When in Rome…

“When in Rome,…” Everyone knows how the phrase ends! It is a bit of folk wisdom that has gotten some new applications recently. For example, the US Department of State advises Americans abroad to blend in to avoid advertising their nationality and thus endanger themselves or make themselves a target for those who want to cause harm to US citizens. Similarly, a wise salesperson heeds the adage: learn how your buyers think. Knowing what buyers want, how they make decisions, what they find offensive or attractive, etc., makes the sale. It is advice we find from yet another venerable source: the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 9! Paul challenges us to use our freedom in Christ to engage with others where they are.

In my 30 years of mission work in Japan, I have tried to apply this teaching. When I first arrived, I wasn’t competent in the language or familiar with the customs. It pains me to think of instances when I offended people I was eager to win, and I’m certain there were many more instances I’m still unaware of. This awareness spurs me on to seek to be more effective in reaching out in culturally appropriate ways, never compromising on the message, but working hard to package the message in attractive forms that will draw my friends and those who come into contact with us closer to the kingdom of God.

There are two concepts that I have found helpful to consider as I pursue my work. The first concept, which I’ll discuss in this issue, is from the silk industry, and the second, which I’ll discuss in the next issue, comes from architecture. The words are itoguchi and shiki-i.

A silk worm spins its cocoon from a single strand of filament that may be as long as 600 to 1500 meters. The key to accessing that thread is to find the itoguchi, the place where the worm began to spin. If you can succeed in gaining that foothold, you can unravel the whole cocoon. Then you are on your way to weaving a lovely necktie or kimono.

The term itoguchi has a figurative meaning in Japan. It is the point of contact or entry into a person’s heart. You may ask, what was your itoguchi for developing your love of chess, or golf, etc. What was it that captured your attention so effectively to draw you into this line of work? What was the first point where you became aware that the Lord was drawing you to himself and into his church?

Let me illustrate. Mr. A and Mr. T were both drawn into the circle of the church through architecture. A young architecture student, Mr. A saw from the train a church building going up. Curious about how this “Western building” was constructed, he made his way over to the site and engaged in conversation with the young Japanese pastor. Mr. A became an elder in that church. He then designed and built two subsequent edifices for that congregation as they grew. Mr. T’s experience was a little different. Attending a wedding ceremony in a Catholic church, he was moved by the sights, sounds and smells, he encountered there and felt a strange sense of peace. This was his itoguchi. Mr. T recently became a member of Mr. A’s congregation. Why? He says, “I wanted to learn more about what the Bible teaches.” I say, “You’ve come to the right place!”

Mrs. M and Mrs. F had a different itoguchi. For them, it was concern about their children. Mrs. M’s husband abandoned her and their two middle school aged boys. She was devastated and anxious about how she would manage. A friend suggested that she seek strength and wisdom in a Bible study I lead. Mrs. M and one of those boys were later baptized. For Mrs. F it was a little different. When her little girl left for school in the morning, she found herself overwhelmed with anxiety. She was desperate to find some assurance that her little one would be protected and come home safely. Many Japanese people purchase talismans for themselves or their loved ones from Shinto shrines, but Mrs. F was led to the church, where she was introduced to the one who sends “his angels to watch over you,” the one who cares deeply for the little ones, and who is almighty and ever present to keep his people.

Mrs. K was struggling with a husband who had been unfaithful, and Mr. K struggled with guilt about his own unfaithfulness. Mr. & Mrs. S had deep intellectual curiosity about the scripture and faith of Christians whose influence pervades so much of the Western literature they loved to read. Mr. N lost what he treasured most when his teenage son developed severe schizophrenia. Mrs. H was seeking a connection with the Creator she somehow knew existed. All of us have our own stories about how the Lord tugged at our itoguchi.

God is always a step ahead, drawing his children to himself. Facilitating that process is much easier if we discern how he is attracting them. Finding the itoguchi is often a key to helping us deepen friendships and develop intimacy. We don’t want to become manipulative salespeople, but there is wisdom in forming life-changing relationships that help people come much closer, more quickly to the Lord, where they will happily hear his Word and respond. Think about how God reached out to draw YOU to himself! Think about how God may be drawing those in your circle of acquaintance to himself. The itoguchi is a key concept to help make us more effective evangelists, salespeople for Christ.