By Dustin Lang
P
rocess. Pray. Practice. Proclaim.
These were the four reasons that believers from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community gathered at the Los Angeles Call for Solidarity. If you looked out into the sea of 450 faces on March 28th, it would never cross your mind that this grassroots event was put together in six days.
In six days, numerous churches across Los Angeles and Orange County were mobilized. In six days, fifteen highly sought-after speakers and presenters joined the lineup. In six days, permits were acquired so that a mass gathering could be held at Seoul International Park in the heart of Koreatown. And in six days, all logistics—including banner and shirt printing, acquiring a portable stage, securing a thirteen-member volunteer team, and everything else it takes to hold a rally—were carried out.
It could be easy to attribute this outcome purely to sacrifice. After all, team members put in countless work hours to plan this out, attendees were willing to travel to Koreatown to sit in hot 87 degree weather for two hours, and speakers made time to prepare and deliver well-crafted presentations. NewStory Church, the host church of this event, even pushed its service time up two hours to accommodate for the rally.
But to attribute this outcome solely to human sacrifice would be short-sighted. Yes, Moses sacrificed his comfort to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But it was God who parted the Red Sea. Yes, Paul sacrificed his physical safety to continue preaching the gospel. But it was God who kept him alive. Even ten of the eleven disciples sacrificed their very lives for Christ. But it was God who used their testimonies to radically transform our world.
The invisible but inevitable truth was that in the planning, behind the favorable outcomes, and over the course of the rally itself, the Spirit of God was at work.
God paved the way for hundreds of believers to gather in solidarity. God orchestrated events so that this day would be covered by KTLA, ABC, Fox, CGNTV, and the Associated Press so that millions would hear about the cause. And it was God who worked powerfully through each moment of the event.
The rally started with the praise song “Shout to the Lord” led by Pauline Park. The lyrics couldn’t have been more fitting as we declared that even “mountains bow down and the seas will roar” at the sound of Jesus’ name.
Heidi Kwon, Liturgist at Ekko Church, led us in a time of silent prayer. For eight minutes (one for each victim), we held the families and friends of the victims in the light of Christ. In this time of silence, the hearts of all attendees were knit together as we grieved in unison.
Rev. Tom Kang, lead pastor of NewStory Church, gave opening remarks. He reminded us of the purpose for our gathering: to stand for the lives and dignity of the AAPI community. When explaining in more detail his own personal involvement, he said, “I’m here standing on behalf of my immigrant parents because they just couldn’t. I’m also here for my three Asian American daughters in the hopes that one day they wouldn’t have to either.” This statement reminded us of a key value of Christianity and Asian American culture—that community matters. The rally wasn’t only for ourselves. It was also for our aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, children, and future generations.
The next portion of the rally included four charges led by female Asian American Christian leaders Hyepin Im, Rev. Dr. Sharon Kim, Anh Lin, and Rev. Dr. Janette Ok. Each of these was followed by four corresponding prayers led by Rev. Guillermo Torres, Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, Jason Nettles, and Elder Anthony Davis.
Hyepin Im reminded us that the time for the AAPI community to be in the public spotlight had come. And though we were lamenting our current racism-filled reality, we could find hope knowing that God brings joy in the morning.
Rev. Dr. Sharon Kim discussed the three ways we find healing—through sharing our stories, forgiving others, and remembering our shared identity and mission in Christ.
Anh Lin called us to repentance on a personal level. This included turning away from both the sins of denying our God-given ethnicities and also idolizing them.
Rev. Dr. Janette Ok brought the perspective that declaring the dignity of AAPI lives is gospel work because Jesus restores all things—including our voices, our bodies, and our names.
In light of the Atlanta shooting, seeing four Asian American women filled with such boldness to speak on stage was a reminder that God was with us and would use all things for His glory.
Rev. Dr. David Kim shared a poem called “Heal Our Land.” Jason Chu, rapper and activist, also performed a song called “Honor” that was written to restore dignity to Asian people.
We then heard two remarks of solidarity from Controller Ron Galperin and Rev. Peter Watts, friends of the AAPI community.
Afterwards, Rev. Harold Kim read the seven action items of Asian American Christian Collaborative and reminded us that we are called to not only share the gospel but to show the gospel. Our time ended with the song “What a Beautiful Name” and a benediction from Rev. Tom Kang.
The hundreds who came, millions who saw, and countless lives that were impacted testified that God was with us.
This rally was a strong reminder of the words of Gamaliel in Acts 5, verses 38 and 39: “For if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.”
God is with us. And we will not be overthrown.
Photos by Dave Kim
Dustin Lang is happily married to the love of his life Jennifer. He leads the College and Young Adult Ministries of NewStory LA, a church in downtown Los Angeles. He is the Founder and Vision Caster for Revival LA, a movement to build gospel-centered culture in Los Angeles. Dustin enjoys teaching the Bible as well as writing and speaking about a diverse range of topics from urban ministry to ministry leadership.