Bible Study in Yokohama

The bible study topic was from the book of Acts chapter 9, about Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus. Abe Sensei mentioned something that I felt at the time of hearing was quite profound. He said that Saul had a very sudden and unordinary experience meeting Jesus. Most people do not have such drastically life-changing one-time experiences. Really this is extremely rare. But this kind of experience happened to Saul who understood God's Word very well and who lived in the time of Jesus, understanding the significance of crucifixion, etc. Abe Sensei said that it is really challenging for a Japanese person to grasp might be thought of as simple to some because they don't share the same history or the same spiritual significance of certain things.

So Paul, who had the knowledge and history, needed an awesome experience to see Christ truly as he was. How much harder is it for people who don't have the knowledge and history to come to see Christ as he is if they don't have the same kind of life-altering experience? This was Abe Sensei's point. And as I type now I realize this is a point of struggle for any/all people who don't have the knowledge and history of the stories from the Bible. Good thing Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be a help and to overcome all difficulties.

Really you could take this and run with it in all kinds of theological debates and theories I suppose. The second Scripture we read was Galatians 1:11-24. Paul makes it clear that he wasn't persuaded by any man about who Christ was, but that the understanding came from God Himself. He even left for Arabia without meeting with any of the other disciples after he came to this understanding. I'm sure Paul's world was COMPLETELY shaken up and he needed some time to himself to put things in order and let things sink in. So he went off on his own for a while and eventually came back to see the other disciples and talk with them finally. Abe Sensei said that in a similar way Japanese people need time too to graps the understanding of Jesus Christ.

Besides the bible study time, the Abe's told me how in Japan baptism truly signifies a decision to follow Christ. Even though there isn't any persecution as in excommunication, physical beatings, or killings of Christians in Japan, this act has some weight in the minds of family members or friends who might decide to be baptized. Perhaps it's like there is some kind of emotional persecution...hmm...a new thought. Now I am taking on the thinking of Masuda Sensei and the other pastors who are so concerned and interested in the Japanese psychological/sociological mindset.

Anywa, it is hard to break free from doing what is expected of you. Most Japanese probably wouldn't consider it worth it to go against the grain for a certain strange belief. Some Japanese people who are Christians even put off being baptized, because of what their family members will think. To be honest with you, I don't think I have a real good grasp of what and why this happens, but I hope I'm not giving the wrong impression either.

To be a Christian in Japan means you are different. It means you don't participate in all the customs. For example, Abe Sensei shared that after he became a Christian his father got upset because he didn't light incense at his uncle's funeral. But he did stay up all night with the body. Now I can't tell you the religious or spiritual significance of each thing, but Christians in Japan who are truly seeking after God must reconsider the actions they do and decide which ones are ok to follow and which aren't. In any culture this is what happens when one becomes a Christian, is it not?