I have just come from my Friday night class with those preparing for Baptism. We are in the second section called "Meeting Jesus and His teaching." I was presenting Jesus' key theme, "Abba" God as a kind of father. We were doing the parable of the loving father (aka 'The Prodigal Son'). But Mr Kozuka had a frown on his face and there was obviously a problem.
In our sharing he came out with it. He said, "This story is so un-Japanese. In Japan if a second son insulted his father so grossly he would be refused every request and cut out of the family register." Mr Kozuka actually had two things blocking Jesus' message.
The first was to take the parable literally. The second was to think that 'this is very western.' We talked it over and in the sharing I used a Japanese proverb: 'If you love your son, let him travel.' The Holy Spirit used the proverb to flood Mr Kozuka with insight into God's unconditional love. (GK Chesterton described insight as the art of seeing the familiar as strange).
Since my language school days Japanese proverbs have fascinated me. I am not very good at language but I had read that having a 'cultural curiosity' helped to overcome one's language deficiency. After 50 years I still find Japanese proverbs curious and they certainly give an insight into the culture.
After language school as a young priest this use of proverbs was re-enforced in my first appointment in Wakayama. Bishop Taguchi was opening a kindergarten in the parish. He began his address to the assembled non-Christian civic and educated dignitaries and the numerous non-Christian parents by quoting a Japanese proverb: "The character which a child possesses by the age of three will last until a hundred." 
Leading from this pithy expression of a genuine Japanese value, he spoke on the worth of an early education based on Christian values. He also requested the co-operation of the parents in the home. Again he quoted a proverb: "The flame of parented light shines in one's children." The bishop got his message across mainly because he adapted his talk by using genuine Japanese values as contained in their proverbs and on these he built his Christian message.
In the first section of our catechetical programme there is a section called 'meeting oneself'. It's a gentle section where one comes to the realisation that as a human being I am inherently weak and insufficient using my own strength alone. In other words, 'I need Christ - he came to save sinners,' (in that Biblical sense of a sinner as one aiming but missing the target).
This admission does not come easily, especially for elderly Japanese men brought up on the samurai code. For them, to admit human frailty seems western and therefore 'un-Japanese.' But a proverb from the ancient wisdom of Japan says, 'Even a new tatami straw mat when beaten gives out dust.' That is, in effect we all have defects - hidden dust.
Proverbs so often confront and vivify in a concrete way the frailty and powerlessness of us humans. We need help from above. We need a Saviour. Proverbs deal with the fundamental stuff of life.
Vatican II says, "The Church exhorts her children to prudently and lovingly acknowledge, preserve and promote the spiritual and moral good among nations as well as the values in their society and culture." (The Church and Non-Christian religions, #2).
I feel that one small way towards inculturating Christ's message is to use the distilled wisdom of a nation's proverbs. So many Japanese proverbs echo the Sacred Scriptures which after all also emanate from the East. Just a few from Japan:
* 'What one seemingly has, but really has not, is money.' (What does it profit if you gain the whole world…)
* 'The monk from a nearby temple is never famous.' (A prophet is never accepted in his own country).
* Sit on a stone for three years and it gets warm. (Persevere).
Japanese proverbs tend to be short, symmetrical, concrete and verbless. The unique taste is so often lost in translation. So many proverbs also have a cultural background. But one of my favourite humorous proverbs is understandable to all:
* 'Even a monkey can fall from a tree.' (We all make mistakes).
Finally from the Bible; 'Do not disregard what the wise have said. Study their proverbs.' (Sir 8:8).
Fr Barry Cairns first went to Japan in 1956.
Read more from The Far East, January/February 2012