Prayer-Walking Evenings #33 and #34: Tethering Hope

Well, I don't have any photos of either walk! But yesterday my family and a friend and I drove up to Wajima, a little fishing village near the tip of Noto Peninsula in our prefecture, to swim and to bask in the coastal culture for the afternoon. These ropes remind me of hope, and as I mused on our prayer walking, it seemed an apt theme. We're throwing out Jesus' light because He hands us life-giving hope to take and to share. 

Back in January, Stephen, our friend Michael, and I skidded around on icy sidewalks at night all the way around the base of the castle park here in Kanazawa, praying for blessings for the city, and for each other and for folks we knew who needed some encouragement. Praying for God's Spirit to help and uplift. 

And I think I missed posting about another time when Stephen and I went together, but I just can't remember! It's been so long and so much has happened in between, including 7 weeks in the US this summer for our family. What a gift. 

Back in Japan now, I've wanted to start the old prayer walking back up again; it's been on my heart. 

Yesterday evening Stephen and I started in Katamachi, a big entertainment/shopping/bar/restaurant district in the heart of Kanazawa. It was crazy busy, the busiest it's been since before the pandemic started. We didn't realize that this weekend was Kanazawa Jazz Street, an annual festival of outdoor jazz events, and that a band would be playing right where we were supposed to meet some church friends. (Unfortunately there was a misunderstanding and they thought the prayer walking was tomorrow night. They are planning on coming next time!)

It was loud and party-like, and as we waited to see if anyone else would show up to join us, there was a different sort of loud noise just behind us. We turned around to see a couple in some sort of physical altercation. He hit her shoulder; she kicked him. Stephen immediately trained his phone on them to take a video if needed---and we started praying as the woman walked away quickly with the man following her. We followed---for a long distance, just to make sure everything was OK. I'm guessing we walked at least 1/2 a kilometer until the crowds thinned out and it was just them and us on a dark street. We were trying to be discreet and we continued praying. They seemed calmer. We finally stopped, turned around, and went back to the crowds, praying around Katamachi and Tatemachi for those women who were standing, all dolled up, in front of dodgy establishments, waiting for clients. We prayed for those who seemed lonely. We prayed for hope. For freedom. 

I didn't recognize that couple, and at the same time, her long coppery hair in a ponytail reminded me of the couple that our friend Yuki had to call the police about almost exactly two years ago in August 2019. Do you remember that post? We were out prayer walking and a man was dragging a woman down the sidewalk in that Katamachi district. 

Was this the same couple? I don't know. I wondered if it was though. 

Whether it was or wasn't, I had the same gut feeling that we were supposed to be there at that moment, just as I had felt back then in August 2019. 

Stay tuned for our next walk as some of our Japanese Christian friends from church are coming along, and we're looking forward to going together with them.