Kenji Goto, 47, was slaughtered by the Islamic extremist group ISIS in a video released to social media over the weekend.  Goto told reporters last year he felt compelled by the Lord to do all he could to help rescue Haruna Yukawa after he was abducted by the terrorists in Aleppo last year.

Goto said he found the Lord in 1997 and had dedicated his life to following the Lord’s call.  He said he wanted to minister to Yukawa, who had faced a difficult life including bankruptcy and his wife’s suicide attempt and battle with cancer.

Goto went to Syria and made his way to Raqqa, the headquarters of the terrorist group, in an attempt to negotiate for his friend’s freedom.

“I need to go there at least once and see my fixers (freelance journalist connections) and ask them what the current situation is,” he told Reuters. “I need to talk to them face to face. I think that’s necessary.”

Goto believed that because Japan was not part of the coalition against the group, he likely would have a greater chance of success.

The Japanese Prime Minister, Shinto Abe, made bold statements after the killing.  In a departure from the country’s post-World War II pattern of pacifism, he said Japan would do all they could to work with the international community to bring the killers to justice.