"How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it." -G.K. Chesterton "He must increase, but I must decrease." -John the Baptist [John 3:30]
Nippon & Nihonjin
I'm sure you've heard it said (usually as an excuse), "but the USA needs missionaries, too!" Sure we
do--but how many Americans could and should be missionaries in their
home country but aren't? Compare that with the number of people willing
to pick up and go overseas. Then factor in the needs of some of these countries, and you will begin to see why I believe in foreign missions.
Since I'm working at a Japanese church, I've been learning about the needs in Japan. Less than 1% of the population is Christian (including
Catholic). Two weeks ago I met a girl in her late 20's who said she had only met one Christian in her lifetime.
The mindset is completely secular and godless, the consequences of which show up in
these interesting results of a Gallup poll released March 2006:
22% of U.S. teens in previous Gallup surveys often wondered why they existed, but the number for Japanese teens was 85%.
76% of U.S. teens always see a reason for their being on Earth, and only 13% of Japanese teens agreed with the statement.
3% of U.S. teens wish they had never been born, while 11% of Japanese teens do.
In addition, consider the social disorder called hikikomori, where
individuals withdraw from society and confine themselves to their
bedroom for years. Japan's Ministry of Health estimates that
over 1 million Japanese, mostly male, are hikikomori. In short, it's typically brought on by a failure to measure up to parental or societal
expectations and sustained by parents who want to "take care" of their
child. (Here's a long but fascinating article in NY Times on hikikomori.)
Another startling statistic: this video states that the homeless population has doubled in the past 7 years. (Do yourself the favor of watching this video with the music turned off.)
Without a doubt, there's a need in Japan. But even if people are searching, there is an excruciating dearth of Japanese literature. Bibles are expensive and from what I've heard, it's impossible to find a translation that's accurate and understandable. There's nothing close to a magabook* there or Bible study guides in Japanese. Something MUST be done. It seems to me that this is one reason why close to nothing is happening in the church in Japan. Just like Europe in the dark ages, because the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy are practically inaccessible to the common people and church members, they are kept bound in chains of ignorance.
The question is: what can I do? I'd sure like to know. I'm still not sure where God is leading me, but a burden to do something for the Japanese is being born in my heart.
