Isaiah HATES religion. Itsuki Oda in Slow Brewing Tea has a lot to teach about Religion vs. Jesus. Consider the difference.
Religion vs. Jesus
Itsuki is the mentor to the main character, Isaiah, in Slow Brewing Tea. During the decades of Itsuki’s mentorship, he quietly and patiently endures Isaiah’s attacks against Christianity. One of Isaiah’s problems with Christianity is the topic of “religion.” It is abhorrent to Isaiah that religion tells you how you should live your life. Itsuki points out that while every religion has standards they recommend people follow, Jesus’ viewpoint and calling to His followers is radically different. For example Taoism, a religion they had extensively discussed, has the Three Treasures of Taoism which set out ethical/moral standards for those interested in following The Tao. In one of his many poignant statements Itsuki says,
“Religion tells you what you should do. Jesus empowers you to do it.”
What is your perspective? Are you as frustrated as Isaiah with “religion?” What do you think of Itsuki’s claim?
About Slow Brewing Tea
Slow Brewing Tea is a love story and a spiritual adventure. It is a biblically accurate novel that chronicles a shy, abused, anti-Christian airman (Isaiah) as he seeks love and the Tao (the way, Taoism) in the mountains of Japan. He falls in love and finds an old man (Itsuki) who teaches him Taoist principles that lead him eventually to the way, the truth, and the life. Yet, it will take another thirty years of living in hard, shallow, and thorny soils before he is finally ready to let God transform him into good soil. As a slow brewing tea Isaiah is finally ready for the truth to be manifested in magnificent love and abundant joy—as a Christian and a husband.