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.