People- the Priority of Osaka

Do you like the view on the left out our window? I would too, if I could only see Mt. Fuji! However, our view is what you see on the right, a stark reminder of the mass of humanity linked together in this great city. Osaka has a metro area of nearly 18 million people, and is a primary economic hub of the nation. It is sometimes called the food capital of the world. There is an old saying here, that while Kyotoites (those living in Kyoto) are financially ruined by overspending on clothing, Osakans are ruined by spending on food. Definitely my kind of place!


Our team spent the bulk of Thursday in the heart of the city, walking, praying, talking with Jay and learning more about the people and their needs. We visited some of the primary shopping areas, including American Village, a retail area complete with a scaled-down Statue of Liberty! We passed out handbills (on left) inviting people to English-language conversation classes. I admit that I've never enjoyed handing out tracts and the like, and as we began this exercise I was reminded why. Person after person would pass by, rejecting what I had in my hand by refusing to acknowledge my existence! It was frustrating, and if my self-esteem was not as good as it is, my feelings might have been hurt! But after I got over myself, I took it as my challenge to get those papers into peoples' hands. I tried to make- even force!- eye contact, got my offering more directly in front of them, and prayed that God would place those invites into the hands of ones who needed them most. It wasn't long before my pile of papers grew smaller, and then disappeared...and it had even become a great joy and not a task!


Watching the crush of people about us, we were constantly stuck by the feeling of busyness. Nearly everyone seems consumed with getting to wherever they're going from wherever they've been. There's a focus on movement, motion and destination, but we wonder how much attention is given to the actual journey. We sense that it will take interruptions by God to get that attention of so many, that they might consider who He is and how they might connect with Him. The tsunami a couple of years ago was one such interruption, and we were told that for a time people did slow down and consider. But in the absence of further calamity, life quickly gets back up to speed and downtime is squeezed. We're asking God to provide interruptions of goodness and grace in order to help those here think again about a possible relationship with Him. 

And as we watch the scurrying about us, I'm reminded that we're really no different. We easily become engrossed in our own worlds and relegate our commitment to God to a lower shelf. And how much more damning is that for us than for those here. Almost no one here has a knowledge of God's redemptive plan for their lives- they might be excused for their condition (humanly speaking). But we know full well and too often choose to go it on our own, anyway. There is no excuse for our actions.


Please continue to pray- today (Friday) we'll visit the famous Osaka Castle, prayerwalk through a portion of the city, and then participate in a Language Exchange this evening. Pray that some of those who received our invitations yesterday will choose to come tonight, that they will slow down long enough to listen to God's voice in their lives, an that they will respond to what they hear. Thanks for your prayers and partnership...


A few more visual renderings of our surroundings-

The Christian bookstore in Osaka- what a great name!

Mark found a 30-Day Prayer Guide for the Muslim World- sweet!

Cream soda means ice CREAM in your SODA- woohoo!

The team glistening in the heat of Osaka

If your pancakes can do this, consider another option.

Graffiti- the universal language.