My mother is visiting me this August, and while we are going to be enjoying ourselves traveling Japan and visiting with my friends here...
This morning, she asked me if it'd be okay if we attend services at Tokyo Baptist Church. While I agree to go to services when I visit her, out of respect that I am her daughter and a guest in her house...
Ugh. I really, really, would rather do just about anything than attend a church service. While I was pagan, I never asked her to be involved at all. (And of course that wouldn't have flown, anyway.) My brother and his family converted to Judaism, so we have an eclectic group, but still.
One of the reasons why I love living here in Japan is that people here are sensible about religion, for the most part. Is my mother being sensible by asking that we attend services? I can see from one point of view that this is her faith and of course, she'd want to go (both for religious reasons as well as to see how the Japanese do it). As well, it's not like she could get there and back, herself. She knows "Arigatou" and "Itadakimasu" and that's about it. There's no one else who COULD go with her, as it's just us on that day.
My mom is not herself preachy, compared with a lot of folks (including her husband), but she's also not one to just let go of her religion, either. I just worry that she's going to attempt to convert me, because of how scared she was for me when the earthquake happened.
x.x (Why does there have to be a baptist church in Tokyo, and why did Mom have to find it?)
Tags: church, family, sensibilities, service
Permalink Reply by Annie Thomas on August 22, 2011 at 11:12am Nerdlass-
It sounds like it went as well as could be expected. You showed great patience. I hope that you had time, aside from the talks, to make wonderful memories together.
Permalink Reply by Nerdlass on August 22, 2011 at 5:01pm Yes, overall the visit was wonderful. I have a feeling, though, that since my stepdad had been wishy-washy over allowing my mother to come visit, that it might have been their desire to reach out to me and bring me back into the fold which finally made the visit possible in his eyes. I think the tsunami scared them...
I haven't been a christian for well over a decade and nearly a half more, but they keep trying. Such is their belief set, though. Go figure.
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