Meiji Shrine

Although on break now, it has been a busy last few days. A huge and exciting answer to prayer- I met a Japanese man, Taishi, who is a new Christian (for about three years) and teaches Japanese (among other subjects) to students preparing for High School entrance exams. I have been praying for a friend to help me study Japanese and he is a very good and patient teacher. Oshie te, kudasai! (teach me, please!) We met in Shibuya yesterday and walked to Harajuku where we visited the Meiji Shrine. I learned so much; not only about the Japanese language, but about the culture too, and converting to and living as a Christian here for a native Japanese person.

It seems so obvious to me now, but I finally have learned the difference between a temple and a shrine. It is really very simple: a shrine is to Shintoism as a temple is to Buddhism. Since the Buddhist religion doesn't make any absolute claims, when it was introduced to the region it was integrated into the already existing Shinto religion, rather than replacing it. The top picture is the innermost building in the shrine. Where I was standing when I took the picture was the closest anyone could get without being of the clergy. It is in this place that people burn incense, swing their arms and clap their hands, and insert money into a wooden box with wooden dowels over the top. All this for a blessing. A person can also purchase a wooden plaque and write their prayer on it, submit it to the clergy, and for a price they too will pray for you. The third picture whose how the many plaques are placed for the year, on a wooden frame surrounding a sacred tree.

The second picture is of the washing place people enter first before entering the temple. (I was not made to wash before entering as it is not my belief.) There, people cleanse their face, hands, and mouth. It reminded me greatly of a similar cleansing site just outside of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Sin is a difficult concept in this culture, but reflecting upon it now, it is interesting to note how many religions have some sort of belief in the need for cleansing. Here, it begs the question: cleansing from what? Maybe this is a place to begin a conversation about sin.

And I think too, that people here outwardly don't appear to have faith in much of anything; but "god" is really "that to which we look to for help in times of need". With such a definition at hand, there are many gods here. People may not attend the shrine or temple regularly, but it is where they go when they face a trial or have a particular need. And then there's money, success, fashion, you name it! How all of these gods pale in comparison to the One True God who gives us the gift of life, now and eternally, at no cost to us- and a great cost to Him... His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray that such wondrous love will be known here in Japan by many more!