私は２３歳の時に洗礼を受けました。イエス様との出会いから現在までの証（信仰体験）を時系列に書きたいと思います。私のホームページに６０以上書いている証を少しずつ英訳したいと思います。
It was a day in April when I was a senior in college. I received a phone call from K.I., one of my classmates from high school. I was pleasantly surprised because she hadn’t contacted me at all since we graduated. She said, "I'm getting married at a Christian church. Why don't you come visit our church before the wedding?" I replied, "OK, I will." I was curious and had no negative feelings toward Christianity.
But what in the world brought me to church in the first place? I had no particular problems or suffering in my youth. I had been enjoying college life ever since I left my hometown for Tokyo. Like most Japanese college students, I didn’t study very hard, and I was no exception. I was busy and financially comfortable because I worked part-time jobs as a cram school teacher, a tutor, and a waitress. I was a typical “good girl” and trusted by my parents, so they never interfered in my life.
The money I earned allowed me to take a one-month trip to Europe. I was filled with joy—joy that may not have been shared by my fellow travelers, who were busy shopping for expensive designer brands using their parents’ money. I was especially happy walking the streets of Cambridge, thinking I could do anything on my own. I felt completely free—it was up to me whether I came home at midnight or not. But at the same time, I was slightly afraid of that freedom, because there was no one to scold or guide me. Looking back, I think my soul was searching for a spiritual leader—perhaps even God—who could teach and guide me.
The first church I visited was very different from what I had imagined: solemn and stuffy. It was rather large for a small town. The congregation was lively and cheerful, and they welcomed me warmly. They clapped their hands and moved their bodies while singing hymns. The pastor was down-to-earth and very friendly. His sermon was simple and interesting, and I was able to understand it. The brothers and sisters laughed a lot during the service. I thought it was almost like a joyful talk show! After the service, the pastor shook hands with each attendee—over 300 people. When he shook hands with me, he smiled and said, "Nice to meet you. Please come again next week." I immediately replied, "Yes, I will." I went back the next Sunday because I felt I’d be lying if I didn’t.
There was also a practical reason I kept attending church. I had chosen Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter as the topic of my graduation thesis. To be honest, I had never read it before choosing it—I simply liked his short stories. This may have been a fateful encounter in my life. The theme of the novel is “sin.” I was shocked to realize I couldn’t understand it at all—even in Japanese translation. I couldn’t grasp what "sin" meant. Without understanding that key word, I couldn’t write the thesis. So I kept going to church every Sunday, convinced I was attending “lectures” on sin. I believed I would eventually understand. I never dreamed I would be baptized and become a Christian just six months later.
Encounters—whether with people or books—are always mysterious. I could never have reached Jesus if K.I. hadn’t called me, and if I hadn’t chosen that book.
---- to be continued-----
にほんブログ村
にほんブログ村
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