The In-Between

At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.
John 19:41

Can you believe Easter has come and gone? For many of us, Easter seemed relatively uneventful; kinda like last year’s Easter. As I was thinking about Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the day that always seems to be neglected is the Saturday in-between. Nothing really happens that day in traditional Christianity because it is the day Christians observe the body of Jesus was resting in the tomb while His followers were in mourning. But if you really think about it, the lives that we live right now are akin to the in-between Saturday… we live in that limbo state between death and life. This has been especially poignant these past 13 months as people have been working from home, businesses were indefinitely closed, and streets seemed deserted.

Yet, there is a beauty to this quiet day. There is an intrinsic hope that resides in the stillness. While many things have been lost this pa

Permission to Doubt

But I try to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?
Psalm 88:13-14

Do you know the opposite of faith is not doubt? If you really think about it, doubt is a necessary element in order for faith to exist. So what is the opposite of faith? Author Anne Lamott said it well in her book Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith; “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Certainty is missing the point entirely. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns.” 

Little Deaths

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Matthew 26:26

Have you experienced any little deaths this past year? There are several little deaths I’ve endured… death of predictability, death of status quo, death of my pride. Death is not only a part of life, death is a necessary step for life. One of the greatest struggles many admirers of Jesus have is that they want the life without the death; the resurrection without the cross. In some strange way, this past year has forced everyone to face their demons and embrace the death we’ve perennially ignored.

Broken World

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
Matthew 21:10

Another week has passed and another mass shooting occurred in our nation, this time in Boulder, CO. Sadly, this has become so common and humdrum that many people have become numb to it. The division we witness in our nation, the racism many of us experience, and the violence we are surrounded by are all reminders of how broken our country truly is. I am convinced that nothing can save us from ourselves other than Jesus. And if Jesus were to enter into our world today, would anyone recognize Him? And what kind of repairs would He begin to make?

Grieving Together

The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

This past Sunday when I gave a message on “Darkness,” I had no idea what was about to happen this week. The murders of eight individuals in Atlanta on Tuesday night by a racist, sexist, Christian Nationalist was horrific on so many levels. Many AAPI and friends of AAPI are upset about so many things. Both liberal and conservative news outlets are getting it wrong by focusing so much on the serial killer. The Atlanta area police department are doing for more to humanize the murderer than the deceased. And as of Thursday morning, we still don’t know the names of the last two victims.

This event hits particularly close to the heart because six of the victims were Asian women and four of them were Korean, and I am Korean-American. Some were my mother’s age. Some were single parents. Some were grandmothers. And some may have had no close relatives. So last night I attempted writing a prayer for these victims by calling them “eemo,” which means “auntie” in Korean and what I would call my mom’s friends as a kid. Yet I was so overcome with emotion, I was unable to write down any words.

If you, like me, are disgusted, angered, and disturbed by the shooting in Atlanta on Tuesday, it’s healthy to be upset and grieve. Yet, God reassures us that He is near the brokenhearted, comforts those who mourn, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Internal Scars

Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.
Psalm 79:8

Do you have any scars? Do you remember how you got them? Everyone has scars and all of these scars have stories. I still and will always carry some scars from my childhood. The stories behind the scars can actually benefit others as well. Maybe your physical scar can help prevent someone else from getting burned, injured, or hurt. But perhaps even more significant yet often neglected scars are the ones we carry in our hearts. Internal scars have stories that need to be acknowledged and confronted as well.

Step of Faith

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
Matthew 14:28

When have you taken a big step of faith? We rarely do anything these days unless a result is guaranteed. But is this the way life has always functioned? Or is this a new phenomenon? Studies show that there are numerous psychological benefits of stepping out in faith and trying new adventurous things. In fact, one of the most hazardous things you can do for your health is living a stagnant, mundane life. Yet, so often we choose the safe, predictable, and boring life. Perhaps God challenges us to step out in faith, get out of our comfort zones, and do things we normally wouldn’t do because he actually wants us to live more exciting lives.

A Poem for the Mentally Scarred

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5

Although the Wind
by Izumi Shikibu

Although the wind
blows terribly here,
the moonlight also leaks
between the roof planks
of this ruined house.

Why Should You Fast?

We fasted and prayed about these concerns, and He listened.
Ezra 8:23

Have you asked yourself, “Why should I fast when I feel like I’ve been forced to fast so much already these past twelve months?” That’s a legitimate question that some of our church members have asked themselves. Well, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been deprived of things that were actually good for you so you’ve settled for binging on things that were not so good for you such as social media, alcohol, or too much TV. While this past year may have allowed us to appreciate the things we’ve taken for granted, it has also caused us to lower our standards of self-care. Fasting is our way of gaining back self-control, resisting the urge to binge, and aligning our spirits back to God. When we fast from things that are a distraction for our spiritual growth, we are able to focus more on what’s beneficial for our spiritual growth. This is what it means to fast and pray.

Having Covid Taught Me A Valuable Lesson

Jesus said, “It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4

Being sick with Covid this past week has taught me a lot with regard to my faith. Ironically, just as I challenged all of our church members to fast from something for Lent beginning Ash Wednesday February 17, I was deprived of so many mundane routines I was so accustomed to… hugging my kids, having meals with my family, or going on walks with my wife after dinner. Instead, I was binging more on social media, Netflix, or music. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful I had those forms of entertainment to keep me distracted while I was sick. But I realized that I tend to binge on things that aren’t too good for me and I tend to deprive myself on things that are better for me even when I’m not sick.

This is precisely why we fast. We fast from the things of this world so that we can hold fast to the things of God. We detox ourselves from certain pleasures so that we can be more grateful for the things that we have. It has been said that “man does not live on bread alone.” But what happens to our spirits when we have too much bread?