The Japanese people are the most polite people I have ever met. This is woven into the fabric of their culture in so many ways, ways I can only imagine at this point since we arrived here in Okinawa only six hours ago.
Here is an example from the flight from Tokyo to Okinawa. As the flight attendants started to do the safety briefing ( you know the one about exits, oxygen masks and life jacket’s) they gave us the gentle bow or respect. They turned and in unison bowed to those of us who had entered their airplane. In that moment I felt very respected, important, honored.
I know it is part of their job. I did some things when the boss told me to that were different from my inclinations. The Army consistently told me to show up much earlier that I ever wanted to! We called it “zero dark thirty.” It always seemed earlier than any rational human being would show up. But I would be there, along with a few of my closest new friends.
We often do things in life that seem to us out of place.
Jesus was talking to His disciples one day He told them to do something very unusual. In Matthew five He was giving them insight into the extent of the reach of the Gospel into the human heart and will. Or as they say in the South, He started meddling.
Retribution isn’t the answer. Neither was justice. “38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’” Justice is nice. Retribution might even feed some deep part of us that gets hungry when justice seems slow.
But Jesus tells them to stop resisting the evil person’s actions.
“39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.”
I can hear those listening say, “You want me to do what?” “This is crazy. They will take advantage of us.” “No way I’m doing that! I have my dignity to consider. I have my rights.”
Our enemies, Satan, sin and selfishness, want us to hold onto our dignity, our property and our time.But that is the lie. We don’t deserve respect, being the confirmed sinners that we are. The things we have aren’t ours to keep, since heaven is our new home. And our time is not our own, we were bought with a price.
As followers of Jesus we must live as Jesus did. “42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Yikes, this is hard! No it is impossible. We might be able to do it once or twice, but to do it consistently and with the right attitude, that is another story. And that is what I see as I encounter the Japanese people. They didn’t have to bow, but they did. They know from seeing Western values and culture that life doesn’t consist in the bows given or received. And yet they continue to bow. Even as we walked through the airport. Every time an encounter with another person started, there was the bow.
How can I bring this bow into my heart and mind? How can I prefer the other person ahead of myself?
The Arnold Journey 