The collectivist nature of sin and the gospel
In Japan, the repercussions of infringing on social norms often extend further than the individual who committed them
“Your brother has chosen the path of social death, and he didn’t think about how much suffering it would cause you,” the company CEO explained to Naoki after his demotion at work. “In other words, we need to discriminate against you.”1
The novel Tegami (Letters) by Keigo Higashino recounts the life of Naoki Takejima after his older brother, Takeshi, was imprisoned for murder and robbery. Naoki faces countless incidents of prejudice and discrimination simply because his brother is a criminal. When he is demoted at work despite his good performance, he resents the injustice and yet is resigned to his fate.
“[Your brother’s] act cannot be overlooked simply as an impulsive mistake,” said the CEO. “Your affliction is part of the punishment for your brother’s sin . . . your resentment towards us is misdirected . . . If someone commits a crime, it affects their family too. Criminals need to know that.”2 In his conversation with Naoki, the CEO essentially justifies the company’s discrimination against Naoki even though he is innocent.
This mindset exists not only in the world of fiction. A junior high school student told me recently, “My whole class wasn’t allowed to do a science experiment because several boys were misbehaving.” It was not the first time I had heard of such cases. In Japan, when one or a few behave inappropriately, the whole group is punished.
This practice of group accountability was strengthened during the Edo period. Gillespie describes the rule of accountability imposed by the shogun: “[If] someone committed a crime, not only that individual but also his or her family and sometimes neighbors were prosecuted.”3
Having grown up in an individualistic Western society, this collectivist thinking challenges my sense of justice, but perhaps there is something to learn from the Japanese worldview.
While the horror and evil of discrimination should never be justified, the CEO’s words highlight the serious social repercussions of Takeshi’s sin not only for himself but for Naoki. The CEO does not even mention the impact on Naoki’s character, emotion, and relationships. Sin profoundly impacts the perpetrator as well as those associated with them, sometimes for generations. I realized how lightly I view sin.
The Bible speaks of this reality. When God reveals his glory to Moses, he proclaims his justice and grace. God speaks of showing “steadfast love for thousands” but also punishing the “children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (Ex. 34:6–7 ESV). Reward and punishment are given to people by means of association to their fathers.
In fact, our fate is determined by those we are associated with. Scripture describes the consequence of sin and death for all humanity not only due to our disobedience but our identification with Adam and his disobedience (Rom. 5:12). Nonetheless, the Bible does not deny the importance of individual responsibility (e.g., Deut. 24:16) but rather holds in beautiful tension these two seemingly contradictory truths. The Japanese viewpoint can help restore the balance for those of us who emphasize the individual aspect.
Praise God that, in Christ, condemnation is not his last word. Paul expands in his letter: “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous . . . where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Rom. 5:19, 20b NIV). Just as we are condemned and punished through Adam, so we are justified and saved through our identification with Christ.
The multifaceted gospel is good news to those with an individualistic worldview as well as to those from collectivist cultures, for it speaks of a new group identity. Through Christ, we become “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9a NIV). There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, because in Christ, we become one (Gal. 3:28).
What if Naoki had had a Christian friend who had told him about the new identity we can have in Christ? What if he had heard that identification with Christ trumps all other identities, whether ethnic, social, or gender? What if he had understood that Jesus died on the cross to bear all his shame and guilt so that he can be clothed with Jesus’s glory and righteousness? What if Naoki had not only heard but experienced God’s unconditional acceptance and grace through his community? I wonder how that would have changed Naoki’s life and destiny. JH
1. Keigo Higashino, Tegami (Chiyoda, Tokyo: Bungeishunju, 2006), 271. All quotes are the author’s personal translation of the text.
2. Ibid., 271.
3. John Gillespie, ed., Japan: A Short History (Japan: ICG Muse, 2001), 41.