Sick at my Stomach

Hooked up to the fetal monitor and eagerly awaiting the birth

“If you want to write a blog, write on this,” Bernie said to me as he pointed to today’s newspaper headline.

I’d been planning to write on waiting and how I’m no good at it—especially after our run to the hospital yesterday. We were sure our daughter was going to deliver our first grandchild. But thirty minutes after she’d been examined and hooked up to the fetal monitor, we were sent home to wait longer. We’re still waiting.

The front page headline alarmed me—“Boffins Clean Up Bovine Belches”—even though I had no idea what a boffin is. (After great research, I learned it’s a British slang word for scientist.) First of all, if Bernie was concerned enough to point out the story to me, I knew it had to be vitally important. He’d said nothing about Darfur, Gaza, presidential elections and rioting in Kenya, and the daily casualty figures from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other international hot spots. I knew there had to be some impending crisis with cows that was being averted with such breaking news.

Here it is. For roughly one dollar a day, we can mix cysteine and nitrate in livestock feed. This results in methane production being suppressed during the digestion process. And voila! No methane is expelled when a cow belches. If you’re still not impressed, let me add the clincher. When cows don’t belch methane, global greenhouse gas emissions are cut by about 5 percent. What good news! No more worries! We’re been saved from global warming. Let the celebration begin!

Of course, while “we’ve” been saved from global warming, 24,000 people die daily of hunger (one person every 3.6 seconds). A quick Google search and you can find organization after organization pleading for one dollar a day to save the world’s starving, estimated by the World Health Organization to be one-third of everyone in the entire world. Children and elderly are the ones who suffer most. Statistics indicate that 15 million children die annually from hunger. Perhaps even more amazing is the fact that malnutrition is implicated in more than half of all the deaths of children worldwide.

According to UNICEF, nearly one in four people around the world lives on less than one dollar a day, while the world’s 358 billionaires have assets exceeding the combined annual incomes of countries whose populations make up 45 percent of the world’s people. And we’re talking about what one dollar a day fed to cows could do to reduce belching and greenhouse gases? Absurd is one of the nicest words I can think of.

Don’t get me wrong. I am concerned about greenhouse gases and global warming. It’s why I’m sitting with an afghan wrapped around my legs rather than running our gas stove so that it heats our room to more than 62 degrees. It’s why I walk as often as possible so that I don’t add to Tokyo’s air pollution. There are many other measures we take to reduce our damage to the environment. But let me say it clearly: I am far more concerned with world hunger and the selfishness of the developed world than I am about cows that burp methane gas. When are we going to demand governments and industry—even churches—change some of their priorities?

“Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,” the prophet Amos warned the self-satisfied rich of his day who were secure in their wealth and prosperity (Amos 6:1). Hundreds of years later, Jesus himself issued a stark admonition about our responsibility to care for these nameless, faceless, voiceless, helpless people in the world through a parable of sheep and goats. “‘I tell you the truth,’ he declared, ‘whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:45-46).

I feel sick at my stomach, and belching is not the answer.

On Cell Phones

A typical scene in Japan--

a teenage cell phone user

I am not a cultural revolutionary. Whenever possible, I try to fit in, at least well enough. In the late 1960s, for example, I wore a floppy suede hat, fringed suede vest, striped bell bottoms, and wire rimmed glasses framed by waist-length, straight hair parted in the middle, just like all the other teenagers of that day. My kids still laugh to see photos of those days, hardly believing their mother ever was “hip,” as we used to say.

But today I find myself bucking the norm—and not because I am a foreigner in Japan, where I am naturally “different.” It’s because I’m one of a rapidly shrinking minority of people without a cell phone in this land of technology where 96% of high school students have keitai. And these aren’t just any cell phones, mind you. These are the latest models that do almost everything you need in a day shy of taking a bath and eating for you. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but surely not by much.

Which is why cultural commentators in Japan are beginning—finally—to raise some red flags about these seemingly innocuous gadgets that have taken this nation by a storm. I’ve been hollering about this for some time now, but without anything but gut intuition to back me up. Needless to say, I was fascinated to open Saturday’s Daily Yoimuri newspaper and find two articles dealing with this very issue.

According to one piece, some sociologists are referring to cell phone use among Japanese young people as obsessive, noting that one-third of Japanese primary school students, aged seven to twelve years old, have cell phones. By middle school, the percentage is 60%, if a certain survey of 14-year-olds generally represents the country. And by high school, only four percent of Japanese teens are without cell phones.

Paradoxically, although they were invented to augment communication, exactly the opposite is happening, says Tetsuro Saito, a university professor who helped conduct the middle school survey. He reports that middle schoolers rarely talk on their cell phones. Instead, they use them to send e-mails, even to people they are likely to meet shortly. Paraphrasing Saito, the article noted, “Children [seem] to want the security of communicating with someone, without the bother of dealing with a real person.”

Last week Bernie and I celebrated our wedding anniversary by going out to dinner. It was a wonderful evening, and it’s been a wonderful 32 years, too. Seated at a nearby table were two young Japanese mothers and their two sons. One, perhaps seven years old, hardly looked up from his keitai the whole evening. The other boy, five-ish, managed to eat a bite here and there despite being glued to the portable DVD player in front of him. Neither mother spoke to either boy, nor did I see either boy speak to any of the other three at the table. Communication was practically non-existent, despite what was in the hands of these youngsters who, by the looks of their clothing and gadgets, have every material blessing possible. But are they learning the more important lessons of how to relate as one human being to another? I have my doubts. Surely it isn’t coincidental that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare reports a growing divorce rate in this country.

Cell phones? Of course they have their value. But as a substitute for in-depth human relationships? No way. I’ll hold my husband’s hand any day, thank you.

New Years greetings

New Year's greetings from Cheryl and Bernie

Traditional (and delicious) Japanese New Year's delicacies

that we enjoyed with Japanese friends on New Year's Day

The most excellent way
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

More than 15 years ago, our family adopted the Japanese custom of writing New Years greetings cards, even while continuing to sending Christmas cards (the kind that come stamped and delivered to homes, not to computers). Bernie writes one Chinese character on the front of the postcard, and Cheryl describes it in English calligraphy on the back. Generally, the character expresses our vision or desire for Tamagawa Seigakuin and Tarumi Church for the upcoming year. Here is our slightly edited greeting for 2008:

“This year’s character, “ai” (Japanese for love), completes a set of three words that appear in 1 Corinthians 13:13—FAITH (the character we chose in 2006), HOPE (2007), and LOVE (2008). Misrepresented by romance, love is perfectly described in the Bible as ‘the most excellent way’ and, according to the above verse, is the greatest of this trio.

“In 2008, Bernie begins his tenth year as principal of Tamagawa Seigakuin. Founding Principal Taniguchi based the school’s motto on these three words: ‘Towards God, FAITH; towards circumstances, HOPE; towards people, LOVE.’ In a world where suicide bombings, lawsuits, natural disasters, and scandals top the news, how wonderful if this was more than a school slogan. What if it became the personal theme of all of us for 2008? Surely it would be a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.”

Tarumi Church report
Thanks for praying for us and Tarumi Church during our recent time in Kobe. Bernie preached twice and spoke at the kid’s Christmas program within 2 days of our arrival. It was great to be “home,” especially to be there with Ben (from Guam), Stephanie and Donald (from Central Asia), and Millie Michael (our SAM), but we were sad to see the growing tiredness and discouragement in the church, now without a pastor for 4 ½ years. Attendance is low and some former key leaders are now going elsewhere. But we are most concerned about are those who’ve just quit. God is faithfully providing preachers every week, but the need for pastoring is all the more evident as people simply disappear.

Unfortunately, there is not much hope that this difficult season will pass soon since there are no pastors on the horizon in the Church of God. In fact, this dearth of pastors is not limited to our church group. It is being faced in all Japanese churches. Please pray for Tarumi Church to be strengthened and encouraged and most of all for a pastor in 2008.

New Year’s activities
Moving towards 2008, Cheryl preached a message titled, “A Change of Plans,” on December 30, based upon the wise men changing their travel plans after meeting Jesus. Likewise, our encounters with Jesus should change our plans. Thank God for his inspiring message. One woman told us that she sensed that even her steps had become lighter after hearing it.

Bernie followed up with his own challenging message on January 1. Titled “Walking in Love,” the theme for Tarumi Church for 2008, the sermon was based on 2 John 1:4-8. We were gratified that although attendance is generally quite down, there was a good group of at least 30 who attended worship on New Years Day. Considering the busy schedules of Japanese families around January 1, and especially the fact that many Christians are the only believers in their families, such attendance is very good. We were also gratified to see several families there—even the non-Christian members.

But we were especially excited about the attendance of a young man who used to attend the church’s kid’s program years ago. Bernie chanced to meet him on December 31 as he was home for the holidays, and invited him to church the next day. To our surprise, he came. To our greater surprise, he stayed afterwards to talk to Bernie about what it means to be a Christian. Although he didn’t make a commitment, he is definitely seeking. Please pray that this young graduate student will give his heart to Christ in 2008.

Another prayer concern
Our first grandchild, Benjamin Donbor Lyngdoh, will be born in Tokyo this month. Please remember Stephanie, Donald, and Little Ben in your prayers—for a safe delivery and for smoothness in processing all the necessary paperwork after his birth so that they can return to their home as soon as possible. It’s a little more complicated than usual because they must deal with the governments of four countries: Japan, where he’ll be born; the U.S., where he’ll be a citizen and get a passport; India, where he’ll be registered as Donald’s son and eventually will need to get a PIO card (somewhat similar to a green card); and the country where they live, in order to get a visa for the baby. There’s much excitement in our house, but much need for your prayers now and throughout 2008.

End of December Thoughts

Christmas Eve candle lighting service in Kobe

The five of us and Millie, our Kobe SAM

What’s happened to my brain? With so many Christmas-related activities, family coming home for the holidays, and our traveling back to Kobe from Tokyo to lead the church in celebrating Christmas and New Years, my head seems to have shifted into neutral. As a result, it’s been two and a half weeks since I’ve written for our blog. I’d like to change that today while everyone is out shopping. Besides, shopping isn’t a favorite pastime of mine, even if my head and body weren’t tired from the pace of December.

Let me say up front: I’m not a kanji expert. In truth, I use these thousands of Chinese characters as little as possible, which explains why my Japanese reading and writing level is actually quite embarrassing for someone who has lived nearly thirty years in Japan. Still, I know a few characters. One of the most interesting is the kanji for busy—in Japanese, isogashii. It is made up of two parts. The right half is the character for “to lose.” The left half represents “heart.” In other words, when one becomes busy, one risks the danger of losing one’s heart.

In fact, this is exactly what has happened to me this month. Certainly it’s nothing I’m proud about. After all, as a Christian, Christmas ought to be one of the most meaningful times of the year. Writing Christmas cards should be a joyful exercise in sharing the good news of Jesus’ birth as the angels did when they appeared to the shepherds on the hillsides outside of Bethlehem. Instead they gave me stiff shoulders. I felt more pressure than pleasure as I wrote and wrote and wrote, and I’m still not finished although Christmas Day 2007 is now history. (And from yesterday, the Japanese custom of writing New Year’s cards was added to my never-ending “to do” list.)

Then there’s the busy church calendar of special activities, including the Christmas Eve candle service, a children’s Christmas party, and a New Year’s Day service not yet planned, much less prepared. Even if I only attended these, they would still take time. On top of this, our family of two suddenly has expanded to six, so there are many added household chores, never-ending trips to the grocery store, and dinner preparations that begin almost as soon as the last meal’s dishes have been washed, dried, and put away. I’m thankful everyone is helping eagerly, and I’m overjoyed our family is together once again—usually we’re in three different countries—but I sometimes find myself sighing loudly with physical and emotional tiredness. Isogashii seems to have taken its toll.

I am reminded that Jesus left his disciples at the end of a busy day to go up into the mountains to pray. He’d just had a major teaching assignment for a huge crowd that had gathered on the hillside. Afterwards everyone was hungry, so he miraculously fed five loaves and two fish to five thousand men, not counting the women and children. (And I thought I had a houseful to feed!) Day after day, and not just in December, the demands on Jesus were endless. The only way to keep from losing his heart in the midst of it all was to protect his quiet time with the Father whereby he could be refreshed and renewed.

In fact, this is exactly what I did this morning. Is it any wonder I’m feeling my heart again?

Still Meditating on Christmas

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together

in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully

and wonderfully made . . . . My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place" (Psalm 139:13-15).

No one will ever know the impact this one life could have had on the world.

The product of a high school liaison, the baby was conceived in secret and kept that way until there was no choice but to confess what the boyfriend-girlfriend couple had done. Many offered grace—God himself offers it. A Christian organization would have provided a home for the young mother-to-be where she could have delivered the child and then given her up for adoption. The agency’s director met with the family and shared that there is a long waiting list of people eager to adopt babies—even here in Japan where adoption of children outside one’s blood line generally has not been accepted.

Many prayed for the baby to be allowed to live, but in the end, the decision to eliminate was made. It is best for all concerned, the woman who would have been grandmother declared. Easier perhaps, but best? For whom? Certainly not for the baby.

And what of the teenager who would have given birth? Now she is heavy-hearted with guilt about both the illicit relationship that brought life and about her decision which ended it. I recall that Mother Teresa often spoke out against abortion. I cannot quote her directly, but she once said something like, “One sin isn’t corrected by a second one,” as she pleaded with young women to allow their babies to live.

Abortion. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 46 million babies are aborted worldwide each year. This statistic becomes even more striking when it is broken down: 126,000 babies aborted daily, 87 each minute, almost 2 every 3 seconds.

In Japan, abortion is the number one method of birth control. Illustrative of this fact, there were 341,588 legally induced abortions in the country in 2001. This represented a 2.5% increase over the previous three years. From 1998-2001, both the abortion rate (the number of legal abortions per 1,000 women) and the abortion ratio (the number of legal abortions per 1,000 live births) increased by 8.3% and 5.4% respectively. Like the teenager I’ve been thinking so much about lately, women less than 20 years old contributed most to these increases. (According to one 1990 study, pregnancies among Japanese adolescents occur at a rate of about 22 per 1,000 girls. Most of these pregnancies end in abortion.)

Especially at this season of the year, we celebrate the birth of One whose life has made an eternal difference for the world. I cannot help but wonder what if Mary had chosen the easier way?