Sharing Jesus Got Her in Trouble at School

Are you afraid to share the Gospel when it matters most? In this clip, we explore what it means to have courage as a Christian under pressure and why to boldly speak the truth.

Hanaya's teacher calls her in for a chat because some parents of her classmates have complained that she's influencing their children toward Christianity.

Hanaya must decide: will she shrink back or stand strong for Jesus? Can she hold her ground under pressure? Will she play it safe and dim her light, or will she continue to be a bright shining lamp for Jesus at school? And what does Jesus say to Hanaya at the end?

Context: What's Hanaya up against?

For many Japanese people, Shintoism and Buddhism are closely intertwined with their identity and culture. Leaving your family's religion can be like leaving your family. Also, due to negative experiences with religious cults in the past, many Japanese are skeptical and suspicious of new beliefs. Religion and religious events are considered separate things by the Japanese. Religious activities in Japan tend to be pragmatic, like praying for money, success in exams, naming ceremonies, removing bad luck, dressing up for fun, etc. They don't think deeply about their beliefs. Also, recent studies indicate that 30% to 39% of the population identify as convinced atheists.

We need the courage to declare and display the Gospel through our words, our work, and our character.
— Dr. Patrick Fung

It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brushfires in people’s minds.
— Samuel Adams

Our battle is a battle of persuasion. Be a voice, be an advocate for the Kingdom of God. Share the wonder, beauty, and truth of God without hesitation. Sometimes we get locked down in a way that the enemy would want us to, to not talk, to not speak up, to not declare the truth of God, because the truth is what sets people free.

Hanaya Oki Series:  https://superdifferent.com/hanaya 

Transcript

Hanaya 0:02

Ms . Megumi, you wanted to see me?

Ms. Megumi 0:04

Yes, Hanaya, come in. Take a seat. Look, I know you're open about your Christian faith with your classmates. You've got a good heart and you mean well. However, some parents have expressed concerns about you giving out the Bible and other Christian books. In particular, Noriko , Hiroto, And Akio have expressed their desire to follow Christianity to their parents. They're pulling away from religious rituals they used to follow, saying that they don't mean much to them anymore.

Hanaya 0:35

Is Akio interested? I'm surprised. I haven't talked to him much, but I guess Yuri has.

Ms. Megumi 0:41

Well, your influence is surely rubbing off on Yuri . You might not know this, but last year at a parent-teacher meeting, Yuri's parents were pretty curious about you. They were worried that Yuri might be getting caught up in some kind of weird cult, but on seeing some good changes in her, they were okay with her following Christianity. That said, not all parents may feel as accepting about it. See, Hanaya, I know you're a good girl and super passionate about Jesus. I get that we all love to talk about what we're into, but sometimes your persuasion can stir things up a bit. Maybe try to tone it down and switch it up with some other topics.

Hanaya 1:18

I'm not trying to brainwash anyone. I'm not controlling their free thinking or forcing them to accept what I say blindly. I'm just sharing a different perspective on God, Jesus and the biblical way of doing life, especially more with those who show interest. Sometimes I give away books and Bibles or share links to online resources, if they want to explore further. At no point do I ask them to abandon their own research and individual processing of Christianity. They're old enough to come to their own conclusions.

Ms. Megumi 1:49

Okay, what do you want me to say to the parents? I'm concerned that if you don't back off, they may pressure the principal and your mom could be called in for a meeting. They might even put pressure on your friends not to hang out with you. I just don't want you to get hurt.

Hanaya 2:04

I appreciate your concern, Ms. Megumi. Thank you for looking out for me. Sure, I can tone it down and chat about other stuff when I need to, and I do it sometimes. But at times, I feel this urge, to talk about these things instinctively, it's not calculated. I can't suppress the surge of thoughts and words. It's simply part of who I am. I can't stop me being me. I love to talk more about things of depth and substance rather than things that are superficial and shallow. And Ms . Megumi, you know, some of my classmates are broken, lonely and hurting. We don't know how deep their pain goes. They hide it. Parents and schools can't fix everything. Every time there's a negative condition, God looks for someone to counter it. Sometimes a sustained effort of persuasion is needed to bring about a heart change and awaken their conscience to the truth. If I keep silent, it makes me think what the biggest regret of my life might be, that I was too cautious to listen and respond to the cry of their soul?

Ms. Megumi 3:05

I hear you Hanaya, but sometimes we have to adjust a little to maintain harmony.

Hanaya 3:10

It's not me that the parents need to worry about. The real threat to their son or daughter is social media and popular entertainment, that is subtly shaping their minds in a direction that is harming them. My message to parents is to be open to adjusting their understanding. At times, we can be too rigid and resistant to embracing new perspectives on God. Having a correct understanding of God can really help my classmates avoid harm and make better life choices. Parents shouldn't underestimate the power of Jesus to transform a heart. And why have a negative opinion on Christianity, based on those who have misrepresented it? I understand a lot of people get turned off by the hypocrisy. But Jesus Christ is no hypocrite. I am ashamed of what people have done in his name, but I've never been ashamed of Jesus. When someone plays Beethoven poorly, we don't blame Beethoven for it. When someone misrepresents Jesus, we shouldn't blame Jesus either. Just because I may fall short of being true and beautiful, doesn't mean that Jesus isn't true and beautiful. Just because I'm not perfect, doesn't mean Jesus isn't real and good. I think parents should hear out their children and make some effort to investigate what they are getting into. And by the way, my friends are not getting into religion. They're forming a new friendship with God. It's a new way of doing life with God through Jesus. Give it six months to a year and observe whether there are positive changes in their lives. If they're really connecting with Jesus, parents are likely to see good changes. But most importantly, they should be more concerned about their own eternal destinies and those of their children. I often wonder how people can live in this world without thinking about eternity. How can they not ask themselves? What is it all about? Why am I here? What is the ultimate truth? What is the ultimate reality? There must be more to life than this. Every bone in our bodies and every fiber of our being tells us that the significance of human life far transcends our daily activities. Yet for the most part, we remain thoughtless about eternal matters. Academic education, finding employment, buying a home, getting married, and having children, become far more important to us than our eternal destinies. Sorry if I'm just ranting away, but it's the truth.

Ms. Megumi 5:32

It's fine to share your thoughts with me. But let's not get too carried away. Let's give it some time. I hope the parents do not escalate this further. Don't stress about it too much, okay? Just focus on the upcoming exam. Alright then! You can head back to your class now.

Hanaya 5:49

Okay, thank you, Ms . Megumi. Lord, what should I do? I don't feel comfortable going against the grain. Should I tone it down? What if Hiroto, Akio , and Noriko start to distance themselves from me? Will they stop pursuing you?

Jesus 6:11

Hanaya, you made your choice, so why take the path of least resistance? Why look back to safety. The bridge is burnt. It's gone. There's no turning back. Embrace the tension, the tough moments. Embrace the pain. Keep a finishing heart. Don't say, this is as far as I can go. We started this together, and we're going to finish it. We're close to the finish line. Don't fear your convictions, even if you have to be alone to defend them. Stay steadfast under pressure. Instead of focusing on the now, look to My reward. My timing is perfect. We won't lose what we've worked for. The seeds you planted have begun to blossom and grow. Soon you'll see the results of your hard work. You've been effective for me. You've done well, Hanaya.