A People Yearning To Breathe Free

I WRITE THIS month’s reflections with a heavy heart as the federal government’s violent attacks on immigrants continue. As a Korean-descent immigrant, I understand how scapegoating, hatred, and being blamed for things beyond our control can be exhausting for body and soul. Our communities are on the brink of despair; our hopes for a better future are shattering.

And yet, we hold on to our faith. We know we are not alone. God is our refuge. We have friends, colleagues, and neighbors who are in solidarity with us and who pray for us. As we face lawlessness geared with imperial might, we believe that our God, the only true “king,” will “judge between the nations” and “settle disputes.” Then we will beat “swords into plowshares” and “spears into pruning hooks.” God is the ultimate judge of all (Isaiah 2:4).

The transformative path of Zacchaeus inspires me. His story is a model of faithfulness. Whether or not you claim Jesus as your savior, I believe that you can change by caring for the poor and oppressed, participating in reparations, and sharing your abundant gifts. After all, the gospel says so.

For those fighting the good fight, my elbows are up with you. The narrative of injustice and oppression keeps unspooling here in the “land of the free,” leaving us worn and weary. And yet, God is with us and will raise us up.

Inadvertently becoming an “illegal” immigrant does not take much.

November 2
Change like Zacchaeus

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10

I AM AN immigrant who spent more than a decade going through the legalization process—it is expensive, elitist, and highly anxiety-inducing. Inadvertently becoming an “illegal” immigrant does not take much. You don’t have to commit a crime; all it takes is for your paperwork to fall through. Then, suddenly, you are “not lawfully present.”

The budget omnibus bill the U.S. president signed on July 4, which will add trillions to the deficit while cutting taxes for wealthy individuals and corporations, will severely affect health care access for immigrants. I am not an expert on U.S. policies and taxation. And yet, even someone like me can recognize that the provisions do not reflect the reality of poor and marginalized people, including those that restrict health coverage for people considered “illegal immigrants” or “not lawfully present.”

God invites us to take the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) into our hearts. If we have met and accepted Jesus as savior, like Zacchaeus (“Today salvation has come to this house”), we will also turn our hearts and resources toward the poor and the oppressed. If we have wronged the other, we are invited to change our ways. If we have more than enough, we are invited to share our possessions (Luke 19:8). Even if our colleagues despise us for being “small” (Psalm 119:141) and wickedness surrounds us (Habakkuk 1:4), God encourages us to grow our faith generously, according to God’s love (2 Thessalonians 1:3).

November 9
Man of lawlessness

Haggai 1:15 - 2:9; Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38

WHO COMES TO mind when we read the passage in 2 Thessalonians about the “man of lawlessness” (2:3)? I can think of a few people who fit this description because they describe themselves as a god or an object of worship (verse 4); use power, signs, and lying wonders (verse 9); refuse to love the truth (verse 10); and have powerful delusions (verse 11).

Throughout history, multiple individuals personify this man of lawlessness due to their brutality, deceitfulness, and delusion. Even today, we have people who think that they are gods. The unquenchable drive of egomaniacs who demand toxic praise and attention is everywhere and paraded on the streets. They plaster their faces all over the walls and etch their mottos on clothes and paraphernalia.

Although I do not appreciate the monarchic rhetoric of Psalm 145, I understand why the author describes God as kingly, the one who rules over all. God is just and kind (verse 17), is caring (verse 18), hears the cry of the oppressed (verse 19), and protects the weak (verse 20). I would rather have God as my king than any human pretending to be a king. As God’s spirit abides in us (Haggai 2:5), I pray that our leaders will find in themselves the heart of humility and the fear of God—and that they will never claim that they are kings of this world.

November 16
No Kings

Malachi 4:1-2; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19

MY FAMILY PARTICIPATED in a “No Kings” protest earlier this year. I migrated to the U.S. because I wanted a better future. I am aware of the enduring problems of the U.S. And yet, I chose this nation because of its avowed commitment to democracy, the rule of law, diversity, equity, and inclusion. These days, the U.S. seems to be following the path of authoritarianism and seclusion manifested by North Korea. As a Korean-descent immigrant, I am bewildered by how MAGA followers thinks this is democracy; America First sounds like North Korea First. The Kim dynasty of North Korea thought that self-reliance by isolation and authoritarianism was the way to prosperity and security. History shows that they were completely wrong.

We joined the protest to show our kids what democracy looks like. When we hear of wars and insurrections (Luke 21:9), we march for peace and justice. They might arrest and persecute us (verse 12), but we believe that God will give us words and wisdom to face the oppressors (verse 15). Moreover, I am grateful for the activists fighting on the frontlines for justice and peace. As Luke 21:19 says, “By your endurance you will gain your souls.” That day, we made a joyful noise, broke into joyous songs, and sang praises (Psalm 98:4). I believe that God will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity (verse 9). As justice and peace surround us, we shall rejoice in God’s goodness like calves who leap from their stalls (Malachi 4:2).

Liberation seeks peace that is not oblivious to the issues of the day.

November 23
Thawing ICE

Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

AT THE HEIGHT of the Los Angeles protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in early summer, masked ICE agents around the country abducted children on their way to school, volleyball practice, and field trips. They rounded up peaceful laborers working in the produce fields. A young woman was taken away because she wrote an opinion piece in her school’s newspaper.

God is definitely our refuge and strength in these times (Psalm 46:1). Many cities and communities are offering themselves as sanctuary spaces for marginalized people. But, alas, the mountains are shaking and the waters are roaring (verses 2-3). I believe that God makes war cease, breaks the bow, and shatters the spear (verse 9). Our sins scatter the sheep of God (Jeremiah 23:1), but God is the shepherd who will bring us back into the fold.

I recently learned about Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus.” This poem helped me better understand the significance of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, where the poem is displayed on a plaque. Lazarus wrote: “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Let your tired bodies and souls rest in God’s loving arms, for the God of Jacob, as the psalm says, is our refuge.

November 30
Jeepney Gospel

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

Although I AM Korean, growing up in the Philippines gave me a deep sense of camaraderie and kinship with Filipinos/as, particularly because of our shared pain of colonization. There remains unaddressed trauma in our psyches. Even our land remembers the horrors of war.

In the Philippines, one of the most vivid reminders of World War II is the jeepney. When the bulk of U.S. armed forces left the Philippines at the end of the war, there remained enormous numbers of military jeeps. Instead of discarding them, the Filipinos/as converted them into public transportation vehicles. As the nation rebuilt, people beat “the sword” (or military jeep) into a “plow-share” (vehicle for public transportation), a new way of understanding Isaiah’s vision. Reading the Parables of Jesus Inside a Jeepney, by Revelation Velunta, presents a liberating interpretation of the parables of Jesus from a Filipino perspective. Velunta invites us to face the reality that liberation cannot be nativist or purist. Rather, liberation deals with the current situation and makes the most out of it. Like beating swords into plowshares, Velunta teaches us, we can liberate ourselves and our reading of the Bible in ways that recognize the difficulties of the here and now.

This liberation seeks peace (Psalm 122:6-9) that is not oblivious to the issues of the day. Rather, it is awake (Matthew 24:42-43) to the conditions of oppression and the root causes of conflicts. It rips up oppressive systems while putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14). It is a peace that is within us through Jesus.