Slow is Fast

Take 8 recent college graduates who are praying for a way to share Christ with students in Japan but aren't given official permission to live there and add 1 teammate soon to finish a semester of ministry in Tokyo. We were prepared for a stunningly efficient public transportation system, astronomical prices for rent and food, a bewildering linguistic environment (most of us), Biblically disinterested students who keep to themselves and some of the densest urban living possible on the planet.

Given our expectations and prayerful preparations, where would you have considered reassigning us?

Through Cru staff, who were incredibly helpful in the transition process, we believe God's will for the remaining six months is that we live and work here on the big island of Hawaii. True, it's a great contrast with where we were headed before: a mere 43,000 laid-back inhabitants who often embrace others when meeting them; full domestic cell phone and postal services; car-dominated roads with few reliable buses; and an abundance of the Lord's glorious creation from beaches to rain forests. But there are also great opportunities ahead.

Yes, Hawaii is part of America since it was annexed in 1898. Yet the culture here, particularly on this island, is strongly tied to the traditions of the native Hawaiians as well as Japanese immigrants. This doesn't just mean that living in this non-touristy small town will involve culture shock, but also that students who here surrender their lives to Jesus may head to serve in Asian countries rather than the mainland given their cultural affinity to the former. In a strange way, then, coming here may be a bigger step in reaching Japan (if, as we think, it's the Lord's will) than if we had been able to go directly ourselves. We are at least praying that this will prove true.

The realization of this dream, though, will have to wait until students return to UH Hilo the second week of January. For now, we are mostly accustomed to the time difference, PST + 2 hours, and attempting to get used to the incessant bouts of rain--anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours in duration. (Just to put things in perspective from the averages: 90% of days in a year are at least partially cloudy here, with 278 days on which a total of 126.3 inches of rain fall.) Since students have yet to return, we are locking down the logistics that the transition left undetermined: where will we live? And how will we get to campus?

The staff couple here has been super helpful, even letting us housesit during this period of transition as long as we feed their animals. That said, the days tend to flow like molasses: little to do which, given the island mentality of those managing apartments etc., takes lots of time--so different than the hurry-hurry lifestyle I've adopted in the Bay Area. I have to remind myself that part of this process of waiting (still) is being used by the Lord to grow us in patience and ground us in His love & a shared team mentality (best born out of frustrating and trying times!) so we can be maximally effective together come January.

The title of this post is a maxim one of the staff, a Hilo native, quoted to us in our re-briefing. Things do indeed run at a different pace here, but to best minister to the locals we must adapt and speak into this context. After all, didn't our Savior do the same in His earthly sojourn?

Book Review #5: Artemis Fowl

Fifth in a series of 8. The book for this review is courtesy of Kimiyo Brown: Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl.

~

Children are too often sentimentalized, I think. They are complicated, imaginative and clearly sinful beings, their shifting personality gaining shape underneath a time-sensitive ration of cuteness. I dearly love playing with them--OK, most of them--and am intrigued at the thought that (to my knowledge) Jesus is the only major religious leader who is reported as socializing with them. But kids can also behave very badly, especially under the influence of bad examples, and a recent superhero movie titled with an expletive made headlines for a particularly profane 11-year-old character.

A good fictional portrayal of children, therefore, should not be sentimentalized (and even a cursory glance at Jane Eyre or most any story by Dickens reveals was not such a temptation in past centuries as now). Leaning the opposite direction, however, not only breeds cynicism but also sets a low standard for any observing children. It bears asking, then, if Colfer's portrayal of this book's titular protagonist--a 12-year-old prodigy seeking to step into the criminal shoes of his gangster father by robbing fairy gold--walks this fine line of reality or not.

In my observation, the answer is no. Artemis is clearly not meant to be a role model, but he is also short on redeeming qualities save his melodramatic habit of becoming the winner by staying intellectually ahead of his opponents. The one wrinkle in his cool facade is affection for his mother, living in a world colored by dementia and grief. Apart from the fairy costuming, this is a genre thriller for kids, with the requisite cast of one-note characters behind the scenes, high degree of violence and grey-shaded morality in its numerous double-crossing twists. What sets this tale apart for me is its notes of sarcastic humor, which add a level of sophistication and interest to both the characters and the plot (though I could have done without the appearance of a poop joke at a key plot point).

If this is part of the future of kid's literature, I would have to say it's more influenced by televised & filmed sources than written ones, as almost all of the material hinged on the actions and not the thoughts of the characters; to my thinking, this is tantamount to ignoring the medium's greatest strength and reminiscent of the later episodes in the Harry Potter series. I know it's not exactly fair to criticize the wandering nature of the plot and its several loose ends by the conclusion, as this is the first in a series and is not attempting to be conclusive. However, I didn't feel compelled enough by what I found here to want to further acquaint myself with either the fairy world or the overly static characters.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the sly notes of humor

Disliked the inverted morality and occasionally aimless plot

I would recommend this book to less impressionable readers (preferably adults) who want a mental break

Disclaimer: This book contains one scene of graphic violence and several other fights.

Bend in Plans

My 'year abroad' has thus far been a giant exercise in trusting the sovereignty of the risen Christ Jesus over all things, including my emotions, bank account and exact location on this planet.

We have heard official word from the Japanese government: our visa papers were denied. There is as yet no explanation, but though eventually it would be nice, my team is learning to rest in the fact that the Lord has made His will clear through the bureaucracy.

Our leaders made the decision not to appeal their ruling for several reasons: 1) God calls us to submit to and obey government leaders so long as they do not command sin or forbid what He commands (Romans 13:1-2); 2) it's late in the year and better that we get on campus somewhere; 3) it's doubtful that the Japanese government, which doesn't respond favorably to what they may consider meddling, would reverse the decision; and 4) there are few options for sidestepping this barrier, all of which would involve going behind the backs of the authorities--which is far from a Christlike testimony.

Does it challenge my faith that through financial provision and personal leading, it was clear that He wanted us to go to Japan but the plan has changed? Somewhat. God is free to do what He wants; He is the Creator and I am not. And since I was called to serve with Cru this year not of my own will, but (in part) because I needed to be directly reminded that ministry is His work and not mine, this wrinkle in the mix comes as a further confirmation of His desire in molding my heart through these various circumstances.

If I could have chosen, I would be in Tokyo right now, meeting up with friends old and new, savoring the cuisine I became accustomed to (even with high prices for daily groceries and a dearth of fruit & vegetables given my budget) and telling more people about Who Jesus really is--the Creator of all there is--and why believing hearts have a reason to commemorate His coming to earth. But that would not be walking in faithfulness to the doors He has opened; it would seem spiritual, but in reality be a selfish escape to my own dreams. Ministry without Christ's presence and direction is truly pointless.

We are being redirected to the University of Hawaii, Hilo for the remaining six months of our missionary term. I look forward to updating you on this blog, despite its title, of our coming adventures of faith as we follow our great God and Savior on this new island.

Book Review #4: The Little Prince

Fourth in a series of 8. The book for this review is courtesy of Sarah EuDaly: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince.

~

If life is a game, it is mostly mental. Witness the way people hang onto scraps of information, whether political headlines, sports statistics or celebrity gossip, and use it to give their everyday existence meaning. Observe the immediate absorption of young children in games with minimal or no props to aid their creativity. Think about how challenging it would be to sit alone in an isolation chamber without immediately setting your mind racing to a million memories or fantasies.

Airmail pilot Saint-Exupéry survived an experience far more extreme than that last hypothetical plunge into sensory vacuum: a 1935 crash landing in the Sahara desert, with only a day's worth of water. He and his navigator reportedly stopped sweating after a few days and experienced severe hallucinations before being rescued by a Bedoin. Out of that crucible of physical fatigue and mental exhaustion sprang a beloved classic of world literature.

Though it's regarded as a kid's book, much of The Little Prince is aimed squarely at adults who "never understand anything by themselves" and fixate on figures and statistics rather than the essential qualities of things, who are unable to see by the light of imagination. Children may chuckle at the buffoonish caricatures of wasted lives on various planets or coo over the Prince's devotion to his rose, but teachable older readers will drink a fuller draught of Saint-Exupéry's sarcasm and romance.

The story of the the Prince's quest throughout the universe is artfully inset within the desert dialogue between the Prince & the pilot narrator. The author's drawings are a key part of the story, though in my opinion there are a few too many of them for a book on imagination. Overall, though, it is hard to find a fault with a book which includes the following definition: "...Since it is beautiful, it is truly useful." Its depth and magic far exceed its slim size and have helped broaden my own imaginings. This volume would be well paired with Chesterton's Orthodoxy, which I highly recommend for its deeper look into the theological implications of fairy tales.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the poignant, often profound meditations on true value and imagination

Disliked the profusion of illustrations, some of which were more distracting than helpful

I would recommend this book to children at heart.

Disclaimer: This book will stick in your memory if you've read it right--casual reading is discouraged.

Emotions in Limbo

Some of you may be wondering how it feels to be daily setting Cru's record for the longest visa delay. I could turn the question around and ask how it feels while you are waiting for Christ's second coming, but that isn't a direct answer--though hopefully it is convicting.

What's a more immediate illustration of what being in visa limbo feels like? Here are a few snapshots from today:

It's having two of my pastor's adorable little daughters sitting in my lap, playing with my shirt and offering me Play-Doh cookies, then remembering that I can't commit to doing kid's ministry because I could be gone any Sunday now.

It's overhearing the Christmas choir practicing in the sanctuary and wanting to join them, but knowing that I can't when Incarnation Day outreaches are perhaps the year's biggest assignment for my Tokyo team.

It's being somewhat embarrassed to admit to a friend that I don't have solid Thanksgiving plans, and probably won't be able to say for such if I'll be there until a week prior (and not 100% even then).

It's having to ask another friend for their car keys so I can drive someone needing a ride to the BART station, because I've divested myself of the automobile.

It's seeing planning happen for various long-term ministries and wanting to be part of things beyond prayer, but learning to say 'no.'

In short, it's a waxing & waning form of tension. Thanks to the dear friends & family I have in Oakland, Granite Bay, Auburn and Sacramento, it has been much more bearable than in the first few weeks. When deep in conversation with them, I almost forget that I'm 'supposed' to be somewhere else.

It is truly odd to hope almost against hope that you won't see your 'til-now favorite people in the world and make memories with them during the holidays. What makes it less odd is remembering that God is in control and His Fatherly care & timing are best. And because of His Lordship in all things, I am truly supposed to be here for now--my desires notwithstanding. They need to learn to yield to Him in faith, and His promises will hold true at last.

Rest: Witness to the World

The previous two posts focused on God's command and our gospel-based obligation to rest. Now I'd like to highlight a third function of rest: its testimony to those who have not rested their trust on Jesus that life under His Lordship is different.

This is quite appropriate in connection with Japanese evangelism, as in the testimony of the famous author 三浦綾子 [Miura Ayako]. She has been called "the Japanese C.S. Lewis," as she's written both bestselling fiction with Christian themes and reflective essays on the Bible. The verses that she describes as first impressing her were those of Jesus: "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Submitting to Christ, though it does involve work in obeying Him, is here described in clear contrast to the burdensome work of slavery to sin and self. Though Miura-san may not have initially thought of herself as a slave to sin, she realized that Jesus was clearly promising a different life--and doing so with the authority to grant it to those who obeyed His word.

Here are three facets of the lightness of His yoke, which all stand in clear contrast to life apart from Christ.

1) "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

"Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:25-34)

This passage, familiar to many in the church, is more revolutionary than we think. A life free from temporal anxiety? Yes, if you are resting in the confidence that God your Savior is also able to provide everything you need as you go about doing His will. Jesus uses humor in comparing his followers to plants & birds, which are clearly taken care of by their Creator, and dismissing the need to fret over the future. A similar lightheartedness can be enjoyed by those who have taken His yoke upon them (repented of their sins and trusted in His death & resurrection on their behalf) and are stepping out in faith that He has done all the work for them to be saved and restored into the image of their Creator.

2) "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:1-5)

Earlier in 1 John, the "disciple Jesus loved" (as he referred to himself in his account of Christ's earthly life, so enamored was he with his Savior's nearly unbelievable care for him) said that the clear commandment of God was to love one another, even as Jesus loved us. This command, like the other commands God gives us, is described as "not burdensome"--leading rather to rest.

When we obey God's revealed will in the Bible, we experience life as it was meant to be lived. Though our own corrupt hearts tempt us with thoughts of sin, though there is a spiritual realm that is partially in rebellion against God and influences events unseen by us, though others assume that we should all go our own independent way, these things can be "overcome" by faith--resting in the truth God has spoken about His only Son. Living by the Creator God's guidelines not only leads the believer into experiential rest, but also demonstrates to the world that God's commands can shape a visibly different life.

3) "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load." (Galatians 6:1-5)

Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, commands brothers and sisters in the faith to help each other in difficulties. If we are not overburdened with our own sins and worries through faith in Christ Jesus, we are free to share someone else's trials--some of which are far too large to be dealt with alone--as we continue confessing sin and obeying Him in daily life ("his own load").

This also challenges the very individualistic view of rest many people hold, having been raised in cultures where rest is equated with doing leisure activities, often solo. Rest in Christ is both individual, as no one can escape the necessity of personally repenting and having faith in God through Him, and corporate, in that we are able to spur one another on to love and good works as His return draws ever closer (Hebrews 10:24-25).

I hope this mini-series has provoked new thoughts for you on how God defines rest and blesses His people with it in Jesus. Feel free to comment below, but I pray most of all that you engage with the truth of His word in this matter.

Book Review #3: Once A Runner

Third in a series of 8. The book for this review is courtesy of Albert Li: John L. Parker Jr.'s Once a Runner.

~

I have an affinity to running. This doesn't mean I am one, at least not in the athletic sense. I habitually run for exercise, but I have only once run a 5K--and that because I had Cru friends running that same race with me, not for a competitive time. Some of my good Bay Area friends take it seriously, though, and one of my best friends helps coach a Sacramento track team, so in their wake I've begun to step up my involvement. A book that promised further inspiration? Why, sure.

The book concerns one Quenton Cassidy, mile runner at Southeastern U in the Vietnam-protest era. He is the track team's captain and enjoys all the perks of living fraternity-style with the team (while describing house in-jokes, Parker occasionally lost me in obscure prose). His left-wing views and relaxed attitude toward life are juxtaposed with the stodgy conservatism of the athletic department's leaderships, but the real contrast is one of dedication. The football team captain is painted as a flabby, nepotistic cad; Cassidy as a lean, stoic competitor.

His drive attracts the eye of graduate student and Olympic medalist Bruce Denton, who mentors him through the "Trial of Miles": daily long, repetitive jogs. Denton's encouragement becomes more individual when Cassidy runs afoul of the athletic department by offering him the chance to live as a jogging hermit and train obsessively while he still has a shot at record-setting glory.

The book's clear strength is its grasp on Cassidy's mental game, culled from the author's personal experience as a 4:06 miler in his youth. Some of the expressions were beyond my grasp, but the import was clear: dedication to the uttermost, to the point that it becomes routine. Parker apparently sees this as an almost animal drive, and repeated metaphors attempt to drive this point home, so much so that I wondered whether this was an indirect case for mankind's macro-evolution from beasts. But the skillfully handled relationships, particularly those among runners, humanize the zeal and sometimes affected prose. As in real life, it's the camaraderie that proves the most compelling case for athletic endeavors.


SUMMARY

Appreciated the psychological description of competition-grade athletic training and well-written bonds of friendship.

Disliked the extreme subtlety of certain chapters and overuse of animal imagery.

I would recommend this book to people who are at least sympathetic to sports, enjoy introspective writing and are either experienced readers or willing to read large chunks at a time.

Disclaimer: This book contains strong profanity and sexual immorality.