“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…”                     Deuteronomy 30:19b

When we regularly navigated the labyrinthine transportation system of Tokyo comprised of trains, subways, monorails and buses, we were faced with a frequent choice: take the stairs or the escalator. We seemed to be always going either up or down as we traversed the Tokyo underground, scurrying to make our connections. The stairs are obviously the healthier choice and some stairways are even clearly numbered with the amount of calories one burns with each step as a clever attempt to promote more exercise. However, escalators are generally quicker and require minimal effort so they are usually the more attractive option for most commuters.

Japanese escalator etiquette gives one further choices as users are expected to obediently stand on the left side of the escalator as it goes up so others in a hurry can climb unimpeded on the right side. However, this unwritten rule is only true for East Japan, as inexplicably, escalator users in West Japan dutifully stand on the opposite side. But now this standard practice of escalator manners is being called into question with an increase of accidents and injuries. New public campaigns are currently instructing users to simply stand still and hold onto the rail after boarding the escalator. If the previous combination of riding/climbing comes to an end, we may have to reconsider our choice in the stairs versus escalator dilemma and take the slower, but healthier, stairs alternative.

As we all know, life is routinely full of choices and they are usually of a much weightier nature than Japan’s stairs versus escalator quandary. Moses spoke of such decisions at the end of his life when he summoned the nation of Israel one final time before his impending death. After reviewing their poor choices in the past that led to disastrous consequences, Moses exhorted the people of God to reflect on such things and from that moment forward, to choose life over death. Such crucial decisions can unwittingly incur the wrath of God or in contrast, invite His blessing, which is what we truly desire. Therefore, Moses entreated them to “choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord your God is life.” That is indeed a healthy choice.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”   Psalm 90:12

On May 1^st of this year, one era ended in Japan and a new one began, now referred to as the Reiwa Era. This major change was precipitated by the abdication of the elderly Emperor Akihito, who was succeeded by his son Naruhito, to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne. On that day, Naruhito became the 126^th emperor of Japan, and in keeping with several hundred years of tradition, the ceremony was bound by ancient protocols that have guided the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world, supposedly dating back to 660 BC.

This transfer in leadership ushered in a new era now known as Reiwa (令和), roughly translated as “beautiful harmony.” There are actually five eras in modern Japanese history known as Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), Showa (1926-1989), Heisei (1989-2019) and the newly established Reiwa Era (2019-?). This change in eras also impacts how time is measured in Japan. For example, instead of the Gregorian calendar year of 2019, we are now in Reiwa Year 1. However, when it comes to counting months and days, nothing has changed, which makes things a bit confusing for those unaccustomed to the Japanese dating system. Following this system, I was born in Showa 28, November 2^nd in case you were curious about my age! The order of the dating system also begins with the year, followed by the month and then the day. This traditional pattern for marking the passing of years is still meticulously maintained by city and government offices in their record keeping, but it is steadily falling out of practice among the general population.

Calculating the passage of time is important for many reasons, but in Psalm 90, Moses prayed for wisdom in how to count days, not years. Since we are all bound by time and its demands upon our lives, it is imperative to reflect upon its daily impact and how this ties into God’s eternal purposes for us. After all, God alone stands apart from time, where a thousand years are like a day to Him, according to verse four of the same Psalm. Therefore, like Moses, we should seek God’s assistance in numbering our days with the intent of making each one count for eternity, because faithfulness is rooted in the daily choices we make. To make the right choices, we need God’s timeless and infallible perspective. He alone can teach us to count correctly.

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”            John 4:34

Unable to read the menu, I managed to coax the waitress to the front of the restaurant through a series of charades and broken Japanese and pointed to what I wanted to order. Enclosed in a glass case was the entire food repertoire appealingly displayed, but none of it was real. Known as shokuhin sampuru (食品サンプル), or “food samples,” these are exact replicas of dishes offered by the restaurant.

The production of these food models has evolved into an art form over time and it was initially pioneered in the late 1920s by Japanese artisans who used paraffin for their creations. These fake food samples enabled customers to order food without the use of menus, but over time, paraffin proved to be an inadequate medium as the colors slowly faded when exposed to heat or sunlight. Now constructed using a synthetic resin called polyvinyl chloride, these shokuhin sampuru can last indefinitely. This improvement in technique has unwittingly hurt the fake food industry so it has tried to expand its market outside of Japan.

There is a great deal of craftsmanship required to produce these fake food models, so plastic food manufacturers fiercely guard their trade secrets to protect their share of the market. Models are often custom tailored to the individual menus of each restaurant, which makes them quite expensive. Most customers are unaware that the plastic food they casually survey behind the glass typically cost the proprietor of the restaurant several thousand dollars. Their attention is naturally focused on satisfying their hunger and hopefully, something on the menu will fill that need.

What then is real food? Ask a man, and he might say steak and potatoes. Ask a vegan, and they might say quinoa and kale. Ask a Japanese, and they might say rice and fish. But when Jesus was asked a similar question, He gave a totally different reply. He said: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” Obviously, Jesus was not talking about real food, or even plastic food, but a different kind of nourishment that is essential for our spiritual well-being. While we are certainly flesh and blood beings that need physical nourishment, our spiritual natures require sustenance as well. We were created to fill the purposes of God, not just fill the physical desires or needs of the flesh. As Jesus famously expressed in the Sermon on the Mount, we are to hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matt. 5:6). We need both physical and spiritual food as part of a healthy diet. At the same time, we need to be cautious of the many “fake foods” that can entice us away from the greater things of God. Bon appetit!

“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart.”                    Psalm 24:3-4a

Whoever coined the phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness” would have loved Japan. Every morning, like clockwork, one can witness innumerable home owners and shop keepers vigilantly removing every trace of offending dirt, trash or stray leaf that invaded their designated territory overnight. Venture into the nearby train station, and there you can observe an army of cleaning personnel engaged in the never-ending task of mopping floors, polishing walls and windows and wiping down escalator handrails. Outside, white gloved taxi drivers maintain spotlessly clean vehicles for their customers and inside, the Japan Rail staff scurry around tidying up bullet trains in under seven minutes . To acquire these important life skills, students are required to clean their own classrooms and scrub the hallways as a part of their school curriculum.

Neighborhoods periodically schedule an o-sōji (大掃除), or “big cleanup” using volunteers to spruce up their local parks and common areas. Local churches and many small businesses follow the same pattern by routinely putting o-sōji’s on their calendar and everyone is expected to participate. Perhaps some of this emphasis on cleanliness is derived from the Shinto religion, which places great emphasis on purity, where visitors are encouraged to wash their hands and face before entering a shrine to worship. This practice, referred to as “harae” (祓), is a form of purification that attempts to establish a pure soul and mind in the worshipper. This is done through a symbolic washing with water or by having a Shinto priest shake a carefully constructed wand of white paper streamers over a person, place or object for good fortune. The rudimentary idea is that if you want to enter the presence of the gods and seek their blessing on you or your possessions, cleanliness is a prerequisite.

As the psalmist meditated on the holiness and purity of God, he wondered how it was possible for anyone to approach the Creator of the Universe, in whom not the slightest trace of impurity or defilement existed. Such a quest seems impossible, like the scaling of a lofty, inaccessible mountaintop. Only those with clean hands and a pure heart dare to attempt such a climb, but the uniform testimony of scripture is that no one has such qualifications as no one is without sin (Romans 3:23). In addition, no religious ritual can remedy this shortcoming. Thankfully, by the grace of God, in spite of our dirty hands and impure hearts, we are able to enter into God’s presence through the death and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who serves as the appointed mediator between God and man. (I Timothy 2:5) His cross testifies of the love of God to redeem us and an empty tomb provides proof of His power to make that a reality. Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness, but only God can provide the cleaning we so desperately need.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.”       I Thessalonians 5:11

“Take me out to the ball game” may be the universal chorus sung during the seventh inning stretch by baseball fans across America, but no such tradition exists in Japan. Called yakyū (野球) or bēsubōru in Japanese, baseball has been a staple of the Japanese sports scene since it was first introduced to the country in 1872. However, it is interesting to observe how the same game, with essentially the same rules, has been contextualized to fit a different culture.

For example, in America, which is recognized as the birthplace of baseball, an individual player’s independence and achievements are enthusiastically recognized and celebrated, even at times to the possible detriment of the team. However, in Japan, the team comes before everything else so players are expected to dutifully align their personal goals and ambitions to the overall purposes of the team. This is probably why the annual national high school baseball championship is so wildly popular. Instead of a collection of individual all-stars, the regional champions from Japan’s 47 prefectures intensely compete against other teams over a two-week span to bring glory to their school.

When we attended our first professional baseball game in Japan, we soon learned that cheering in Japan, in contrast to America, is a finely orchestrated event. Each team had its own cheering section full of rabid fans equipped with drums, ‘thunder sticks’ and trumpets that made noise nonstop in cadence under the direction of a leader whenever their team was up to bat. The respective cheering sections for each team knew all the cheers by heart and enthusiastically chanted them at the top of their voices in an effort to exhort each player to do his best so that their team might win.

In the New Testament, the church is given a number of “one another” commands that are intended to build up the body of Christ and promote spiritual maturity among fellow believers. Among these are “love one another,” “pray for one another,” “forgive one another,” “accept one another” and in I Thessalonians 5:11 we are exhorted to “encourage one another.” Encouragement is a powerful means to spur others on to greater deeds done with nobler motives, but sadly, we fail to put this into practice as often as we should. Perhaps the prideful desire to have our own efforts or accomplishments recognized gets in the way of our extending deserved (and needed!) encouragement to others.

It’s no secret in the world of sports that the home team has an inherent advantage in a contest since it is playing in front of its own fan base who fervently exhorts their team to perform well. Seen in these terms, cheering can have a real impact on the outcome of a game. Of course, we can’t always be on the winning team in the world of sports, but it’s comforting to know that we are all members of a team that will ultimately triumph to God’s glory. As part of that worthy objective, we are commanded to cheer for one another and lay aside our fleshly desire for personal recognition. Let’s play ball!

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works…”                               Ephesians 2:10a

On the morning of my 16^th birthday, I was first in line to take my driver’s license test, but promptly failed my initial attempt. Eager to gain my freedom through driving, I returned the following day and this time managed to bring home the coveted prize. Obtaining a driver’s license was viewed as a major step towards adulthood, almost like a rite of passage. The Japanese, however, seem to be much more ambivalent about achieving this goal. In fact, many who have obtained their driver’s license don’t even use it. In Japan, they are called “paper drivers” (ペーパード­ライバー), indicating that although they possess the paperwork certifying their right to drive, they choose not to exercise it.

When we first heard of this phenomenon, it struck us as rather odd, particularly in light of the time, expense and effort required to obtain such a license in Japan. But as we settled more deeply into the Japanese culture, we realized there are many reasons why some people may elect not drive, despite being authorized to do so. For example, many Japanese, especially those living in urban areas, simply do not need to drive due to the availability of efficient and economical public transportation systems. In space-starved areas (of which there are many), parking is also very pricey, so this can further discourage car ownership. These are significant factors, but perhaps the main reason for becoming a paper driver is a matter of confidence, or lack of it. Venturing out on crowded, narrow roads is not for the faint of heart, especially when alternative modes of transportation are readily available.

When we gaze across the church landscape around the world, it seems that the same phenomenon, in a different form, exists in many churches. Sadly enough, many believers dutifully report at their appointed time Sunday after Sunday, but neglect to exercise their full calling and privileges as the redeemed people of God. They are what we might call “paper Christians.” They have a license to drive, but they choose not to. Although they were created to fulfill the purposes of God, they lead measured lives, refusing to venture out and trust God for whatever lies ahead. In this regard, there is a “paper driver” in all of us, but we must resist our natural inclination to live primarily for ourselves. Instead, we were created to do good works. While there may be many valid reasons for not driving a car in Japan, we are entrusted with all the authority and power we need to fully accomplish God’s purposes on earth. We walk, and drive, by faith.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  Hebrews 12:1b

The United States and many other countries have a problem, so a diminutive, young Japanese woman is ready to help. Her name is Marie Kondo and she is an expert in assisting people to declutter their lives. She recently rocketed to fame through her popular book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and is now recognized worldwide as an organizing consultant. In countless seminars, and now through a Netflix TV series, Ms. Kondo preaches that if one tidies their personal space, it will transform their life. She explains that her philosophy of organization is partly inspired by the Japanese Shinto religion, with its emphasis on purity and cleanliness.

Popularly called the “KonMari” method, Marie Kondo’s approach to decluttering basically consists of gathering all of one’s possessions, one category at a time, and keeping only the items that “spark joy” in the owner. The items that remain are then neatly organized in a system to help maintain an uncluttered lifestyle. However, I must confess that my understanding of this methodology is still incomplete because most men, like myself, probably have a few old T-shirts that bring them “joy”, but such items likely spark different feelings from their wives! Perhaps Marie has an answer for this marital dilemma somewhere within the pages of her book.

Some popular US TV reality shows, particularly Hoarders, offer a revealing glimpse into the psychological depth and physical extremes a cluttered lifestyle can reach if left unchecked. But such extremes do not discount the real need for the majority of us to rid our lives of unneeded possessions that steadily fill our closets, drawers, garages and even rented storage units. While this appears to be an escalating problem in affluent countries, the greater need for decluttering occurs on a spiritual level and is common to all cultures. Left unchecked, overt sin, materialism, worry, jealousy, bitterness, anger and a host of other heart issues can dominate our lives, weigh us down and prevent us from running our spiritual race well, as the author of Hebrews points out.

Jesus warned His followers often about the danger of a life focused on possessions or anything else that could potentially distract us from our heavenly calling to pursue God and the things He values (Matthew 6:19-34). Marie Kondo likes to say “Tidy your space, transform your life,” which is certainly true on a limited, physical level. However, eternal, life-changing transformation, is a work of God that goes hand in hand with a heart set on accruing eternal treasure.

For more information on Marie Kondo, check out the following trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvyeapVBLWY