Mt. Marcy, Keene, NY (2008)

The Bible is first and foremost a book about God. It opens with “In the beginning God . . .” and closes with the beautiful description of a city where His people will worship Him for all of eternity. The pages of Scripture carry us from His creation of the  universe in only six days, through His redemptive plan at work throughout the pages of history, to the final days of this world, where He stands as the one to whom every knee bows.

One of the most incredible aspects of God’s Word is that, although it is a book about God, it is also a book that focuses its attention on His interaction with mankind. Despite all of the incredible wonder and beauty of God’s Creation, and despite the indescribable wonder of heaven, the Bible focuses its attention on how God has interacted with mankind throughout history.

From the very first portion of Scripture, chronicling God’s creation of the universe, man alone is singled out as the chief and pinnacle  work of God’s Creation. He alone is created in the very image of God. It is only man who is shown to have intimate fellowship with His Creator. He is given the place above all the rest of created things in the world. In fact, so deep is God’s love for mankind, that the entirety of Scripture, aside from the first two chapters of Genesis, focus on His redemption of a fallen mankind to Himself.

Lake Owen, WI  (2006)

It’s important to understand the Bible as a book about God, and to always read His Word through a lens that recognizes its focus on Him. But it’s also important to recognize the specific focus of God’s Word upon His interaction with mankind, and the special place that man takes above all the rest of God’s Creation.

Having grown up in the countryside, I have always been in love with the beauty of God’s Creation. I love climbing mountains, watching fiery sunsets dance over the surface of a glassy lake, or surveying the wonder of nature’s many diverse creatures. These aspects of God’s Creation have always been a big part of my life, and have always moved my heart to worship the incredible God who designed them all.

Prior to coming here, to Tokyo, I wondered how I would ever be able to leave behind all of that beauty and wonder for the crowded streets of one of the most densely populated cities in the world (over 30 million people live in Tokyo), but as I  was sitting down at the lake at Word of Life Bible Institute, I realized that all of the beauty that surrounded me would one day be replaced by the much greater beauty of a new heaven and a new earth. I realized that so many people would not be able to experience the beauty and wonder of the world to come, and worst of all, they would never experience the wonder and beauty of a relationship with the awesome God who has created them.

Sangenjaya, Tokyo (2010)

I’ve realized, since coming to Tokyo, that this is not a place away from the beauty of God’s Creation. It is in fact the crowning point of God’s Creation. God has chosen to dwell in human hearts, rather than the vast and beautiful expanse of the universe. The city is a messy place, filled with the affects of sin, but it is also a place filled with the beating hearts and lives of mankind. It is a place filled with beings created in the image of God who still in many ways reflect the nature of their Creator. It is a place where men and women try desperately to live lives without understanding the truth of how God created them, nor of His redemptive plan for their lives. This is a place filled with the broken, rebellious people that God loves so dearly.

The people of Tokyo are saturated with all that this world has to offer. Many of them have incredible wealth, having found great success in their careers. They have all of the pleasures of the world at their fingertips, and yet, none of it can satisfy. Tokyo has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, evidencing the hopelessness of its people. Nothing they are chasing after can ever satisfy their lustful hearts. It is only when the deceptions they have accepted have been replaced with the truth of God’s Word that they can ever live fulfilling lives of joy as they turn their hearts from worshipping their idols, to worshipping the God who created them.

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Sangenjaya, Tokyo (2010)

The city is definitely different for me, and there are definitely times that I miss the beauty of the countryside. I would need to make a lot of adjustments to live here long-term, but I am beginning to see the beauty of the city. I am beginning to realize that the crowded buildings and busy streets are places filled with the most beautiful part of God’s Creation. This is a place where the most beloved of all of God’s created beings are. But this is a place where the truth of God’s Word is but a tiny light in a vast sea of darkness. It is a place where there are almost no Christians to share the truth with the thirsty souls of Tokyo’s people. This is a place where believers need to be living examples of lives transformed by the power of God’s Word.

In view of all of this, I count it well worth it to trade fifty or sixty years of enjoying the beauty of mountains, rivers, and forests, for the wonderful blessing of taking part in God’s plan to redeem the people of this city for Himself, both for His eternal glory, and for their eternal benefit. And, I rest assured, that despite the many challenges believers face living in Tokyo, the grace of God is more than sufficient, not only to allow believers to live triumphantly, but for His Word to go forth and transform the hearts of the people of this city.