I've seen it over and over, but I'm always overwhelmed by the expanse of the city. The landscape is urban as far as you can see in every direction. My mind can't even comprehend the number of people who live here, and my heart aches as I remember the statistics that only approximately 0.3% are followers of Jesus. That is why we are here, but the task is so great, so immense. What difference can I make?
On our most recent trip with a short-term team we were viewing the urban expanse on a cloudy day, trying to see as much of Tokyo as we could before the rain started. And then this happened...
I was thinking about this image tonight as I read a Bible story with Sam. (Let me pause for a quick shout-out to the Jesus Storybook Bible, a great resource if you love good storytelling for kids.) It was part of Sally Lloyd-Jones's retelling of Isaiah's message...
"You've been stumbling around, like people in a dark room. But into the darkness, a bright Light will shine! It will chase away all the shadows, like sunshine" (p. 147).
I am reminded that the Light of the World is not overwhelmed by Tokyo, or by Japan. God is at work here, and he is sufficient for the task. I may feel small in the midst of this expanse, but I am a reflection of the Light of the whole world. The burden of illumination is not on me, merely reflection. Now that is a relief!
Pray with us for Japan. And pray for us that we would be reflections of God's light here.