I had an adventure this weekend that took me to experience people and places I would never have imagined. I attended the NakaKon Anime Convention in Overland Park, KS. Anime is in its strictest terms, Japanese animated stories watched on DVD and online in some cases, but becoming more popular around the world and on TV in the US. This convention expanded to include any animated character and stories, Manga-(drawn stories in books, not movies) and a hint of super-hero and sci-fi thrown in. Sessions included discussions about the technology involved as well as the personalities (voice actors) involved in creating anime, but also much discussion surrounding the stories and plots of the endless number of anime series. The most visable feature was the fact that about 99% of the attendees dressed as fanciful characters in the stories. I spent hour after hour with people with wings, horns, mechanical weapons, colored contacts in their eyes, cat ears and pointed ears, rainbow wigs and people dressed to represent countries of origin. They acted out their characters as well and many spent hours just taking pictures of each other. It was something I would never have imagined was going on until went to see it for myself.
My overall goal before going was to "check out" this area of entertainment that my daughters have expressed and interest in. My first impression of the people was very positive and even now, my overall impression is not a negative one at all. We waited in a registration line with hundreds of people and other than a few (very few) foul language concerns, they were very friendly and pleasant. (I have had more concerns with the behavior of people at ball games and concerts by far.) Throughout the week they approached each other with respect and kind words, supporting each other's interest in the stories they loved.
As a minister and father of two daughters that were there, I was ready to pounce on any danger or dark forces rearing their heads. The more I observed, I became overcome with the sense that this group of people were not horrible, or seeking demonic things, they were for the most part a perfect picture of the un-churched world. There were certainly Christians there, but it was a very non-religious, accepting of others, being as non-normative as you wanted to be type of society. Because of this, it is also a group that was not at all aggressive to someone who appeared to express a "gay lifestyle." (I did not see that much at all, but a few discussions arose within the panel discussions of the conference.) I did see some hand holding, but not that much and the event had a fairly conservative dress code and rules for conduct. All in all, it was to me a picture of what I had possibly been ignoring about our world culture.
I have been surrounding myself with those who pretty much follow my traditions and have ignored the totally non-religious culture that is taking over.
Many panel discussions centered on the genre of Manga, written pictorial stories that continue for many books in a series. The attendees know every minute detail about stories that spanned 30 volumes and were still going.
My thoughts immediately turned to the idea of how to present the gospel to such a world. God must have seen the same thing. He found people living a life totally unaware of the fact that every action they took was leading them toward a false reality. They were caught up in a thousand details of a culture that had nothing to do with their actual existence.
This conference was a perfect metaphor for what is happening to the people in the world. They are each their own unique character, but some are trapped in the story of their lives. They are ignorant of anything that does not advance their own personal story. They know their fellow characters, but do not realize that they are part of a greater reality. They are trapped in the book. More importantly, they are unaware of the Author. They seem unaware that at some point the book of their life will be closed and they will be face to face with the greater existence outside of their own little story.
What did God do? He stepped into the book. The author himself became part of the story. He told them about the world outside the life they were living where He had already written the final chapters of every story. And that it led to a living, breathing reality that they had only hoped for. He left for them a written guide as well as a spiritual guide to take them through the story of life. A way to escape the book and find true reality. But it is their decision to follow. They could either stick with the world of the book, or follow the Author and be a part of the eternal sequel known as TRUTH and ETERNAL LIFE.
We need to step into the lives of the people who are unaware of their situation. We need to share the truth of the reality of the Author of Life. We need to be a part of people leaving "their" story and becoming a part of His-story.
1. Be strong in God's power, don't rely on my own.
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