What to do with Ferguson

Ferguson is a topic that has been heavy on my heart as of late. It's been brought up by many black activists, white mega-church pastors, and is the center of conversation in one of my classes. So, what's the big deal?

As Christians, we believe in the worth of every individual. Yes, EVERY individual. We say that all men are created in the image of God, but truthfully, we do not treat them as such. As an Asian American, I can say that I have experienced oppression and discrimination. However, I can say that as an Asian American, I am also privileged. I guess you could say that I am caught in the "in-between." I have privilege in some areas of American society in that Asians are put on a pedestal for academics and their work ethic. Nonetheless, I am discriminated against because White people still pack up and go (white flight) when there is a mass migration of Asians into a concentrated area (just look at Chinatown) and in that very few people to understand my culture (I'm not Chinese). 

So, as a person of the yellow color caught in between the spectrum of white and black, what am I to do? I believe that my experiences are powerful.I understand the racial discrimination and prejudice that plagues my black brothers and sisters. But also, I have been placed in a position of privilege because Asians have been called the model race for our academic and occupational successes. So, in this time of racial tension, maybe God put the "in-betweens" in America to be a mediator, bringing both our experiences of privilege and discrimination to establish common ground and unity. Being in the "in-between" allows us to be the mediator between the two extremes as long as we remember that we are not mutually exclusive from either side. It should not be us against the whites or us against the blacks. Instead, we are supposed to be an integrated unit, and as such, we have been given the opportunity to help create peace between our white and black brothers and sisters. 

I'll end with this. The Ferguson case is not only a governmental and societal problem, but it is also a God-problem because God cares for ALL of humanity. God did not intend for racial segregation and discrimination, but through Jesus, we can see that God is a breaker of walls and boundaries accepting of ALL people. Whenever we discriminate against whites and blacks, our comments mock God's glorious creation. Whenever we say that we speak truth and fact about the negative aspects of the "majority" of a race, may we repent because our hope is in Christ Jesus and in Him is hope for everyone. Although society may discriminate me less as an Asian American, I must remember that it is not God that has not given me that privilege, but it is a man-made privilege. Therefore, I have nothing to boast about as a person of the yellow color, but I have everything to boast about as a follower of Christ. 

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Practical ways to end racial discrimination as Asian-American Christians:

1. Stop the generalizing. Stereotyping leads to false perceptions and unfair judgement. If we don't stop the generalizations in our own lives, it will pass down to our children and grandchildren.

2. Listen to stories. We can learn a lot just by listening to the stories of diverse people. My white friends never would have known about "Driving while black" and my black friends would have never known about white guilt if they didn't listen to each other's stories. Stories put a face to social issues and preserves the humanity of the group being judged. 

3. Pray for peace. There is so much unrest in our nation today because of the death of Michael Brown and we must pray to God for peace. We cannot change a nation ourselves and fortunately, God wants to partner with us in ending the hate crimes and discrimination of our day. 

4. Remember dignity and worth. Every person has dignity and worth no matter their actions because they possess the image of God. Remembering this during times of confrontation and anger can put the value of the person into perspective. 

With Love,

Kevin Pranoto

the good wife.

Several months ago, I came across a blog about the model woman by a graduate of George W. Truett Theological Seminary named Christina Gibson. In her blog, she writes about her perspective on Proverbs 31. She goes on to share her experience "idolizing a contextual poem" and how it should not be a template for women. You can read her blog here: http://christinagibson.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/the-lie-of-the-model-woman/.

Being the egalitarian that I am, even to the point of feminism sometimes, I agree with most of what Christina Gibson writes about. I do believe that Proverbs 31 has been idolized by many women and I thought that it was interesting to read about how she saw the capable wife's worth was based on what she produces.

As a result of this blog, I reflected on the lives of the wives in the church that I grew up in. Being raised in an Indonesian church, I have seen many examples of whom people consider the "model wife." For Indonesians, the model wife is submissive to her husband, serves her family first, is diligent in her work, and is the glue which bonds the family together. Her worth is also in what she does and what she provides. If the woman is not able to produce much, she seems utterly worthless. I think that my Asian culture does have it wrong. Although I believe that living a righteous and godly life will produce good fruit, our worth should not be placed on the product of our work, but our heart. People look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart, and that should be the standard of our worth.

I have realized that although my works are important, it should not define me. In the same way, I hope that my future wife will see that she is worth so much more than the things her hands produce. Although I want her to work well and be motivated to serve in her ministry and in her career, I hope that she will realize that I will love her for who she is. She does not have to prove herself for me to love her, but instead she will be a capable wife because she loves me and her family. It is her love that will compel her to do good works. It should not be that her works will compel her to be loved. Now, this might be my Americanized logic speaking, but then again, I am Asian American.

Good Grief

My classmate, Ally, recently wrote a blog about grief and the laments present in the book of Psalms. Ally says that the American culture is terrible at grieving, noting how us Americans busy ourselves with errands and work. As a result, Americans tend to other outlets, such as bumper stickers and tattoos, to grieve the loss of their loved ones. The link to her blog is as follows: http://allymatteson.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-grief-unobserved.html.

Reading Ally's blog has made me reflect upon my own experiences with grief. Although I have had relatives and grandparents pass away, I was not deeply affected by this because I hardly knew them. So, I will be reflecting upon my observations of friends and family and their dealings with grief. In the Indonesian culture, there seems to be a very communal dealing with grief. The outlets of bumper stickers and tattoos are foreign to me, and as I think upon that, I realize that those methods of grief are very individualized. They share with the world who they have lost, but they won't necessarily invite others in to grieve with them.

Unlike the American culture, in my Indonesian culture, one is not expected to go through grief alone. Just like some of the psalms of lament are communal laments, Indonesians tend to grieve together in community. I remember when my grandfather passed away, my mother and her sisters grieved together. They would reflect on their past together and help each other remember that their father is now with the Lord. In these times of grief they would also lift up each others spirits, joking around to spread some joy in the midst of their loss. Whenever my uncle passed away from cancer, my aunt led her children to grieve for their father. My aunt did not take my uncle's death lightly, and therefore she would bear the responsibility of saying "no" to parties and declining invitations to family reunions because the pain of her loss was too strong. She would also not permit her children to attend these parties and reunions because they were to grieve together as a family. Everything was done in community which makes the burden lighter to bear. I think that there's a comfort in knowing that others are willing to walk alongside you in this journey of healing and that there is a strength in the encouragement of others to push you forwards in life.

The Asian F

So, you've probably heard of the Asian F, but let me give you my perspective. To some parents, an "Asian F" is a B while to others it is an A-. For most Asian parents, a C is punishable by death, so let's not imagine what a real failing grade would equate to. My parents did not care if my brain was more inclined to do mathematics or art, I was expected to do it all excellently. A well-rounded individual did not mean being mediocre at all things, but instead meant that I had to do it all well. I was expected to be both mathematician and artist, both linguist and physicist. After all, they did not sacrifice everything they had to come here to America for me just to be "good" at something. After a while I started to adopt this exceedingly high standard as my own, wanting to be the best at everything.

Since my parents are Christians, I was practically raised by the Bible. The character that they would most often refer to was Daniel. Because I aspired to make my parents proud, I often caught myself looking up to Daniel. First of all, Daniel was a sort of prodigy. He was chosen to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon because he was handsome, well versed in wisdom, had exceeding amounts of knowledge and was very insightful (Daniel 1:4, NRSV). Then, he was taught the literature and language of the Chaledeans and obviously excelled in that since Daniel 1:20 says, "In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in the whole kingdom." Daniel was obviously amazing at what he did. He would be the kind of boy that every Asian parent would want. So what was Daniel's secret? According to Daniel 6:3, Daniel "distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him" (NRSV). So, I guess the key to a child's success is an excellent spirit. Not only stressing excellence in one subject, but being excellent in all things. I think that Daniel believed in the Asian F. If it wasn't excellent, it wasn't Daniel's.

Home.

A house is so important for people of all cultures. It defines a person's socio-economic status, style, culture, etc. Whenever you go to someone's house, you are immediately able to judge a person. If the person has a mansion, you can probably tell that he/she is rich. If there's a plethora of furniture and trinkets inside of the house, you can probably tell that he/she is a hoarder. If trash accumulates and there's dust all around, you can probably tell that he/she is a lazy bum.

The house is so important in Asian culture, and this is evidenced by the emphasis on something called feng-shui. Even though my parents were not big into this Asian superstition, it was still in the back of their minds when they were shopping for houses. First of all, the house had to have an open feel so that air can circulate. Then, the stairs could not be directly in front of the front door, unless we wanted our blessings to run out the door. Next, the master bedroom had to be downstairs so that they don't have to climb up the stairs once they were old. All of these requirements were just the tip of the iceberg. Some might say that Asians are picky, and to that I would say, "yes they are."

Now, upon reading Haggai, I understand God's frustration with Judah. God wanted a house and he wasn't getting it. Everyone was neglecting the temple and instead was focusing on their own housing projects. Not only was God mad that his temple was not being built, but he was picky about it too. If the temple was supposed to resemble anything like the temple in Ezekiel's vision in Ezekiel 41-47, no wonder the Jewish people were not quick to start building the temple. God was demanding a very difficult task. But still, the house is what people look at. A house is a reflection of who you are. Your personality and your status is determined by your house. People revere a person by the kind of house they have. In the same way, God deserved a magnificent house because he is a rich and extravagant God. He deserves the best because no one else compares to him. The grand temple would also show the whole world how magnificent YHWH is. If God wants to show off, he should. He deserves a temple that shows people how important he is. 

Your Children Too

Throughout the Bible, the importance of the faithfulness of generations is evident. Not only is obedience expected of fathers and mothers, but also of their sons and daughters. It was not enough that their parents were faithful, but God required everyone in each generation to respond to the law faithfully.

Joel is a book that stresses the importance of this generational faithfulness. In the first couple of verses of this prophetic book, Joel writes, "Hear this, O elders, give ear, all inhabitants of the land! has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your ancestors? Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation" (Joel 1: 2-3, NRSV).

In Asian culture, it's so important that each generation progresses and is better than the last. As my parents say, it's a shame if I don't live a better life than them. I should be "better" than them in my education, work, salary, social class, etc. People from the outside should be able to look into my familial life and see that my brother and I are progressing my family name. It was so honorable for my grandparents knowing that their children are going to America to make a name for themselves. It was progress. My grandparents never went to college, but my parents not only finished college, but they finished it at an American university. How proud my grandparents must have been! The work that my grandparents did did not set the tone for their children and their children's children. Instead, each generation has to work hard to outdo the work of their parents.

It seems as if the Israelites also had the same task in their hands. The obedience of their fathers did not guarantee their salvation and security. God required that each generation uphold the commandments. Each generation had to do their part in order to maintain right relationship with God. In Joel 2, God's encouraging promise also highlights this theme of God's concern with each individual generation  stating "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions..." (Joel 2:28, NRSV). No generation is left blameless for their sins, and in the same way, each generation will be rewarded for their individual faithfulness to God.

The Biting Asian Tongue

I grew up in a culture where it was totally okay to be brutally honest to those you love most. My relatives and church family would bluntly say that I was fat and needed to go on a diet as a ten-year-old kid. I remember my dad suggesting Slim Fast and people suggesting that I skip meals. I especially remember my cousin's boyfriend telling me that I needed to grow vertically instead of horizontally, and that was all okay. Grandparents have the right to tell you that you have a stomach because it was honest. They didn't tell me this to make fun of me or put me down, but they wanted me to get to a better weight. They cared for me and therefore made it a point to tell me what was wrong with me.

God was probably doing the same thing in Jeremiah. God gave Jeremiah some harsh words and prophecies. A lot of the words could have gotten Jeremiah killed if it weren't for God's protection over his life. For example, in Jeremiah 36, when Baruch was ordered to read the scroll in the palace, the officials told Baruch to "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are." What kind of word did Baruch recite that he had to go into hiding? According to the rest of Jeremiah, some of the words dealt with the king losing his battle and the land burning down. Jeremiah is filled with "because you didn't do this, God is going to do this" language. So, it seems like God was making "Asian parent" threats to Israel and Judah. He was brutally honest with them through Jeremiah's prophecies, but instead of repenting and becoming better they seemed to be unrepentant. God's threats did not cause them to change their lifestyle or do something about it. Instead, it seemed as if they willingly and stubbornly chose to disobey.

"Don't Dare Dishonor the Family"

When I was a child, if I asked to borrow some money from my friends at school and my parents found out about it, it would be the end of me. This simple act of borrowing lunch money was seen by my parents as me shouting to the whole world that my parents were unable to provide. Even though this was not the case at all, and the reason I didn't have lunch money because I forgot it at home, the act of borrowing money was one that shamed the entire family. 

To generalize, I'll put it this way. My actions cannot be separated from my family and my family's actions cannot be separated from me. My personal failure meant that my whole family experienced that failure.  No matter what I do, it would always have an effect on my family. My failures equaled bad parenting. 

Similarly, Israel's negative actions are a negative portrayal of God in the book of Isaiah. Every negative action that Israel did implied that God was a bad God. They claimed the family name of God, but lived rebellious lives, which might have caused foreigners to question if their god was the real god. This is why God urged Israel to repent and walk in the path of righteousness. Their failure to love each other and obey God is a negative reflection of God, and in turn, God should be ashamed of them because they have dishonored him by living careless lives. The Israelites weren't meant to live for themselves, but to honor God. Everything they did was a reflection of their greater family, which was God and his people. 

"See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you." (Isaiah 55:5, NRSV)

Israel was supposed to cause nations to praise the LORD. Their works were supposed to impress nations to want to be like them. Instead, their actions dishonored the entire family. They acted in a way that brought shame to their "house" and caused foreigners to have a negative image of God. But like the Asian parent, God will not allow his name to be shamed, and therefore urges Israel to keep the covenant. 

"Shame Shame..."

As an Asian American, I know all about shame. If you didn't grow up with tiger parents, let me give you the rundown. As an Asian American, I was held to the impossibly high standard of making straight A's in school, performing flawless solos at recitals, holding an office position in my extracurricular activities, and was raised with the expectation of making a six-figure salary. Clearly, I fell short of all these standards, and because of that I often felt like I was an embarrassment to my family. My parents would blame my mistakes and failures on my inconsistent practice and/or failure to take things seriously. Sometimes, they would yell at me or ground me, but it was all so that I could become better.

As I read Isaiah, I sympathize with the Israelite's shame. They failed, so the only natural response is shame. It's the natural order of life. However, one thing that I don't understand is why they didn't change or repent. From the beginning of Isaiah, the prophet asked Judah "Why do you continue to rebel?" (Isaiah 1:5) This question is followed by promises of restoration and protection if the people would only obey. I learned from an early age that the only way to get rid of my shame is to do everything I can to please my parents. If my parents are happy, then I'll be happy. I know that they don't want me to fail, and they surely don't want me to live an unsuccessful life. That's exactly why they were hard on me and pushed me towards perfection. I think that that is exactly what God is doing here too. God wants the best for his people. Isaiah 55:9 says, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Just like my parents, I won't always understand why God is pushing me towards perfection and disciplining me along the way. Even though I might not always agree with what God is doing, I know that God will only lead me in the right direction for my good.