The spring reminds me of the incident I experienced in my youth.
One day, during the last summer break in the high school, I went along with my friend to meet his girlfriend. During the talk, they decided to break up, and he was in shock. On our way home, he gave me a ride with his motor bike. It was already starting to get dark in the evening, and also was raining. As his bike entered into the intersection, there was a car stopping in the middle line, waiting to make a rightturn. Probably because he was in the state of shock, he did not realize there was a car. Our bike crushedstraight into the car. I tried to warn him, but it was too late. I regained my consciousness as I was carried into the hospital. After the surgery, I could not sleep because of pain. As I stayed awake, I was thinking “How ephemeral life is! I could be easily dead.” This made me wonder what would happen after a person dies, nothing after the death?
One our family’s Memorial Day, a Buddhist monk came to my house to chant the sutra. So, I decided to ask him a question. I asked “The Buddhism teaches there are paradise and hell after death. Do those things really exist?” The monk answered “it is just a bluffing.” He explained it is a sort of threat to keep people away from sinning. If people believe that something bad would be waiting if they sin, they would stay away from any sinful things. For a while, I was relieved. Yet soon, I started to wonder “if there is nothing after death, what is the point of a monkchanting the sutra?” I was 18 at the time, it made me doubt about their belief. Somewhat, I was disappointed.
One day, the same friend told me he wanted go to the church. So, I went along with him, thinking that I would be a kind of his body guard. Yet, I was still searching for the answer to my question. I do not remember what the pastor’s message was on that day, but I remember he prayed for me personally, after the worship. The prayer made me want to know more about the Bible. From the following Sunday, I started to go to the church regularly. There, I found that Jesus died on the cross andresurrected from death on the third day. I was impressed by the fact that those disciples were willing to sacrifice their lives for spreading the Gospel. A half year later, I accepted Jesus as my savior who died for my personal sins, and saved me from death. Since then, my fear for death had disappeared.
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies. (Jesus Christ)”
Why don’t you get to know Christ, who is the only one has victory over death?
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
