The New Place

Several people have asked about my new apartment.  It's small enough that taking pictures which convey its dinky-yet-adequate size is difficult, so I encourage you to take 4 minutes and watch this video that my roommate Mark made:
http://tokyostint.tumblr.com/post/34827706974/i-made-this-video-as-a-promo-for-stint-summer

As you can see, saying I have a kitchen is almost an exaggeration.  Though I technically have just one mid-size room, I sometimes use the shower room as an extra sitting spot if it's early and I want to Skype someone while Mark is still asleep.

What the video doesn't show is that we are only an 8-minute walk from our main campus (Waseda), with a subway stop almost at our doorstep and a train station just 10 minutes away.  A department store where I got my futon and Internet router is right across from the subway stop, and close nearby is both a produce shop (only 50¢ per apple when I buy in bulk!) and a 24-hour grocery store.  Should I really need a quick snack or household fix, there are dollar stores only 4 minutes away in two directions.  And the post office with its ever-reliable ATM can be reached in under 7 minutes.  Fantastic!

Though I am endeared to Kunitachi because I spent my study-abroad time there, Nishi-waseda is far more central and convenient.  It's going to be a great year!

Back in Gear

The immediate focus of my internship is meeting and getting to know students.  This is a lot of fun, but isn't necessarily automatic; after all, there are clubs to be attended, jobs to be sought, regular friends to be surrounded by, and (a priority for some) classes to be completed.

Hanging out on campus is fine, but I personally prefer entering a student's world when possible.  They are the native experts, after all!  Going to someone's favorite hang-out spot also allows me to experience what's best about a place or menu together with them, sharing in their delight and creating great memories.

The first two weeks on campus weren't great times for after-hours fellowship.  Several nights were taken up in adjustment to a new apartment and team business; several more didn't work for new friends at the last minute.  I was frankly discouraged that repeated texts were bringing back evasive 'no's or--worse--no response at all.  

Finally, though, I got to have dinner with two recent pals in Mitaka's finest ramen spot!  Though the superb grub alone would have been worth the train ride, our great conversation about hobbies and cross-cultural experiences truly hit the spot.  One of my buddies spent several years in Germany and had to help his dad try to figure out an all-German washing machine.  (Their duds were almost ruined in the process!)

   

Feel almost adjusted to my new location and assignment.  And yes, I am wearing contact lenses these days.

Back to Normal

There is something distinctly enjoyable about revisiting your old stomping grounds after a long absence.  In everyday routine, familiarity sets in like a fog and prevents full enjoyment of your surroundings; on adventures, it's difficult to distinguish what is important amid the swirl of startling phenomena, each clamoring for your attention.  A return visit, though, after the memories have mingled with the environment and settled into proper perspective, lets you faintly inhale the memories and exhale into the present, aware and alive.

I went back to Hitotsubashi University (which you can see at http://tokyostudies.blogspot.com/2007/10/please-enter-my-domain.html) last week, and my general feeling of the past few days was confirmed: it's good to be back.  I know where I am, where to buy milk tea and which spots on campus are most picturesque.  Conversation with students or needed requests for help are no longer anxious attempts to remember vocabulary, and I can now (thankfully) shift languages without much trouble.

The apartments where my team is staying are familiar from a summer trip 3 years ago.  Back then, however, I never took time to explore this particular suburb of Tokyo, so having regular spots for hot chocolate, almond jelly ice cream and animal-shaped doughnuts (http://ameblo.jp/fuku-ramone/image-11204377757-11881132500.html) where I get to know the store owners is a wonderful blessing.  I don't want to take for granted the people that work so hard at even the small things around me.

I bought a cheap bass, just like when I was an exchange student, to complement my tenor ukulele.  They are both lying close at hand to rebuild my finger callouses and let me sing in ways I can't alone.  So far, though, my top hobby is keeping in touch with my fiancee!

Current book: Shiokari Pass (in Japanese)

First Steps

The first time I set foot on Japanese soil, I was excited but exhausted; I ended up working much harder on luggage transport than necessary and making a complete fool of myself before I made it to my place & into bed.

This time, thankfully, was different.

I had the privilege of finding a new friend in my seatmate: Kohei, from a town near Tokyo, who had just finished his own study-abroad adventure.  We talked about Japanese dramas, sports and economic development for a good portion of the flight.  Between talking and enjoying said dramas from the plane's well-stocked movie collection, I only needed a few winks of sleep.

After the plane touched down, I prayed in the airport with seven friends & fellow interns, grateful to God that He finally allowed us to go--with no visa trouble this time!  (We're still waiting for the final member of our team, but confident that she'll join us very soon.)

A familiar staff face welcomed us to Japan and let me play a geography game on his iPad while heading to our apartments.  We took a minivan taxi, barely fitting all nine of us in the tinier seats, and I must compliment the driver on his superb Tetris skills--he managed to fit all of our bags and didn't even charge us extra!

After the ride and unloading, I used my Japanese to work out payment of our fare with the driver; we needed smaller bills in change so all of us could pay evenly.  Between the suddenly obvious time lag, general travel fatigue and long-unused vocabulary of payment I felt really tired.  The high humidity didn't help, but also didn't keep me from crashing asleep a few hours later.

Long, yes, but blessedly hassle-free.  Thank you, taxi driver.  Your efficiency and professionalism was wonderful.

Sneak preview: life in a palace

Putting Life Together

Packing isn’t fun for me.  In fact, it has historically been the most annoying and stress-inducing part of my international travels.  I have consequently developed the unhelpful habit of delaying it as much as possible and cramming it into the evening before departure.

This time, however, I was able to break with that unfortunate tradition.  From the beginning of the summer I made a small stack of essentials: Bible, passport, description of how best to bike to a good soba [buckwheat noodle] restaurant.  I then commenced packing my clothes, selected with an eye toward a cold Japanese winter and Euro-style Tokyo fashion tastes, on the Friday before my Monday morning departure.

My sister and I had much more fun than I imagined picking out several fun new wardrobe updates, and for the first time as a grown man I went beyond tolerating or shrugging my shoulders at the thought of trying on clothes.  Some of the styles were simply fun to laugh at together (salmon colored shorts…for men?) and others fit me surprisingly well.  Very glad I had an objective eye with me in the store—thanks, T.

I know that Tokyo boasts a lot of options, particularly with regard to books and entertainment, and so the only real essentials were: clothes that fit me (sadly rare); fewer than 5 English books (an exercise in self-restraint + a spur to reading more Japanese); and basic starting toiletries, which I could safely replenish once in country.

I was able to fit all these desired belongings into two large luggage containers, with my computer, books and two card games in my single carry-on.  Oh yeah, and my “special item” under new airport regulations: a fine, soft-case-protected ukulele!

Overall, I’m grateful that packing let me bond with my sister & family and was not a huge source of stress for anyone involved.  Rather, it will not only relieve some of my in-country needs before I feel them—no need to hunt around desperately for more long-sleeve shirts after the chill sets in—but also helped me get excited for life in Tokyo again.  The Lord has finally allowed me back, and I get to get ready for it.

My packing night’s theme song: the evocative “Ships on the Ocean Floor” by The Autumn Film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wONgIBYbA70)

Hilo Writing

This post is dedicated to my friend Dave Young Kim, a visionary artist--see for yourself at daveykim.blogspot.com/--who taught me all I know about what I used to call "tagging" but now know goes by "writing" on the streets.

Some of these works are better seen by clicking the image for a full-size view.

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Kinoole St. has quite a few murals. Starting with the most striking, which is on the side of Spencer's Gym:


This impressive piece of work features a tiki idol on the left side, an unknown water just to the right of some traveling Polynesians (the golden boat) and the often-seen Pele, goddess of the nearby volcano. This rightmost character has lava for hair and a hibiscus flower behind her right ear.


The mural's title.


Just in case you manage to step off a flight to Hawaii without catching some of the lingo: Mahalo = thanks. Vague words of wisdom courtesy of an island boy who's king of the unofficial state music, judging from the selection of FM stations.



The contributors, with a close-up of the aforementioned lava locks. 2 ladies and 4 gentlemen, but what really interests me about the list of artists is the fact that all but one (second from the bottom) have Japanese surnames.


On the side of supermarket KTA, you can find this version of modern food production, topped by a phrase which seems like a 1930s-era relic to my Bay Area mind. Just beneath it is the idyllic past of Polynesian fishing:


There's also a display of local flora & feathers further up the street:


And now for something completely different! Poi [taro root paste] is the one food that I have a hard time getting excited about due to its bland taste, library paste-consistency and expensive price. Hilo's no LA or Oakland if people have time to put up things like this (just add a few vowels if you can't figure it out):

Book Review #6: Return of the King

Sixth in a series of 8. The book for this review is courtesy of Amanda Sever: J.R.R. Tolkien's Return of the King.

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The final film of the Matrix trilogy (remember when those set the cultural standard of cool?) carried this tautologous tagline: "Everything that has a beginning has an end." This has interesting theological implications* yet could have carried more meaning by speaking in terms of expectation. If a story grabs our attention, we want it to end in a satisfactory manner. And the more we are invested in the storyline and world, the more deeply we desire that the ending suits the story. Witness 8.3 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows being sold in its first 24 hours of American release or diehard fans of the cancelled TV series "Firefly" demanding further material, released in movie form three years later as Serenity.

Tolkien's desire to create a believable world for the Elvish language he invented ultimately blossomed into The Lord of the Rings, the gold standard of fantasy writing (although if you are more devoted a Tolkien fan than me, you probably think that The Silmarillion is his pinnacle achievement). This is not the book to begin with--the characters get no introduction and most of the events, including the climactic War of the Ring, are long foreshadowed in the earlier two volumes--yet given that any proper reading of Return of the King must be in context of the other two, I cannot count these facts against the work.

I reread the entire trilogy last summer and fall, and it was quite rewarding on several levels. Since it was read to me by my father in childhood, I had forgotten the value the book places on true, unhurried conversation--clearly influenced, I think, by Tolkien's peer group the Inklings and their pub meetings. While not explicitly Christian in terminology, the author weaves Biblical material throughout the narrative. My personal favorite point of overlap was the "healing hands" of the prophesied King of Gondor, modeled on Jesus's earthly ministry and displaying this other King's humble, servant character.

In addition to intellectual and spiritual satisfaction with the story, I thought Tolkien continued his fabulous job of crafting a world consistent with its own rules and history. Indeed, he went beyond wrapping up the requisite plot threads and in doing so proved that his fictional universe is bigger than the mission of destroying the Ring of Power. Though at times I felt he was taking too long to get back to the action in Mordor pre-war, I had no such qualms about the extended denouement. Why? Life doesn't simply derive meaning from any particular task or even what we get to do in the time allotted to us, so I appreciated the philosophical statement about the value of 'regular life.' Though I don't fully agree with the political implications of the Shire's scouring, it makes sad sense in the story. And the final scene--how dare I spoil it?--is a very rare moment of authentic and satisfying closure in fiction, made all the sweeter by the momentous journey it took to reach.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the clear Biblical worldview, imaginative milieu and satisfying end to the saga

Disliked its sometimes too-languid pace in the first half

I would recommend this book to anyone seeking true adventure, though starting here is nowhere near as rewarding as beginning with the first two books. It's worth your time and not replaceable with the filmed version.

Disclaimer: There are extended scenes of fantastic battle violence (not that meaning, though they are well written)

*God is the only uncreated One; everything else is by definition finite, and apart from His gracious sustenance will end (the world as tainted by our sin is the most obvious example). The Biblical teaching of eternal life for those who trust Jesus does not contradict this because He defined eternal life as both Himself and the knowledge of Him (John 14.6, 17.3), thus imparting His own eternality to those who are joined to Him by faith. This is completely different from one-with-God paganism or mysticism, which reduces God-likeness to an earthly experience and attempts to bring Him down to our level.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Rest: The Christian's Prerogative

God is clearly honored when His people rest. But we can wonder: isn't this a secondary matter next to the important work of seeing people otherwise hell-bound, as we once were, rescued through faith in Jesus as their Savior? Can rest wait for heaven?

The answer, surprisingly, is no. Not if we correctly understand the gospel itself.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews (anonymous, parallel with many of the Old Testament books) put matters this way:

"...Since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

'So I swore in My wrath,
"They shall not enter My rest,"'

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works'; and again in this place: 'They shall not enter My rest.'" (Hebrews 4:1-5)

Earlier the author quoted Psalm 95, in which the objects of wrath are the Israelites who turned back from the Land of Promise despite God's assurances that they would be victorious over apparent obstacles. They are the object lesson of God's word "not being mixed with faith"--their turning back showed their lack of trust in His promises. Faith alone makes the Bible's words truly profitable (though they are beautiful literature in their own right), both now and forever, as it opens up a relationship with the Creator of everything.

Next, the point is made that believing in God's word is entry to His rest. God is resting? Yes; the word choice in Psalm 95:11 there isn't arbitrary. The author backs up to Genesis 2:2, showing that God has finished everything He started in creation.

Do you believe that simple verse--that God is done with His work?

I'm not implying that He isn't active in the world. But He isn't laboring for anything now. When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished [paid in full]," He wasn't kidding. In an eternal sense, the Lord's work is done, and the gospel--Christ the Creator voluntarily taking the place of sinful rebels who deserved death, paying in full their debt of punishment before God the Father on the cross--brings this idea of rest from creation into completion of His eternal plan of rescue.

So God is at rest, and trusting Him through Jesus means in some sense that we "enter that rest."

"Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, 'Today,' after such a long time, as it has been said:

'Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.'

"For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:6-11)

The author points out that when David wrote Psalm 95, sitting in the land of Canaan from which those faithless Israelites fled (leaving Joshua's generation that victory), he chose the present tense under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God through David was speaking of a rest greater than the one which Joshua accomplished in entering the Promised Land, a rest which Canaan itself foreshadowed.

If you haven't read Hebrews in full, I highly recommend taking an hour or two to do so--no need to rush. A recurring theme, seen in the phrase "remains therefore a rest," is that the promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus in a superior fashion to the lesser fulfillments of the old covenant under Moses.

This rest which is better than Joshua's means that the believer "has ceased from his work" like God. This is only possible through faith in Jesus, Who alone truly obeyed the Father while on earth. Our attempts at making ourselves impressive to God are lethally flawed--His loyalty never faltered, though we can see it tested to the uttermost in Gethsemane and upon the cross-wood.

Let us cease striving and, by faith in the completed work of Christ, be grateful to God. For from now on, anything He gives us the heart, strength and mind to do for Him is the overflow of His love for us, not the cause of it. We need not earn His approval--we labor from it. Resting at least once a week is a tangible reminder that none of our earthly efforts are ultimately required for salvation or anything else--only the free grace and provision of our heavenly Father.

That's an attitude which the world cannot produce or mimic. Walk in this freedom with me!

Book Review #2: Poison Study

This is the second of an 8-part series, and the book behind today's review is courtesy of Nikki Maldonado: Maria Snyder's Poison Study.

~

The story starts in media res. Teenage Yelena, condemned to death by the new military government for pleading guilty to murdering the son of a top general, is granted a fresh lease on life with a new career: food taster of the Commander. Just to ensure that she doesn't run away, the Commander's right-hand assassin Valek slips her a dose of poison that will cause an excruciating death if she doesn't report every morning for a dose of the antidote--an artful leash. Almost as painful as the memories that drove Yelena to murder.

Admittedly, the prose has the artistic appeal of cardboard, as shown in sentences such as "I dodged ineffectively, hampered by the rope tied to my wrist, which anchored me to a post in the center of the room." Still, the story's set-up is clever: a haunted yet strong-willed anti-heroine struggling to overcome the confines of her situation. Additionally, Snyder plants not only doubts about the trustworthiness of her new friends but also details about the regime change, allowing the reader to question initial opinions about whose side Yelena should be on.

As the book progresses, we learn more and more about this world's use of magic, which sounds very close to occult practices of mind control and floating-soul experiences. Demonic arts are still repugnant to me even when secularized (no offhand references to God here, only "fate"), especially as I hope to see Christ's victory in the cross over such powers in Japan in the months ahead. The morality of the characters is also never seriously examined, suggesting instead that violence and sex are more than excusable in extreme situations. From a purely literary standpoint, I wish I could say that these failings and the stiffness of the writing was made somewhat tolerable by a thrilling climax and fitting denouement--but alas. The pacing of the story weakens as the story's focus switches from medieval-fantasy elements to a lust-mance, while the ending offers too many pat solutions to complex plot issues--the logic is apparently: 'resist your demons once and they flee'--and is too abrupt, though it is the start of a series.

Admittedly, my standard for the young-woman-resisting-government-with-hidden-talent genre is high after reading the excellent Hunger Games trilogy earlier this summer, which is much better written. Snyder does a good job realistically depicting a girl's response to abuse and danger, but in my opinion she only imprisons Yelena further in decidedly dark content and second-rate wording.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the political & plot intrigue and conceptual courage

Disliked the New Age elements of mind control & magic, wooden prose and collapse of plot potential in the final act

Though it has an interesting beginning, I would not recommend this book.

Disclaimer--Poison Study includes mild profanity, strong violence, sexual immorality and disturbing scenes.

Rest: God's Prescription

Writing about rest, coming from a can-do culture with a let-things-slide personality and heading to the nation that gave the world a term for "death through overexertion"*, requires some labor. It is akin to describing the joys of playing music to someone who has never picked up an instrument and has no vocabulary or apparent use for the idea.

Yet in the handful of years I have been seeking to actively take Sabbath rests one day a week (generally Sunday), I know that rest is not only Biblical but extremely blessed. May this short refresher (ha!) of a review encourage you to more deeply depend on and glorify God.

Why do we rest? There are two variants of the same command given to God's people in the journey to Israel.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
(Exodus 20.8-11)

"Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day."
(Deuteronomy 5.12-15)

The similarities predominate: it's God's will that His people keep this day holy; it's not merely for their own benefit but also that of their family, dependents (employees perhaps comes closest in modern terminology) and livestock.

But the rationale differs. The original command from the Lord on Mt. Sinai points back to the creation order that He set in motion--we were created to reflect God's ownership of all things and imitate Him in this rhythm. The repetition by Moses in one of his farewell addresses is equally of the Holy Spirit, pointing back to the redemption from Egypt. In that country, the Hebrews were given over to continual, unbroken labor; now and in the new land God is giving them, they are to remember that His rescue of them means that their identity isn't defined by their work, but His buying of them through a definite act of salvation.

My question to us: Is what we call 'rest' merely an interruption of activity? The Lord clearly intends that our down time would remember Him: His creative power, displayed from the beginning until now, and our redemptive history.

In future posts until we get word that our visa paperwork is on the way, I hope to explore this topic a bit more. At the very least it will help me think a little more clearly on the subject once the ministry floodgates open overseas.


*過労死 or karōshi; I knew someone out there would also care for this parenthetical detail

P.S. The idea of keeping the Sabbath weekly as not only feasible but desirable for a college student came from a conversation I had with Lisa Chu (now Ro) and was further encouraged by the Fulton family.

Book Review #1: As I Lay Dying

This is the first of an 8-part series, begun as a team bonding exercise. I resolved to read one book beloved by each of my teammates as a way of getting to know them better and discovering new, good literature.

The book behind today's review is courtesy of Amy Ledin: William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying.

~

It's one of the most challenging books I have ever read. Bear in mind that I have a generally fast reading speed in English and am accustomed to cruising through books of Harry Potter length in 2 days or less. However, Faulkner deliberately toys with language, not merely to obfuscate the plot's direction (though it is tempting to believe this sometimes!) but rather to present the thoughts of his characters in a far more compelling manner than a simple summary of their ideas could ever do.

The book details the plight of the Bundren family, which is almost elemental in its tragedy: matriarch Adie slowly fades from life and her husband and children seek to bury her in her county of birth, as she requested long before. The real story, though, lies in the interaction between the characters as each tells their perspective in idiosyncratically narrated, non-numbered chapters. Key to this are the feuds between the siblings--as Amy pointed out to me after I'd finished reading, main narrator Darl constantly describes the actions of his hot-blooded younger brother Jewel, usually with an eye toward putting him in his place. Occasional narration by outsiders to the family keep at bay the natural inclination to take this sad clan at face value, showing just how pathetic they appear.

This unique structure forces the reader to read between the lines and infer what has happened to horrify or upset each of the characters. Faulkner repeatedly takes simple events, usually bad decisions, and describes them in ways that draw out their pathos and suggest the futility of man to overcome his own inhumanity and petty problems. Fire on one character's clothes, for instance, is described as flowers of sparks blossoming into holes in the fabric--beautiful in the abstract, awful in practical effect. At times the work bears hints of the despair that surfaces more clearly in some of Faulkner's other novels.

Though quite a bit of effort, in my opinion all the confusion and disparate opinions coalesce brilliantly in the powerful final chapter. I don't dare spoil it, and if I did it would have nowhere near its impact without explanation--not unlike a joke's punchline. This wisecrack, though, is not meant to draw forth laughter.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the deft characterization through narration style as well as viewpoint, descriptive power, tour-de-force of an ending

Disliked the pace of the story, which occasionally plodded along; the clearly evil hearts of the characters, though true to life in this respect;

I would recommend this book to adventurous, experienced readers looking for a change of literary perspective, with both a strong stomach for tragedy and quite a bit of free time.

Disclaimer--As I Lay Dying includes sexual immorality and disturbing situations, even though described in cryptic ways

"Hurry Up and Wait On the Lord"

Thank you, Petra, for that great turn of phrase (from their song "More Power to Ya"). It's something I am learning to appreciate as it loses its humor in the matter of our team's visas.

Right now, my two least-favorite questions in the world are:

"So when are you leaving?"

"Any news on your visa yet?"

There are two main reasons why I dislike them. I hear them constantly, in almost every conversation, and I know in my head that friends ask because they care. However, when coupled with reason #2--my utter lack of knowledge and mild resulting frustration with the whole situation--I am put in the position of having no easy answer besides a shrug or head-shake on something that is clearly important to me. Feeling powerless, even when I know the reasons are bureaucratic and clearly out of my hands, still stinks.

I also don't like these questions because they suggest that my life and my trip are inextricable. The undertone, which I realize is only in my head, is that my time in the current liminal state is being wasted or at least not worth similar inquiry.

I wonder if other missionaries struggle with this problem: people from their home area only asking about ministry business instead of interacting with them as they would with friends back home and also asking a few questions to draw them out about their specialized role in the Body of Christ. Perhaps that kind of situation is simply another way we overly elevate those in full-time ministry work above 'regular' folk even though God clearly states through Paul that leadership in different areas is to equip all the saints to do ministry together, with no status differentiation (Ephesians 4:7-16).

Thank God for those of you who have encouraged me to take things step by step and invest this time in spiritual preparation balanced with physical & psychological rest. I have been able to do so, if with fewer immediate results than I might wish.

And don't worry; when I know the answers I will share them loud & clear. Our social networking technologies, while a Godsend for long-distance communication, have accustomed us (at least me) to thinking about people more as tidbits of data and factoids than whole beings created in the image of our Creator. In this respect, then, they curse us by trivializing authentic relationships--or at the very least carry the threat of doing so.

Yet while I realize this and don't like it, I know that personal data is important. I also know that I don't know squat about the current visa progress and that in God's timing that's quite all right.

"Many seek the ruler's favor,

But justice for man comes from the Lord."

(Proverbs 29:27)

If that's the case, then let's ask Him for it!

Prayer for Japan: Sins of Saul (Feb. 2011)

Dear prayer family,

Thank you for your continued prayer support and concern regarding my calling to Japan! Not only am I blessed by your care, but it's a critical part of the spiritual battle for the glory of God there in the souls of Japanese--the "air war," as my pastor once called it.

In keeping with the pattern of providing topical prayer needs, this month we'll focus on perhaps the two greatest obstacles in the Japanese heart to true repentance & faith. Both are exemplified in the pitiful life of Israel's first king Saul.

The first sin is pride, which is linked to the second: witchcraft/demonic involvement.

--

...Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”

And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

So Samuel said:

"Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He also has rejected you from being king." (1 Samuel 15:17-23)

--

So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. (1 Chronicles 10:13-14)

--

1. Please pray that the Lord would break down the national pride of the Japanese. Not only must every material import, from McDonald's to electronics, be adapted to their tastes, but outside ideas and beliefs must also 'fit' with what already exists rather than be accepted on their own merits. In addition, there has been no apologizing for the war crimes and imperialism of the 20th century. May Japanese believers lead their country and people in humility, especially in seeking to bless other Asian people groups.

2. Please pray that individual pride would be brought low. There is considerable personal cost to truly follow Christ in this society; believers are often alone in their families and religion that goes beyond annual rituals is frowned upon as abnormal. May the gospel be preached and listeners humbled to repent & believe!

3. Please pray that fleshly pride would be confessed and repented of in the church. Japan is in desperate need of bold, holy and pure groups of believers...but the few congregations are more known for division and legalism than heart transformation by the Holy Spirit and submission to the Lord's revealed will in Scripture. May love and unity in the truth prevail.

4. Please pray against the rampant spiritual deception. Fortune-tellers and palm-readers at street stands near train stations in the evening are perhaps the most obvious indicator, but the enemy of souls is having a real field day deluding this land. From Western cults (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons) to a slew of so-called "new religions" mixing a bit of 'Christianity' into Buddhist and New Age techniques, there are thousands of counterfeits. Pray that those bound by these lies would be freed by the truth of the true Jesus--just as in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.

5. Please pray for Christians to renounce all ways of darkness. In a land where most can still think "To be Japanese is to go to a [Buddhist] temple on New Year's Day," compromise is a daily temptation. This--not marriage, as commonly supposed--is the actual context for 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, good verses to pray for the Body here as well.

6. Please pray for Jesus's victory over all demonic powers in the cross (Colossians 2:15) to be powerfully displayed.

7. Please pray for me to give up my attempts to earn God's or man's approval and rest in the grace given through Christ's life, death and resurrection--that as I do so, He would open up doors in the Nagoya area for ministry soon.


Your brother in Jesus ("humble in heart"--Matthew 11:29 NIV),

Kylan