The Hairdresser

It is not always wise to get your hairdresser too excited. 

“Yes! That, and that…!” my hairdresser Mayu said, waving her scissors around for emphasis as she was cutting my hair. I watched her hand carefully in the mirror, just in case.

We had enjoyed many conversations over the last three years, Mayu and I. This day, as I sat in her salon, she was talking about her favorite YouTubers. When she asked me what channels I watch,  I answered that they would probably not be familiar to her, because they all had Christian content. That was when she got so excited.

Mayu told me she was part of a community orchestra, and had been practicing St. Matthew’s Passion, a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach. “I don’t understand this piece,” she told me. “In the beginning, it is happy. In the middle, it is so heavy and sad. Then, at the end, it is happy again—and it feels like I am being rescued! So, what is this symphony really about?”

Now I was the one getting excited. 

I briefly shared with Mayu about the life of Jesus, as she continued to cut my hair. At one point, she said, “I always believed there was a God. Music must come down from heaven! But how can we know who God is?”

“I could try to tell you,” I replied, “but I would just be the words of a human. You could ask God directly—ask him to tell you about himself.” At that, her scissors paused for a moment, before she continued snipping thoughtfully. 

I left the salon happy, praying about next steps. Should I push forward, or wait for her lead? Then, within a day, Mayu texted me: I want to know more about God. What should I do? 

I texted back: How about we read the Bible together? 

We began a regular practice of reading the Bible; her comments were always inspiring and her questions thought-provoking. Then, the most important question of all: How do I become a Christian?

My hairdresser—and dear friend—was baptized in May of 2025. Please pray for Mayu as she begins her new life in Jesus.