Breaking the Rules

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6, NAS.

In Japan, following cultural norms is more than simply expected. It is demanded. Yet the spiritual hunger of one hair stylist led him to break all the rules. IMB missionary, Jodi Morrison was getting her hair fixed at a new place. She made light conversation with a 20 something year old hair dresser named Taka*. After she shared why she was in Japan, Taka paused and expressed his interest in Christianity. He said that whenever he travels down to the island of Kyushu, he always stops in at a museum dedicated to Japanese Christians who were persecuted and martyred for their faith.

About this time a second employee began to take over in stage two of Jodi’s hair styling “episode” and was standing in the visual or conversational way of the first employee. Taka actually squatted down beside the chair and allowed Jodi to share the full plan of salvation with him right there in that beauty shop in front of another employee. Culturally and socially, this broke all the rules! But by the incredible work of the Holy Spirit, his spiritual hunger was at such a point that he didn’t care if other employees heard him listening to a presentation of the gospel message.

*Name changed to protect the privacy of the local person.

Pray that:

God will continue to draw Taka to Himself.

God will give wisdom to believers as they follow up with Taka about following Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will continue to give the Japanese a spiritual hunger that is even greater than the social pressure to conform to societal norms.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.