We have walked miles and miles up and down the streets of Japan's big cities. It's the cleanest country I've ever seen. Intermingled in it's tall buildings and suburbs you will find urban gardens sprinkled all over. It's winter here so the gardens are quite bare. We even walked to a famous temple in Kyoto known for it's gardens and were quite disappointed by the sight we didn't get to see. Japan is also famous for it's cherry blossoms. And I've seen the sleeping trees everywhere as bare as can be.
I'm sure many of us are disappointed we are in Japan in January. But there is something bigger to see in the winter in Japan.
And that is still the gardens.
We are living with the most amazing Japanese pastors in a church here in Osaka. Pastor Sherata Sensei and Masahiro Sensei. My Japanese is almost nonexistent and their English is very limited, but still pretty entertaining to communicate with. The first day we met, they told us through a game of charades that we would be fishing with children the next day.
But much to our surprise, there were no ponds or fish. Instead we pounded rice with a huge mortar and pestle to make Motchi. Motchi is a traditional sticky rice dessert eaten to celebrate the new year. Now every time we cannot seem to translate something, we all say, "Oh, you mean fishing?" and then motion with our hands that we are fishing. And we all laugh.
But the other day I had a beautiful conversation with the pastors. I will write it as I heard it right from Sherata.
You bring seed to Japan. Plant it and maybe grow. Maybe no. But wait, sometime it take maybe 100 year for seed to grow. Japan need seed. Japan need sun. Japan need rain. Japan need pray. Please pray.
There are less than 1% of Christians living in Japan. It is a country that pushes a lifestyle to not go against the flow. I would definitely say following Christ is going against that flow. You must never be different than anyone else in Japan and you must never bring shame to your family. With these strict society rules in place, suicide rates are alarming in Japan being two times more than the United States and three times that of Great Britain. It is the number one cause of death in young adults ages 20-44.
http://thediplomat.com/2013/01/searching-for-answers-japans-suicide-epidemic/
But like I said earlier, it is the gardens to come see in Japan even in January. Because it reminds me that soon and very soon, God will bring the seed, sun and rain. And then not just one beautiful flower will grow, but a vast garden. And it will burst forth through the complacent culture of similarity and comparison and look and very different than everything else, just like Jesus.
Romans 12 says:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
