Our God who connects random dots

This article is an excerpt from the book: Sukiyaki, Gospel, and Jazz: When God Calls Your Family to Japan and Cancer (Chapter 17). It’s about Ken and Bola Taylor, who served together in Japan for many years. Ken still serves in Japan and was JEMA’s vice president for ten years until 2014.

The book’s author, Bobby Caingles, writes: “Who would’ve known that my cousin would come to know Jesus after basking in the nightclub scene? Who would’ve known I would give my life to Jesus after leaving the seminary and marching with Communists? Who would’ve known I would be writing my cousin’s story after her death?”

“God knew.” These were words that Bola Taylor often spoke to her kids in 2015 when she was battling cancer. It’s a lesson that many of us are still struggling to learn—how to accept that nothing happens by happenchance and that God is in the business of connecting seemingly random dots to draw an entirely new picture.

Among those seemingly random events that ended up connected was the visit of Sister Act 2 actress, Lauryn Hill, to Bola’s deathbed. She just happened to be scheduled to do a concert tour in Japan at about the time Bola was to have her farewell concert in a popular jazz bar in Tokyo.

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Lauryn Hill’s Sister-ly Act

In the background of everything that was happening from the day of Bola’s birthday concert – up until the end of October – was a lady whom many would describe as a powerful force of nature in R& B and hip-hop. She started singing for an audience at 13, developed into a composer, singer, rapper, record producer, and at 23, ruled the music charts. At 24, she broke several Grammy records including the most number of nominations and being the first woman to win 5 trophies in one night.

She also happened to be the unforgettable young singing talent who, at 18, made her film debut in Sister Act 2. She brought an emotional depth to her role as a conflicted but talented young singer. And her unforgettable take of ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’ and powerful intro to the movie’s climactic “Joyful, Joyful” piece resonated loudly with the movie’s viewers.

Amid the accolades, Lauryn had a spiritual awakening, started studying the bible, and applying the brakes to her meteoric rise to fame. Many in media and among her fans have faulted her for this, describing her as suddenly becoming ‘reclusive.’

Lauryn had read the Huffington Post article written and sent to her by Mark Joseph – “Bola Taylor’s Last Concert: Singer Teaches Her Fans How To Live & How To Die.” Mark wanted to encourage the Christian singer and let her know that God was using black gospel music and the musicale she had been a part of to plant seeds of the gospel in that part of the world.

Mark, an award-winning music and film producer, and the producer of Lauryn’s song “The Passion” (from “The Passion of the Christ” movie soundtrack), had a hunch. He quickly checked Lauryn’s schedule and his jaw almost dropped when he found out that she would be performing at MTV’s Soul Camp 2015, in the 3,100-capacity Toyosu Pit event venue in Tokyo, and for other concerts in Osaka – at about the same time Bola was to have her birthday concert at Satin Doll.

Ever the producer, Mark hoped he could arrange for Lauryn to join Bola at her Satin Doll concert. But this was not to be. Lauryn caught a bad cold during her flight and the singer was worried that she would compromise Bola’s health further if they meet. And so her appearance at Satin Doll was cancelled.

Failing this, Hill hoped to have Bola attend a subsequent show of hers but Bola’s farewell concert had so weakened her that she could no longer travel. A visit to Bola’s house was instead arranged.

Fans who had spotted Lauryn Hill at her Tokyo hotel hastily hailed a taxi and followed her car for an hour. The singer-celebrity had to step out of the car and sign autographs before proceeding to her next destination – the Taylors’ residence.

“Lauryn walked into my room wearing a mask as she had caught a cold in Japan. She reached out to touch me, wanting to hug, hold my hand, or do something to connect but changed her mind to keep me safe. After we spent a few minutes of pleasantries, what followed was an unbelievable hour of God speaking to me through her,” Bola posted on her Facebook account.

For the next hour, she, Lauryn and Ken had an animated talk about Creation, Jesus being the fullness of the Godhead, spiritual warfare, the ‘sacred place’ God places performers in as they do what they are called to do, their life purpose and staying true to that calling, and the unique challenges of being in Hollywood (Lauryn) and being a missionary in Japan (Bola). “It’s been a while since I sat through a Philosophy class but that’s what it felt like. . . . what a brain-and-heart-stimulating hour!” writes Bola.

Bola was fading fast and Lauryn noticed so they said their goodbyes. Lauryn was nursing a cold and so tried not to come too close to Bola. But Bola could not stop herself from asking for a hug, and so she did after putting on her mask. They hugged the way old, long-lost friends would: long and tight.

Later, Lauryn would intimate her reflections to Mark: “I could very well have been brought to Japan primarily for that meeting alone. . .”

What a night! Bola’s cup was full. But the experience would not be complete without one more thing. Bola said she could never forgive herself if she missed the chance to have Lauryn sing for her. “How can I let the opportunity slip through my fingers?” Bola thought to herself. And so she asked, and Lauryn happily obliged.

Ken captured the moment on his phone camera – where two spirits united across the room, singing as one the classic hymn which Lauryn sang in Sister Act 2, “His Eye is on the Sparrow.”

Later on, Mark would write to Lauryn, “It tied together all our lives and work in Japan into a beautiful bow.”