Day 33: Kosuke Koyama - “Three Miles An Hour”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”
Introduction
We all live busy lives. Many of you currently reading this devotional have carved out time out of our packed schedules to spend some time with God. We may even have a desire to quickly finish this devotional in an efficient manner and get back to moving forward with our day. Kosuke Koyama would urge you to take a breath and consider the speed at which God moves and at what speed He calls us to live our lives.
Three Miles An Hour
Koyama grew up as a teenager in Tokyo, Japan during World War II. During this time, he experienced many bombings from American forces and yet he held a strong love for them. Eventually, after graduating seminary in Japan, he moved to the U.S. to study and expose himself more to the modern/western world. One core aspect of his theology that developed from this decision was the idea of a “Three Miles an Hour God”.
This theology revolved around the idea that when looking at how God and Jesus moves throughout the Bible, there is a steady patience that is felt. Oftentimes, there is no urgency as God’s plan moves at the pace of His will. Even when Jesus was conducting his ministry, there was time for conversations on the road and even detours to other cities. Jesus was never in a hurry.
In a busy, modern world, Koyama argued that it is easy for us to get caught up in the urgency and “efficiency” of ministry and our spiritual lives. But he wondered if we took the time to slow down and listen to God and to be attentive to those around us.
Reflection
God is always patient with us. He waits for us when we are stubborn or callous. He gives us the grace and time to get back up when we stumble. He often does not answer our prayers immediately when we want them answered but He does always eventually answer. Let us take some time to sit with God and enjoy His presence as we continue to walk with Him on our individual journeys.