Lost and Alone in Tokyo

When I was in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Korea, my commanding officer arranged for me to attend a training school at Tachikawa Air Base, in Japan. This was a remarkable opportunity to see another country and I planned to make the most of it.

Not long after arriving in Japan, I learned that a military shuttle bus transported soldiers from one base to another around Tokyo. There was no cost for using the shuttle and it stopped at Tachikawa. So, one day after class, I boarded the bus for some sightseeing. After stopping at several bases in the area, the bus pulled into a large parking lot. Night was beginning to fall and I was wondering when we would be getting back to my base. To my surprise, the driver shut down the bus and said, “This is the last stop. Everyone off.” I thought he was kidding, but he wasn’t. I thought the bus would surely return to Tachikawa, but it didn’t.

As I left the bus I realized that I didn’t know where I was and I had no idea how to get back to where I belonged. I didn’t have a phone number to call for help and I couldn’t speak Japanese.

The main gate of the base was nearby so I walked over to it. There were two Japanese soldiers on duty and I thought they would be able to help me. But they couldn’t speak English—or didn’t want to. From there, I walked into the city and found a taxi. The driver understood enough English to realize that I wanted to get to the subway. I had ridden the subway a few times before, so I was somewhat familiar with it. The bad thing was, I didn’t have my maps. It was very late when I managed to get back to Tachikawa. And that was just to the subway station. From there it was still a long walk back to the transient quarters on the base. But I made it—safe and sound.

Being safe and secure is not something to take for granted. You probably didn’t know that many Japanese people dislike Americans. And if they dislike Americans they dislike American servicemen most of all. They may be bitter about the war or the way we occupied their country afterwards or the fact that we still have military bases there. Whatever the reason, there were times I felt the hostility.

When I shared my sightseeing experience with my classmates, they were quite surprised that I had transferred subway trains at Shinjuku Station. They told me that it was a notoriously dangerous place.

The point is: being alone in a foreign land is dangerous. It is especially dangerous because you don’t know where the dangers are.

Ruth’s promise to Naomi speaks not only of love and loyalty but also of courage. Keeping that promise would require her to live in a country where she would be disliked by some and hated by others. If we can’t imagine the dangers involved, we can’t appreciate the depth of her commitment.

“For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”

Ruth 1:16 ESV

Mike Riley For Sunday school class February 12, 2017