My desire to come to Japan to help with the post-tsunami recovery work grew out of the simple prayers I started to make for the country soon after the earthquake and tsunami.  As I prayed, I felt the Lord reminding me that He is the Creator who does not desire that any man should perish (2 Peter 3:9).  Over time, I realized that if the horror of the disaster can cause me to feel sadness and compassion for these people who are strangers to me, then how much more it must have grieved the Father’s heart to see those He created perish forever as the tsunami waves rushed in.

 

A song that we learnt in Japanese during our trip was entitled “You are born to be loved”.  We learnt this song in order to present it at the Seaside Bible Chapel’s café during the “Singapore Day” we held on 13 July.  The meaningful lyrics of this song reminded me of John 3:16-17 and reinforced my earlier impressions that the Lord is looking on the people of Tohoku and the entire nation of Japan with love and compassion, calling their attention to Him in this time of sorrow and mourning.

 

As I saw the destruction around me and learnt that many people were generally left to fend for themselves as government assistance was limited, I started to understand what Jesus meant about people without Him being like “sheep without a shepherd”.  I can just imagine Him wanting to carry and cuddle these people as a shepherd would his sheep that are lost, hurting and frightened.