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Being Asian…

by Lon on February 4, 2009

Some thoughts that have been percolating on being Asian…

I’m Chinese. I don’t think I realized it till about grade three.

I have faint memories of myself squeezing my nose in the mirror in hopes that it wasn’t so flat.

Race itself can be a type of poverty

Is the asian model minority myth, a myth?

In Dreams of my Father, Barack Obama talks about not wanting to associate with the one other black classmate because it would only remind them further of their isolation. I feel that way sometimes when I’m surrounded by Asians.

Asians are rarely included in the black-white race discussions

I’ve heard people say where black and white are on the extremes, yellow and brown are ‘just right’.

Along with the color remarks, I’ve heard people use the term ‘banana’ for Asians that act white. I’ve always wondered if there was something similar for Asians acting ‘black’. Beef patty is the closest thing I can think of, yellow pastry on the outside, dark on the inside?

Labels are rarely helpful, but where else would we start?

When Asians are mentioned in conversations on reconciliation it seems to be merely for the sake of inclusion, not that there might be some form of weight behind it.

Being Asian typically carries more stereotypes behind it than an actual narrative

Many of the circles I travel in, from old-school pastoral gatherings to emergent networks, I’m the only Asian dude.

I wonder if I help validate the movement of Christ to all people when I show up.

Truth is, I long for a truly multi-cultural church as well

At my wife’s school, there’s typically only one token white kid in her classroom.

Statistics say that within a decade the majority of Christians in America will be non-white. What does that mean about our future leadership?

With the Chinese ethnic church booming over the past decade, black and white pastors have asked me, when will the Chinese church begin reaching back out to them?

We as a church need to have a better theology of the human person and of diversity.

God’s not colorblind, and when we avoid the discussions as we do in Canada, we’re negating a part of who God created us to be.

Is there affirmative action happening in our churches? Is that a good thing?

John Piper thinks that Asians might be the next great movement of missionaries

I wonder how China being an emerging superpower relates to the church of the future?

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Obama & The Emerging Church

by Lon on March 20, 2008

I’f you’ve been living solitude the last day, check out Barack Obama’s major speech on race recently delivered (2 million views on youtube in less than 2 days!). Much of it is in response to his former pastor Jeremiah Wright’s outright racist comments, but it’s so much more. I suspect it’s stuff Obama’s been thinking for quite a while now.

(Here’s a cool interactive video/text of the speech by the NYTimes)

And if you haven’t seen the DNC2004 breakthrough speech. You must go back and watch it. Part 1 and 2.

The net’s been abuzz with the boldness and riskiness of the speech. Some say it’s the most important and historic speech since MLK’s. I expected about as much from Obama.

Obama’s not without his flaws, but here’s why the church needs to stop, listen, and understand the whole Obama-phenomenon

- Obama is the first truly postmodern presidential candidate. He publicly offers us insights into the state and trajectory of our culture. He also has the capacity to shape and influence it.

- Just as Christ believes in us more than we might believe in Him, so does Barack. A big part of the media critique to Barack’s speech is that it was brilliant, but too nuanced and sophisticated for the average ‘knucklehead’ in America. Obama actually dares to think better of American than that.

- Obama knows how to subtly subvert the establishment and the culture to ‘forgotten ways‘. As much as Barack declares it, I really don’t know how much “I am my brother’s keeper” was on the founding father’s minds, but it’s a truth embedded somewhere in our souls. Obama injects it into the conversation as if it always was. Just as emerging leaders today need to not reject the church, but embrace her, and gently call her back to Jesus, the one we’ve ignored but has always been there.

- In response of Jesus’ prayer of becoming ‘one, the church is desperately in need of unity. If you read “The audacity of hope”, you’ll he how he’s always had a politics of unity. He refuses to vilify people and find ways of honoring even those he strongly disagrees with. As the church we need to re-learn how to honor the image of God within every person, no matter how broken. If we really do believe in a sovereign God at work in all places, I’d go as far as saying we need to find ways to honor all that reflects God in every faith group and orientation, no matter how God’s fingerprints on them might seem.

- Barack has built his campaign on being better together; in policy, funding, speeches, etc. The future of the church will not be driven by lone-ranger super-star pastors. Hillary Clinton may be ready-on-day-one and fight like there’s no tomorrow, but does her extraordinary efforts come even close to an entire army of people willing to do the same inspired by Barack? The church needs to learn how to inspire the masses again. Just as God inspires (breathes into) humanity

- Transcendence and Imminence – When will.i.am was being interviewed about his “yes we can” song a reporter asked what many people of Obama’s critics are asking – What exactly is all this transcendent talk of ‘change’ that you’re so excited about specifically referring to? I love will.i.am’s answer – “Obama changes… me”. Does it get any more personal and transformational than that? We, the church, need to stop fighting over the peripherals and fight for the hearts of our people.

That’s all for now, there’s so much more though.

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