Our church finished a lent series through the book of Judges leading up to Easter. Judges is probably one of the most savage and heart-breaking books in the bible…it records what happened when people turned away from God and did as they saw fit. It is easy for us to judge others and say, “Well, we would never go that far”…but here we are in the 21st century hearing news story after news story of shocking atrocities.
So what are we to do in such times? There is a central theme that repeats throughout the book, which is that the people forget God, and so get more and more lost. So let’s get back on track by doing the reverse of Judges 8:34, that it may be said “and they did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.”
So I’m returning back to a practice of one modern way of making “memorial stones” to remember the works of God I’ve witnessed in my life (see here for #1-15, and here for #16-29), and to access that living God here and NOW!
30. T.P. asked for prayer for the pain in his body. I prayed that God’s word be like a fire in his bones. The next day he contacted me to tell me that he was healed from the pain in his bones and that it hadn’t come back since.
31. (Aug 2012) In a particularly discouraging season of ministry of youth pulling back from God, I was praying for some guys I hadn’t seen in a while and as I drove to youth group, and I saw two of them (H* & I*) crossing the street in front of me. We talked and they came to youth group that night as well as another brother, T* I hadn’t seen in a long time, and he was excited about re-engaging in praying for a friend.
32. (2014) As I had been growing in practicing listening prayer, God confirmed multiple times through others what I was hearing from God. I prayed for Isa and saw an image of a flower, which was confirmed by Vero who also saw a flower. In another time of prayer I shared seeing a vision of a desert scene that matched exactly what Blumey had seen in prayer. While praying for Claudia I saw a vision of a beanstalk. Candiss, who needed encouragement in that season, also saw the same thing in prayer but was afraid it was just her. In prayed for my friend K* I saw a vision of a pink and white stripe turning vertical to intersect with a nest. K* confirms that his wife was pregnant, which was an unexpected turn that would be hard but encouraged to pray for good. Time and again I am reminded that God does see, speak, and know us.
33. (2015.02.15) Our church was in a place of financial difficulty to pay for our needs. We challenged the church to give and the monthly offering commitment doubled!
34. (2015.02.25) I had left my keys hanging in the lock of our front door facing the street overnight and it was still there in the morning!
35. (2015.03.27). Ji (and me too) was so discouraged after losing bid after bid for a house (probably about a dozen by this point). She was in tears crying that we’d never be able to get a home. On my way to view yet another house I told God that if we even get in for a house we’ll know it’s from Him. As I arrived they gave us keys to the house that very day, cheaper than what we were willing to pay. On top of this, by a sort of mistake, the seller decided to legally make the house into a duplex so the city got involved and held the seller accountable to make a lot of repairs. We live in this house to this day.
36. Gus was experiencing spiritual attack of a sudden sickness as he was prepping to give a word for the coming Sunday. Me and Isabel prayed for him and he felt a progression into healing. As I rebuked it he felt it pulling his head, and then Isabel prayed and he felt it break off.
37. (2016.01) In a hotel parking lot, I forgot I had left my van with the engine running and the keys in the ignition. A couple hours later late at night, Louis and Phil noticed it and told me! (If you inspect my life there is a pattern here of forgetfulness! The deliverances from so many of these situations points to a God who is looking out for me, even in my carelessness!)
38. (2016.07.17) In prayer I share seeing the spirit like a bright bird hovering. This is doubly confirmed by Chris who on his own saw Isaiah 31 (v. 5 reads: Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”) and Gus got an image of the shadow of wings.
39. (2017.04.04) As I prayed for Megan I got a sense of James 1:2-4. After sharing this with her she told me that she had just read James 1 and had journaled about verse 2, earlier that day.
40. (2017.04.21) Liz R. had pain in her wrists so bad that she wanted to go to doctor. Sandra and I prayed for her hands. She immediately started feeling better as she felt heat and chills. We prayed for her a second time and she said she felt no more pain in her wrists.
41. (2017.05.30) I went out for a street outreach for d-school with Gina and Yvette. At a local park we offered to pray for a couple older ladies. Leticia asked us to pray for pain in her kneesthat doctors said would last for about 5 years after chemo. She was in her 3rd year. When we asked about her level of pain on a scale of 1 to 10 she said it was an 8. I prayed out loud along with Gina and Yvette. I felt something moving. I asked her how she felt and she said she felt warmth and the pain was gone. Not even on the scale. She was in joy that she could even move her leg. This encouraged the lady next to her, Uvala, to ask for prayer for her lungs. Gina prayed for her twice. Uvlala said she felt warmth and felt good.
42. (2017.06) During our mission trip to the Dominican Republic with ICM, we entered into a woman’s house and in prayer for her I saw an image of a pumpkin being carved out to shine light. The woman asks me to repeat what I said and asked for more of what I saw. She began to tear up. She brought out out a model pumpkin she owned that has a light in it to plug in. She felt seen by the Lord.
43. (2017.07.10). During my morning face time with Jesus, the passage was on having faith even as small as a mustard seed. I thought to myself “I believe help my unbelief.” I prayed to God to have more true faith. I turned my music app on (which was already set to random) and the first song that played contained the words “help my and unbelief”.
44. (2018.08.16) D* had been struggling with issues of swallowing her food and digestion. I offered to pray, as she had faith that God would and could heal her. I prayed for her by laying my hand on her back. She told me as soon as we started praying she could feel something pass through her and open her up.
45. (2018.08.23) In prayer for Carol I asked God what truth He wants to speak to her. God brought to my mind Zephaniah 3:17. It turns out that was passage that she had read that vey morning. (18.09.12) I listened with O* for God’s perspective on what He wanted to teach her through overwhelmingly difficult situations she was dealing with. I sensed the scripture of the end of Matthew Ch. 3 to Matthew 4:4. It turns out this was the section that she had stopped doing her facetime.
These are just some examples that I had recorded of how God sees, knows, and hears us. God is alive and wants a living relationship with us! He can deliver us in the ways that we need! What memorial stones do you have of God’s work in and through your life (and how can we access that today)?
With “Bibi” and the LH team at the church community center in Santiago, DR.
God honors the small faithful acts of love over a longer period of time. Our Discipleship schools have had the privilege to witness God’s work in communities in Santiago, Dominican Republic over a longer period of time.
When we first came to the Pontezuela community 7 years ago, Pastor Stanley and the Iglesia Comunidad Multicultural met at a store front church and would love on the community. Pastor Stanley showed us a rough plot of land in front of a little shack in the Haitian immigrant slum and shared with us dreams of a community center there.
The next year after that we prayed in the rain over a cement foundation that was built there. The following year we served food to community children over a first floor with a dirt floor. Last year our team saw the building complete with classes on the 2nd floor for community children that didn’t have the resources and papers to go to the traditional schools in the DR and enjoyed the Sunday service on the first floor. This year we came just in time to see some of the Kindergarten students graduate!
Even the atmosphere and the openness of the people in the community seemed to have changed. People know of the love of the church in the neighborhood. Another immigrant Haitian community that ICM in partnership with mission teams have been loving on is Secara. I remember a lot of spiritual warfare there and spiritual attack through voodoo practiced in the community. This year we were led by one of the local pastors to an alleyway in the neighborhood with people gathered. We offered to pray for folks and then suddenly a lot of folks got up and walked away. We prayed for two gentlemen that stayed.
And then a shop owner opened his window and asked for prayer. Then people came back with others to ask for prayer. One person poked his head into the space we were praying for the shop owner and I thought that was pretty rude to ask for something to buy from the shop. But instead this man, Pedro, surprised us by saying he wanted prayer. He remembers that other believers in the past had come to pray for his stomach and he had been healed. He pulled up the back of his shirt and said that now he was here for prayer for his back! The witness of small acts of love over time carries in a community and brings transformation!
In Luke 13:18-19 Jesus shares: “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”
Now imagine what it would be like if us believers continue to faithfully plant seeds of Gods love over a long period of time? Continuing to do the small acts of watering with kind and encouraging words, some sunlight of praying into people the healing of Jesus? Then there would be such Kingdom growth and transformation that it would bring shelter to whole communities!
Church, do not despise or look down on small acts of Gods love and goodness that you share. Even if it is not received right away, trust that these small faithful acts matter and God will use them to grow His Kingdom, his powerful nearness over time to bring the change that we need so much in this world!!
Mission work is not just for d-school students and gifted missionaries. Gods mission work is for each person who is willing to love someone, as Jesus has loved you, even with the smallest act of love!!!
How did you become a 10 year old already? It seems like only a few years ago that I held you in my arms as a baby and God made me a father.
Amos, my first born. In so many ways like me – with perfectionist tendencies and tunnel vision too. But in other ways so different than me – with phonographic memory, unabashed in your emotion, and more willing to take risks.
I wish you wouldn’t grow up so fast, my Amo-chan. But, alas, time waits for no man. My leader had warned me years ago to treasure the time with you when you’re little because one never gets those years back. But I feel like I let them slip away so quickly anyway. Fatherhood isn’t as easy as I made it out to be in mind. The reality is a lot more challenging. Its a lot of work, tiring, with high highs but low lows. I feel like its brought out the worst in me too. And you’ve borne a lot of that. I’m so sorry for that Amos.
It’s been humbling. But its also been revealing. What seems like the quickness of your growth is actually a window into how difficult it is for me to be present, for me to be still. Even when I’m with you, too often I’m physically there but I am not fully there. My mind, my heart, my hands are occupied with something else…some good but most of the time, when i think about it, not as important as you developing right in front of me.
I realize that my father, who did the best that he could, did not know how to be present to me, and his main way of interacting with me was to tell me what to do or not to do. His father, my grandfather (and your great grandfather), was not present to his son. I don’t want this cycle to continue on to you.
I have come to know my (our) Heavenly Father over the years. Through His son Jesus, He is showing me a different way to be. It has been hard to be still and just receive love from my Heavenly Father, as opposed to this restless sense that I need to be doing something for Him. But He is teaching me that He mostly just wants to be with me. And I am learning how to just be in His presence. In His loving arms. He is modeling for me how to be a better father to you and your younger brother.
Today we had some father and son time where we walked the streets hand in hand to get and eat ice cream. I wanted to talk to you about this and that but you just wanted to enjoy the time, and I sensed our Heavenly Father encouraging me to not rush but just to be with you. Please be patient with Daddy. He is still learning to be a better daddy and more like your true Heavenly Father.
This is a message I shared, at Epicentre West LA, concerning God’s heart and my convictions concerning love for “the Least of These.” It brings together a lot of what I’ve learned over the past decade and I hope it can be helpful to you.
(my sharing starts at the 29:00 mark)
GENERAL TRANSCRIPT OF MESSAGE BELOW *** Good morning spiritual family at Epicentre WLA! Pastor Chris is out of town for a funeral of his Aunt so please keep him in your prayers. My name is Dave Kitani and I am one of the pastors at your sister church on the Eastside, New Life Community Church – Lincoln Heights. Thank you for the privilege of having me over to share God’s word with you all. I’ve gotten to know some of your leaders over the years and it’s been awesome to grow as family together in LA. I’m so excited because starting in 2022, I’m gonna be walking with and helping to lead a joint d-school with our church family, along with Steph from Epicentre WLA and Omar from Hope Church.
Epicentre WLA and New Life have been going through a series on our shared core values: Love for Jesus, Love for the church, and Love for the world. This morning I’d like for us to step in a little deeper and flesh out what this might look like. What would a follower of Jesus look like, not just by appearance but by lifestyle? How would you know if someone is a true follower of Jesus? Dare I go further and ask how would I know if I am “saved”? What do you think?…These are important questions.
At the end of the day I’m not the one who determines the final answer. Jesus does. In this morning’s passage Jesus seems to reveal how He would determine who is with him and who is not. Now this is not the ONLY way, but it’s certainly one of the ways Jesus will know. This can simultaneously be a moving passage but also a terrifying passage.
Please stand, if you are able for the reading of God’s word
SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 25:31-46(NIV) 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
PRAYER
In this intense passage, Jesus mentions 6 different forms that he will come to us, representing 6 different types of people we may come across:
a person who is 1) hungry, 2) thirsty, 3) stranger (the word used here in greek is “xenos” meaning foreigner) 4) naked, 5) sick, 6) and in prison.
There are so many implications of this that we won’t be able to get into all this morning, but at the very least what do all these people have in common?
They are all people who are in deep need. These are the people who society often overlooks, the one who Jesus calls “the least of these.”
What is so moving is that Jesus loves these overlooked ones, the least of these, sooo much that He identifies himself with them.
The ones that society considers the least, Jesus considers the most. The ones that the world puts down, Jesus lifts up. That to see these ones in need is to see Jesus himself. To love the least of these is to love Jesus himself.
Some have tried to qualify this passage and say that in v.40 “the least of these brothers and sister of mine” means Jesus is referring only to other Christians in need. Now this certainly can include Christians but I would add that it’s broader than that. In the same book of Matthew, ch5:47, Jesus says that if we only love and greet our brothers and sisters, the same word “adelphos” is used, then we are no different than anyone else who doesn’t know God.
Now what is so terrifying about this passage is that to reject or ignore these ones in need, is also tantamount to rejecting Jesus himself. I know the judgment of God is scary. We know that God is loving but we also know God is just. Otherwise, there is no justice for the poor, oppressed, and abused nor accountability for the oppressor.
loving those in need is ESSENTIAL to being a follower of Jesus and is a fruit of true salvation (v.46).
by those in need i don’t simply mean those within our family, friends, and race. if that is the case, again, we are no different than non-believers (Luke 6:32). And by those in need I don’t just mean those who may periodically be in such a place of need but rather those who may persistently be in such a place.
I must also clarify that I don’t believe Jesus is saying we must do good works TO BE saved but rather that we are saved TO DO good works. Eph 2:8-10 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved,through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Good works is not the root of our salvation but it is the fruit of our salvation. Jesus also says in Matthew 12 that a tree is known by its fruits (Matthew 12:33)
What is encouraging though is that this same Jesus has loved even us.
Some of us, our families may have come from places of deep need, were once or still considered “the least of these”. Unless you are Jewish, we were all once foreigners to Jesus.
Some of us have become so distant from “the least of these”, we have insulated ourselves. But Jesus still loves us, pursues us, and is calling us into a deeper relationship with Him, His way, His heart. So don’t fear, Jesus walks with you.
If we claim to know Jesus, Jesus says we must know His heart for the poor, the least of these. But is this really God’s heart? YES, because we find it THROUGHOUT the scripture. Please check it out for yourselves. The bible testifies that love for the poor is not just a minor note but a major theme of God’s heart. Here’s just a brief overview:
The law – Deuteronomy 15:11 ESV = For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
The wisdom – Proverbs 14:31 = Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
The poetry – Psalm 140:12 = I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
The prophets Jer 22:16 = He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.
The gospels – Luke 6:20 = Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.“
The early church – Acts 2:44-45 = 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
The epistles – 1 John 3:17 (NIV) = If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
MY JOURNEY SO FAR IN LOVING THE LEAST OF THESE
I grew up in an Asian American Christian church. I accepted Jesus into my life when I was in 7th grade. Loving God seemed clear through the church. The loving your neighbor thing was a little vague…something like being nice to people around you, who were mostly people like me. Loving the poor was something I sort of knew casually in my Christian upbringing but at best it was a minor chord…something for some Christians.
My entry into God’s heart for the poor was through teaching. I wanted to be a teacher. I went to UCLA grad school for a degree in education and a teaching credential, a program that happened to have a social justice bent only working with low-performing schools in low income neighborhoods. I was hired at a school called Locke High School, in South LA in a neighborhood called “Green Meadows” one of the most dangerous places in LA, and right next to Watts, one of the poorest neighborhoods in all of LA.
That first year of teaching was the hardest year of my life. It was a shock to my system that people would have to live under such conditions…right here in LA. I was a total outsider and in over my head. This experience made me so desperate for God.
One morning I read Isaiah 1:17: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” This scripture came to life, it jumped out at me and grabbed me. Not all who are poor are fatherless, but so many of my students were “fatherless.” The role sheets revealed different last names from my students and their guardians. God was showing me His heart.
God worked through the students there who taught ME, about justice and loving through overwhelming hardships.
My wife, became a professor at Cal State LA, many of her students came out of neighborhoods like Green Meadows. We were wondering how could these inner city schools ever change for the better? A friend in educational leadership shared with us this idea that for urban poor schools to change the middle class needed to live in these neighborhoods not to gentrify but to reconcile, to share resources.
There was a workshop i was invited to about these issues and that is where I met Pastor Chris Rattay who was living in a poor neighborhood with his family and building up a church there. Chris recommended that I join the Servant Partners Internship, if I was seriously thinking about living in the community. SP is a mission organization that seeks to transform communities WITH the urban poor.
In the spring of 2011 I put in my resignation at Locke. And in the fall of 2011 I joined the SP internship at the Lincoln Heights site and have been living in the neighborhood and serving in the church there since the fall of 2011.
Jesus led me to learn and love in a deeper way through and amongst the urban poor. They have modeled for me how to stay present and persevere THROUGH the struggles and pain. This isn’t to romanticize the urban poor for poverty can be terribly inhumane. But I know I still have more to learn from my siblings for they are rich in faith and, according to Jesus, the Kingdom of God belongs to them.
So how do we let Jesus transform us to love “the least of these”?
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Give generously.
Specifically, invest in urban poor pastors/leaders. We support missionaries, why not local missionaries? Relief is necessary but this should move to development. Those who have lived and served on the ground level know better than us what the needs are and what would be most helpful in developing and empowering people.
Tithing is the bottom floor, not the top floor. Matthew 23:23 = “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Jesus said that we should STILL do the former (tithing) but not neglect the latter (justice, mercy, and faithfulness).
We want to gloss over this giving part and go to doing. We should do the doing but we cannot ignore the giving. the danger of wealth is that no one thinks they have a problem with it. Of all the rivals to God that Jesus chooses to address he chooses wealth (Matthew 6:24)
2. Live simply.
Selling what we don’t need and give proceeds to the poor or those investing in building up the poor.
1 Tim 6:6-8 = 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Jesus challenges us to consider that where our treasure is there is where our heart will inevitably be.
Matthew 6:20-21 = 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Investing treasures on earth vs. treasures in heaven would like you have a temporary apartment in Paris for a couple months and investing so much stuff into that place when home is in LA. Our lives here is just a dot compared to eternity.
3. Invest relationally
If you are giving generously to urban poor and those who work with the urban poor you will care for them and will pray for them…your heart will go to people.
Cultivating cross-class friendships (to hear their stories, their struggles, their way of life, to actually receive from them what God has put in them). Relationship building is key. And by relationship I mean not one-way relationships but rather relationships of mutuality, where there is giving of life both ways. Real friends. (When I moved from the mentality as only me as the one helping to me opening up my life and being willing and needing to receive from the poor this is when I entered into deeper fellowship deeper trust deeper richer and sweet community.)
Striking up convos with people and asking them their stories and how to pray for them. Convos with employees of places you frequently visit or even work at. (janitors, cafeteria workers, restaurants, etc)
Build intentional friendships with people at school / work
Give your self to structures that put you in contact with the least of these.
The more contact the better bc we tend to compare ourselves to those around us. If the least of these become like family to us, it will cause our caring to be grounded in real relationship and real needs. This will serve as better place from which we can engage the larger systems that effect the poor as well as to stay engaged because, as family, their issues become our issues.
IN CONCLUSION
If we are to follow Jesus, then that means we must follow Him into loving the poor. Jesus will meet us there. Let us be people who give generously, live simply, and invest relationally amongst the least of these.
I am hopeful. i am amazed by the way we care for our own families. Especially as a child of immigrants, the sacrifices our parents make to see we are provided for. i am a recipient of such love and hope to love my children in such a manner. I believe God has put that into us.
But what if we obeyed Jesus and loved our neighbors in need like our own families? what if we loved our neighbor’s children as we did our own?
2nd of a 4 part series adapted from a final research paper for my Asian American Theology course (for the 1st Part, Introduction, click here)
COLLECTIVITY
Definitions
In the midst of all the particularities of Asian American experience one common factor is the Asian background of collective cultures that persists with Asian Americans.[1] Collectivity is not always expressed in the same ways and it is not exclusive to Asian cultures but it is an overarching rule rather than the exception found in Asian cultures. Though expressed in differing ways and nuances, many religions and worldviews of Asian cultures have a common sense of something that connects all life.[2] Whether explicitly religious or part and parcel of the culture this sense of connectivity is expressed in the social ordering of collectivism, that places the needs of the group above the individual, as attested in many Asian cultures. Collectivism emphasizes the “we” whereas individualism emphasizes the “I”.[3] Attending concepts of shame and honor are often found in collective cultures where individual actions are magnified socially.
Potentials and Problems
The potentials of collectivity are in the ways it can help us consider others outside of ourselves whether it be family, neighbors, community, and the world. Collectivity trains us to adapt, adjust, and accomodate to the needs of others. Self-sacrifice makes more sense in collectivity and is a tangible expression of love that Asian Americans can be connected to more closely through their heritage. Collectivity can keep the individual accountable to others, more readily see systemic issues, and be a check to a dangerous progression of Western liberalism where the rights of an individual reign supreme no matter the social cost.[4]
However, collectivity itself unchecked has its own set of problems. In the name of maintaining social order, people are entrusted with power to arbitrate power but then can hold on to it and abuse it. Collectivity is especially susceptible to this abuse of power, using hierarchy for hegemony rather than for helping. Collectivity is not immune to the danger of merging with worldly use of power for domination rather than service, silencing opposition and minorities on the margins. In the centering of collective concerns, individuals can be erased.
In Scripture
Reading the bible with the lens of collectivity in mind helps us to highlight connections we may not readily see and give us clues to ways of operating in a Christ redeemed collectivity. The bible begins with a sense of the collective Triune God, distinct roles yet unified – Creator, Spirit, and Word. The Hebrew word for God the Spirit is ruach which can also mean breath. God breathed into humanity and thus the Spirit reminds us of the breath of life that has animated us all. Even after sin and death enter the story, God enters into covenantal relationship with humanity as God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus himself reminds us that God is “not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” (Luke 20:38 NIV). Here we see collectivity speaks to ancestors that have passed and the eternality of people, which makes sense to many Asian traditions that venerate their ancestors.[5] This understanding can enrich the concept and experience of the communion of saints past in the present.
Collectivity can also explain the reality of not just individual responsibility but corporate responsibility – which is why Achan’s whole family was held responsible for his sin as well as why Nehemiah, upon hearing of Jerusalem in ruins, would repent not only for his own sins but for those of his family, his people of Israel, and his ancestors long gone even though Nehemiah was born and raised in Babylon. God speaks not only to individuals but addresses collectives, from Israel to surrounding nations and from individual disciples of Jesus to the whole Church and world. Even epistles were circulated to churches and communities. The loss of the 2nd person plural “you all” in English (and in predominant English translations of the bible) is a loss to the US American culture and indicative of its blind spot to collective and systemic community and responsibility. In fact, our salvation even rests on the idea of collectivity in that just as we became collectively responsible for the sin of the one Adam, we who trust in Jesus receive collectively the righteousness of the one Jesus.[6]
Application
In Jesus we, who trust in him, have a way forward with a redeemed collectivity. The analogy of the Church as the Body of Christ captures this collectivity well. The individual is in service to the whole but the whole must also recognize and honor the individual, with special care for the most vulnerable. All this comes under the headship of Jesus, in a healthy model of hierarchy that uses his power not to dominate but to serve. In God’s hierarchy, as a check to power, God holds those in positions of leadership to greater accountability and responsibility. Even shame and honor are redeemed in that the locus of the good is not relative to the whims of the social order but are bestowed by God and find their grounding in God.[7]. The healing of Jesus is holistic in that like the story of the bleeding woman he not only heals her physically but replaces shame by honoring her in front of the people and so heals her socially. Asian Americans Christians through their proximity to collectivity can, in Christ, see and embody a redeemed collectivity to the larger Church and the world.
[1] Edara, “Relation of Individualism–Collectivism and Ethnic Identity.”
[2] In Taoism is found the concept of chi (which is even referred to in Buddhism), In Hinduism there is prana, In Polynesian worldview there is mana, and in many indigenous cultures we find animism.
[3] Edara, “Relation of Individualism–Collectivism and Ethnic Identity.”
[4] Koyzis, Political Visions and Illusions, 27-62.
Please understand I don’t enjoy talking or writing about abortion. However, unfortunately, too many Christians I know have made this issue the focal point of their political engagement or THE issue that will cause them to swing one way or the other for a political candidate or party…and that has consequences well beyond this single issue for ALL of life – from health care to education to immigration to the justice system. The irony is that it turns out banning abortions is actually tied to an INCREASE in abortions (I’ll unpack that later). I get it, abortion can be deeply emotional, as we’re talking about the very formation of life here, and many have deeply personal stories tied to the issue.
Because this is such a heated issue I first want to start with WHAT I AM NOT SAYING:
I am not wanting, and certainly do not celebrate, the taking of ANY life at ANY stage of life from the womb to the tomb, for all are made and woven in the image of God.
I am not a woman so I don’t know the unique burden of choice, circumstances, and most overwhelming responsibility and judgement by society for raising a child.
Most importantly, I am not God so I don’t have the final say or judgement of who is a Christian and how they practice their faith. Each person will have to give an account for how they have lived to God.
Now, on to WHAT I AM SAYING*:
*These are my own personal views and not any official stance of any church or organization I am part of.
1. POLICY
I don’t know any bible believing Christian (yes, even on the liberal end) that thinks abortion is good. It turns out most people in general, who aren’t believers even, don’t WANT (as in strive for) abortions either.
So with this in mind what policies actually REDUCE abortions (I understand there is room for disagreement here but I would just like to provide perspective on the actual data available)? It turns out banning or restricting abortions has the unintended consequence of increasing the abortion rate. Why is that? For starters, just because something is made illegal doesn’t stop people from doing it, but rather drives it underground (see Prohibition) making it more difficult to regulate and even more dangerous for the mother. Abortion rates go up when abortion is banned because when abortion is banned it ALSO often takes away funding for invaluable services such as sex education, reproductive care, pre-natal services, women’s health, and most of all contraceptives and birth control (which repeatedly comes up with the strongest causational link of reducing abortions, in a 2012 study abortions were reduced by 62-78%! I understand that birth control is a whole other issue for some but we cannot ignore the relationship between birth control and its real time impact on abortion rates. I can even respect those who may be against certain forms of birth control and have the integrity to be a safety net should an unintended pregnancy happen. What is hard for me to reconcile with the spirit of Jesus is when the ones supporting the laws that put a burden on others “will not lift one finger to help them.” [Luke 11:46]. Is this how Jesus treats us?). So if a clinic performing abortions is closed, it also then closes access to everything else that would HELP prevent abortions from having to happen in the first place.
Unfortunately, because of the polarized two-party system in the US, abortion is bundled up with reproductive care so its often closer to an all (Democrat) or nothing (Republican) approach. Please understand there are things that I DO NOT agree with in the ALL option (For example abortions shouldn’t be so easy to get for teens without any parent/guardian knowledge. But please keep in mind that most abortions are done by religiously affiliated ADULTS who already have children and are overwhelmingly coming from poverty). We have not yet figured out a way to “a-la-carte” this issue and this is not by any means simple or ideal. I even understand the sentiment that some may not want to pay for the birth control of others but unplanned pregnancies actually end up being more expensive, estimated to cost the US $11 billion dollars per year. But if we want to really make those sort of changes the most effective way is addressing state and local budget items but this is not where people focus. Any sound policy doesn’t only punish on the back end (stick) but tries to address why things happen in the first place (carrot). If access, education, and health in general are cared for it creates the kind of environment for people to thrive instead of babies having to die. So if we’re gonna be pro-life we need to be pro-life for the WHOLE life.
2. GLOBAL IMPACT
The increased abortions rates connected to the banning of abortions (and the stripping of good reproductive care tied with it) does not only happen in the US but is also seen worldwide. This is not some fringe finding – simply google “Mexico City Policy effects” and there will be so many to choose from reputable sources. The U.S. has made aid decisions to other countries ignoring these effects, and it has had significant negative global impact.
3. HISTORY AND PARTY POLITICS
But to zoom out even further over time, abortion rates peaked around 1980** and than have steadily been declining since then – from 2013 even lower than at the point of the Roe Vs. Wade decision (the 1973 the Supreme Court ruled that states could not unduly restrict women from getting abortions). What is even more shocking is that REGARDLESS of the political party of the president and even the supreme court judges the rate of abortions have gone down overall (this is from a right leaning source too). And even if Roe Vs. Wade were overturned it would not change most of the abortion apparatus or make as great an impact on abortion rates. In fact, there seems to be evidence from breaking down CDC data to suggest that abortions have decreased 3-6 times faster under Democrats (likely for reasons stated above)! Again, I don’t agree with every approach and policy of the Democrats but to say the Republican Party is the sole party that represents Christians values on life is simply intellectually dishonest (if one looks into the formation of the “Religious Right” in politics it is a deeply troubling story based in racial segregation in which abortion was not always something that Christians rallied around but was used to amass political power). We as believers must not be loyal to any political party but speak truth to power.
IN SUMMARY
Again, I don’t think any Christian believes abortion is good. I’m not sure if it is THE issue to die on at the expense of all of God’s other commands. But, if the goal is to ACTUALLY reduce the number of abortions, the answer may not be in banning abortions (which is tied to increased abortion) but in policy aimed at addressing the underlying factors for unintended pregnancies and abortions. Another way I’ve heard it put is rather than focus on banning abortions another approach is to make abortions unnecessary. And if one insists that it’s not about the numbers but the principle than what principle are you really upholding if it’s not to decrease abortions? So in the case of abortion, at least, taking a left approach might be more helpful to make the right stance. I’m wondering to what extent, like the Pharisees with the sabbath, in our focus on keeping the letter of the law we have missed the spirit of the law to preserve life and need to hear Jesus’ exhortation for us to understand “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 12:1-13). Taking a stance is one thing, thoughtful policy is another.
Beloved, at the end of the day, I know we won’t agree on everything and you are certainly free to make your own choices, but I believe we share the conviction that we want less abortions (and some day none) and more flourishing of life. Otherwise, when we as believers say we are Pro-Life without actually being willing to do the work of reducing abortions for the Whole-Life this is more symbolic talk than actually helpful.
**A friend pointed out an error on my part where I had originally stated that the rates had declined after Roe v Wade, which is true in the long run but was not in the immediate term. The correction has been made.
*an expansion on a letter to my supporters written on June 4th, 2020
I apologize for being overdue with my update. It’s been a tumultuous week in already challenging times. I have cried more in the past week than I have in a while. Can it be that God is trying to get our attention, when we have much less to distract ourselves with in this time of staying at home during the Covid crisis, to deal with matters of justice and race that we have pushed off for far too long as a nation?
I am grieved and ashamed that it’s taken me so long to speak up regarding my fellow Black brothers and sisters – in the injustices they’ve experienced individually and systemically* for far too long. It has been my Black siblings in Jesus that have met me in the critical junctures of my life and have encouraged me forward into the cross-cultural work I am doing now. *Rema spoke confidence into me as she observed and coached me in my classroom my first year of teaching in a predominately Black and Brown South LA school. Rachelle inspired me with her spirit and pushed me further than I thought I could go as a teacher when I was getting complacent. Chris saw God’s calling to full-time ministry in my life before I was able to see it and imparted me with the next steps of faith I needed. John initiated a bridge with my Asian American community, honoring me with his friendship and invitation to step into larger race conversations.* My Black siblings have stood with me and given me courage to find my voice. I would be remiss not to show up for them in their time of grief, anger, and pain.
These times have caused me, our church, our community, and hopefully our nation to pause. Have we loved and do we really love our neighbor as ourselves? I have not been able to escape a question my Black brother, John, asked “What if we learn to lament from those who know lament intimately?”
Lament is an ancient practice that we have lost in the American church. It is to cry out to God in our pain, confusion, and anger…in the space of the Kingdom that is not yet here that we long for. We are familiar with praise but almost half of the Psalms in the bible are laments. In my learning to lament ,God met me and many in our city in a powerful way this past Sunday. I will leave you with a post describing a little of what happened.
“On this day of Pentecost we remember that the Spirit of God came down upon ordinary people like tongues of FIRE. People from different parts of the world, different walks of life, different skin colors, heard the wonders of God proclaimed as one they could understand. Now, almost two thousand years later, clergy and spiritual leaders (black, white, asian, latinx, jewish, and arabic) gathered together with one voice to affirm the dignity of black lives, made in the image of God. some with the fire of anger, some with the fire of commitment to political action, and some with the fire of the Holy Spirit of God cried out for 8 minutes straight (the amount of time #GeorgeFloyd pled for his life under the knee of a police officer). And we do not stop here. We move forward. We cry out and press on till His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. #fire#blacklivesmatter#HisKingdomcome”
With my brother in Jesus, John Williams (Fellowship Center for Racial Reconciliation), his family, and Brad Arnold (my former Servant Partners advisor) at a vigil and peaceful protest for George Floyd.
Who knew that a tiny virus could turn our whole world, and normal life as we knew it, upside down? God did.
Even in, and maybe especially in, these times i’m hoping we can center in Jesus, our only true peace, through this “storm” as we move forward with Him.
With that in mind, since CA “Stay at Home” orders, i’ve been aiming to facilitate some time with Jesus through His word around 6:20am every morning on my fb live with the videos available on my page after that (by God’s grace i can keep waking up ). If social media isn’t really helpful to you right now (totally understand that 😛) i’m aiming to post these videos to youtube by 7am daily here: http://tiny.cc/davidkitaniyoutube
And if that’s too early you can also catch my lead Pastor Chris live at noon where he facilitates time with Jesus through prayer on the church page as well as the Epicentre WLA youtube page!
Here is the video of the word from today (making my way through the book of John, the gospel that really focuses in on who Jesus is). Our testimony, or what we have witnessed, of God matters so much not only to us but others in encouraging our trust of Jesus, the true light, in dark times:
We hope these spaces will be helpful to you as we press in to Jesus together to go deeper and further than we thought possible WITH Him!
Boys, even though it may not always feel like it, you really are God’s priceless and unique gifts to me and mommy.
Amos, happy 7th birthday!!! I love that you…
have such sharp and specific hearing – from making out the sounds of an opening chip bag from another floor to singing lyrics of songs it seems you’ve only heard once
have such particular and peculiar interests (which makes you all the more on another level) in different seasons of your life (from sea sponges to cactus to mannequins to Selena Gomez to, now, K-Pop Girl Groups)
are able to focus for long periods of time, drawing with such precision and detail
love to dance and sing yourself to sleep
make and enjoy funny faces
feel things so deeply and comfort mommy when she is hurting.
bring our family together with all sorts of wonderful traditions that you make up (family hug!)
I know we butt heads a lot. But it’s because you and I are alike in more ways than you realize. I want to learn how to love and appreciate you better.
Nathan, happy 5th birthday!!! I love that you…
have your mom’s smiling eyes and dimples all over your face (even on your forehead!!)
laugh at your own attempted jokes, sometimes so hard that you can barely make out a sentence
make ever evolving cubist drawings that you can whip out with ease
like imitating scary monsters but you’re scared of watching people experience mean things
have so many sincere questions when we read comic books together.
are so generous with us, especially your brother who asks for more snacks from you when he’s already eaten all of his own.
run to me and hug me when i come home
You remind me why I love your mommy so much (you two are both so full of energy and enthusiasm)! You really bring sunshine into our lives.
My boys, you’re growing up too fast for us. We want you to grow but we also want you to stay your cute selves (at least when you’re sleeping…haha). You drive us so crazy (and you know we’re not exaggerating because you’ve seen us sooo angry, too angry at you, that it saddens us) but you are also the source of our greatest joys from God. We are so grateful for your grace, resilience, and your quickness in forgiving us. We want to do better and we ask God for his help nearly every day with that. We may fail you but my deepest prayer is that you would know your Heavenly Father, who made you in His image, will never fail you.
To me one of the most “savage” verses in the bible is from the Apostle John (one of the closest of the 12 most closest followers of Jesus) who pierces our hearts with a question:
“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” – 1 John 3:17
What does he mean by this?
In this verse and passage it comes from (the book of 1 John, Chapter 3, was initially written as a letter in the late 1st century to circulate amongst the churches in the Roman provinces of Asia, in modern day Turkey) John is making the case that our actions reveal the reality of our hearts.
So if there really is love in our hearts it is demonstrated by action. In the verse that comes right before v.17 John states that Jesus gave us the ultimate example of what love looks like: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” For those who claim to know the love of God, expressed in Jesus’ sacrifice for them, to not have mercy for those in need is a deep hypocrisy that John cannot abide.
Why is this particular example a proof of love?
We, who are recipients of God’s love, are to love when it costs us. Literally. We might put in some time to love. But the church today is much less likely to put in MONEY to love. According to recent statistics, Christians are only giving 2.5 percent of their income per capita, while during the Great Depression they gave at a 3.3 percent rate!
God’s people in Jesus’ time, who were as a whole more poor than us in America, were to give 10% tithe of their income to the temple, 10% tithe for religious celebrations, and an additional 3% offering for the poor). So Israelites, in addition to the taxes they paid to Rome, were to give 23% of their income as a demonstration that they knew EVERYTHING belonged to Him. Any more giving to the poor, that John was likely referencing here, was IN ADDITION to these tithes, to celebrate how much God had given, abundantly.
But you might say “Those are OT laws, they don’t apply to us since Jesus has come.” However, Jesus declared in Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
Notice Jesus is saying we need to CONTINUE tithing (whereas religious temple laws such as dietary restrictions and temple sacrifices are explicitly ended, nowhere in the NT do any of the writers state that tithing no longer applies), but we should add on justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The tithe is just the minimum and many of us don’t even do that. If anything doesn’t Jesus challenge us to give more, not less? In the words of Micah the Prophet, we have robbed God and we have strayed so far from His heart.
To go even further in the example we are to love from our heart. “Pity” in v. 17 is not a great translation as it has a connotation to look down on someone, but in the original greek this passage literally says that we might “close [our] heart against” the one in need. So John is not talking about simply giving money, but rather to open up our hearts to actually love the poor. Jesus said where our treasure is THERE our hearts will be also. So if we give money to the poor our hearts will be more likely to follow in love.
Many of us also do not have cross-class relationships. Most of us in America are likely more wealthy than Jesus ever was. His parents were too poor to afford a lamb for the temple sacrifice so they gave pigeons. Jesus more than likely did not have citizenship status, as he was condemned to die without a formal trial. Jesus was homeless for a lot of his ministry. Would he have been a friend of ours?
Why is loving like this so important?
Because it’s evidence of our salvation. Not that we are saved by works. V16 (above) reminds us of Jesus’ initiative and V.17 reminds us of his love in which we live. However, a salvation that works, has good works. V.14 in this chapter, reminds us that our love for each other is the evidence that we have passed from “death to life” and v17 tells us that when we open our hearts to those in need it demonstrates a reality of the love of God living in us. God is the origin, initiator, and source of love.
So how can we change?
There is hope. V.20 states: “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
God is greater than our hearts! Praise God, that He is not limited by our hearts! We must simply GIVE our hearts to Him. V. 20 also reminds us that God loves us and laid down his life for us in SPITE of knowing everything about us, and how our love has fallen short.
So where ever are hearts are at, we can give ourselves to God. Maybe that means we need to stop ourselves at some point in the day and ask “Jesus, what do you want me to do today?” Maybe we listen to His still small voice when we are interacting with people throughout the day, of how to love them better…Maybe it’s really listening to them, maybe it’s lending a helping hand or a prayer, maybe it’s offering them a gift. We trust Jesus and keep putting ourselves out there to love others. We don’t wait for the feelings. We take the actions of love and THEN the feelings will come.
As we put ourselves out there to love, we get to know Him more and we experience even more intimacy with Him. As we take step of faith and risk to love we are transformed in the process. As we love we enter right into His resources, His joy, His heart.
An example of change
A story that demonstrates the transformation that happens when we give ourselves to Jesus’ love, is the story of Apostle John himself, the very person who wrote these verses we’re reading! John was one of the 12 closest disciples of Jesus himself. Jesus called John and his brother James “the sons of thunder”. Probably, because they were really fiery guys. These are the brothers that argued with the other disciples of how great they were gonna be. These are the brothers that wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village that turned Jesus away. Jews hated and were deeply racist of Samaritans, who they thought were mixed breeds that were beneath them. John had that kind of hate in him and Jesus had to call him out on it. Jesus, was GREATER than the limitations of John’s heart. Jesus saw something in John and didn’t give up on him.
So this John, after walking intimately with Jesus for years, even after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, was transformed so deeply. A church father records one particular story of John when he was already an old man. John went to different churches now amongst FOREIGNERS in Asia Minor, encouraging people in the faith and at one church, left a young man in their care. This young man was baptized but after awhile got caught up with some bad influences and fell away so far that he became the leader of a merciless gang of robbers.
When John came back to visit and heard about what happened to this youth he tore his clothes in grief. This OLD MAN got on a horse and raced right over to the place the gang was staying. Weeping, John told them to take him to their leader. When the young man recognized John, the man took off, ashamed. John chased after him crying “Why, my son, do you run from me, your father, unarmed, old? Son, pity me. Fear not; you have still hope of life. I will give account to Christ for you. If need be, I will willingly endure your death, as the Lord did death for us. For YOU I will surrender MY life. Stand, believe; Christ has sent me.” On hearing this the youth surrendered his weapons and started bawling and John embraced him and took him back to the church and didn’t leave till this man was fully restored to Jesus and the church in strength. John, who once was an arrogant young man became a pillar of the early church, was willing to lay down his reputation and his life to serve a fallen criminal. John’s love did not give up on this young man, as Jesus too did not give up on John. You see JESUS, had won John’s heart, and that is why John has become known as the apostle of love.
John’s love revealed, Jesus. May our love reveal Jesus.
So how is our love?
Let us love not only when it’s convenient but when it’s uncomfortable. Let us love when it costs us something. Let us love more with the money God has given us. We must remember it all belongs to Him, not to us. Let us love not only those who are like us but those who are different from us.
“...let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” – 1 John 3:18.
learning to love holistically amongst the urban poor
treevalley in the inner city 