Over my Easter holiday in Tokyo, I pulled out my camcorder and started recording people's stories for the new Catholic faith and testimony project, OneBillionStories.com. It's a powerful way to do what St. Peter exhorted and "give a reason for the hope that is in" us.
I thought it would be a cinch, but it turned out to be a humbling experience in many ways, not least of which is having to hear myself communicate in Japanese. Speaking is definitely not one of my strengths. But I am grateful that however clumsy an instrument I am, I'm still helping to bring these people's wonderful stories to a wider audience. I believe that they will be found by the people who most need to hear them.
It is also my hope that more permanent Japanese Catholics will be able to continue producing these videos after I leave the archipelago. Just based on my experience, it seems that the vast majority of Japanese Christians are elderly-- and I think it would be a shame not to get as many of their stories as possible while they're still with us.
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