Kimura Takuya and Tokiwa Takako were starring in the TV drama called "Beautiful life", It is popular to have repainted the audience rating record in the TV drama history. The secret of popularity might be a theme "Barrier-free", which this drama has treated. Barrier-free means to take away the trouble. The line Kimura Takuya stated to Tokiwa Takako who has handicap, 'I will became your barrier-free' seems to have touched a wide layer of audience from the young person to an elderly person. I will take out the trouble from wherever you go, even if it means to throw my self out to save you, however, who wouldn't be impressive towards the words like that. Gentleness overflows there. It is impressed because gentleness is not just a word of a mouth alone,it is because the gentleness is is accompanied by the sacrifice.

How about the church in Japan? Church which is made structure without difference which can enter easily by Wheelchair considering physically handicapped person. I think that consideration of first removing the barrier to the physically handicapped person aiming to a church opened to all the people is wonderful. However, is it the only definition for barrier-free? The barrier exists in various places. There are a lot of barriers also in the thing that people think of the Christian and the churches. Might it be restrained to various things and freedom disappear if becoming a Christian. It might not be possible to leave when someone join church. The Christian might not value his ancestor. Are there various manners in the church? Can I talk usually with the Christian? The person who does not understand the belief in the church might not be welcomed, etc. There are a lot of barriers before gospel is reached to those non-Christians and because of that they cannot go forward.

The invitation from 100 soldiers commander in Rome was given to the apostle Peter when he was in Yoppa. The gentiles inviting or being invited by the Jew were unusual then. However God taught to Peter in the dream beforehand not to say it is not purified to what God has purified, and that these things are coming from God. Peter received the invitation without the hesitation. The commander invited the relatives and the friends and Peter was waited for. As Peter started to share the gospel, the Holy spirit poured to those as much as the time of Pentecost. Peter baptized them, and he learned that God has taken the barrier off between the Jew and the gentiles through Jesus Christ. Isn't Jesus Christ's cross alone a starting point of barrier-free? "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace," (Eph 2:14,15)
The church is often been said that the wall is high. I wonder what would be the walls. Can't we tore the walls down completely? I believe that we all have to start form taking down the barrier that is within ourselves.

<updated July 18>