He is risen! He is risen indeed!
The church where we usually go gave us little Easter cards, w/ pictures of chicks singing songs on them. Argh.On the upside, we met some new people last night at a dinner where about 16 were present. We shared the Gospel (mostly in Japanese) w/ a teacher whom we will shortly give a Bible. That's coolness! Yes, our vocabulary is increasing - we wereat one of the elem schools on Kikai, to able to use some words like:
-eternal life
-save
-Savior
-faith
-truth
etc.
And now Aubrey found another list w/ some more goodies:
-Gospel
-Trinity
-worship
-hymn
-baptism
-communion (not sure if it means the Eucharist, the Lord's Table; or fellowshiping)
-idolatry
etc.
So that's cool.
These are more pix of Kyle's time on Kikai. There are Kyle and me atop the railing at the high point of the Araki boardwalk, only 10 minutes by bike from our house. There are some
fisherman who had an apparently fruitful outing on the coral shores. There are Aubrey and Michiyo walking from Sugira Beach to the boardwalk, which is a very pleasant walk. And then there's the monument to a group of (I think) 4 kamikaze pilots who were shot down over Kikai before being able to complete their mission (at least, that's the idea I got from Michiyo). If it were me, I would have erected a monument to the American pilots who shot them down before they were able to do more pointless harm to Japan's liberators. But they didn't ask for clear thinking on this monument, so what are you gonna do?
"And then there's the monument to a group of (I think) 4 kamikaze pilots who were shot down over Kikai before being able to complete their mission (at least, that's the idea I got from Michiyo). If it were me, I would have erected a monument to the American pilots who shot them down before they were able to do more pointless harm to Japan's liberators. But they didn't ask for clear thinking on this monument, so what are you gonna do?"
ReplyDelete何ぜこんな事を仰ったんですか？
Why did you say something like this? Is this something that you think is appropriate to say? Are you being a good representative and ambassador of your faith and of your culture?
ReplyDeleteHello Meg,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks for dropping by!
I said it because I think it's true. Japan shot first, Japan's soldiers engaged in awful acts of war crimes, Japan engaged in suicide bombings, Japan had a society devoted to emperor-worship which drove them to lack respect for human life to a reasonable extent, and Japan had lost the war already by the time kamikaze tactics were begun, but instead of surrendering they kept them up to try to stave off the inevitable, and hundreds of thousands more casualties resulted.
So yes, I think something like that is very appropriate to say, especially 60+ years later when one would hope we can learn from previous mistakes.
And yes, I do believe I was a good ambassador of my faith and culture. Sometimes that involves speaking truth when it's difficult.
Do you disagree? You're welcome to let me know how, if so.
It's not nice to enjoy the idea of a soldier's death, especially in a war that happened a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteAs a missionary in a foreign country that is hosting you, it is also not appropriate for you to think that you need to address the aggressions that were committed in World War II. It is your job to show respect and warmth to the country that you are trying to be an example of Christ-like love to.
Be more tactful and pleasant. No one thinks that those things come at the price of honesty.
Hi Meg,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I "enjoy" the soldier's death.
Rather, I recognise in fact that kamikaze tactics caused MORE deaths, deaths that were unnecessary and superfluous. It's precisely b/c I respect human life as made in the image of God that I favor actions that cause LESS death due to violent conflict.
it is also not appropriate for you to think that you need to address the aggressions that were committed in World War II.
Be assured that I didn't bring it up much when I was there.
However, why do you think it's wrong to discuss sometimes?
Be more tactful and pleasant.
With all due respect, do you think your reprimand toward me is "tactful and pleasant"?
You'd have a point if I went to Japan and tried to beat ppl over the head with their thoughts about WW2. I didn't do so. I merely blogged about it. I can count on one hand how many Japanese friends read this post.
What you said does not express this precise belief that you favor actions that cause less unnecessary deaths. Instead, it comes across as callous, disrespectful, and insensitive. If "who was the aggressor in WWII" is really something that needs to be "discussed" (and really, that is no way to think of a historical event), then it most certainly is not adequately addressed in a comment like this.
ReplyDeleteRead my response on your blog as an insight from another human being. Listen before reacting. It may be just a blog, but it is still a public place – be careful, because people are watching and holding you accountable as an example of the community of American missionaries working in Japan. I read what you said and I knew this was not a good thing for anyone to say, particularly for someone in your position. And you should have known that.
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ReplyDeleteWell, I would like to apologise for that, for it was not my intention to come across that way. I meant what I have detailed here, but I can see how someone in your position might take it the way you did. I hope that my explanation has sufficed to clarify.
I would hope that anyone offended by the remark would:
1) themselves take the time to think it through, instead of reacting in anger as you seem to have done. Yet you accuse me of simply reacting w/o thought. I can assure you I did no such thing.
2) ask me for clarification, which you did, to your credit.
I do have to question, though, why you think that this is no way to think of historical events... are we not to learn from the way things have gone in the past? For one thing, so that we won't repeat the same mistakes?
Finally, you said:
people are watching and holding you accountable as an example of the community of American missionaries working in Japan
I am, of course, very flawed. In this case, though, I believe I am justified to discuss this in this way from time to time, because what I saw in Japan was a gross lack of awareness of the sinful state of humanity. Virtually nobody I talked to believes that they are a sinner, that they have lived a life worthy of being punished forever in Hell.
Here's a couple of powerful and relevant Bible passages on that topic:
Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Galatians 3:22But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
The Bible condemns us because we have all broken God's law. The COMMUNICATION of the law is meant to show us that we are guilty, and to lead us to come to Jesus in faith, brokenness, and repentance. At that place and point, b/c of His great mercy and grace, He gives us eternal life as a free gift, in the midst of our realisation that we could never earn it, never live a good enough life to merit it for ourselves.
Does that make sense?