Project Ezra

Until my last post, I had been in kind of a bad habit of posting only when I had a picture to go with it. I recently realized that such a practice is very inconsistent with the title I've given to this blog. "Radical Metamorphosis" was the name of my website, which I stopped updating after I stopped teaching English in the church and therefore stopped writing regular newsletters. There have been so many events leading up to coming to Japan, and many more since coming to Japan, that have contributed to drastic changes in my life, that it seemed the only appropriate title. When one considers that, as a highschool student, although I was a devoted church-goer, I hated the idea of evangelism, coming to Japan as a missionary is a big enough change as it is. Since coming to Japan, my faith has grown by leaps and bounds, most particularly in the last year.

Let me begin by explaining that the reason I hated the idea of evangelism was because I had an incorrect view of it, as I think many do. I had a rather un-believing view of it. I used to think that evangelism meant arguing in order to sway people to my point of view. I have since grown up, and have learned that it's really true (as opposed to a very humble-sounding argument) that no one can believe and come to Christ without the Holy Spirit. Everything that is "needed" for salvation to be assured is provided by God, and the evidence of it in our lives is merely the fruit of what God is really doing behind the scenes. God's word, his Law, repentance, atonement, trust in the atonement, praise, thanksgiving, a new heart, new desires, spiritual growth, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control, absolutely all of these are the work of God, (even the desire in our hearts for any of these things is just the same) and none of it can or does come out of our wicked hearts or depraved minds. Praise God; thank him for his mercy.

Since I'm not working for the church, God has closed the door on sharing any aspect of my faith in any regular way while teaching. However, God is opening the door for another way, a more challenging way, and yet a potentially more fruitful way to reach many more than merely the 70+ students I teach each week.

I've already had a few chances for one-on-one evangelism in Japanese, and have explained the law and Gospel to several people over the past few months. Today, I joined "Project Ezra," an initiative to read from the bible in the open air every weekend. Details are at the Project Ezra blog: http://projectezra.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-strategy-and-schedule.html
Since my one attempt to get God's word to my students left me feeling guilty of evading accountability, I've been asking Japanese Christians about how something like Project Ezra would be perceived in Japan. I asked two Japanese pastors, and also one elderly layman who is active with the Gideons, distributing bibles at schools and speaking at churches about their ministry to raise awareness. All of them thought it was a wonderful idea, warned me that people might look at me funny (which they do anyway, so all the better if they get to hear God's word too), and just generally encouraged me to go for it.

Today, my first time, I felt was sort of a practice. Late Sunday afternoon, I took my Japanese bible and an umbrella and went out in the rain to a nearby park. I was about to walk around the park singing praise when a man in a car stopped me and insisted on giving me half a dozen peaches! I offered him one of my little Sunday School bible memory verse cards, but he refused it and drove off saying "Good luck!"

I walked the perimeter of the park singing Revelation Song ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZUTt8XINPY ) and trying hard not to slip in the mud. Then I stood under a tree and read Exodus 20 as best I could in Japanese. To the best of my knowledge, all of two people may have passed by on bicycles. As I walked home, I was glad, but really tired. I also had a half-dozen mosquito bites on my ankles to go with the mud.

I know this project isn't going to be easy for me, but I think that's why I like it. Reading aloud in English has always been easy for me, but I still struggle with Japanese. For me to get out and read in public alone takes God working in me. For it to have any impact whatsoever on others will take God working in them. This was a huge step for me, but I'm sure it will prove to be minor compared to what God will eventually do through me.