Recently we have had the privilege of hearing the impact of our informal discipleship. Many of those we disciple aren’t Christians yet but they are already applying what they see.
We were encouraged when one dad told Jesse, “Most Japanese people long for relationships but there are too many barriers to taking the first step towards friendship. As I’ve watched you initiate friendship with those around you, I’ve started initiating friendships with the fathers at my daughter’s preschool.”
In a conversation with a different dad we learned that he had encouraged his son to befriend the boy in his class who was being bullied. I asked if that was a typical response of a Japanese parent in these situations. His reply surprised and encouraged us, “No, but Jesse said that was the right thing to do”. This dad must have been referring to the conversation Jesse and him had months earlier about bullying and how a Christ follower would respond.
Another dad told us he had no interest in Christianity until he was doing a work project in our backyard with Jesse. We learned that the casual conversations about faith stirred up many questions when he got home which eventually led to him doing the Alpha course with us. He also told us that, thanks to Jesse’s suggestion, he has been focusing on gratitude in moments of stress rather than being pulled into despair. He knows that for us the object of gratitude is Jesus. We trust that as he continues to be discipled he will also come to that same conclusion.
Making disciples of any nation is a daunting task let alone a nation that is less than 1% Christian which is the case in Japan. We are motivated by the rendition of this great commission, “as we go about our lives, we are to be making disciples.” (Matthew 28:19) If discipleship can only be done in a church building with a textbook it will take Japan a LONG time to be discipled. But if discipleship can also happen “as we go” whether at work, at school, at a coffee shop, engaging with neighbors and friends, etc. then discipling this nation is possible within our lifetime.
From Jesse and Gypsi Town