A Good Day

Monday of this week I had an extremely productive day. I did absolutely nothing! Ha! Well, to be truthful I didn't do nothing and it was actually quite productive because I prepared for my classes for this week, but I didn't leave the Arita's house at all. It was my first real day off...and I needed it! The previous days that were meant to be my days off the church members had taken me sightseeing to different places, which is nice but doesn't give me a true break to relax. So I started the week out rested and feeling more ready for this week's classes.

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a day that encouraged me. In my first class at Kobuchi church there were eight women who came. The church members brought a few of their friends. So it's great to have more people attend, though it does make it a little bit more difficult to teach and give everyone an equal chance to talk. But at least they are there and I can have a chance to share my life with them.

In my afternoon class with women at Sudo Sensei's house in Yamazaki, I had a good experience. Only two women could make the class yesterday and I think the Lord was leading in that to create a more open and intimate atmosphere. One of the women is actually also a Christian and has been for forty years, her name is Kyoko. The other is not a Christian and is named Sumiko. Though I had something planned as a lesson, conversation started in Japanese between them and Sudo Sensei and his wife who stay for the class as well. I'm not entirely sure where or how it started but from the beginning until the end of the class we were talking about religion. It was mentioned that most Japanese are not very religious anymore. Sumiko asked me what I thought about Shintoism and Buddhism since I studied them while I was in Japan for a semester during college. I told her that to me those religions were very complicated. There are so many gods. They agreed that it was even complicated for Japanese themselves. Sumiko said that old Japan was a farming country and so the farmers prayed to the gods of rain and sun and ground, etc. So that is why there are so many gods. I wondered if since there are less farmers and so much technology that the Japanese don't necessarily have a need to pray to all these different gods anymore and that is why so many are no longer religious.

Sumiko then explained a little more to me about how more people are turning back to the Shinto and Buddhist traditions recently and how it is becoming again like before World War II. (After the war the Japanese people were greatly influenced by the American/Western presence which caused a turning from old Japanese traditions for Western ways and a somewhat greater openness to Christianity.) I asked her why she thought people were turning back to the ways before the war and she said it was mainly because the people enjoy the festivities. The activites give the people a good feeling in their hearts. Then Sudo Sensei mentioned that the people don't understand or believe what the festivities mean in terms of religious significance, but go just to find some enjoyment. So as you can see, just like all people, the Japanese are looking for ways to be refreshed; refreshed in their hearts and minds and even spiritually though they may not realize it.

Later in the hour I asked what Sumiko believed about God. She first told me that she didn't have a religion, but that her father had taught her that God was in her heart. So he told her that when she is in a hard time she should pray to the God in her heart and that makes her calm. Then she continued on to say that she also prays to her parents. She has a picture of her parents that she prays to each morning and each evening. She also lights a candle and seeing the flame makes her feel calm. So she said this was her religion.

[Praying to and for the ancestors is a common Japanese custom and is part of the Shinto/Buddhist religion. There is a holiday in September for visiting the graves of family members that have passed away. The younger, living generation is supposed to take care of the graves of their ancestors and pray for/to them. It is their duty to support the previous generations to get into paradise. This is one of the reasons why being a Christian in Japan is hard. The parents worry that their children won't take care of them after they die, because as you know Christianity doesn't support this kind of idea.]

After learning about what Sumiko believes about God I then asked the Christian woman to tell us what she believes about God. She shared that she believes in Christ, but unfortunately, she had a harder time explaining exactly what it was she believes. When Sudo Sensei helped to prompt her to share some of her testimony, Kyoko said that her mother was a Christian and she respected her mother's lifestyle as a Christian so that is why she believed in Christ. (And her mother is actually turning 101 years young this month!)

[Respecting your parents is also traditionally a very important value in Japan (and perhaps in Asia in general). It is particularly a strong value for the older generation and though I think perhaps that some of the younger generation is getting away from it in some ways, it is still a prevalent value for all. The one junior high boy student I have told me he wants to be a fireman like his dad because he respects his father. So you can imagine why praying to and taking care of the graves of parents is so important. Just to share a thought---Japan also has one of the highest life expectancies. This makes you think a little more about the command to "Honor your father and your mother and so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Think about it.]

To end the class I decided to ask if I could pray and everyone agreed. Before I prayed I asked the two women what I could pray for them. I knew asking Sumiko this question might put me in a kind of sticky situation, but I knew God would guide me with wisdom. She asked that I would pray that her parents would be in paradise. I wasn't sure what I'd do about that, but I simply agreed and started praying. I thanked God for everyone there and prayed for the health of Kyoko's husband who is in the hospital. And I thanked God for Sumiko's love for her parents and said some kind of vague thing about giving protection, not mentioning to who exactly. God knows what to do with a prayer request like that. And that was that. Short, sweet, and simple.

When I finished praying and looked up, I noticed that Sumiko had started to quietly cry as I was praying. Well, everyone noticed of course. She was obviously touched. Just to explain something about her personality, Sumiko is a very gentle, proper, soft spoken, but also a well-spoken kind of woman as far as I have gotten a chance to see who she is. It was clear the way she talked of her father and her parents and her family (when she showed a family picture she had brought), and then also asked for that prayer, that she cares very very much for her family.

Just before she got ready to leave, Sumiko told me that she respected my parents because she would not have been able to let her 24 year old daughter go so far away. I told her that, yes, my parents want me with them, but that they trust God to keep me safe.

Later, at dinner Sudo Sensei told me that when he took Sumiko to the elevator she told him that even though she didn't know what I was saying in my prayer she was just really grateful and glad that someone else prayed for her parents. It was something special to her. So I didn't need to worry about her hearing what I prayed because I wasn't even sure what to pray at that moment, but the important thing was that I did pray on her behalf. I don't know how God is going to show her the truth of His Son, but I know that right now she is experiencing love.