30 May The Japanese Man in the Next Seat

Mike Brown, pastor of Franklin UB church (New Albany, Ohio), joined Global Ministries Director Jeff Bleijerveld in the Philippines in early May, as our churches there celebrated their 25th anniversary. That’s Mike in the photo, preaching in the Philippines in 2006. As Mike began the 13-hour flight from Detroit to Japan, he prayed for an opportunity to witness. Here is what happened, in his own words.

The first 4-5 hours I slept and did some work. Sitting beside me was a Japanese man who appeared to be in his early 30s. Sitting beside him were a man and woman in their 60s. While I was working, the three of them engaged in a lot of conversation. When I wrapped-up my work and leaned my head back to rest, the woman asked if I was a Sunday school teacher or a minister.

“A minister,” I said.

We chatted briefly, and the Japanese man, who spoke pretty good English, appeared interested. When the lady turned to talk to her husband, the Japanese man started asking me nice, general questions–where I was from, my family, where was I going. I noticed he was reading a Christian book about the meaning of life, so I assumed he was a Christian. I asked him some questions from a Christian perspective, but his answers (and confusion) quickly told me he was not a Christian. As we talked, I learned that he was a very successful businessman, with degrees from the University of Michigan and Georgia Tech, and he had taken some Harvard business courses. He was flying home to Japan where he and his family lived.

I learned about the Japanese way of life, the seven-day work week, and the five-and-a-half day school week. He shared with me about his childhood; his father was a very successful construction company owner. He told me he could never remember his father eating dinner with the family, and only once does he remember “playing” with his father. Now that he was in his mid 40s (so much for my age estimate), he wanted to be more that just a money maker for his family.

I asked him how he got the book he was reading. He said his favorite business author, Peter Drucker, seemed to quote this book often. Where God took our conversation from there was fantastic. For about two hours we talked back and forth about the spiritual side of life.

He confessed that he practiced no religion. If he claimed any religion, it was a mix of Buddhism and ancestor worship. He said he really felt some “hole” in his life. What he was beginning to learn (and believe) from the book he was reading is that significance was far more important that success in life.

I shared my testimony, how at the age of 16 I became a Christian. He said, “It must have been wonderful to be at peace in your heart for so long.” I learned he had very little knowledge of God, had only heard of Jesus vaguely, and had real trouble believing a person could rise from the dead. I also learned that neither he nor his wife owned a Bible (nor even read one).

I wish I could say he prayed to receive Christ right in his plane seat, but he didn’t. The truth, is he knew almost zero about God, Christ, or Christianity. But he knew he was searching for more than what this world could offer. I asked him to receive Christ, but he still didn’t understand. Evangelism starts with seed planting.

After our conversation, we both put our head back on our seats and attempted some sleep. I prayed, and while praying God said, “Mike, when you get off the plane, give him your Bible.” I said, “But Lord, this is my preaching Bible–only my second preaching Bible in 26 years. Besides, I need it in the Philippines.”

But you never win an argument with God. As we went our separate ways in the Japan airport, I handed him my Bible and told him, “You will find significance if you read this book.” He was humbled as he received it, and I was humbled as I gave it. Amazingly, I was at peace, too, about giving away the only preaching Bible I currently own.

God taught me a lot of lessons in my encounter with the Japanese gentleman. One of the neatest lessons: my mission work began in mid-air, hours before I landed in the Philippines.