Laban: Only Jacob’s Villain or Also A Responsible Father?
When I first read about Jacob and his uncle Laban in Genesis, I did not see Laban as anything but a villain. But now, years later, as I reflect on my South Asian culture and the culture of Jacob’s time, I find that I have questions about who Laban is.
A Filipino American Perspective on Romans 12-13
I have carried these two perspectives, those of my tito and my classmates, with me for many years, trying to discern the right way to respond. The painful reality has been that biblical passages such as Rom. 13:1–7 have been used to justify the horrors of colonialism; by right of conquest, the imperial powers were granted the divine right to rule.
Moses Maligned by Biblical Interpreters
Asian Americans who are not fully bilingual understand Moses’s dilemma and can identify with his situation. As they are unable to speak fluently in the language of their homeland, they end up stammering and stuttering when they try. They speak hesitantly as they translate from one language to the other in their heads, and when words eventually emerge, they are tainted by an accent. On occasion, native speakers make fun of their feeble attempts, thus shaming and further discouraging them, causing them to shut down.
Breakfast Time!
Alongside “Have you eaten yet?”, “Let’s eat!”—or in my Cantonese household, “sik fan la!”—is a mealtime call shouted loud and clear throughout the house, reaching all the hungry stomachs and drawing them near. …As I read Jesus’s words, “Come and have breakfast” (John 21:12, NIV), I can’t help but recognize Jesus’s anticipation of the disciples’ needs and his preparation of a simple, yet thoughtful meal made with love.
Asian American Biblical Interpretation
Asian American biblical interpretation is committed to reading with, for, and about those who have been minoritized due to their Asian identity, while also offering them critique. It proposes a way forward toward greater justice and equality for Asian Americans.
The Gospel in “American Born Chinese”: An Introduction to Contextualization
Cross-cultural Identity and the Gospel in The Mission
Was John Chau’s life lived in obedience to God and the spread of the Gospel or was it, as his pastor feared, pursuing “a fantasy"?
Black Cake
Yet the beauty of it is learning that all of those pieces, even the painful ones, fit perfectly together to create the masterpiece that is me. Stories, pain, conflict, joy, resilience, creativity, courage, and even anger have all brushed their unique strokes and colors onto the canvas of my life and invite me into an opportunity to become whole as I welcome all of the pieces of myself.
After Watching Minari
Here we have a story; that doesn’t live happily ever; after but goes on, nevertheless. We don’t know exactly; what happened to grandma, only; she is with them like voices in leaves.
House of Cards: Hollywood's Take on East Asian Women is Flawed
Films that disempower East Asian women tend to fall short because the house of cards was built upon a shaky foundation.
Celebrating Asian Heritage in Children's Literature: An Interview with Tina Cho
In this article, we interview Tina Cho about her work as a children’s author and the value of diverse representation in children’s literature, which characterizes much of her work.
The Value of Asian American Churches with Raymond Chang
Discipleship in the Korean American immigrant church wasn’t just a way to transfer knowledge and information, but an invitation into a new way of life in a new community—especially as so many people had to rely on each other just to survive in a society that wasn’t really designed with them in mind.
Telling Our Stories: Tell Me the Dream Again Book Review
Throughout her book, Jun continues to pull on the theme of coming home to yourself—and the way that journey looked for her uniquely as a biracial Korean woman growing up in the States.
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
Book Review: Preaching to a Divided Nation
In order to fix the divisions in our churches and our country, we not only have to understand what is broken but how it is broken.
Invisible Leaders
When I think about my grandmother, I wonder, “Wasn’t her life also a ministry?” Perhaps she was not welcome to hold a title or a position in the church, but I believe my grandmother’s life looked a lot more like the life of Jesus than the lives of some of the male church leaders.
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
Freed from Fearful Timidity in Order to Flourish
Pastoring has been the soil on which I have met the Lord, over and over again. This calling invites me to be saturated in God’s presence and in God’s Word, year after year. It stirs up all of my insecurities and fears and my imposter syndrome, and those things become the ripe soil on which Jesus meets me, over and over again, to speak his words of love.
A History of Asian American Worship Music
Though many Asian American churches and ministries often sing worship songs from the likes of Hillsong and Bethel, or Western hymns for the older generation, with a bit of digging, I’ve discovered that worship songs written by and for Asian American Christians have been around for at least a few decades.
When Code Switching is Not Enough
I was a stranger in the country, which had been home for so many years. People had moved on, and I was no longer a little child. My friends were no longer there, and my parents had a new routine as empty nesters. I had become more South Indian than they wanted me to be, and they found my new habits different. I had learned to move adeptly between two cultures, but I was neither here nor there.