This is maybe less of a LinkFest than an opportunity to share a particular link with you. First, I'll give some backstory.

I am a big ol Japan Fan. I enjoy Japanese media, but in particular I love Japanese stuff. Notebooks, pencils, knives, teapots, cars, consumer electronics, it seems like everything (at least, everything made for export) is the absolute best quality, even if it's a simple, mass manufactured glass teapot. I'm not an expert on Japanese culture, but there is, I think, one important part of it that contributes greatly to their reputation, and that's the word “Shokunin”, or the mastery of one's craft.

In the broad strokes, the shokunin spirit says that mastery of one's craft is not only important to the health and happiness of the individual, but that everyone in your community is counting on you to do your best, just like you're counting on them. We all like to hope that the auto mechanic treats our car as well as their own, or that the person at the grocery store is as kind and patient with our grandmother as we would be. Shokunin, among other things, takes that vague hope and makes it a personal responsibility. I need to take care of this person because I need care in other ways, and we can make a community that can count on eachother if we all take ownership of that possibility.

I was reminded of it while writing last week's blog, “We Are Christ's Ambassadors”, and how well I think it dovetails with the knowledge that Kingdom people are participating with the Holy Spirit in making creation new. More than our community relying on us to do our best, God is encouraging and exhorting us every day that being the best bookkeeper we know to be is Kingdom work, and not just because it creates a good reputation/“witness” with our coworkers. I'll write more on that later, but for now, give this article a read. I'll see you next week.

“Shokunin and Devotion” at Kyoto Journal

This post is part of #100DaysToOffload, a challenge to blog a hundred days in a year hosted by Kev Quirk. This is post #12

#Christian #Ministry #WorkplaceMissions #Embassy #Japan #Shokunin #Craftsmanship