People Can Evaporate
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
On nights when I struggle with creativity, I skim articles, praying for something to jump out at me. Then I saw S M Mamunur Rahman’s article, “Why Nearly 100,000 People Evaporate Themselves Every Year in Japan.” How are people evaporating? I was hooked. As I read, I realized it was a sad tale. For many, the world has become so harsh that Rahman declares, “You either win the race or hit the dust, suffocate, and die.” This feeling in Japan has created a rebellion, where people walk away from family, friends, and work and blend into the surroundings in some other part of the world. These frustrated people are never heard from again.
It is difficult for families to track these individuals because Japan has a law entitled the “Act of the Protection of Personal Information.” If the person is an adult who appears to leave of their own volition, they are free to be left alone. Evaporating has occurred for generations in Japan. Sadly, it happens with such frequency it has created a business industry. People can hire companies who call themselves “night movers” to help them disappear.
If Japanese citizens feel pressured and overwhelmed, they are willing to evaporate, and American society is also demanding, will evaporation become painfully prevalent in our country? I know several people checking out from life, whether with alcohol, drugs, or just stopping trying to thrive in life. Giving up is a physical and emotional condition but is also spiritual. Our complex, demanding world can feel uncaring. Without spiritually loving care, more people will evaporate.
Today, pray for our society. We are a global community. Whether living in Japan, the United States, or Somalia, we are all one. If one part is sick, the whole body suffers. We have an opportunity to address the situation before it becomes an epidemic. The faith community is uniquely qualified to guide people back to relevance and connection. Transforming and healing evaporating lives requires prayer and action. We need to see with compassionate eyes and reach out when someone is fading from our lives. Jesus reached out to the disenfranchised, and our call is to bring value and worth to people’s lives.