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I can’t believe I have already been to Japan and back! God has proved his faithfulness once again with such clear direction and provision. It feels so wonderful to be walking in step with Jesus and just see where he leads. Amazingly, he has led me to Japan.
My recent trip to Japan was simply perfect! Now, I did arrive the day a minor hurricane was hitting the country, so maybe our definitions of perfect are a little different. This brief trip to Japan was everything I needed it to be. My primary goals for going to Japan were to receive clarity in my future work in Japan and to better understand the needs of the Japanese people. Thankfully, these two objectives can go hand-in-hand.
I was in Japan for 10 days, and I met with over 15 missionaries and pastors within that time. Each of them had their own unique testimony and calling to the Japanese people. Some of these were just chance meetings that never appeared on my itinerary, but I know each of them were planned by God. I met missionaries who had been serving in Japan for 40 years and 89-year-old pastors who were still innovating their next ministry opportunity. Each conversation was so helpful in me capturing a better idea of what ministry in Japan looks like. One day, Pastor Higarashi and his wife took me and Yuri to the Grand Shrine in Ise. It is the Mecca of Shintoism (the dominant religion of Japan). We went out in the pouring rain so “I could see that nothing was up there.” Even though it was pouring rain, we still saw many people coming to this sacred shrine. I thought they must be very devout to come all this way in such bad weather. To my amazement, many of the people in these other cars turned left at the parking lot and headed straight to the gift shops and tourist attractions along the mountainside the shrine was on. Here I was at the center of their religion, and I saw so many not caring. Once we arrived at the top, we saw a handful of people praying. I asked Yuri and Pastor Higarashi what they were praying for. They told me that they were simply making requests for a happy life, a good job, and good health. They made a point to tell me that there are no prayers of repentance in Shintoism.
This fact astounded me. A religion without repentance is a religion that doesn’t believe in the concept of sin. It is a religion so undemanding that ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ aren’t even a part of it. I thought and prayed on this and what it means to minister to the people of Japan and bring them to Jesus. What is the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice if they have no concept that they need one? This one point helped me understand Japan as a whole. I could understand their choices and their lifestyle so much better when I realized they never have believed they have sinned.
These lessons on ministry in Japan were quite numerous. Learning at the Grand Shinto Shrine was certainly high up there, but there were so many other pieces I could put together. I spoke with a missionary about Japanese people not stepping into helping others unless it expressly their job to do so. They certainly are unfamiliar with the Good Samaritan.
In more practical ways, I learned about the many obstacles of ministering to teenagers. Academic pressure and mandatory extracurriculars keep teenagers away from church. Most extracurriculars happen on Sunday mornings during church, and so many churches have zero attendees in that age group. My current role as youth pastor has only made me love youth ministry more and more, and so seeing these young people as nonexistent in the church broke my heart. There is such a clear need for strong youth ministry in the Japanese church. Because of academic and societal pressures, many Japanese youth choose to commit suicide. This heart-breaking reality makes me want to minister to the youth in Japan that much more. Young people desperately need a source of hope and purpose. They need a loving and trustworthy community. These are the things that only Jesus can bring to their lives. As Jesus has transformed my life, as he has transformed the lives of many of you who read this, I know that God will do it again! That he will transform the hearts and minds of the Japanese people and that he will bring them into the kingdom of God. That he will bring his hope, peace, joy, and love to the young people of Japan.
There is plenty more for me to share from my experience in Japan. I can’t wait to share more tidbits in future newsletters. Please know that this trip will come up every time someone asks me about how cool God is. So, thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your support.