So much of the Christian narrative I was exposed to early on was also seeped in the assumption of a dominant or default whiteness. If you do a Google Image search for “Jesus,” it’s sad to see that 90% of the photos depict a light-skinned, European-looking guy with brown hair and blue eyes. The Jesus Christ of Nazareth I’m reading about in the bible was a Middle-Eastern Jew, probably with brown skin, black hair and darker-colored eyes.
I was always the kid growing up who hated history. It was always the most boring subject to me. I didn’t see the point in memorizing dates and random names for things that happened generations and generations ago. “It has nothing to do with me,” was what I thought. But now, I’m starting to see more and more that it has everything to do with me. My family, the place I grew up, and the environment and people that surrounded me since childhood has had a profound impact on the way I think and go about the world.
It’s been a long week. When I first started out with this blog, I hadn’t quite yet anticipated what I would be writing about regularly. My goals were to explore my identities as a Christian, an Asian American, and a writer. #GeorgeFloyd and surrounding events, news, and personal conversations have given me a lot to think through and process. As a writer, I write to understand my own thoughts. I also write to share and invite discussion. As a Christian, I care deeply about the sanctity of each and every human life born in God’s image.
In light of our current conversation around racial injustice, rage and lament circulating about what our proper response to systemic racism should be, debates around protests/rioting/looting, and arguments around law-making and policy proposals among other things… I believe that active listening is more important than ever right now. I don’t know about you, but lately I see and am a part of so many conversations that start off innocently enough, but then move quickly from mutual listening and sharing to full on “fight-or-flight” response.
