It's been a year...

As I re-read my blog entries, I realized that I started my blog last year in June. It has been a year since I packed my teaching materials from my school and said goodbye to my students. It has been about 5 months since I've stepped foot into the Land of the Rising Sun.

At every interval and crossroads of my life, God never fails to amaze and surprise me. Hehe. This journey of the unknown has truly been exciting and thrilling. Now, who says Christian life is boring? Wahahahha... From the first step of quitting my job, to waiting for the second step, to the second step of coming to Japan, to the transition of adapting a new life, God has kept His word, His promise, ie, "Never to leave nor forsake me". God is faithful and good. Amen!

Let's put aside my teaching responsibilities for a moment now and talk about Japan. This nation is suffering from Depression. I mean, serious depression. People are committing suicide. I know people are committing suicide all over the world. But be patient with me and read on.

Depression is creeping into the Church as a whole in Japan too. Pastors are depressed. The elders of a church told this newly elected pastor that they did not need him and that the church could survive on its on. This pastor became so depressed due to rejection that he wanted to take a sabbatical leave to heal his wounds. However, the elders told him he need not return. Now, he feels absolutely rejected and walks around with his head bent. Church members are depressed and suicidal because of work pressure and family expectations.

Let's move away from the Church and take a glimpse at the society at large. People are jumping into the Shinkansen railways to die faster. Or, they'll drink their worries away at pubs and clubs. The work pressure is so great. Husbands are working and sleeping at workplace as they need to finish their projects. Thus, family time is robbed. Many who are retired are not used to the free time they now have and started to quarrel with wives and divorce became the solution. Shocking? The old men are so stunned and lost with the free time at hand that they don't know what to do. This is because their lives before retirement have been conditioned to working non-stop. They have no life, no form of relaxation, whatsoever. If they stay at home, they will quarrel with their wives. I'm serious. This is happening. So they divorce their wives.

I began to ask God, why depression? Some of these problems and crisis are faced by people all over the world. But why is depression taking such a strong hold on the Japanese? How? When I asked the pastor's wife, she told me in summary, "It's the Japanese culture."

In the Japanese culture, the Japanese are taught to be obliging and people-pleaser. They are taught to say, "Yes" even when their hearts are crying a loud, "No!" This is because if they say "No" to someone, it may harm the friendship, relationship or business partnership. So they continue to make efforts to say "Yes" to maintain and to build the so-called "-Ships". At work, they'll work and perform to their best. So if and when they are retrenched or reprimanded by superiors, it's a big blow to them, because they tried so hard to say "Yes". In friendships and relationships, if they're rejected by friends, it's a hard blow to them because they invested time and emotions into it, thinking that they're doing well and successful in maintaining and building it. So you'll never know how a Japanese truly feels even when he's smiling and saying that he likes your gift. It is uncommon for a Japanese, men especially, to express his feelings and emotions, even to his family members. They hide everything. Imagine all these pressure and masks put on!

It took me a while to understand all these because I do not come from such a culture. I was taught to say "No" more than "Yes". Wahahah... I was taught to be real and honest. I was taught to be vulnerable to my closest friends. Japanese don't really have deep friendships, even in church as they're afraid they'll be betrayed.

I know this is a super duper long post and ultra serious too. But I thought I should share this with all my readers so that all of you who are Christians can start to intercede for this nation who is so fettered by Depression.

May the truth of the Gospel sets Japan free from the bondage of depression! Amen!

May the people begin to realize they are created to please God and God alone, not Man. Amen!

May this nation take down their masks and have the courage to confide in God, the One who will never betray them. Amen!