A Hurting World and A Wonderful Counselor

Arriving in Tokyo, Japan, as a Journeyman, I quickly became overwhelmed by lostness as I stepped into a concrete jungle of 38 million people and less than 1% Christian. On an average day, I would jump on a crowded train, observing the faces of those around me. The masks everyone wore acted as a shield for their emotions, but in their eyes, I saw hopelessness. The gloomy energy that filled the air brought tears down my cheeks as I felt the sense of helplessness that those around me were carrying.

As my burden for the Japanese people began to grow, I sensed an urgency for the gospel to be preached. I wanted those without hope to understand where true hope could be found. I continually prayed with my team, “We want to see more Japanese people worshiping Jesus.”

As a Journeyman, my role was working with Japanese churches. One Japanese church I spent most of my time with gathered in a little space above an Indian Restaurant where 11 baptized believers met. There, I met a local believer who we can call Tom. Tom and I began meeting for dinner every Wednesday night before Bible study.

Tom and I had a bit of a language barrier, but we bonded over our love for Chinese food. Our conversations were fairly surface leveled and we often sat in silence. Neither of us knew what else to talk about, staring plainly with chopsticks in hand. I really tried to push the conversation in a spiritual direction, but there seemed to be a barrier preventing it. Tom later shared in our weekly Bible study his struggle with depression.

As a fellow brother in Christ, I wanted to see the transformation in Tom’s heart but it felt like there was a barrier between us that was preventing us to go deeper. Yet, every time I sat down I felt the Lord reminding me to slow down and be present with Tom. In these moments I reminded that I have a friend named Jesus who is always willing to sit with me with no agenda.

As I reflect on this season, it reminds me of the intentionality of Jesus towards the outcast and hurting. During Jesus’ ministry, a man named Jairus approached Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his dying daughter. When Jesus followed Jairus, he was stopped suddenly by a woman who had been battling for 12 years with an illness that caused her to be an outcast from society. She had spent all that she had on doctors to bring her healing and was unable to find a cure. Knowing the healing power of Jesus, she believed that just by touching the fringe of his garment she would be made well, and it did.

However, something even greater happened at that moment. During a brief interaction, the Bible says that Jesus “saw her”, and he called her “daughter.” This outcast woman was not only healed but is fully known and seen by the Lord over all things.

This is a great reminder that Jesus is not only the great physician, but he is also a wonderful counselor.

After meeting every week for over a year, Tom still didn’t show much vulnerability in conversation, but he was open to being prayed over and encouraged. At the end of our dinner on Wednesdays, I took the opportunity to encourage Tom with the good news of the gospel and pray over him. As a result of prayer, I saw little moments of God at work where Tom would share what Christ was doing in his heart.

I believe The Lord put Tom in my life as a reminder to slow down and be intentional towards him just as Jesus was with a woman who did not feel known or loved. Jesus constantly drew near to the outcast and brokenhearted with compassion. This is a helpful reminder that as an ambassador of Christ I am not only called to proclaim the message of the gospel but to model the life of Jesus towards those who are hurting.

While working in a country where people are taking their own lives every day by jumping in front of trains it became very apparent that Jesus and counseling is needed in this hurting world.

On the field I decided to apply to the MDiv program with a focus on Biblical Counseling at SEBTS. Since beginning the program the Lord has fanned the flame to return to Japan and continue to work with Japanese churches while implementing my knowledge of biblical counseling within the local churches. Japan is a shiny, attractive culture on the surface with much suffering and shame underneath and in desperate need of the gospel. The local church has the opportunity of being a beacon in a dark area while providing hope and healing through our Savior Jesus Christ who died for all our guilt and shame and rose again so that we might also walk with Him in the newness of life.