Grace and peace to you.

Today, I was thinking about the catastrophe in Japan, and I realized that besides material and financial support, these dear people are going to need emotional and spiritual support.  Many people have lost loved ones, and in a most horrific manner.  Today, for instance, I read that a Japanese man was found floating ten miles out to sea on the remains of his roof.  He said that after the earthquake, he and his wife had returned to their home to get some things when the tsunami hit.  His wife was immediately swept away, and he was washed out to sea, clinging to the remains of the roof of his house.  He drifted for two days, trying fruitlessly to get the attention of planes and helicopters flying overhead.  Finally a fishing vessel noticed him waving a red flag and rescued him.

What a horrible way to lose a loved one!  I cannot even imagine what that must have been like for him.  Imagine your loved one being swept away from you by a wall of seawater and within seconds you too are swept away riding a sea of destruction as cars, houses, boats, and trees, pass by you.  Imagine what it must have sounded like.  The unthinkable has happened.  Without a doubt this man will need emotional and psychiatric help to deal with his grief, as will the other survivors.  They had very little if any warning.  Their lives were suddenly, horribly, and permanently changed.

Doubtless in a situation like this, one begins to take a cold, hard look at oneself and begins to re-evaluate oneself and reorder and re-prioritize one’s life.  I read that one Japanese man lamented that before now he had “a good life,” but now he doesn’t even have water and electricity.  After the shock wears off and the final death toll is in, he will likely realize how fortunate he was to have survived.  But he may then ask himself why he was spared, when so many others perished.  There is very little in the way of comfort that one can give to someone who has lost so much and in a manner so horrible.

The survivors are devastated.  They will be uncertain about their futures.  They will be searching for answers.  They will be looking for hope.  This may be as good a time as any to tell them about Jesus.  A person’s only comfort in a time like this may be to know that they have been granted a second chance to hear about Jesus’s Love for them.  It is too late for those who have perished.  But it’s not to late for the survivors.

Doubtless, this has already occurred to the many false prophets, who will be descending on this shocked, demoralized, and bewildered people like a flock of ravenous vultures. Doubtless many are already on the ground, taking advantage of this opportunity to give these people a false hope.  Missionaries are sorely needed.  Unfortunately, many of us are not able to be a missionary to Japan.  But there is something else that we can do.  We can support those Christian missionaries who are already on the ground in Japan and those who are planning to go.

Thousands, possibly even millions of caring individuals from all over the world are likely sending money and material support to help with the Japanese relief effort.  But, how many people are sending over the Gospel?  Dear ones, this is an excellent opportunity for us to help minister to their souls and fulfill the Great Commission.  It would be a great idea if we would find a Christian missionary in Japan and do whatever we can to support him.  It doesn’t take much if enough of us pitch in.  The false prophets have plenty of money and plenty of willing people to help them spread their poisonous doctrines.  Why don’t we do what we can to send them the antidote?

Please, dear ones.  The fields are white to harvest.

And don’t forget to pray for the Japanese.

The Still Man

Copyright © 2011 Anthony Keeton, The Still Man ®.  All Rights Reserved.