Quake: Lessons from the Japanese

WHILE THE RESILIENCE OF THE JAPANESE NATION is to be admired as its people tackled the multi-faceted problems caused by the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear reactor, their tenacity to win the battle does not come as a surprise.

The Japanese are a homogenous society imbibed with a culture to bond and work together for the common good of the community. They are taught from a very young age to “think community” and not to be selfish or self-centred. From the time they enter kindergarten, they are taught to live with nature, to respect and love the elderly and to help one another in class, at home and in the community.

Society to the Japanese is home, and therein lies their special bonding and care for one another, and for their nation – in peacetime or during calamities. There are valuable lessons to be learnt here. But aren’t these the traits of a Christian? Yes, they are. But do we Christians care for the needy and those in trouble or in pain as much as the Japanese?

We have not experienced earthquakes and natural disasters of a magnitude such as those in Japan and other countries. When we do encounter such crises, will Singaporeans respond as quickly and resolutely as the Japanese? More specifically, will Singapore Christians “stand up for Singapore” and “Stand up, stand up for Jesus”?

We are not just talking about donating money here. That is the easy part. Of late Singaporeans are generally known to be generous with parting their money for a worthy cause. We are also talking about rolling up our sleeves and getting down to Ground Zero to literally reach out to our fellow citizens deep in trouble. In times like this, will we be a brother or sister to our neighbours? Will we bring the love of Christ to them?