Kathryn

Now on with this week’s entry. (Actually Last week’s)

Apologies again for being tardy in responding to last week’s reading assignment.

What a book. I have heard of Don Richardson and the book Peace Child over the years, but had not read it, nor heard of Eternity in their Hearts. I’m ashamed I have deprived myself these books and others just because of laziness to read. Eternity in their Hearts has been, thus far, the most impactful book ever. Not being a very emotional person, it is surprising to me how many times tears would well up in my eyes while reading when I realize just how BIG God is. I shared the story of the head hunting cannibals of New Guinea’s Asmat people with several people, and every time I told the story my eyes were filled with tears, being overwhelmed again of God’s sovereignty. I hope my appreciation of how big God is and how he can work in peoples’ lives far beyond what I can imagine continually grows. I would like to drop the tear thing though.

Funny how when you are younger you think when you retire you’ve paid your dues and that’s the time to stop learning, goof off, and enjoy life as long as possible. Not a very biblical way to look at life. Eternity in their Hearts has given whole new possibilities to enjoying life as long as possible.

In recent years I’ve been impressed with the saying, “We don’t know what we don’t know.” That is so true when it comes to knowing God. All he more impetus to learn as much as possible about God and how to share His love with whatever culture we find ourselves.

Billy Graham’s book “Nearing Home…Life, Faith, and Finishing Well” is giving me a fresh perspective about” finishing life well.” Retirement years are not designed to stop learning, goofing off, and consuming every waking hour on myself, but to serve God, understand God, and share his love with the world. By doing that the by-product is that we will enjoy life to its fullest and be blessed beyond imagination.

Eternity in their Hearts is helping to formulate in my mind just how to “finish well.” God’s grace is an amazing thing we experience in many ways. Unfortunately, we don’t always recognize it. In this case I do recognize God’s grace in allowing me to read this eye opening book. If the second half of Eternity in their Hearts is half as good as the first half I will feel doubly blessed.

Then to find that the anthropologists still follow the religion-is-made-up-by -people route instead of recognizing that this theory was debunked over a hundred years ago is – well, not surprising, is it? Generally, people who aren’t believers have to justify themselves somehow and having tribal people showing them up by recognizing God who they already were aware of a little bit is not supporting the scientists lack of belief.

Then listening to Kikawa-san’s talk about the profuse amount of Western culture – or what makes up Western Christianity – the rules – YES, I was indeed ready to slap the fiance in the face. When my husband and I got married and we were going to church here, I had grown up in the South where you DRESS for church. We had several “discussions” about this and thankfully have ended up going to churches where there isn’t really a cress code. I still get more dressed up than he does, but not to the degree I used to. He gets a little better dressed on certain occasions, but usually isn’t too bothered about what he’s wearing.

I had an interesting thing happen last summer while on my first trip to Japan. I realize that we aren’t being specific about which culture in this class, but I think it applies so hear me out please. I was visiting a Japanese friend I hadn’t seen in years who is a high school biology teacher. We were talking about his job and how he was going to have parent teacher conferences in a couple of weeks. He mentioned that he does palm reading. Now alarm bells started going off in my brain! And I had heard that it’s popular in his country (not like it isn’t here, mind you). Do after I playfully accused him of just wanting to hold pretty women’s hands, I realized that he may be crossing his own culture with the gospel this way. That people would receive words of encouragement or warning from someone with the gift of discernment better within the context of the familiar. OK how many of my classmates are freaking out right now? I hope this is the case, but it caused me to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Pardon me, but I’ve got to go finish “Catching Fire”…

It might be better to start a new gathering with younger generation with all those Japanese students and researchers in Houston area. I know there are many people who are reaching out to Japanese through ESL classes in Houston.

About “Exclusiveness of Christianity”: When I discussed about it with an older Japanese pastor at RJC conference, he said, “I think Christianity is rather ‘all inclusive’, because Jesus said, ‘WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish, but to have eternal life.’” Hmm. True, isn’t it!?

- I thought that the comment about few young people in the Japanese church very telling. Here in Houston there is not a Japanese church. There was one a one time, but the pastor went back to Japan. A few Japanese here in town still meet on Sunday afternoons in a Formosan Taiwanese Church building with visiting Japanese pastors being called in. It’s amazing that in one of the largest cities in the U.S. there is not an established Japanese church. I also noticed that the majority of the attendees are older Japanese women who plan and help run the service. The style of worship is also based on hymns and traditional music. Not that this style of music is bad, but I feel it may not attract the younger Japanese church goer. I personally like contemporary worship along with some of the older traditional hymns. If the Japanese church cannot attract younger congregants then the church will slowly die. I think this is a significant concern.

- It was interesting, but not surprising to read the statistic that Islam was the fastest growing faith in Japan in 2001. This was due to immigration and can also be seen in countries in Europe as well. Due to the higher birth rates in the Muslim population along with the declining birthrate of the local citizen population, Europe will eventually become a Muslim nation I believe. This does not bode well for Christianity.

- Some of the barriers sighted in the book are the same as those voiced by non-Christians here in the U.S. and elsewhere. It’s good to know that these questions/obstacles are not unique to Japan and can be addressed.

(1) The claim that Jesus is the one true and living God. I think this is a big sticking point in the U.S. as well as in Japan. Hey, Jesus Himself said He is the Way, the truth and the life and that no man comes to the Father but through Him. Christians aren’t just making this up. Religions have contradictory teachings among them such that they all cannot be true. They all can be false, but all cannot be true.
(2) What happens to someone who dies having not heard about Jesus or had a chance to hear the Gospel? I think this is one of the most asked questions in the U.S. as well. The Bible says that we are all given light to see God and He is revealed throughout His creation. This may not come directly through the proclamation of the Gospel as traditionally thought.
(3) The Bible is infallible. There are good evidences to believe in the trustworthy nature of the Bible compared to other written works.

You’re right. Humans I think innately know they are not good enough and seek for something outside of themselves to appease. I’m always amazed by God’s grace toward a sinner such as myself.

As children are ready to leave home to go to college, some parents tell them, “Don’t get into any religion!” as a wise parental advise. This shows how some people view religions as social evil.

I think we humans know that we are not good enough, so I am thinking that most of the religions try to appeace god(s). Praise the Lord, God sent us the perfect Lamb of God so His wrath on us was satisfied forever!

At the same time, we must take everything to God in prayer because there are things in every culture that are of man and the devil that needs to be cleansed from the culture. The purpose of the game is to help us be better at seeing what is “the dirt and what is the baby.” What is different or strange to us may seem like the dirt but we may throw out the arm of the baby and what seems benign to us, they may know is dirt that must go. Lord help us be humble and ask for their help and advice because we see through cultural glasses we cannot remove.