Saturday, June 24, 2006

state plainly

The state of Japan is at best depressing. Here are people who have everything if not more than our white neighbors have. There are no scenes of poverty in this country that will bring churches to pass around offering plates, there are no naked, barefoot, starving children wasting away on the streets, there is no civil war, ethnic cleansing, oppressive government, not even rampant crime—it’s the safest country in the world! There is nothing I can see that will tell me how sad this place is. The problem is so indefinable and undiscoverable that most who visit here never see or understand that there could possibly be a problem—a problem that can’t be fixed by throwing money at the situation, preaching, becoming a Christian, or sending them away. And I haven’t the foggiest idea what it could be. But there is desperation for something I don’t know, for life.

Put your offering plates back on the shelf, for one thing I believe strongly; money will not reverse the damage that money has caused.

6 comments:

Béthany said...

nope, only you can do that.

my sister is still in japan, but pam and i slept in her empty room the first night, after my dad and i picked her up at the airport at 4 am.

oh man.

Pamela Joy said...

You could send some money here if you have too much... I don´t think it will fix anything but I think it might help some things. Like people´s basic human needs. Mostly people need Jesus. I´m convinced of that.

Justin N said...

I think that is profoundly true about the country.

But doesn't the money we send go towards supporting the missionaries such as your parents, and not the country itself?

Pamela Joy said...

I saw the picture too, Bethany showed me. I´d say you´re more like 8 or 9 though. Your lips WERE remarkably red!

jengajen said...

hi....just thought id say hi...

Unknown said...

hey, im mentioned, i feel important...hi bethany!
こんいちわ!