WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES - World Evangelical Alliance

38 WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES
INTRODUCING CHRISTIANITY INTO THE JAPANESE
CONTEXT
The message of the Bible is on the vertical relationship of
God, Man and Nature. There is a clear distinction between them.
God is the Creator and Man the creature. The Japanese view is
the horizontal world of Nature, Man and gods. There is no clear
distinction between them. Man considers himself part of Nature
and thinks he will become a god himself after death.
Nature is considered the resource of wisdom, power and production, and man
lives a nature-oriented life. In this horizontal view, man still puts himself in the
centre. It therefore becomes man-centred and self-centred.
Nature Man God
THE CONCEPT OF RESTORATION
The “vertical” concept would come as a shock to the “horizontal” thinking
of the Japanese. Therefore, to present a message that will be relevant to the
Japanese mind, the concept of Restoration needs to be included. The concept
of Restoration includes four elements (God, Man, Nature and History) which
constitute the Japanese worldview and beliefs. If Christians can present a vertical
worldview based on Restoration which is superior to the Japanese horizontal
worldview, then Japanese will surely be interested in the Bible.
The history of God’s Restoration begins with Creation in Genesis and
continues till the Book of Revelation with the New Creation.
The Gospel means reconciliation through Christ (Colossians 1:20, 21)
not only that of God and Man, but also God and all things. Salvation culminates
in the Restoration of man and all things, now under a curse. There will be
Perfection (Acts 3:20, 21; Romans 8:18-23; Revelation 21:1-5).
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNICATING THE
MESSAGE TO JAPANESE
God
Man
Nature
1. We should broaden the topics of conversation. The topics of conversation of
evangelicals in Japan thus far have been on God, Man, Sin, Salvation, the Church