマンのように、私たちも愛をもって人々に仕えることが求められています。しかし、さらに大切なのは、この世界に満ちている「心の飢え」「霊的な飢え」を満たすことです。
それができるのは、ただ一人――イエス・キリストだけです。私たちは、言葉と行動を通して、人々をイエスのもとへ導くのです。イエスこそ、私たちの「霊的アンパンマン」なのです。信仰によって彼に結びつくとき、私たちは心の糧を得ます。イエスこそ、私たちの霊の飢えを満たす「いのちのパン」であり、渇きをいやす「新しい契約の血」なのです。
それではお祈りしましょう。
――天の父なる神さま。
「平和の君」であり、私たちの救い主であるイエス・キリストが「霊的なアンパンマン」であることを覚えながら、私たちは今、世界の平和のために祈ります。個人の心にも、社会全体にも、あなたの平和が満ちあふれますように。
まず私たち一人ひとりの心に、「人の知恵を超えた平安」をお与えください。イエスを信じる者すべてが、その平和に生きることができますように。そしてまた、世界の国々にも平和が訪れるようにお祈りします。特に、ガザとイスラエルの間に結ばれた和平が確実に実現し、人質の解放を含め、すべてが速やかに進みますように。ウクライナの戦争、その他多くの紛争も、一日も早く終わりますように。
イエスが言われたように、「平和をつくる者は幸いです。」どうか、この地上に平和をもたらす人々をさらに多く起こしてください。私たちもまた、自分の周りで平和をもたらす者となれますように。そして最後の日にあなたの前に立つとき、「よくやった、忠実な僕（しもべ）よ」という言葉を聞くことができますように。
私たちがあなたの足跡をたどり、あなたの平和を伝える者となれるよう力をお与えください。
主イエス・キリストの御名によってお祈りします。
アーメン。