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!

Roadblocks to the Gospel: Harmony

Many who go to Japan, especially during sakura season, say that Japan is peaceful. Peace is something that is promoted in Christianity. Romans 12:8 reads, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Sakura flowers

There are several cultural things that fit into the Japanese ideal of harmony that do not follow the Bible. I will try to stay away from semantics,  but understanding the difference between Christian's harmony and Japan's harmony is key. 

Don't Rock the Boat!

We have all heard the phrase, "Don't Rock the Boat," but have you ever stopped and considered what that really means? 

The phrase means, "don't cause an argument just for the sake of the argument." Basically if you are in a group project and everyone but you agrees to do it one way, you should just go with the rest of the class. 

In Japan this phrase is taken to the extreme. Unless you are the boss or leader of the group, you are never to go against the flow. If the culture demands it, you follow. Often this is a good thing, like leaving the handicapped seats on the trains unoccupied, but is really a nice form of peer pressure. It also can have very negative affects. 

In Japan, many companies have "drinking parties." While attendance is mandatory, it is very strongly encouraged (as in you may loose your standing in the company or be fired if you don't go). At these parties you are encouraged to drink as much as the rest of the people. They have to drink how much the boss drinks. This can lead to an endless cycle of alcohol abuse.  

In Christianity, we are told to live at peace with those around us. But we are to be uncompromising on moral issues. We live at peace in the world, but we do not live as the world. Many people in Japan don't understand why we would abject to certain activities because by objecting to them we might inconvenience someone else. We rock the boat--and will not yield to doing what we believe is wrong for the sake social convince.

But that's the way it has always been done! 

In Japan, there is only one way to do anything--the Japanese way. In America we have people from all over the world that have live in America for many years. "There's more than one way to skin a cat." In my classes at ESU I know people from China, Japan, India, South Korea, Brazil, Bolivia, and various countries in Europe. Japan does not have this multicultural perspective. Almost everyone is, well, Japanese.  

Japan has been a strong nations for thousands of years. Many practices in Japan have been practiced for as long as the country has existed. In comparison, the United States is a new country with not unique cultural practice that are uniquely American. 

In the same way, Shintoism and Buddhism have been the religions in Japan for thousands of years. Christianity seems like some kind of new religion from the West that has nothing to do with them. You are either Shinto or Buddhist or Shinto-Buddhist because it as been that way for thousands of years and Japan has been peaceful (at times) under those religions. 

Honor your Family

Matthew 10: 34-39 "Not Peace, But a Sword"

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

To become a Christian in Japan, it often means you will lose your family. Many lose their friends as well. This is a sad truth. Japan has the freedom of religion, but Christianity is not accepted among many people in Japan. 

Becoming a Christian (there) is like saying your family doesn't matter to you. It is seen as rejecting those around you, both family and friends, and rejecting your culture and heritage (Japan), for some religion in the West. It is seen as a betrayal to what Japan holds dear.