Good fortune for the new year
20/01/2010 3:24 am Admin John Watts <au-mediaSPAMFILTER@omf.net>
New Year’s Day. I was freezing as I stood in line with hundreds of people, waiting to enter the Hokkaido Shrine. According to the National Police Agency, a record 99 million Japanese visited Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in the fi rst three days of the New Year. Making pilgrimages to shrines and temples is a New Year tradition in Japan. Many people, including women wearing traditional kimonos, visit before dawn on New Year’s Day to toss coins, offer prayers and buy charms for the coming year.
I went to check out my local shrine and found the scene to be quite upsetting. People so lost, as they threw away their money hoping to secure some good luck for the coming year in a time of economic uncertainty. A taupaline mat had been laid out at the entrance of the shrine and a fence set up so that people could toss coins and bills over into the area set up before saying a short prayer. I wanted to say to God: “These people are not giving you the glory and honour you deserve. What will you do about it?”
One man wanted to throw a 1000 yen bill as an offering, but the wind blew it out, back into his hand! At that moment, I realised that the God who controls the wind and the waves was present.
The spiritual needs of Japan and East Asia are very real. Even though it may seem like an impossible task, the Bible promises that Jesus will make Himself known and the nations will praise Him.
As I look back, I am reminded of how God has been a loving provider in His perfect timing. I am reassured that He will be the same for the future. May we all when faced with difficult circumstances be able to say with the Psalmist
‘But I trust in you, O Lord; I say ‘You are my God’. My times are in your hands.’ Psalm 31:6