Beyond Trust/信頼関係の先に

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Trust. This is the most difficult thing for me, when it comes to interacting with refugees and immigrants. Things are not so difficult if the relationship is superficial, but when dealing with past trauma, faith, political issues, etc., without God's help and trust, constructive steps for moving forward aren’t very visible nor clear.

Even if the language, culture, and faith are the same or similar, it’s not easy to build trust. It’s even more so when the language, culture, and faith are different. What is particularly difficult for me is not being able to read the other person's intentions or know what they are actually thinking.

It is not uncommon that after spending a lot of time together and thinking that we’re moving to another level in the relationship, the relationship abruptly ends. Unfortunately, there are many refugees who are blinded by short-term gains and make decisions that cause great risks and disadvantages in the long term. They don’t often listen to the advice of local people, and instead believe the "sweet" information of their fellow countrymen from the Middle East or Africa. And when the sweet opportunity fails, they often blame others. I’ve come across such a sad story many times.

However, when you want to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to people's hearts as well as their ears, it’s often difficult to do so without a relationship based in trust. In order to build a relationship of trust, one person, you or the other person, must take the initiative.

The words of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, reflecting on his work in Afghanistan, come to mind. "Trust in people is somewhat like gambling, and I have been betrayed many times. However, sincere people are found everywhere, and as long as you are sincere, you will often receive a fair reward. Over the past twenty years, there have been many betrayals, but there have also been times when people have risked their lives to protect us. For those of us who are outside the mainstream, the only thing we could rely on was the bond of trust between people." (Opening the Canal for Doctors - Challenging the World's Imagination from the Land of Afghanistan - p. 213)

I dare to take the risk of trusting the other person, knowing that I might be betrayed. Only by trusting from my side can the other person trust me, and we can build a relationship of mutual trust, which may eventually save us. Perhaps Dr. Nakamura is teaching us something like that.

The Bible also says: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy…it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

After the young refugees I was working with moved to other cities or countries one by one, I was searching prayerfully for a way to meet new people again. Due to a knee injury, I wasn’t able to even use my "weapon" of football. I felt like an unarmed soldier on the battlefield. Meanwhile, I learned that many refugees are having trouble buying food due to inflated prices, so I asked supermarkets and bakeries if they could donate their leftovers. All of them refused, but only one cafe bakery named Fenzl was willing to cooperate. I found out that the owners of the shop, which has 16 branches in Linz and is loved by local citizens, are wonderful Christians! I started distributing bread to a few refugee houses once or twice a week.

At first, the refugees were skeptical of a Japanese bringing bread and distributing it for free, but as time went by, they began to accept it willingly, and now they look forward to the delicious bread each time.

One Afghan, who came to Austria for asylum a few months ago, is a young man from the town where Dr. Tetsu Nakamura had been active for many years. He invited me into his room, and while munching on bread, he showed me a YouTube video about a large park in his town called "Nakamura Park" that was built to honor Dr. Nakamura.

At some refugee house that is difficult to access by public transport, three young sisters greet me with smiles every time. A Syrian family consisting of a mother and her three daughters, ages 11, 9, and 5. At first, the mother (a devout Muslim who does not easily talk to men outside of her family) seemed wary and didn’t show up at all, hiding behind the door, but last week and this week, she came out, covered in a hijab (Muslim female covering), and made the effort to talk to me. I showed her a photo of my family and told her that I have a 6-year-old daughter, and she happily told me that she would look forward to a visit from Sachi and our kids. The 11-year-old girl gave me a wrap sandwich that she made for their dinner, telling me that the taste is guaranteed by her family, and when the mother asked me for our contact details, I gave her my and my wife's What’s App info, and later sent us a message of thanks.

The 11-year-old girl usually only has cheap, simple bread for her school lunch, but she is now very happy to take delicious Fenzl bread to school. One day, as she shared some bread with her classmate, the friend asked, "Where do you buy such delicious bread?" She told me with a bashful look that she was very proud.

The Lord has been building a relationship of trust through bread. Although we face language barriers and other obstacles, I hope that one day I will be able to share not just bread to eat, but the ‘bread of life’. Please pray with us.

信頼関係。これは、普段、難民・移民の方々と接する中で、最も困難に感じることです。うわべだけの関係なら苦労はしませんが、過去のトラウマ、信仰や政治的な問題なども取り扱う上で、「神さまの助け」と「相手との信頼関係」なしには前進するための建設的なステップは見えてきません。

言語、文化、信仰が同じであっても、信頼関係を築くのは容易ではありません。言語、文化、信仰が違えば尚更です。特に何が難しいかって、相手の意図が読めないこと、何を考えているかがわからないことです。

多くの時間を共有し、人間関係において新たな景色が見えてきたかなと思うのも束の間、突如関係が切れる、そんなことが珍しくないのです。短期的利益に目が眩み、長期的視点で見るとリスクやデメリットが大きい決断をする難民の人は残念ながら少なくありません。現地の人の忠告に耳を貸さず、中東やアフリカの同胞の“甘い”話を信じる。そして失敗すると、しばしば他人のせいにする。このようなことを幾度と体験してきました。

それでも、イエスキリストの福音を耳だけでなく心にも届けたいと思う時、多くの場合、その人との信頼関係がなければ難しい。そして信頼関係を築く上では、どちらかがイニシアチブを取らなければならない。

アフガニスタンでの活動を振り返る故中村哲医師の言葉が思い起こされます。「人を信ずるとはいくぶん博打に似ていて、裏切られたことも一再ではなかった。しかし、まごころのある者はどこにもいるもので、こちらが誠意を尽くす限り、応分の報いにも多く恵まれる。過去二十年間、裏切りも多かったが、命をかけて守られたこともあった。私たちのように主流から外れた者にとっては、人の信頼の絆だけが頼みであった。」（医者用水路を拓く−アフガンの大地から世界の虚構に挑む−p. 213）

裏切られることも承知で相手を信じることに賭けてみる。こちらから信頼することによってはじめて相手が私を信頼し、相互の信頼関係を構築でき、それによって自分自身助かることもある。そのようなことを中村先生は教えてくれているのかもしれません。

聖書も説きます。「愛は寛容であり、愛は親切です。また人をねたみません。・・・自分の利益を求めず、怒らず、人のしたあくを思わず、不正を喜ばずに真理を喜びます。すべてをがまんし、すべてを信じ（trust）、すべてを期待し、すべてを耐え忍びます。」1コリント13:4-7

係っている難民の若者たちが次々と他の街や国へ移ってしまった後、どのようにまた人と出会うことができるか祈り心で模索していました。膝の怪我のせいで、“武器”だったサッカーも使えない。丸腰で戦場に置かれた兵士のような心境です。そんな中、難民の多くが物価高で食料を買うのに困っていることを知り、スーパーやパン屋さんに、売り残りを寄付してくれないか打診してみました。すべて断られる中で、Fenzl（フェンツェル）というカフェベーカリーだけが快く協力してくれることになりました。リンツ市に１６店舗も展開する、地元市民から愛されているお店のオーナー夫婦はなんと素晴らしいクリスチャン！1週間に１〜２回のペースで、数軒の難民ハウスにパンを配る奉仕を始めました。

最初は、知らない日本人が突然パンを持ってきて、無料で配給している、半信半疑でパンを受け取らなかった難民たちも、回数を重ねるごとに喜んで受け取るようになり、今では美味しいパンが来るのを楽しみに待っていてくれます。

まだ亡命してきて数ヶ月のあるアフガニスタン人は、故中村哲医師が長年活動していた街出身の若者。部屋に招待してくれ、パンを頬張りながら、自分の街には、中村氏に敬意を示すための「なかむらパーク」という大きな公園があると、YouTubeの動画を見せてくれました。

公共の交通機関でアクセスしにくい他の難民ハウスでは、毎回幼い３姉妹が笑顔で出迎えてくれます。お母さんと11歳、9歳、5歳の娘のシリア人家族。最初数回は、（家族以外の男性とは容易に会話しない敬虔なイスラム教の）お母さんは警戒しているようで、一切姿を見せませんでしたが、先週と今週はヒジャブ（イスラム女性のかぶり物）でしっかり全身を覆い、わざわざ出てきて、立ち話をしてくれました。家族の写真を見せ、僕にも6歳の娘がいることを伝えると、今度はサチと子どもたちの訪問を待っていると嬉しそうに話してくれました。夕食で娘が作ったというサンドイッチをご馳走してくれ、電話番号を聞かれたので僕と妻の連絡先を渡すと、後日お礼のメッセージが届きました。

普段は学校のお弁当に、安価でシンプルなパンしか持っていけない11歳の女の子は、おいしいFenzlのパンを学校に持って行って食べるのが、とても嬉しいのだそうです。ある時、クラスメイトにパンを分けてあげると、「こんな美味しいパンどこで買うの？」と聞かれ、とても誇らしかったと照れくさそうに話してくれました。

主がパンを通して、信頼関係を構築されつつあります。言語の問題やさまざまな壁はありますが、いつか、食べるパンだけでなく、『いのちのパン』も分かち合いたいと願っています。どうぞお祈りください。