Aloha Ke Akua!
Mama Kahu, Mary Lou, Fenner, Pua, Sally, Sandy, Jeff -- the family of Abraham Akaka. Spiritual, Community, Governmental, Business Leaders of Hawai`i, our sister States and the World; and friends, all who were personally touched by the ministry of this Man of God, Rev. Dr. Abraham Kahikina Akaka.
Aloha! I rise on behalf of my family, the descendants of Simeon, Pulu and Kahikina Akaka to give honor and pay tribute to brother Abe. He was truly a distinguished human being who believed deeply in God, our Lord Jesus Christ and the "pono" (making things right) as the destiny for mankind -- those with needs on every level of human existence. He was the Kahu, the Shepherd to all people.
Words and time do not permit me to tell you of his untold accomplishments. Brother was a mortal being like you and me and was gifted with many Blessings from the Lord that determined his life and mission. He was a channel to all for God's love. He was in the right place at the proper time and had a manner that brought about positive changes to personal lives and our diversified communities. He was constantly working to prescribe understandable goals, even through metaphors, that we might be guided to assuring a productive, useful and positive future for all rather than a future of futility and obsolescence. He held high hopes for the people of Hawai`i, the people of our country and the people of our world.
As you know, Abe was born in a family whose parents nurtured their children in the Christian faith and lived by the Christian faith. Ma and Pa began and ended each day with a family devotion known as ohana. We thanked God at each meal and had to be home to auau, take a bath, when the ice house whistle blew at 5 p.m. and shortly after dinner we retired for the night. School and church dominated our activities. Sunday was devoted to Sunday school at 9 a.m.; service at 10:30 a.m. Pauoa Apana service at 2 p.m.; Christian Endeavor at 6 p.m.; evening church service at 7:30 p.m.; we were back home at 9 p.m. We attended Pauoa School, Kawananakoa School, McKinley High School, University of Hawai`i during the week. As the baby in our family, I was the only one that attended the Kamehameha Schools and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Though our family was young and close-knit, brother Abe was the one that worked at developing a beautiful body and played the "Tarzan" role on the trees. He even caught, from the circular saw, flying ice flakes in his hands to eat like shaved ice. Brother John tells me of Abe, at Akaka Lane, falling into the taro patch on broken glass which cut his arm badly and caused him to bleed profusely. Brother Johnny and sister Susan called sister Phoebe for help because they didn't know what to do. And sister Phoebe nursed Abe through this and many other predicaments during his young life.
Since Pa and Ma led us, our family recited our memory bible verses, sang hymns, usually recited the 23rd Psalm in Hawaiian, kneeled and prayed and repeated the Lord's Prayer in Hawaiian together, at each ohana. As a result, Abe became a talented singer and musician, along with sister Annie and brother John. Sisters Phoebe and Susan, brother Joe and I trailed behind them. Such was our family life with Ma and Pa, Tutu Kahoa of Pearl City and Tutu Akaka and Tutu Hiwauli of Pauoa.
Following the Conference of World Christian Youth in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1939, Abe made his decision to educate himself to serve our Lord. How did brother affect people? How did people perceive him? He saved lives by helping people over crucial moments of despair and anxiety by spiritual counseling and financial assistance. He was accessible to help the needs of all -- from CEOs to workers -- from the rich to the poor -- from those in their twilight years to those in the dawn of life. He was truly the Shepherd, a man of God; a visionary (rebel); believed and lived God first, others second, self last; related every utterance to God; extended and lived the Love of God (Aloha Ke Akua); was a profound and deep thinker; extremely courteous, caring and generous; went the extra mile; good listener; had a keen sense of understanding situations; gave you 100% of his attention even though he was running to another appointment; prolific writer; expressive composer; a clarity man, made things clear; man of "pono"; good communicator through speaking, chatting, writing, promptness in writing and sending postcards; grateful man; man of creative expressions in music, oratory, prayer; believed that something new should be blessed and started right in God's hands; very humble man; would not let grass "grow under his feet"; he moved to build bridges, bring harmony to people and functions and did not let the future lead toward obsolescence.
Do you know that (to mention a few):
He was the State Senate Chaplain in 1959 for 2 years. His Statehood address was disseminated all over the world.
He was a UH Regent, 1961-63.
The Saturday Evening Post wrote of him as the "Hustling Shepherd", Aug. ‘62.
He received the NAACP Award, 1964 (Civil Rights).
He was Chair of the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission.
He conducted a Service of Thanksgiving for the safe return of the Apollo 13 Astronauts at Kawaiahao Church with President and Mrs. Nixon (Aug. 19, 1970).
Preached at the White House, April 19, 1970, by invitation from President Nixon.
He was a notable composer - Kristo ka Pohaku Kihi, 1989, Aloha Ke Akua, 1996, and others.
He was honored by being given the prestigious privilege of delivering the Prayer in both the U.S. House and Senate. Excerpts from the Congressional Record:
Congressional Record-House, September 14, 1977 PRAYER BY REV. DR. ABRAHAM KAHIKINA AKAKA
Ma Ka Inoa O Ka Makua, Keiki, Kauhane Hemolele - Almighty God, under whose mercy and judgment all people rise and fall, let Thy guiding hand be upon our beloved Nation, like a loving carpenter's level, that President Carter, Speaker O'Neill, Members of this House, and all who bear responsibility for the peaceful future of our world, can be faithful in our common stewardship of power, justice, and aloha. As new storms gather about us and our world, help all Americans exercise our puritanical responsibility for the whole social order, fulfill that responsibility in our private and public arenas, and thus give vital moral and political direction to our Nation and the nations.
Hear O America and planet Earth, the Lord our God is one Lord. Amen.
Congressional Record-Senate, September 15, 1977 PrayerMr. MATSUNAGA. Our guest chaplain for today is the undisputed religious leader of Hawaii and, to the people of Hawaii, its social conscience, the Reverend Abraham Akaka, pastor of the oldest church in Hawaii, Kawaiahao Church.
The Reverend Dr. Abraham K. Akaka, pastor, Kawaiahao Church, Honolulu, Hawaii, offered the following prayer:
Let us pray.
One nation, one world under God, with liberty and justice for all.
Almighty God, our Father, under whose mercy and judgment all people rise or fall, let Thy guiding hand be upon our beloved Nation like a gentle carpenter's level, that President Carter, Vice President Mondale, the Members of this Senate, and all who bear responsibility for the peaceful future of our world may be clear and faithful in our common stewardship of power, justice, and aloha.
Whenever dark clouds may gather about us and our world, help us and all American remember our precious heritage of faith, to exercise our puritan responsibility for the whole social order, to fulfill that responsibility in our private and public arenas and thus give vital moral and political direction to our Nation and the nations.
Help us to walk with integrity in Thy righteousness that we may fear no man or media. Let no evil have claim upon us and our Nation. Destroy, O God, what is evil. Establish what is good. Let the beauty and glory, the prosperity and peace, joy and aloha of the Lord our God be upon us and our Nation. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Hear, O America. Hear, O planet Earth, the Lord our God is one Lord. Amen.
Congressional Record-Senate, May 9, 1991The PRESIDING OFFICER. The prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain; Rev. Dr. Abraham Akaka, pastor emeritus of Kawaiahao Church, Honolulu, HI.
My brother.
PRAYERLet us pray.
God has made of many national and ethnic, political and economic, religious and social diversities, but of one blood -- all His children to dwell on the face of one Earth. Almighty God, our Father, as our ancient Hawaiian ancestors found new islands of life and order, sailing their brave voyaging canoes even in the face of deadly storms, by making and maintaining connection with their right guiding star, so let it be with our beloved Nation and with all peoples of our planet.
Bless our President, our Senate, and House, all who bear authority in government, nationally and locally, that by following the starlight of Your truth, justice, and love, we may help our Nation and all nations gain our right bearings with Thee.
Let no one play games with the light of Your truth and justice -- and thus place our canoe in harm's way. Help us lead our Nation and all nations in turning clenched fists into open hands of friendship and family, in finding together the best ways for sailing our common canoe surely and safely to our promised new space island.
Let our connection with thy light turn MC2 -- massive cremation squared, into CM2 -- creative mutuality squared, that we and all mankind may become one winning crew-sailing our space canoe faithfully with Thee to our New World Order.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord -- Adonai Elohaynu Adonai Echod -- for the Lord our God is one Lord. Amen.
RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADERMr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, I ask the Senate to pause for a moment and note a rare and inspiring event which has just occurred when the prayer was read by the Reverend Akaka, brother of Senator AKAKA, now the Presiding Officer, and a Member of the U.S. Senate from Hawaii.
The people of Hawaii and the Akaka family can take justifiable pride in the service of two sons to the people of their State in two different but honorable ways.
The Reverend Akaka serves the spiritual needs of the people of Hawaii. Senator AKAKA serves with great distinction the material needs of the people of Hawaii.
We are honored to have Senator AKAKA as a valued and beloved Member of this body, and we are very pleased and honored to welcome his brother today and thank him for his very fine prayer.
THE REVEREND DR. ABRAHAM AKAKA, GUEST CHAPLAINMr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I thank the leader for his generous remarks, and I appreciate his remarks, because our relationship in our family is very close.
It is indeed a signal honor and a privilege for me to be permitted by the U.S. Senate to convene this honorable body today as its Acting President pro tempore, and a genuine personal pleasure to introduce my brother, the Reverend Dr. Abraham Akaka, to give the opening prayer.
Brother Abe, as our family knows him; or "kahu," meaning "shepherd" in Hawaiian, as many in our community in Hawaii know him, was born in Honolulu 74 years ago. He began his service to the Lord and our people after graduating from the Chicago Theological Seminary of the University of Chicago, with a bachelor of divinity degree.
He was the pastor of our Kawaiahao Church, the mother church of Hawaii, for 28 years. With brotherly love and family pride, I think I can fairly say that Brother Abe was Kawaiahao Church, and Kawaiahao Church was Brother Abe. He dedicated his life to serving our church and its parishioners and the greater Hawaii, and forgive my for my brotherly pride, but the church will not be the same again without him. In 1964, he lobbied here in Washington, DC, for the Civil Rights Act, was the first chairman of the civil rights commission for the State of Hawaii, and sent leis that were worn by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and his supporters in the Selma, AL, march. He began to organize the Congress of Hawaiian People, Friends of Kamehameha Schools, and Council of Hawaiian Organizations. He served as regent of the University of Hawaii.
Among the honors bestowed on my brother are honorary doctoral degrees from the Chicago Theological Seminary of the University of Chicago, the University of Hawaii, Illinois Wesleyan University, the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, and Salem College in West Virginia. He served as the chaplain in our territorial senate, and subsequently, our State senate. He gave our statehood sermon on May 13, 1959, and inspired our Hawaii State Legislature to name our State, "the Aloha State." Following Henry J. Kaiser, he received the Hawaii Salesman of the Year Award in 1952.
Brother Abe has been most ably assisted in his calling by his bride of 47 years, Mary Louise Jeffrey Akaka. They share their love with five children and seven grandchildren.
In retirement, Kahu continues to serve through the Akaka Foundation.
Read letter of condolence from President and Mrs. Clinton to Mrs. Abraham Akaka:
Dear Mrs. Akaka: Hillary and I were saddened to learn of your husband's death, and we extend our deepest sympathy. We hope that the love and support of your family and friends will sustain and comfort you during this difficult time. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely, Bill Clinton.
We weep with sorrow because he will no longer talk, walk, eat and play with us. We rejoice knowing that he is with God, with Ma, with Pa, and with members of our family in that Beautiful City of God in heaven -- pearls, gold-lined streets, river of life. He has left each of us a legacy of his life, his light and ministry to carry and bear here on earth. I can hear him speak in his velvety, soft voice. John 13:34, "A commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
A Poem for the Memorial Service for
The Rev. Abraham AkakaAbe, you are not dead;
Christ has but set you free.
Your years of life were like a lovely song;
The last poignant notes held strong.
Then you passed into silence, and,
We who love you feel that grief
For you would surely be wrong -
You have but passed beyond
Where we can see.
For us who knew you,
Dread of life is past;
You took life head-on to the last.
It never lost for you it's lovely look;
You kept your commitment to God's book.
To you death came no conqueror in the end;
You merely rose to greet Christ, your friend.
Anonymous
His Master said unto him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been good and faithful...now enter into the joy of your Master."
I will miss him. He was my inspiration. I will miss his mana`o and loving spirit.
Aloha ke Akua!
THE REVEREND ABRAHAM KAHIKINA AKAKA'S MINISTRY- Kahu's ministry has influenced and helped strengthen the sense of kinship of people with people, race with race, nation with nation. His sermon on ALOHA strongly influenced Hawaii's legislators to choose "THE ALOHA STATE" as Hawaii's name, to preserve and perpetuate the spirit of ALOHA in our State.
- Kahu had a distinctly Hawaiian approach - focusing on ALOHA, and seeking the unity and harmony of all races and nations, all members of families - UNDER ONE GOD.
- In his blessings, he helped all participants, whatever their religious background may have been, to be THEOLOGIANS...people who think more clearly about God. He has said at blessings of homes, buildings, businesses, and to the people gathered:
"I know we come from different religious backgrounds; some of you may not belong to any religious group or belief. That's okay. But, because a blessing is something between people and God, and because you are here to wish success to this event/activity, may I ask you to think of God as someone real, as the power of unity at work everywhere, pulling things together into new unities and structures and forms, helping them to grow and succeed and prosper. "For our native Hawaiians, God is like the right guiding star for the ancient voyaging canoe. If the canoe connects to its right star and stays connected (God does not promise all smooth seas), how can it miss arriving where it wants to arrive?
"Your are that canoe and crew -- good canoe, good crew, good captain...nobody plays games with the right guiding star and wins. But those who stay connected are the ones who are blessed...
"Please add your best thoughts with mine. Let us pray."
- Aloha is creative mutuality -- turning clenched fists into open arms and hands that reach out to embrace one another, and to join in finding the best ways to build a better world -- then building it together.
- Planet Earth has become one voyaging canoe with a crew of nations and paddlers who must learn to paddle together in one life-preserving and life-perpetuating direction...by connecting to the right guiding star. As the people and nations of our planet face critical decisions for themselves and their neighbors on one canoe (Planet Earth), you will be adding strength to turning our planet into an "ALOHA WORLD" by your kokua.
- Focus of Kahu's ministry:
Without the spirit, the body is meaningless Aloha Ke Akua means God is Love, God is Aloha
Let us take courage to be what we really are...members of the Aloha State (as a family of God)...extending Aloha to the World
His ministry was to try to focus this for the nation and the world. Hawaii as the Aloha State representing one family of God. Whatever we do, we wish to have the effect of bringing things together for Hawaii, the United States and the World.
