Musings on Social Justice

I am teaching an adult-ed course this week on the topic of "social justice" and the Bible. This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, as it is (and should be) for all Christians, and yet this topic is not entirely straightforward or easy to teach in one hour. There is a major surge in religious and Christian dialogue on this topic of social justice, and that's a good thing. But I do have some major concerns about the way in which many Christians try to appropriate the Bible as a manifesto for social justice, ultimately reading it as a guide to saving the world. We cannot forget that the major theme of the Bible (OT and NT) is that people can't save the world, only God acting in his triune self can save the world. And we get to participate in this action, which is an incredible blessing and charge. But the Bible makes it quite clear that no human being is perfect, that this world will not be perfected until Christ's second return, and that we cannot expect any government, social, or economic aid program to solve all the world's problems. I am not saying that we should not give great care and thought to these various institutions and the ways that they can help alleviate injustice in our society; what I am saying is that we cannot put our ultimate hope in these institutions. Only hope in Christ and his re-creating power will not ultimately fail us. Christians must be wise to remember this when we think about social justice.

I caught this quote below from a random blog conversation I was reading, and I thought it was quite helpful. There are statements I would want to flesh out from this quote, but in general I think this man has made some very helpful points.

John Lunt, on http://jimmymccarty.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/dear-gary/

"I do believe that as a follower of Christ I am to love and serve the poor, marginalized and afflicted. However, I do that as a follower of Christ. I’ve made a committment with my time and income to do this. I believe it is key for the expansion of the Kingdom.

I also believe that many believers run the risk of forgetting the Gospel and centrality of Jesus in their desire to see social justice. While I don’t want to shut down “good works” this side of eternity, I want to make sure that we include our faith in an eternity and what that means for people. “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul.” We must heal wounds, feed the hungry, take care of widows and orphans and all of these and remain steadfast in the preaching of the Gospel -the whole Gospel.

I don’t think forced redistribution of wealth is a solution. Hearts being changed – that’s the solution and it only comes through Jesus Christ. While industry has certainly been guilty of it’s share of evil… so has government. Fidel Castro and a list of other dictators -were all for re-distributing the wealth of the capitalist pigs… in the end their people suffered as well. Because in truth, it was corrupt and went into the pockets of those in power."

"Don't Feed a Fish that's Already Caught" - A short story

I just spent a few hours this afternoon listening to four women talk about their relationships with their husbands. Two of the women were Japanese, married to Japanese men; one woman was American, married to an American; and one woman was from Singapore, married to a Japanese man. They are all members of the women’s society, and were working here at the church today on various tasks.

The conversation started with Lily, the woman from Singapore married to a Japanese man. She asked how long James and I had been married, and then found out we had known each other since we were 14. Lily said, “Oh, that is very good to marry somebody from your youth. That way you know that your interests will be similar into your old age.” She went on to explain that she and her husband had no more similar interests, and that the only common interest they had shared for a long time was their only child. Their daughter just graduated from college, and has been out of the house for four years now. Without their daughter around, Lily said that she and her husband rarely talked and did not do or share anything together. Sometimes dinner, but that is about it.

“My husband is so different now,” said Lily. “When we were in Singapore, he used to act like a normal man and hold my hand and ask me questions and take me out to dinner. Then we got back to Japan and he started acting like a pure Japanese man, like his own culture had gobbled him back up.” “What do you mean?” I asked her. “Well,” she said, “he doesn’t want to hold my hand or let me scratch his back or have any sign of our love in public, or even at home. And he just doesn’t care to do anything with me. He has his life, and I have mine. The only words I say to him a few time a week, ‘what do you want for dinner?’”

“So he doesn’t like PDA, huh?” I joked. Blank stares followed. “It means Public Display of Affection. He doesn’t like to show affection in public.”

“Ah, yes!” laughed Merumi-san. “This is Japanese men. When I was young and dating my now husband, we would be walking down the street and other young men would ask me out because my husband had to walk up in front of me.”

“Why are Japanese men like this?!?” she asked the two other Japanese women in the room. “I was so sad when we moved to Japan from Singapore, because my husband was a different person. Then I realized that it is just his culture.”

“Ahh….” said Merumi-san. “Don’t feed a fish that you have already caught.”

“What?” asked Lily, needing further clarification.

“I mean, a man doesn’t need to coddle a wife because he already has her.” The other Japanese woman in the group, Kaori-san, piped up: “Yes, this is a very common saying in Japan. Don’t feed a fish that has already been caught. The husband does not need to spend time with his wife, or his children, because his only concern is to have a job to pay for their needs. In his spare time, he can hunt for new fish.”

“Uh, oh…” said the women from America, “in the US if a man starts catching other fish, the woman throws him out. We don’t put up with other fish.”

“Yes, well,” said Merumi-san, “this is how it has been for a long time in Japan.”

“But things are changing for the newer generations,” said Kaori-san. “The men are helping more with the family life, and thinking more about the wives.”

“Yes, I see this is true,” said Lily. “But the change is not all for the better. The men are becoming weaker, they do not work as hard. And many of them don’t care to settle down or have a family. It is true that the women are becoming stronger, but even stronger than the men.”

“That is right!” Merumi-san quickly agreed. “Our husbands and their father’s generation built up Japan so quickly after WWII, because they worked so hard. And if there was a war now, it would take the young generations more than 100 years to start building the nation back up.”

Lily replied back, “This is not what we want! We want strong men that do things and work hard, but are also committed to the family life.”

There was a lull in the conversation, and I could tell they were all reflecting on their own married lives. “Well, Lily,” I said, “trying to lighten the mood and to be encouraging at the same time, “maybe you and your husband will just have to start finding new things together that you could share in common.”

“Yes,” said Nancy (the American), “you could both learn to golf together, or play tennis. It is not healthy to have such a separate life from your husband.”

“No, no,” laughed Lily. “It is impossible. At my age, you just want peace. And my husband is as stubborn as a goat – do you know, Nicole, how stubborn goats are? I know it would upset him if I pressured him to take up new hobbies with me. Now we have it arranged that if I go out to do something, he says cheerfully to me, ‘Have fun!’ And if he goes out to do something, I tell him, ‘Have a good time!’ This is just how things are for us now. At least we have our daughter –we still share conversations about our daughter.”

Hmmm….talk about a disturbing conversation. The tone itself was light on the surface, because the women were trying to “joke” about the ways of their husbands. But the undertone was painful, and longed for another way. I have been told that many Japanese marriages are like what is described above, that the man takes great pride in his work and his career and that is his contribution to the family. But the wife quits her job not too far into the career, has children, and spends her days caring for the children on her own. It is not uncommon, I have also been told, for marital infidelity. I’ve asked why these couples stay together, and I guess that’s just how it goes. The wife stopped working to have kids, so she is now attached to her husband’s income.

Most people will agree that the younger generations are changing. The men are becoming more interested in home life, and the women are working longer and pursuing strong careers. But the flip side of this change that Lily brought up, her claim that the women are becoming stronger than the men, was very intriguing to me. You here this complaint in the States as well—that the women are excelling in high schools and colleges across the nation in numbers far higher than men. And of course we see women pursuing much more aggressive and long-term careers than ever before.

Lots of thought to pull together here, and this topic of men becoming “weaker” is something I have thought about before. I have to say that in many ways I agree with Lily--“We want strong men that do things and work hard, but are also committed to the family life.” What kind of role can a Christian ethic play in cultivating strong family men? James and I have had several interesting conversations on this topic since being in Japan, and I think the answer is that it has a very strong role to play. A Christian ethos and background in society makes a marked difference for general societal standards. Not to say that a Christian ethos causes perfect (or even near perfect) results in family dynamics, but it sets the bar very high and serious Christians are striving to reach that bar. Too many thoughts in my head to put on paper here, but I’m learning and thinking a lot during my time here in Japan.

Kamakura Collages

One of the places we visited when our family was here is Kamakura. This city is about 1 hour north of Tokyo, and is filled with history and natural beauty. There are over 65 temples and 19 shrines here, and we only visited two of them throughout our day in Kamakura. The first temple we visited was a large Zen Buddhist complex Engakuji Temple. As we wandered around the grounds, there were several monks wandering from one building to the next proving that this temple was still very active. All of the buildings in this complex had such clean lines that blended smoothly with the natural lines of the surrounding trees, caves, hills, and foliage. The second temple we visited is called Hokokuji Temple, and is much smaller in area than the first. But every square inch of the temple grounds is meticulously planned out. It seems that every rock, plant, or stone sculpture blends seamlessly into the garden’s calming ascetic. Behind the main temple is a beautiful garden full of large bamboo plants, gently swaying in the wind far above us.

After we visited these two temples, we walked down the main street to the ocean. It was very windy, which was perfect for the dozens of wind-surfers out in the bay. It felt good to feel the salty ocean breeze after so many stuffy and hot days in Tokyo—nothing beats the cool grandeur of the roaring pacific.

Rice Paddies and the slacker duck

We returned to ARI for three more days with a group of students from the Reformed Church in America (RCA). They flew to Japan for a summer mission trip, and it has been part of our job for our internship to be their hosts while they are here. Sort of like the blind leading the blind, but so far I think we are doing okay. We brought the kids to ARI for their first three days (and by kids I mean they range from 16-19), and we all worked very hard. The day starts at 6:30 and ends at 6:30, with lots of weeding, cleaning, harvesting, transplanting, and sowing throughout the day. But also lots of good Asian food, fellowship with participants from around the world, and occasional trips to one of the nearby onsens.

This trip we had the chance to work in the rice paddies. Because ARI is all organic, they have an interesting system for the rice paddies. They keep a duck in the rice paddies to eat the weeds so that they don’t have to use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. But this means they have to build a fence to keep the duck in, and put up several strings over the paddy to keep hawks from trying to eat the ducks. In the rice paddy we were at, however, the duck decided to eat one too many rice paddies alongside the weeds, so it was bye-bye duck and hello dinner for this belligerent feathered foe. Thus it was our task to take over the role of the duck – to weed the rice paddy. This is a very muddy business, full of frogs, snakes, spiders, and bugs. But I think we all did alright – I was proud of our group. We then took down the fence and string, since the duck was no longer present. Despite being covered in mud after 2 hours in the rice paddy, I think we were all grateful for this thoroughly Japanese experience. This is literally the job that thousands of Japanese have done over the centuries before modern technology, and even then a job that many are still required to do even today.

At ARI we eat rice every single meal – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I do like rice, but I have to admit I like bread better. Thus the first thing we ate after we got home from ARI tonight was burgers and fries from McDonalds. Yes, tragic – I know. But I was happy to allow these teenagers to convince me that it was a good idea to eat from the Golden Arches in a foreign country. Alright, sayonara for now.

Here we are with some co-weeders, James on the far left and me on the far right.

man, I look good here. Better looking than the duck, I imagine.

Work it James. (I think this job might be easier for people half of James' height)

Reflections on 2 Peter 1:3-8

2 Peter 1:3-8

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them yo may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This passage really struck me as I was reading through 2 peter this morning. Sometimes I feel so stuck in my self-centered and self-guided patterns and habits. And it is frustrating. But this passage assures me that God, in HIS divine power, has given me all the knowledge i need to grow in goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Because I cannot increase the measure of these qualities on my own --I must allow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to grow me in these things through time in prayer, scripture, and meditation.

And what a contrasting measure of efficiency and productivity this list of qualities provides from the list of qualities that need be on a curriculum vitae or resume. I just put together a resume yesterday for a part-time internship i want to apply for for the upcoming school year. And, as usual, it made me nervous and anxious about what I was doing with my life. Will I get a good job when I graduate? Does my resume seem impressive enough? Is my life efficient and productive, can I feel proud of my accomplishments? And yet this passage says that things like godliness, brotherly kindness, self-control, knowledge, faith, goodness, and perseverance are the qualities required of Christians so as not be become ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. These are the building blocks, the basic units so to speak, that a Christian must build their life upon. If we concentrate on increasing these qualities in our life, then our foundations will be firm and God will use us to build up his kingdom. And the way in which God calls us to build up his kingdom may not look incredibly impressive on a resume--or maybe it will. But the point is that it does not matter how successful or accomplished we look to the world; God is moving us along according to a different standard of efficiency and productivity and success. Wish I didn't forget this truth so often. But praise be to God for the nourishing power of his Word, which reminds me of this truth whenever I take the time to reflect and meditate upon the scriptures.

The Imperial Palace

The current Imperial Palace (Kokyo) is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo. It is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family.

Edo Castle used to be the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 until 1867. In 1868 (the date of the Meiji Restoration when Emperor Meiji overthrew the shogunate rule and re-opened Japan to the west), the country's capital and Imperial Residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. In 1888 construction of a new Imperial Palace was completed. The palace was once destroyed during World War Two, and rebuilt in the same style, afterwards. The remaining moat surrounding the palace is from the original caslte, and a few of the beautiful gates buildings and watchtowers have survived the years of earthquakes and bombings. The new imperial palace, that was completed in the 1960’s to replace the bombed buildings of WWII, is not architecturally as impressive as one might expect. But it is still a great symbol of history, and the place where many diplomatic events still occur throughout the year.

We spent the first day our family was in town at the Imperial Palace, taking a tour of the palace grounds and the East Garden. It rained the entire tour, but we had our umbrellas in hand and made the most of it.

Beautiful lily pond.

One of the most beautiful watchtowers of the palace.

The trees in Japan are gorgeous, and tend to fan out all over the landscape.

Braving through the tour in the rain.

This is a tree garden on the Imperial Garden plaza.

This moat circles 5K around the Imperial Palace.