Nagoya Mission

Are western style weddings in Japan racist?

Are western style weddings in Japan racist?  White men preside at western style weddings; women and people of color do not.1  Racism is the belief that race is a determinant of human traits and capacities and those racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.2  In the case of western style weddings in Japan, these events are racists because white men are perceived and believed to have an inherent superiority in officiating at a western style wedding because of their race. 

Let’s review.  In the last thirty years or so, Japan has experienced a large increase in the number of couples who chose to have a western style wedding.  Although there are no accurate national surveys, anecdotal and other evidence suggests that these western style weddings largely if not mostly, are officiated by white males hired for the express purpose and because of their racial make up.3  These western style weddings make up from 60-80 percent of all weddings celebrations and blessings of those who choose to have a wedding celebration.4

A couple does not need to have a service, celebration, or blessing of any type to be considered married in Japan.  All a couple (male/female) has to do is go and register (typically free) at the governmental office.  After the registration they are considered married.  Many couples however choose to have a wedding celebration of some type with family and friends as well as a honeymoon.

For many years --- even possibly centuries although I have not investigated this fact --- some of these marriage celebrations may have included a Shinto worship service with an appropriate wedding blessing led by a Shinto priest.  Shinto is an indigenous Japanese religion with a long history of which I will not detail here.  In general, modern Shinto weddings are formal affairs that include the bride and groom wearing certain type of clothing for example, and generally include immediate family and may include friends.5  Over the past thirty years or so, there has been a shift away from Shinto weddings ceremonies to western style weddings.

What is a western style wedding?  Some Japanese couples will travel outside of Japan for a wedding, combining a blessing service with a honeymoon, similar to couples in the United States who will travel to an island in the Caribbean for a wedding.  Popular destinations include places like Hawaii, New York City or Paris or other locations.  But generally speaking a Japanese western style wedding occurs prior to a reception and is about twenty minutes long at a hall, or a building or hotel.  These wedding celebrations are arranged and presided over by employees of a wedding company and other staff.

Initially, a couple will begin the process by contacting a wedding company or business that sell package weddings and will consult with the wedding company about an appropriate date --- lucky versus unlucky dates for example.  Wedding fairs are one way that people see the variety of packages available.  The packages offered may include a western style wedding and reception for say 50 people at a particular rented locale ending with a reception and a wedding cake in which the couple may symbolically cut.  The wedding cake used for the symbolical cut by the couple is not served.  One of the options offered to couples may include a chapel.  Some companies and hotels have developed western looking chapel buildings or halls that could in some cases on first glimpse be mistaken for a church.  For example, I happened to talk with a graduate student from a country in Africa.  He told me that one Sunday, shortly after they had arrived in Japan, he and his family walked over to what looked like a church in their neighborhood, only to find out that it was a wedding chapel that belonged to a wedding company.  There were no Christian worship services.  To add to the confusion, the chapels or halls may include a cross and other type of church accoutrements.

After choosing a package based on budget, the couple will send out invitations and otherwise prepare for the day.  If a couple chooses a western style blessing service the scripted event begins with a processional, an invocation of some type, a reading from the Bible (1 Corinthians 13 in many cases) followed by possibly a homily or message with a general emphasis on love and vows with the same words used all the companies weddings, all officiated by a wedding company employee, a white male.  The most important part of the event is the exchange of vows and in many cases an exchange of rings.  The event concludes with a blessing and recessional.  Some of these western style wedding events include a small choir that will sing at the procession and recession and possibly a song during the service.6  On many (if not all!) occasions, the groom wears a tuxedo and the bride a white wedding gown.  Much of the flow of the service would be understood by many westerners either from personal experience or from general western culture; thus western style weddings.7

One obvious question that comes up and troubles me besides the racism is the confusion: are these western style weddings Christian?  Ignoring the fact of the sad confusion of western style with Christian, a small percentage of Japanese --- Christian or not --- have chosen to contact a local Christian congregation in which to have a wedding celebration.  Many of these Christian churches would follow a wedding service that many Western Christians would be familiar with and thus correspond to this western-style wedding offered by wedding planners and businesses.  

Furthermore, some missionaries and Japanese churches have decided that this desire is an important opportunity for evangelism or as some have termed pre-evangelism; meaning making Christianity more familiar and comfortable to the general population.  As is well known, Christians currently make up about 1% of the Japanese population and opportunities for sharing are difficult to find.8  Some missionaries in particular have established their own competing “businesses” that try to include some Christian education and message around the event.  Yet, they in many cases as well, provide Caucasian men as wedding leaders.

I should note at this point that I do not participate in western style weddings as I do not consider them appropriate evangelism for many reasons; racism being one.  At this point, no one has contacted me to officiate at wedding and unless the couple wanted an English speaking Christian pastor, I would suggest they contact a Japanese pastor and congregation.  However, I did get a request to be part of a wedding at one of the Japanese churches where I assist.  The Japanese pastor who was officiating forwarded the request but both he and I felt that it was not appropriate for me to be part of the service.

Yet as I noted, the main reason why I do not participate and why I am troubled with western style weddings that employ white men including fellow missionaries is what I alluded to at the beginning; Are “western style” weddings in Japan racist?  I believe they are racist and therefore, not appropriate for me a white, male missionary and pastor.  Not only are they at their core racist events, but they undergird the notion that Christians are westerners and therefore Christianity cannot be truly Japanese.  Although I deeply understand those white male missionaries who decide to participate for the sake of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, I believe that the racism and the association of western with Christian undercuts the good news of Jesus Christ.

Some have suggested that in Japanese thinking these events are not racist per say, rather the western style wedding is more a “performance” with Caucasian actors.  Although that may be accurate in that perceptions are unique to cultures to some degree, that does not take away from the fact that they are racist.  For example less than a hundred years ago, in many western nations some actors would perform in “black face” for comedy or drama.  These “black face” actors would perform stereotypical views of black American and/or “African” culture.  Now very few people would deny that those performances where not racist.  The same are true with western style wedding events in Japan.  Western style weddings in Japan are racist events even if they are performances or has some emotional meaning for the couple.

Finally, in conclusion, not only is the racism troubling, but so is the juxtaposition of this happy and blessed event for couples marred under this evil cloud.  What can one do to stop these events?  First, like me, do not participate or preside, particularly if you are not a pastor.  Second, if you are invited to attend a Japanese western style wedding with a white male employee, please understand what they are; employees hired because they are white and if you do not find out differently assume the white males employees are not Christian pastors.  And third join with me in a prayer for a long and happy marriage for couple in spite of the evil of racism over their event.

1 Please note: I am not using quote marks around western style weddings as some do. Quotes marks are a device I considered using but chose not to do.
2 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism
3 At times, I interchange “white” and Caucasian.  I realize there are some problems with that but I did it more for stylistic reasons.  I apologize for any offense taken.
4 I have seen a wide range given.
5 For a variety of reasons, Shinto weddings are considered more expensive than a western style wedding, which some observers have suggested is the reason for the growth of western style weddings. Very few couples choose to have a Buddhist wedding; possibly because in Japan, Buddhism is reserved for end of life, funeral, events.
6 “What A Friend We have In Jesus” is a popular choice because many people can sing along and because of its association with the “west.”
7 Observers have commented that media in general and Japanese celebrities in particular, who have chosen a western style service as part of their marriage celebrations, have played an important part in legitimizing and popularizing these weddings i.e. western style weddings are supposedly more romantic for example.
8 “Christian” includes people of a variety of denominations and beliefs that not all Christian would term Christian.

Since I have first published this article, I have received many comments, not posted here.  Thank you.  However, I needed to make some minor grammatical corrections and also restate that this was posted on this blog as comment.  This was and is not to be considered a sermon.

If you died tonight... May 17, 2009

John 15: 11-17

        “If you died tonight, where would you go?  Heaven or Hell?”  Have you ever been asked that question?  It may be a question only used among some North American Christian circles, I do not know.  I remember the first time I heard that question, I was in sixth grade and attending a private English speaking school, called the Caribbean School on the island of Puerto Rico.
         It was the beginning of the school year and a well meaning high school student came up to me, asked me that question --- did not wait for a response --- then handed me a small comic book, about the size of my hand.  In the tract it detailed in graphic images, what would happen to those who did not believe in Jesus Christ, with a classic illustration of Satan as a dark shadowy figure and hell with fire occupied with crying, pleading figures.
         I took the little booklet home and had a good conversation with my parents.  Although I still remember that episode and some images from that book, I began to realize that I did not like that question or book then, I do not like it now.  Don’t get me wrong: the question asked of me by that High School student --- of whether or not we are ready to come face to face with God --- is a vital one.  That question is intended to make us stop and think about our relationship with Jesus Christ, and if we do not have a bond with God to think about its implications.
         That question “If you died tonight…” is also intended to give us pause to ponder what we are doing, how we are living, and what difference we are making in the lives of the people and places around us, how we are contributing --- or otherwise --- to the future of the planet, whether our lives and interactions point towards Jesus and the abundant life God intends for us all, as Jesus said, quoted in Matthew: “Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there are who travel on it!”1  However, the reason I do not like that question is that is not how the question is framed.  Rather, what I was and am being asked is, “Where will you spend eternity?”  The implications of the question are clear: life here is so short and relatively unimportant compared to eternity.  Thus, we ought to be focusing our attention on what is really vital --- eternity ---- rather than getting caught up with this world.  If our ultimate destiny is to be somewhere other than earth, the most important thing we can do while alive is to prepare ourselves for the hereafter.
         Furthermore, the underlying emphasis in that question makes this world --- and life --- at best a waiting room for death and eternal life.  That question assumes that life at its worst is a place of extraordinary risk: a place of temptation and ignorance, where getting our theology wrong, or seriously screwing up, condemns us to an eternity without God.2  Well I could go on, but I think you get the point of my trouble with that question.  Again, let me be clear: vigilance and self-examination has its own important place in Christian discipleship.
         More importantly than my feelings however, is that the underlying view in the question “if you died …,” completely ignores the words of Jesus that do not fit that question like today’s gospel.  If Easter tells us one thing, it positively roars this one fundamental point --- God loves us and is absolutely passionate about saving the world, not condemning it!
         God did not spare his son, but gave him up for us.  God does not condemn us, as part of humanity, for crucifying Jesus Christ, nor does God condemn us for our sin; our broken relationship with God, and each other, but raises Jesus Christ for our salvation.
         Nevertheless, if there is anything from the words of Jesus that put a stake into that question, “If you died tonight where would you go?” are these words: “Greater love has no one than this,” said Jesus to his team of disciples, “that he lay down his life for his friends.”3
          Today’s words are a continuation of last weeks gospel, and like last week with the emphasize on a “vine,” today’s images and words should not come as a surprise because Jesus has used the phrase “lay down my life” several times to describe what he has been called to do.  For example, in John 10, Jesus says, “I lay down my life” for his sheep: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life --- only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.  This command I received from my Father.4
         The protection and nurture of his flock was his mission, and worth the price of his own life.  Jesus reiterates that statement here in John 15 as he walks with his disciples from the upper room after washing their feet and sharing the last supper, to the Garden where Jesus prays before these words become fulfilled.  The difference is that here in John 15, Jesus explains laying down his life, not in terms of protection, but of love.
         The reason that Jesus gives for his willingness to have his own life cut off is “love” for his “friends.”  As I have mentioned in the past, the Greek language has a variety of words to describe love.  Jesus uses nearly all of them.  The word used here for “love” --- phileo --- is a form of the word translated “friend” --- philos.  In the Greek language, a “friend” is literally “one who is loved.”  It’s more than just a connection of shared common interests and goals, like people on a sports team.  It is more than just a positive regard for a partner or pal.  Friendship, in the way that Jesus uses it, is grounded in a deeper love that survives the end of a sports season or a graduation ceremony or annual Christmas letters.
         Remember last week’s closing words: “As the Father has loved me,” said Jesus, “so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.”5  Jesus’ own idea of friendship was defined and shaped by God’s love for him. Jesus was “one who was loved” by God: chosen, equipped, guided, embraced and held all the way from the manger to the tomb and after the tomb.  As that love shaped and defined Jesus’ life and ministry --- as that love shaped and defined Jesus’ death and resurrection --- so would Jesus’ love shape and define his team of disciples, both then and now and for eternity. 
        Jesus reminds us.  “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit?fruit that will last.”6  Thus love is a kind of love that causes someone to be willing to sacrifice his or her own life and springs from the deep well of having been loved that way him or herself.
         To be a “friend” of Jesus, then, means to be one who is loved in a sacrificial way.  It also means following Jesus’ example.  “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”7  Meaning we are to love others sacrificially, too.  That is a hard teaching, in many ways, but maybe we see it that way because we ourselves have not fully embraced the love that Jesus has given us.  We cannot truly learn to love until we have been loved ourselves.
         Jesus did it for us because he was loved into it by God.  We can do it for others because we have been loved into it by Christ.  For Jesus, “laying down” his life meant a painful physical sacrifice.  We may never be called to do that for another, but there are lots of ways of laying down our lives that do not involve death.  We may need to amputate our personal ambitions in order to do what is best for our families.  We might be called to give sacrificially of our hard-earned money in order to care for someone who is experiencing a crushing need.  We may experience a call to give up a lucrative career in order to pursue a ministry that serves people the rest of the world has forgotten.
         There are as many ways as there are people as we lay down our lives on behalf of Jesus, but we’ll only be able to do it if we are willing to receive his love for us.  We can not earn it, only receive it and allow it to transform us.  It is only then that we, as friends of Jesus, will be able to “bear fruit” that will last. 
          Jesus gave his friends his own life.  That was definitely a good thing for those first disciples.  It meant their lives were changed abundantly, not necessarily for money or power or even a longer life and not necessarily for eternal life.  Rather, those disciples’ lives were changed so abundantly that they changed the lives of their friends, which still reverberate to this day.  So, here is the really important question to ask of ourselves and other: “Are you and I missing out on the abundant life that God has for us in Jesus … now?”  A life measured not by money or power, or a future eternal life, but by these words, “Greater love has no one than this,” said Jesus to his team of disciples, “that he lay down his life for his friends.”  Amen.

1 Matthew 7: 13-14
2 www.lectionary.wolsblog.com, May 13, 2009, Lawrence Moore, Director, The Windermere Centre.
3 John 15:13
4 John 10: 17-18
5 John 15:9
6 Vs. 16
7 Vs. 12

Cleaning and Pruning - May 10, 2009

John 15: 1-10

     Is Japanese culture obsessed with cleanliness?  In many ways it seems to be the case, seen in the custom of taking off shoes before entering a house, to washing before immersing in an onsen (温泉) all the way to eating habits.  Some believe that this emphasis on cleanliness can be traced to the rich availability of water.  Others have suggested that its basis can be found in the Shinto religion where priests for example, must bathe before participating in many religious events.  Wherever it’s roots, this focus on “cleanliness” is even exported.  There is a group of expat Japanese volunteers called “Greenbird Paris” who gather weekly with uniform green vests and metal pincers, trying to teach the French how to keep Paris clean from a Japanese perspective.1
     This focus on cleanliness however, may just be a false impression.  Some of have pointed out just walk down streets in Japan or follow any large crowd or visit any park after the Cherry blossom parties, and one has to wonder.  The reason we may see so many people out cleaning time after time, is because if they were not out so often many places would be filthy.  As critics have argued is cleanliness cultural or cleanliness an obsession because the culture is so dirty? 
     My perception, that Japanese culture emphasizes cleanliness, is true in some respects and false in others --- I think people in Japan are no better and no worse than other cultures and people.
     Rather I would suggest that being a Christian brings a whole new concept to “cleanliness” to all people.  Part of the reason revolves around our gospel passage, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”2
     Before we delve more deeply into our gospel, we should have a vocabulary lesson, because in vs. 2 the root Greek word (katharizo-verb) normally translated as “prunes” is the same root Greek word translated in vs. 3 as “clean.”  That means we could translate vs. 2 and vs. 3 this way: “He (cleans) every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he (cleans) so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already (pruned) because of the word I have spoken to you.”  Why the same root word for prune and clean?  In the vineyards of Jesus’ day, grapevines grew naturally along the ground instead of being propped up on poles or lattices as they are today.  The vinedresser would come along to lift and “clean” the vine, which included pruning away the excess and dead growth.
     If we have that in mind, clean or prune, as one and the same, that gives us some insight as we move forward to these words of Jesus.
     What does cleanliness have to do with “fruit?”  The word ‘fruit’ or ‘fruitful’ is mentioned some multiple times in our gospel.  This is not an alien idea because at some level in many people there is a need or a desire to be productive.  We want our lives to count for something, and as the saying goes to not be ‘good for nothing’.  If we were to keep reading in our lesson today Jesus added about being industrious, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit?fruit that will last.”3
     What does fruitfulness mean?  In the Bible we see the struggle between our desire of doing and being fruitful.  Doing fruitful?  While this idea is not the best English, it does capture that common aspiration to be fruitful through activity.  In the Old Testament, ‘grapes’ were a symbol for God’s followers doing God’s work here on earth.  In the temple in Jerusalem there was a massive sculpture of a vine and grapes on the walls.  The vine represented the people, and the grapes represented the works of the people.  This meant that “fruitfulness” had become another way of saying “faithfulness,” thus a lack of good fruit meant that God’s people had failed to be the true, nourishing vine that would bolster God’s reputation in the world as the ultimate fine winemaker.
     Therefore, to be faithful was to be clean or pruned and to do God’s work or to do “good works” - work that actually means something based on the fact that one was “clean.”  But, as we come to find out we fail miserably if we base our faithfulness on doing.  So God replanted the vineyard with a new stock and that new vine, the “true vine,” who would be Jesus Christ himself who embodied the new Israel, God’s Chosen One, and the One through whom the whole world would be saved and blessed. 
     Thus rather than “doing fruitful” it is “being fruitful.”  When Jesus speaks of “you shall know them by their fruits” Jesus is partly talking about our character and the “fruit” that we are to bear.  The fruit however is not uniform rather like the grapes of a fine winery is full of many textures and flavors.  Being fruitful is to have fruitful characteristics, as described by Paul from Galatians, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”4
     But how does all of this happen?  Do we put on our “Kappogi” (Japanese style apron) to get to work?  No.  That only leads back to a culture of doing as the measure of fruitfulness that can lure disciples of Jesus Christ into thinking that we can be productive as a result of our own efforts.  When a branch gets the idea that it can make fruit, make wine, on its own, it dries up, withers, and is no longer useful.5  
     This brings us to the other word mentioned multiple times in our short passage --- the word ‘remain’ or “abide.”  We are to abide and remain in Jesus Christ.  “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”6  The word used for ‘remain’ here is a word that literally means something like, “personal, enduring fellowship.”  
     Look closely at a grapevine and one of the first things you notice about its branches is that it’s very difficult to tell them apart individually.  All the branches twist and curl around one another to the point that you can not tell where one starts and another stops.  All of us need to be part of a community.  We bear fruit when we are connected, abide or remain, to the vine in community with fellow believers because it is in community that we are nourished but also where the pruning or cleaning occurs.  There are no solo Christians, not only because we cannot clean or prune ourselves, but because we are with others as we remain on the vine, in Jesus Christ.   
     We remain in Christ by staying in community, as well as staying in Christ individually.  Dietrich Bonheoffer, the author, pastor, and martyr in his book, “Life Together” said, “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community, and let him who is not in community beware of being alone.”7  Individually, we are each responsible for daily remaining in Jesus Christ.  This has a cost of time, discipline and sometimes a far greater cost. Bonheoffer who gave his life for Jesus Christ against the Nazis also wrote a book entitled, “The Cost of Discipleship”.  But the cost of non-discipleship is also painful.  Jesus points this out; “If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers’ such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”8  In order to engage in being fruitful, live in Jesus Christ.  
     Why is this lesson on abiding in Jesus Christ, cleansed in order to be fruitful for us during the Easter season?  To answer that question we only need to place these words of Jesus in their context; they happen after the washing the feet of the disciples and the Lord’s Supper.  These words are said on the way to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus will be arrested.  Some of have even speculated that Jesus said these words as they passed by the temple and the sculpture of the vine and grapes.
     The point is that in only a few hours after these words to his followers, they would all desert him.  The pressures came and they left.  Then Jesus was resurrected and returned to the disciples.  We could easily have assumed that they were no longer on the true vine, like we can make the same assumption about ourselves during difficult times.  Instead, the disciples experienced forgiveness, cleaning and pruning.
     Cultures and people can be obsessive about aspects of cleanliness; “Look how clean we are by how much we clean.”  Sound familiar for us in Japan?  The danger is the same for Christians; we can be obsessive on doing --- even giving a false impression of our lives.  Because of the resurrection, we are lifted up, cleaned and pruned for God’s purpose, being fruitful, in various flavors and textures in joy.  Let’s us abide in Jesus Christ and be fruitful to the glory of God.  Amen.

1 http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/japanese-teach-parisiens-about-street-tidiness
2 John 15: 1-3
3 Vs. 16
4 Galatians 5:22-23
5 John 15: 6
6 Vs. 4
7 Bonheoffer, Dietrich, Life Together, Harper One, New York, 1978. pg. 20.
8 John 15: 6

More Grace

Mission Support Letter mailed to Mission Sponsors on may 7, 2009

 

        For many English speakers in Japan, one of the interesting, many times amazing, sometimes puzzling and at times horrendous experiences is the use, misuse and exotic combination of English words and letters.  This use and misuse can be found nearly everywhere from printing on people’s clothing to wording on signs on stores.  Sometimes the combination makes sense and other times the choice words are odd, even horrible, if not impossible to understand.  On a label of a popular bottle of brewed tea sold cold or warm in vending machines, is the following: “Sunlight and mist turn a young leaf into tea.  Tea can turn you into something new.  Tea.  A natural gift of love.”  The reason some of the English is odd is that the audience are not English speakers; rather the English lettering is more for decoration than meaning, similar to Japanese or Chinese characters used for tattoos in the US and Europe.
        Sometimes how English letters and words are used cause me pause.  One builder, called “Grace Construction,” is seen in many parts of the city of Nagoya.  Over the three years that we have been here, a few new homes, as well as condo and apartment complexes have been built or remodeled.  For example, in 2007 Grace Construction completed a new multi-story apartment complex where several old homes had once been about a five minute walk from the church.  During the construction, the emerging structure was surrounded by blue tarp, as most building is done in Japan.  This tarp is used to prevent any flying debris hitting pedestrians or traffic and to keep the site covered until its formal unveiling…I’m sure!
        What I found interesting is that on the outside of this particular blue tarp the construction company had placed a large sign with the words in English, “More Grace.”
        As a Lutheran, the thoughts that flowed from seeing that sign and it implications were many!  Isn’t God’s grace sufficient?  How and can one have “more” grace?  Then of course there is the fact that the phrase is on a building; thus can grace, and for that matter, “more grace,” be constructed?  Then I thought of all the fun Lutheran churches going through building projects might have with such a name.  Can’t you imagine a congregation named “Grace” with a renovation or construction fund called “Building More Grace?”  The building has been completed for a couple of years and it no longer is under the auspices of “More Grace.”  Yet, I continue to ponder that interesting combination of words as I see them printed on tarp covering other new construction projects around the city.
        Now I am seeing how those words have more meaning because God’s Kingdom continues to grow; mission is constantly expanding: more people, more programs, but more importantly faith; “God’s work in us that changes us and gives new birth from God.” (Martin Luther)  The kingdom growth means that God’s grace is bringing the living Word of God to more people.  You and I are part of that growth.  It may not be as evident where we live and worship but yet “more Grace” continues.
        How do I see that grace being lived out here?  Because of your support, my presence here in Japan is a clear sign to the national and local churches with whom I work that they are part of a larger global community of faith based on partnership; this “more Grace” that is building together.  Also I see that in my work with Meito Christ International Church where I serve as pastor.  For example, the week before Christmas, I had a telephone call from a young woman from Indiana on a college exchange program through Purdue University.  Besides her questions about worship time and directions, she asked in all seriousness, “Will Christmas worship be only in English?”  I told her that yes; our worship is not bilingual.  It is intended for native or near native English speakers in the Nagoya area.  She said, “Thank you!  I need English!”  For her, she needed to hear the words of grace at our savior’s birth made possible with your support.
        Thank you for being part of “more grace” as it is growing here in Nagoya, Japan.

Around a small campfire... May 3, 2009

John 21: 15-19

        Did you ever notice that the Gospel according to John begins dramatically by tracing the ministry of the Son of God all the way back to the time before creation?  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”1
        But the Gospel of John ends quietly at a small campfire.  “When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.”2  We discussed last week how this concluding episode in John began with these fishermen, returning to their nets, fishing through the dead of night, until dawn breaks.  We are then told of a call of a stranger from the early morning mist asking how the fishing has been.  The disciples answer “empty” at which point the stranger commands the disciples to place their nets a meter or two over on the other side of the boat and we have a miracle --- a memorable 153 fish.
         Today, we continue this event with these seven disciples moving from the boat to around this small campfire eating bread and fish.  The meal concludes with an interview with the risen Christ looking at Peter and asking, “Do you love me?”
         Possibly too quickly Peter says, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”  Jesus simply says, “Feed my lambs.”  Maybe they just stared into the fire a bit before Jesus asked a second time, “Do you love me?” Again Peter says, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”  Jesus says, “Take care of my sheep.”  A third time Jesus asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”  The lesson tells us that now Peter was hurt at being asked a third time and responds “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  Jesus answers with “Feed my sheep.” 
         Interesting interview isn’t it?  So what are we to make of this interview for us?  I think for us to begin to understand what this may mean is to consider, why was Peter hurt?  Because as you and I know, pain is a symptom just like a fever is an indication of something else going on in the body.  So what is going on here?
         One possibility is perhaps Peter was irritated because Jesus continued to ask and somehow did not seem to believe his first two responses.  That may be accurate, but that would ignore the fact there may be some deeper issues in these questions because Peter’s irritation may be the overt evidence of deeper issues.
         For example, perhaps Peter was hurt because in this third time it may be a reference back to the last time Peter sat by a campfire and answered three questions in the dawn of a new day.  Only then he did not claim that he loved Jesus.  Instead, he denied that he even knew his Jesus, certainly a painful and embarrassing memory.
         And there may be something more.  Possibly Peter was hurt because he began to realize what he had been asked by Jesus.  This is where having an English translation of the interview is not helpful.  Because in Greek there are a variety of words for the English word “love;” Agape, Eros, Philia, and Storge.  For English speakers Jesus seems to be asking the same question over and over, which seems to justify Peter’s irritation.  However in the Greek, that is not the case.  The first time, Jesus used the Greek for noble, unconditional love --- agape --- with Peter answering with the word for brotherly love --- philia.  The second time Jesus used the same word for love he used the first time to which Peter answers the same way.  The third time however, Jesus used the friendly, brotherly kind of love the same word used by Peter in all his responses.  So was some of Peters irritation from the fact that he realized that Jesus' questions worked their way from high expectation --- agape --- to low expectation --- philia; this high unconditional love to this friendlier, brotherly love?
         Perhaps Peter’s exasperation goes back to the comparison in that first question --- the addition in the first question of “more than these.”  What or who are ‘these’?
         Unfortunately the Greek grammar does not necessarily clear up the issue and we do not have a video of the event to see the body language.  Is Jesus asking “Do you love me more than these --- other disciples love me?”  Or is Jesus asking “Do you love me more than --- you love --- these --- other disciples?”  Or is Jesus asking “Do you love me more than --- you love --- these things --- your fishing nets and equipment?’
         Let’s consider these three possibilities.  Incidentally, there is no consensus among Biblical scholars.
         In the first interpretation, “Do you love me more than these ---other disciples love me?”  I do not know about you, but that would mean Peter was making an impossible comparison, and Jesus would have been asking something that Peter could not have known.
         The second possibility is that Jesus is asking, “Do you love me more than --- you love --- these --- other disciples?”  Of course, Jesus had taught that his followers must love him more than they loved anyone else.  Also, it is not likely that Peter’s friendship with his fellow disciples was so strong that it might have drawn him away from his devotion to Jesus, but who knows?  But is that comparison why Peter is hurt?
         Is Jesus asking “Do you love me more than --- you love --- these things --- your fishing nets and equipment?”  Is Peter hurt that he is being asked to compare his love between fishing nets and equipment to his love of Jesus?  Is Jesus asking if Peter prefers his old occupation to his new one, in other words, a re-examination of Peter’s commitment?3  
         As you can see, the cause for Peter’s pain is not as clear as we may think.  However, if we do spend time thinking about Peter’s irritated and hurt response, I believe we may begin to realize that the ones who may be irritated is not Peter --- but you and I.  Because whether we like it or not, we are being asked the same question, “Do you love me more than these?”  And if we are not hurt by having to respond more than once, consider all the implications of the question “Do you love me?”  If we have not thought about what Jesus is asking, than perhaps we have not really struggled with loving Jesus.  Instead of being hurt, we may be using the innumerable ways of avoidance techniques available to us.
         It is not enough to say "I love you" once.  We must say it over and over and over again.  All of us who have ever loved or been loved know that the words "I love you" can never be spoken too often.  For some of us who have weathered the hurts of broken relationships, saying, "I love you," for the first time again is one of the most frightening things we will ever do. 
         Saying "I love you" out loud is an important milestone in any relationship.  Saying "I love you" once is never enough.  It is just the beginning.  We must say "I love you" over and over again --- we must hear "I love you" over and over again --- before we begin to trust the reality of those words and before we can feel the weight of the love that lies behind them.
         Pain, irritation, and hurt are symptoms just like a fever is an indication of something else going on in the body.  Where is our hurt, our irritation and pain this day at the questions of Jesus; have we responded in love to Jesus?  If we are not hurting or irritated as we listen in to this interview maybe we should be.  Possibly, we need to examine like Peter how we have denied Jesus.  Or are we responding to Jesus using a variety of replies to get Jesus to fit our mold of love.  “No Jesus this is the way I want to love.”  Or are we avoiding the comparisons Jesus is asking us to consider?  Do we love Jesus more than our professions, our occupations?  Do we love Jesus more than those around us, the other disciples?
         Where is their pain?  Where is their irritation?  As we contemplate our emotions, we hear the good news, as sheep we are fed and as disciples we are to feed and care for others.  For in our fever, we begin to rely upon God, find new birth in confession, forgiveness and reconciliation.  In our fever we begin to be fed at the table our Lord.  In our irritation and pain, we begin to find gratitude for the gifts of life in Jesus Christ.  In healing do we begin to feed the sheep.  Amen.

1 John 1:1
2 John 21: 9
3 “More than These” John 21: 15, J Harold Greenlee, Journal of Translation, Volume 1 Number 2, 2005, p, 19-20