"I don't know anything about religion but I will always remember that God is with me," Akihiro shared with my group. He's replying to my question what message would he like to remember after the youth camp.
Aikihiro is one of the 30 teenagers who attended Hamamatsu Saviour King's annual youth camp. He was assigned to be on my team- the Super Mario Team. (Why my team's name is like that is another story.) In this 3-day camp, I've always seen Akihiro actively participating in the games and happily singing worship songs to a God he didn't know until the camp.
Christianity is not Japanese
For all Japan's religious festivals and traditions, most Japanese are not actively religious. There are no Sunday masses to attend, no prayers to utter on meal time and no holy book to read. They can't even distinguish whether they're Buddhist or Shinto. They go a Buddhist temple when they want and go to a Shinto shrine as they desire. Crossing over from Shinto to Buddhist and vice-versa is no big deal. Japanese culture is rooted in these two religions. Unlike Christianity.
"Christianity is not Japanese," an old Japanese once told me. I believe this opinion is somewhat reflective why there are barely 2 percent Japanese Christians. Christianity is the foreigners' religion; the Japanese have their own. It's like saying wrestling is the foreigners' sport; the Japanese have sumo. The foreigners' have tea time; the Japanese will have the eleborate (and knee jerking) tea ceremony. The foreigners' have this and that; the Japanese have their own this and that. All I'm saying is this: the Japanese are most nationalistic people I've met when it comes to their culture and traditions When something does not seem like Japanese, they're not very open about it. And this applies to Christianity.
Japan Does Not Need God
I heard once that Japan is like a dead man's land for Christian missionaries. It's not because they will be killed or will be persecuted here. It's because it's so difficult to make people see their need for God. Unlike in other areas where Christianity flourished, Japan is a comfortable and safe place. People don't need a god to make things right for them. It's their government's job. People don't need a god to hold on to when times get tough. Their lives are okay.
However, if there's one thing that Christians can do is to show God's love by being genuinely friendly and sociable. The Japanese are, perhaps, the most reserved people. They won't show affection until hell freezes over. Because of this, a lot of Japanese hunger for warmth. They may not know it until they experience it. I know a couple of Japanese ladies who want to marry foreigners because they believe that foreigners are loving and affectionate people unlike Japanese men. Even studies show that the Japanese are least sexually satisfied people. I think it's not just because of sex but of the over all standoffish culture they have here. Christians in Japan may not be able to preach how God provides our needs, how God saves us from troubles but we can sure preach (and show) how God cares and longs to be in a relationship with His people.
God's Not Dead... Not in Japan
Before the camp, I've been praying to God to give me the wisdom in handling my team. I only know how to cheer and push people to do things, how to make sure everybody feels included and how to be loud for team energy. Even though I'm a Christian for a long time, I still don't have the confidence to share the Word to non-Christians. I'm not comfortable in discussing other people's beliefs. So I just prayed that somehow God will speak to the youth in my team without me saying anything. After all, he's God so he can do it.
I believe that God did work in ways I couldn't even imagine. Weeks after the camp was over, I can still remember the lessons that the campers shared on the last day. One shared how he learned that God wants us to live for others because it's best way to live. Another said that people who are quietly doing things excellently are also brave people. A young girl reflected that God has always been there in her life. And then Akihiro ended the discussion with his own "... I will always remember God is with me." Their statements may not seem mind-blowing but considering the kind of culture these youth are coming from, their statements on God are big things.
I'm amazed that God did not only gave me wisdom. He also gave wisdom to these young people. He did not only use me to bless them but he also used them to bless me. God even used these young people to remind me He's with me even in Japan.
