This month, we were privileged to join a Gathering with about 40 other Japanese pastors and ministers from all over Japan in Okinawa. It was a wonderful time at a thriving church in Yomitan, who greeted us with a warm, “Welcome home” upon our arrival. We also had many wonderful conversations with other ministers and heard testimonies of God’s healing, restoring power.
One young man I spoke with over lunch shared how he came to Jesus. He was raised in a non-christian family with two older brothers. The eldest brother committed suicide, and then the second brother also committed suicide. This tragic event actually was reported nationally on the news, and a Japanese woman pastor, who lived in a completely different part of Japan, traveled over to visit the family and especially the youngest son. The youngest boy later moved to the area where this woman pastored, visited her church, and to his surprise, found that it was her that came to his house. He said he was skeptical at first, but after experiencing the unconditional love of God through her and the church, he decided before giving up he would “take one last chance at life with Jesus.” Through Jesus, he experienced God’s true healing and restoration, and his parents both came to know the Lord as well. It was a very moving story, to see a family who underwent such tragedy and heartbreak then experience healing and restoration through Christ.
Suicide is a huge issue here in Japan. It is the leading cause of death in men age 20-44, and I have thought and prayed about how we can practically address it. The answer really is simple: people need to come in contact with the love of God. That is the only thing that can heal and restore a broken human spirit. Different programs and counseling are important and needed, but Jesus is the one who rescues, heals, and restores us from death. We can and need to be the physical expression of God’s amazing love in this nation.
I was so encouraged by the testimony of this young man. It was a powerful reminder that no matter how hopeless a situation might seem, Jesus can still bring healing and restoration.
-Jeremy