Spike

It started as a dare. “Hey go over there and ask that guy with the spiked hair to take a picture with you.” 

Here we were in the largest city on earth, at the busiest intersection in the world, the Shibuya crossing.  Every three minutes, thousands of people cross the street from all different directions. It’s known as the “Shibuya Scramble” and it’s fascinating.  You see all kinds of people there…tourists, locals, and people like “Spike”. As an older person, I find you can get away with a lot more. Especially in this culture, gray hair seems to be a superpower.  So, I agreed to my friend’s dare.  

Walking towards the young man, I was wondering, Is he going to be mad? How did he get his hair like that and why? Are there wires inside? How long did that take?  I timidly approached and tapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse me”, I said. “May I take a picture with you? Your hair looks really cool.”  He smiled widely and said, “Sure!” Glad that he spoke English, I stepped next to him and asked if it was ok to put my hand on his shoulder for the picture. He agreed. I noticed he was wearing a suit jacket with no shirt underneath, revealing several tattoos on his arms and chest. We smiled together as the picture was snapped. Afterwards, he held out his hand for a handshake and as I grabbed his hand, he pulled me in for a hug. I was surprised at the gesture because hugging is not normally done here, especially with a stranger. I gladly hugged him and we exchanged a few words, but I had to leave quickly to catch up with my friends. I couldn’t risk getting lost in this crowd.

Our encounter was brief, but it stayed with me. Why did he pull me in for a hug? Maybe he thought it was funny?  Maybe he felt seen or accepted by me? Maybe I reminded him of his grandma? I’m not sure, but what I did know was that although vastly different from me, he too was created in the image of God.  And, when I looked into his eyes, I knew he was somebody who needed Jesus’ love just like everyone else. 

I was reminded:

“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV)

If God doesn’t look at the outward appearance, but only at the heart, shouldn’t we? 

If you enjoyed this post, you may like to order Lorie’s book, Pondering on the Way, available in paperback or Kindle.  Go to:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RFSPLY3