Roadblocks to the Gospel: Foreigner

"Gaijin! Gaijin!" Unless you are ethically Asian while in Japan you will run into at least one kid that will yell "gaijin" at the top of their lungs while pointing at you. Even though adults don't say that, you know they are thinking it. When you walk though the train station many heads will suddenly turn towards you, and every eye is glued on you. You feel like a mix between a superstar and a freak show.

"Gaijin" is Japanese for foreigner literally meaning, "outside person." While there is technically a more polite version (Gaikokujin lit. "outside-country person"), it is shortened to gaijin. It is not meant to be rude, although some people view it as rude, but is meat to be non-formal. In Japanese there are several levels of politeness and different levels uses different conjugations etc. Whereas English does not have any levels for politeness because of this, Japan often sees English, and English-speaking people, as people who don't care about politeness.

While in Japan, unless you are ethically Japanese, you will always be viewed as an outsider. This is not a racist thing, but rather a cultural thing. America has been called the land of immigrants. Even someone who is Native American knows people whose ancestors immigrated to America. It is not unusual to walk down the street and see people who are ethically from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. The way we realized that someone is not American is not by their skin/hair/eye color or by their religion, but by if they have an accent.

Now consider Japan.

Almost everyone in Japan is a Native Japanese person. Only 1.22% of the population is not Japanese, and many in Japan are from China and Korea. For thousands of years,  no take-over of Japan has been successful. The country was was rather isolated because it was an island. When Europeans cam over to trade, many ports would not accept them or imposed harsh trade sanctions. When missionaries came over, many were killed--crucified and left on display. Many Japanese believers were also killed.

Being Japanese is a source of pride and history. Many can trace their family lines back many generations--all Japanese.

No matter how many Japanese customs you follow, or how good your Japanese is, or how dark your hair or eyes are--you will never be Japanese. You will always be considered an outsider.

But that does not mean you are not accepted. You can be accepted in your community, gain lifelong friends, and meet people who will judge you on your character rather than your skin color.

An Opportunity too Great to Miss

But being foreign give us an incredible opportunity! 

Let me explain. 

Because we are not Japanese, we can question the way Japan works. 

We can believe in Christianity and (generally) not suffer the social consequences. 

We can not follow all the Japanese customs and not be considered rude. 

We can ask questions about Shintoism and Buddhism and compare them to Christianity. 

I think you get the point. 

But perhaps the best opportunity comes from the ability to speak English. Right or wrong, it is what it is. Many people will seek out foreigners simply to learn about a different culture and practice/learn English. 

This is an opportunity far too great to miss. 

People are seeking us out, why would we waste such an opportunity? Many will agree to read the Bible because it is an important text in English. Also, the Bible is one of the easily accessible text that will have English and Japanese side-by-side. Japan is an unreached country, meaning most people have NO ACCESS to the gospel. They have never heard about the gospel, and many couldn't find a Christian if they tried. 

Even if they don't accept the gospel, having access and knowing what the gospel is so much better. As Christians, we can never force someone to believe the gospel.  All we can do is present what we know, and pray that God would touch their heart. 

Never stop praying!