“I don’t believe in politics nor in religion. I only believe in Jesus Christ and His cross”.
[I’m trying tell you the truth. This is the best I can do.]
I don’t like politics.
In today’s divided world, talking about politics feels exhausting. It only seems to bring trouble.
And yet, it feels wrong for me to stay silent. So this is the best I can do.
As I always say, I don’t believe in politics.
That’s because I don’t believe in power. And I don’t believe in domination, either.
I have no interest in power, nor in social status or position.
I don’t believe in the labels of “right” or “left.”
Those are just human constructs.
They are concepts seen from the human perspective, but from a supernatural viewpoint—or from God’s eyes—such concepts probably don’t even exist.
When I was younger, I thought of myself as being on the liberal side. Simply because I was an artist.
As an artist, I admired free expression and free living.
I was inspired by great performers in rock history—some of whom were gay or bisexual—because they expressed themselves beyond sexual stereotypes.
(And in fact, I’m not a masculine type myself. Even as a musician, I believe my expression is different from the typical masculine culture of heavy metal.)
But in reality, I turned out to be a boring, ordinary straight guy. That doesn’t mean I’m “sinless” or “sin free.” I’m far from an ideal human being.
In the end, the direction of one’s sexual preferences, one’s sexual orientation, isn’t the main issue. Because either way, humanity is full of sin, and human sexuality is tied up with sin. That’s why what really matters is love. Because love guides us, and love redeems us.
Yet as I get older, I’ve come to realize that my core values are actually quite traditional—and even conservative.
Of course, part of that realization came after becoming a Christian and connecting with Christian friends around the world, especially in America.
But it also came from thinking about the history of rock, the history of heavy metal, and the essence within those traditions that must be preserved.
Naturally, as a Japanese person, this also connects to preserving traditional Japanese culture.
At this point, I no longer know where exactly I stand politically in the human world.
As a person, I carry many conservative and traditional views.
But at the same time, I have deep sympathy for people with progressive ideas.
Perhaps that’s why I have friends on both sides.
I don’t intend to deny either position.
To me, people on both sides are good human beings—people worth loving.
To be honest, I don’t know much about politics.
Because I’m unfamiliar with power structures or social positions, I have no sense for political maneuvering or human power dynamics.
So I don’t really know how politics operates, and frankly, I don’t even care.
What matters to me is what kind of sound is made, and what kind of spirit is carried within it—that’s all.
Still, even I can see one thing:
This world needs all kinds of people.
Both right and left—both ways of thinking—are necessary for human society.
That’s why there’s no need for hatred.
No need to divide the world into “us” and “them.”
I believe God—Jesus Christ—is beyond the politics of this human world.
I don’t believe in politics. I don’t believe in power. I don’t even believe in “rightness.”
Because human “rightness” can never measure up to God’s righteousness.
We are all wrong in some way.
The only thing I believe in is Jesus Christ and His cross.
When Jesus carried the cross, He did it for all of us.
And I believe that in that single point, in that single moment—there lies the one truth in the universe where, beyond all differences, we can truly be one.
May God’s grace and guidance be upon this wounded world.
Tak / Imari Tones (Japan)
Originally written in Japanese, translated by Mr.GPT.