Seek Justice, Love Kindness, and Walk Humbly
With so many tragic events happening since last year, it was hard for me to pen my thoughts together. Along with changing the way we live life since COVID-19 exploded in America, we have been grieving for more than a year for those who lost their lives to Covid and those who lost their lives to injustice and violence in mass riots. Now, we experience front and center lives lost to two consecutive mass shootings in a week. It's overwhelming. It's exhausting and unceasing.
In light of the recent tragic event in Atlanta, GA, statistics from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism on violence against Asian Americans has been growing at a daunting rate of 145% in the past year. Since COVID-19 began in the US, Asians were targeted, called derogatory names, and blamed for the cause of the spread of the virus as the US implements shutdown nationwide with mask-wearing and social distancing mandates. I am heartbroken.
I myself experienced racism. When we arrived in America, I did not speak English. Communicating in a new language was not easy, and people made fun of me. I got call "ching chong" and a few other names. On a few occasions, black and white Americans would tell me to go back to where I came from. One particular incident a few years back left an imprint on me. I was on a business trip to downtown Washington DC, and while I was waiting at an intersection for the pedestrian light to turn green, I checked my email on the phone. Out of nowhere, a man approached me and questioned how I managed to purchase that phone. He accused me of stealing work from Americans. Then he tells me that Asians came to the US to steal everything from Americans. He spoke in a loud and fierce tone, but no one in the crowd spoke up for me that morning or stopped the man from his outrage. I arrived at the office, questioning what I did to make him so mad. Then I tell myself, "stop blaming yourself for the behavior of a mad man."
I hear you. I understand that we have been quiet long enough. It's time for Asian Americans to speak up and say America is our home too. We are tired of living in the shadows and seem invisible in many American communities. We are tired of minding our own business and sweeping everything under the rug. We are tired of being forced to fit within our expected roles, tired of being forced to play into the stereotypes as the "model minority." As long as we comply with the stereotypes, we can't escape the perpetual foreigner syndrome. Silence sends an unintentional signal, leaving people to interpret things their way.
So, what are we to do? Pray! In prayer, we can be honest with God, whether we are angry, sad, or confused. Pray for healing and transformation of the heart of those that wronged us. When we see people oppressed, poor, helpless, or silenced, God tells us we are to speak for them and defend them according to the His Word of Truth. We are to be advocates for what is just, righteous, loving and faithful.
To have justice, kindness, and mercy in this world, we need to start with the gospel. We talk about sports, clothes, shoes, tv shows and complain about the world's injustice. Yet, how often do we talk about the gospel's message, the only message that transforms the heart? When it comes to gospel conversation, we shy away from it and have great anxiety and fear. We are afraid that the gospel will be confrontational or argumentative. Jesus' commission in Matthew 28:19-20 "that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Whether you have found yourself acting bitter towards others, or you are the victim of the hatred in our world, Romans 12:9 tells us how we should respond to either of those things. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." A believer's response to hatred and darkness should be to shed the light of Christ so that others will see the love of God. We ought to exemplify our Christian values as 1 Peter 3:15, "honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."
You might say, so we do nothing. On the contrary, Jesus challenges us to do something harder. He commands us to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave us (Ephesian 4:32). Christ redeemed and forgave our sin by sacrificing on the cross. His sacrifice made way for us to forgive each other. Jesus's death fulfilled the demands of justice on behalf of those who were his enemies (Romans 3:21–26, 5:6–10). Through Matthew's account of Jesus's trial and execution. We see Jesus slapped on the face during his trial before the high priest (Matthew 26:67–68). We see him stripped of his garments by Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:31, 35). We see him forced to walk from Gethsemane to Caiaphas, then from Caiaphas to Pilate, and then from Pilate to Golgotha (Matthew 26:57, 27:2, 31).
In Mathew 5:38-41, Jesus warned us against legal retribution. "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." Here Jesus asks his followers to set aside the demands for justice and fulfill the demands of justice on behalf of those who wrong them. Christians are not to treat others the way others treated us in the past; instead, we must treat others the way we would like to be treated in the future (Matthew 7:12).
God is still reconciling sinners. His arms are never too short to save this broken world (Isaiah 59:1). Are you willing "to be send" and bring the good news to a broken world? Isaiah responds to God's calling in Isaiah 6:8, saying, "Here am I, Send me!". I pray that you will respond to God's call for mercy and justice by courageously making the gospel conversation your daily conversation. May you stand out like a lighthouse to the world. Turn to Christ, don't give in to your fear and anger. Ask God to help you to love the world as He does. Clothes yourself with compassion and bring the good news to a hopeless world. May your life be an agent of peace, representing the love, joy, and hope we have in Christ.
Thu Mai
CVCF Executive Board Member