Hello all—
It’s been business as usual here in Kobe, Japan—And tension continues to rise as the day of Murray’s departure gets closer. I feel strangely comfortable, though—Thanks to the grace of God. Keep praying that I’ll be able to see all this responsibility through.
I’ve been texting Coe, the musician I met recently, and he says he’d like to come to church soon. I have no idea if he actually will, of course, and I’d rather not get my hopes up. But still—You can’t help but hope. Recently, I met another fellow I’ve been in contact with. There’s an arcade in Sannomiya that I sometimes go to called “Round 1.” One of the fellows that works in there always talks to me whenever I go, because my backpack has some anime paraphernalia on it—He likes the same anime, so we always seem to bump into each other and geek out a little bit. The past time I was there, I decided to give him my contact information, so we’ve been texting back and forth. I eventually did invite him to visit the church sometime, but it would seem he always works on weekends. It’s a shame. Well, I’m just thankful God is placing people in my way that I can influence somehow. I'll do what I can, but the rest is up to God—A thought that’s as comforting as it is sometimes discouraging. On the other hand, if it was in our power to save souls, we’d be in big trouble. In any case, you can always pray for these guys.
Funny story. On Thursday I went to Ichibaku Church to teach English as I’ve been doing the past few weeks. It was all business as usual until the last class, which consists of two middle-aged women. One of the women, who is very kind, brought a box of “Japanese sweets” for all of us to enjoy.
There’s something I’ve learned in my short time in Japan. Japanese “meal food” is great. The stuff you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And the Japanese do have good western-style deserts like cake and ice-cream. But when “Japanese sweets” come up in conversation, you’d better run. As you can see above, they sure look tasty, but…I think you would probably be disappointed. The brown ones are coated with dried soy, the green with seaweed, and the blue with sesame. Below that layer is sweetened rice, and in the middle in “anko” — Red bean paste.
Hardly this American’s idea of a “sweet.”
But, it would be disrespectful and mean not to eat one! So I did, and drank my cup of tea. It was not an experience I hope to have to endure again anytime soon, but one I was fully willing to endure to make sure this woman left feeling happy.
Today, I actually had the privilege of going to “Kansai Missionary Fellowship.” Many missionaries from this area of Japan get together a few times a year and fellowship, and so I went. It was very nice—I got to meet Americans, Australians, Japanese, and even a Finnish fellow. There was a nice meal, nice conversation, and great worship service and prayer time. Always nice to spend some time with fellow Christians who speak fluent English once in a while.
One of the best conversations I had was with an older Japanese fellow who was saved during his college years and is now pastor. He gave me incredibly valuable insight into the Japanese psyche and why it can be very difficult to reach the Japanese. He said that the Japanese mentality is all about self-reliance—Being strong enough to be successful through your own power. If you achieve success, you achieve happiness. But he told me he never felt this happiness, and felt as if he was working towards nothing at all. What was the purpose of his life? He once stumbled into an on-campus Bible study where he heard about Jesus’ meal with the tax collectors. Christ struck him, he told me, as the kind of teacher he could trust. Someone who wouldn’t reject him for who he was. As he studied more and more about this man, he eventually recognized His divinity—And the need for Him as a Savior due to his inability to earn salvation.
But he told me another reason that the Japanese are initially difficult to witness to is their indecisiveness. Japanese don’t like making decisions on their own, but they like to be directed by authority. This mentality is apparently fostered in the Japanese school system. For example, writing assignments aren’t about students creating new ideas and opinions, but only about parroting exactly what the teacher said—That’s what gets you good grades. It’s difficult to ditch all they’ve been told their entire life for this strange new teacher, Jesus.
It's also pivotal, he said, to make sure the Japanese truly understand what "sin" is, and why we are all guilty of it. Most Japanese are upstanding citizens, who follow a certain breed of eastern "humility." They don't understand why they are sinners headed toward judgement.
The most important, and simultaneously scary, thing he told me was to be living as a constant example. Japanese people are quiet, he said, but always thinking—And always watching. They are watching me to see what a Christian is. He insisted that my outward example was the most effective way to witness to the Japanese. I pray that God will make me into the example He wants me to be—And I hope you all will pray the same for me. Until next time.
つづく。見ていますか？ この偽光。
—Ethan
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