Reflecting God’s love through diversity in Tokyo

Tokyo has a large and diverse population of foreign residents. In order to reach out to people in Tokyo, we need to address this diversity as well.

My husband and I are Brazilian and are pastoring a multicultural church in Tokyo. Our pastoral team is Brazilian and Japanese. Our services are often in Japanese with English translation. It is amazing to see God’s culture being reflected in a multilingual church. We have people from overseas and different parts of Japan, and all of them come to our church seeking a place in which they feel welcomed. As humans, we all want to be part of something. The desire to belong is part of human nature.

At the end of each service, we have a time for small groups and fellowship. During this time members and visitors can get to know one another and share their hearts and prayer requests. Since we are part of the family of God, we aim to reflect the warmth and the openness of a family. People want to be heard and to be answered. Even though we may not have the answers to all questions, and people’s points of view may not always be aligned to the Word, a welcoming space is important for us to create connection and to deepen relationships in order for us to teach God’s principles and to make disciples.

Only one gospel

As Christians, it is important that we reflect God’s love towards any person that comes to us. We also need to show that God’s grace is unique. John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). It says “whoever believes in him,” no nationality mentioned—that is the power of God’s love. And this is even more clearly reflected when many cultures, languages, and nationalities come together.

The Bible is clear about the immutability of God. He does not change (Mal. 3:6). Through a multilingual church, we see that God’s principles are also immutable. There is only one gospel. Jesus is the only one who came, died on our behalf, and was resurrected to bring us eternal life. The gospel was meant to be communicated in a variety of languages and cultures, communicating directly to their most pressing needs. A multicultural church is a beautiful example of this.

We have received missionaries and guest speakers from different countries—all speaking from the same Word. Secularly, there are differences among cultures, but in God’s family, there is only one culture: the culture of love and compassion. People are seeking this kind of love.

One Sunday, while we were handing out church pamphlets and water bottles in front of the church as an outreach strategy, a Nepali teenager came to talk to us. He told us that he had never heard about Jesus. He stayed for the service and returned to many services after that. That is just one example of the importance of remaining open to receive people from different cultures as a church in Tokyo. People need Christ. And we are here to be a reflection of him.

English Conversations

Early on during the process of planting this church, we discovered that Japanese people in Tokyo are attracted to the English language. Consequently, we have been using that as an outreach strategy with our “English Conversations.” A moderator usually introduces topics and opens the floor for participants to express their ideas. Topics can be about recent news or something related to daily life. Anyone is welcome to participate. This is a space to serve our neighbors, a way we can be relevant within our community.

We started English Conversations as a way to attract people and to build relationships. It is also a way to break any preconceived idea people may have about Christianity. On one occasion, a Japanese friend of mine, knowing that I am married to a pastor, asked me what a “service” was. It was a totally new concept to her. Throughout the years, we have had people coming to English Conversations and staying on for our services and receiving Jesus. Foreign languages can be a useful tool to evangelize and to attract Japanese people to the church.

Short-term visitors

Recently, more tourists from overseas and international members have joined our services. A multilingual church is a great opportunity for locals and foreigners to exchange unique aspects of their cultures, and through this we form a community in which we can learn with one another.

Recently, we had an American family joining our church family for two months. Our Japanese members welcomed the family with open arms, while our new American friends showed God’s love by serving in our church with their abilities. After a while, the wife shared with me that this time in Japan made her reflect about some changes she could introduce in her lifestyle back in the United States. This example shows that God’s love can be shown in any language. Every culture has divine aspects that can contribute to the perfecting of the members of the family of Christ.

Differences in cultures

But there are differences in ministering to different peoples. We always need to remind the church about the truth that Jesus came to bring us new life, saving us from eternal damnation. However, for the Japanese culture—a culture that values the concept of honor—it is important to emphasize that Jesus came to restore our honor and our sense of belonging, accepting us into his family.

Meanwhile, to foreigners from some Western countries, the idea that Jesus came to forgive sin and to teach us the right way of living will resonate more deeply in their hearts. To people from most African countries and some other parts of the world, the narrative that Jesus came to restore our authoritative power as we become children of God and co-heirs with Christ will catch their attention.

In a multilingual church, it is essential to be prepared to address all those aspects of the gospel in order to successfully reach out to people from different cultures. There is only one gospel, as I’ve said, and it is the Holy Spirit, through faith, who convinces people about their need to give their lives to Jesus. We are just messengers; however, we can always be more effective in reaching out to others. The gospel is beautiful because it is complete, and it is able to speak to the hearts of people all around the world.

The same goes with preaching styles. A message with explanations and analogies may be better comprehended by a Japanese audience since it will make the gospel more easily understood by an audience that may not have any Christian background. On the other hand, we need to be careful with some metaphors and anecdotes since some do not translate well into Japanese. When addressing people from different cultures, we need to be more sensitive to the use of expressions that might be uncomfortable to them. As Christians, we should reflect God’s love, not create barriers with people from different cultures.

Conclusion

Overall, multilingual churches are powerful places to reflect the power of God’s grace. We do not want to preach messages that are detached from the Japanese perspective to the point that they consider our church a place made for foreign people. However, it is important for us to present the “language” of God’s love, which is translated into actions. The unity of the family of God goes far beyond cultural differences and languages.

Throughout the years at the church we work in, we have seen foreigners and nationals being saved, healed, and baptized in the Holy Spirit. We have seen them being touched by God’s love. The gospel is unique, full of aspects that can resonate with different ethnicities around the world. We need to cover various aspects of the gospel so that everyone, Japanese and foreign, will see that God’s grace is complete. With God, we can be made whole, completely new with nothing lacking. That is the power of his grace.