Drawing Near After the One Who First Drew Near
As those who follow Christ, we believe in a God who provided daily bread in the wilderness (Exodus 16); a God who multiplied bread for thousands of people (Matthew 14:13-21), and a God who ultimately became bread to satisfy our deepest hunger (John 6:22-59). We can imagine it grieves God that anyone should be hungry; it should lead us to lament too. How do we wrestle with the weight of these realities and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:34-40)?
Why Trump Hits Home
I’ve learned that change rarely comes through arguments. My parents aren’t moved by stats. But stories, especially ones that echo their own, sometimes open something up. When I connect their immigrant struggles to those of others today, it sometimes softens them. Not always. But sometimes. What helps most is grounding our conversations in the life of Jesus—his humility, compassion, and refusal to chase power. When we remove Trump from the picture and just look at Jesus, the contrast is jarring. In the best way.
Birthright Citizenship and the Current Immigration Crisis
Migration and immigration are among the key issues of our political moment. Immigration is a complex issue with more factors than are often considered in short sound bytes, but a clear call in the Scriptures is to care for the “sojourner in our midst.”
The cost of sacrificial love in Asian American families: honoring parents while maintaining boundaries
A uniform approach to healthy family boundaries may not apply in our multicultural society, especially in families shaped by the immigrant experience.
Between the Lines of Asian, Black, and White
The model minority myth erases both the suffering of Black Americans and Asian Americans.
Book Review: Beyond Ethnic Loneliness
Living as a member of a marginalized community can be lonely and a source of grief, but Verma reminds us that we can find Jesus in the margins.
Our Faith, Our Vote: Pursuing Advocacy as Asian American Christians
When Asian Americans show up and take their seat at the table, they can influence and enact policies that promote justice and equity for their community.
What Generosity Means for the Church
A flourishing church does not mean a church devoid of problems and issues. It does not mean there will be no suffering in unknown times. However, a church that flourishes will require a different kind of sacrifice. Flourishing requires the participation of both men and women. It requires the young and old
Liberation through Language
The most important thing non-females can do in a ministry setting is to empower and acknowledge the talents they see in their congregation, and this can be done through language
The End of Affirmative Action
Affirmative has never been a perfect tool to level the playing field of educational diversity. But it has made an important impact for thousands such as myself who otherwise were overlooked and not given a fair chance.
Not All Social Justice Advocates March
Over the years, trying to emulate my peers and my social justice heroes—Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Óscar Romero, and others—led me to burnout again and again. Each episode of burnout was worse than the last, until I found myself in bed, debilitatingly depressed, unable to work and barely able to function, for almost a year. I finally began to understand that I was following the way of other people more than the way of the cross.
Someday
Someday I hope my child thinks I’m brave for making beautiful things as reminders of beauty.
AAPI Allyship on Juneteenth
Juneteenth celebrates what many refer to as a “second Independence Day” for our nation (Juneteenth Foundation), marking a mix of freedom, injustice, and progress.
AACC Parenting Conference: An Interview with the Conference Organizers
I have never attended a conference specifically designed to speak to the needs and concerns that pertain to me as an Asian American Christian parent . . . it was so refreshing to have our experiences as Asian American Christians centered in the conversations.
8 Memoirs for AANHPI Heritage Month
For Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we recommend picking up a book (or two) to help you learn about a perspective that may be unfamiliar to you, or perhaps makes you feel more seen in your own identify and experience.
AACC Statement on the Allen Mall Shooting
But we must also pray that God moves citizens and elected officials alike to not hide behind “thoughts and prayers” but courageously pursue policies that reduce the scourge of gun violence in our communities.
On the “Ching Chonging” AAPI Communities Often Endure Within Institutions of Higher Education
Americans of Asian descent deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and Keon’s public denigration of Asian languages and cultures contributes to the pernicious pattern of anti-Asian prejudice, discrimination, racism, and violence endured in our communities for generations.
AACC Statement on the Gun Violence in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay
There were 38 mass shootings in the first 23 days of 2023. What illusions that gun violence is not a problem the Asian American community needs to wrestle with have been tragically shattered.
A Year “2” Remember: A Journey Through Asian American History of the Years that End in “2”
We must do the good work of remembering and remembering actively. When we do this, we are able to better anticipate and address the issues that impact Asian American communities across the US and to work towards a justice for all that falls in line with the heart of God for healing and wholeness driven by the church.
“You bring your gun to church?” A Chinese American Pastor’s Reflections on the Epidemic of Gun Violence
There are lots of reasons that people own guns. For comfort, to collect, as part of their jobs, for personal defense, or for sport. But as pastors and as a church, we cannot ignore and be silent on guns anymore.