So, here is another post on an aspect of being Asian-American. However, this time I have to chime in and say I feel like I have a lot to speak to on the issue regarding the controversy between the guys at Deadly Viper and Soong-Chan Rah. If you haven’t heard enough about the issue already, you can read the initial blog posts that started the controversy: Soong-Chan Rah’s post is here; Deadly Viper’s post was taken down yesterday, but you can see a follow-up here.

Let me start by saying I’m not here to criticize or judge anyone. I think enough has been said based on too-little information *and* too much assumption already. The fact-of-the-matter is that I truly believe that had all parties involved taken the issue seriously and worked toward solutions from the beginning, rather than being defensive this would have all been alleviated. Taking it privately where real understanding and reconciliation could emerge rather than making it public, thus drawing attention to themselves. So, I’m not adding fuel to the fire through using a public forum to call people out. Instead, I ask that we take a look at the deeper issue. The escalation was just the byproduct of the underlying issue that hasn’t really been brought to the surface yet. That is, that understanding the context of Asian-Americans in a predominantly white (western, Anglo, Caucasian) culture is excruciatingly difficult, yet important.

To Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, I know you guys from your time with my class at Londen Institute in Corona, CA. Especially in the case of Jud, I have seen integrity and leadership revealed in a stripped down way that was incredibly humbling and eye opening for me as a seminary student with no real practical ministry experience beforehand. I know Pastor Wilhite is an amazing man of God, full of grace and that he gets the gospel of Christ on many levels as he reaches out to the marginalized and forgotten people in Las Vegas. As for Mike Foster, I sense his grace and heart for people in everything he does. His ministry work speaks for itself. However, with that said, there is one more thing I must add. Neither Jud, nor Mike can stake claim to knowing what it’s like to be Asian in America. In addition to that, I don’t think they care to know. In fact, I don’t think many Caucasian-Americans really care to know. There is just an incredible amount of indifference by white America when it comes to this subject.

As for Soong-Chan Rah, I do not know him or know much about him. However, I read and studied his book The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church From Western Cultural Captivity and found it to be a great work that expressed many thoughts I resonate with. Professor Rah seems to be man of integrity and kingdom mindedness as well. However, I don’t think Rah can claim that he knows what it’s like to be a white person living in a world of mixed cultures where the slightest mis-step can lead to one being labeled a racist. Living in a world of political correctness where seconds after making a statement, social media blasts it all over the world for the judging public to chime in can be quite intimidating (and nauseating!).

You see, we can attack some white guys that appear to have used some Asian aspects to add a cool factor in marketing their book to a white consumer and give them a piece of our mind. Interestingly enough, there were quite a few non-Asians speaking about the offensiveness of the packaging/branding of the book. However, is that really the issue? It’s what’s behind the packaging that is the issue. Unfortunately, we Asians haven’t had a loud voice in America and it has hurt us in being identified as a relevant culture in the United States. Blacks took a stand and made their voice known. Even today we are talking about repression and reparation for slavery in America hundreds of years ago. We are censored in our use of the n-word and how we portray African-Americans publicly in the media. However, the same cannot be said for Asian-Americans. Being born in Japan and moving to California when I was 4 years old, my ancestry is obviously Japanese. However, one of the great injustices in the history of America was when Japanese people lived in the United States in the 1940’s, spoke clear & fluent English, worked hard to live the American dream, pledged allegiance to the American flag and wanted to serve in the US military against Japan in WWII, yet families were separated by the US government and forced into internment camps and their land was taken away. Years later when the war ended, they were released with no restitution and in most cases, no land to come home to. As unjust, unfair and irrational as that act was, did you hear any Japanese people complain about it? In some cases, some of you didn’t even know this injustice took place. And, if you did, it isn’t a burden to you to see this resolved and mad right 50 years later. No, we Asians just tend to shut up and assimilate, work with the hand we are dealt with and be happy that we live in the land of (supposed) opportunity.

Please know that I am not bitter or angry. Just because an injustice to my ancestors wasn’t made right, doesn’t mean that I won’t stand in the name of justice for others. All I’m saying is that what happened to Japanese-Americans back in WWII is an example of how we Asians tend to deal with things. I think white America takes this for granted. It’s a shame actually, because as the world becomes multi-cultural it seems to be seeking to become more Eastern. Religion, design, food, etc. With all of the Asian influences visible in the U.S. today, it is still so lacking because the culture it comes from is never really associated with it. It has been taken over and Americanized. You are getting bits and pieces of Asian culture, but mostly out of context and that is a problem. When we Asians come into the United States, we’re expected to dress like you, speak English like you, worship God like you, think like you. It’s as if it’s such a privilege to share your land, that we must do it on your terms. You take from us and put it into your context of living, yet never really give us the respect or credit. To you, being just like you is our greatest reward.

Know that while you may choose to live disrespecting other cultures that are not your own, at some point Asians and other minority groups will take a stand against it. You won’t understand why it happened and you’ll think we’re making a big deal out of nothing. What you don’t know is that when you say you look at me and see just another person, you are saying you see me as you see other *white* people. Think that’s an unfair statement to make? Then ask yourself this question: How much do you know about my Asian culture and perspective? How important is it for you to take the time to listen to what I bring to the table as an Asian-American? In reality, the answer is that you really don’t care, because you just want to see me as one-of-the-guys. I am one-of-the-guys, but my eyes don’t look like yours and they don’t see things exactly the same as yours. There is a reason for that. You can say I’m making a big deal out of nothing, or you can ask God why he birthed me in Japan to Japanese parents who gave me up for adoption and put me with my adoptive parents who moved me to the United States. If I were to live life like a Caucasian-American, I should have been born here like you and made to look just like you. I was definitely created to live as an American–that I am proud of and I appreciate my opportunities as an American, but my perspective as an Asian is important…it is relevant…it is worth your knowing about. This is the greater tragedy that I as an Asian-American have faced my entire life. It is complex, it can be confusing at times–even we as Asian-Americans don’t see things the same way. In the end, we are all unique and one of the things that distinguishes me from others is my cultural identity + my own personal life experiences. I am clothed in Christ, but that clothing consists of many layers.

In the end, you may perceive me as irrelevant because I have less than 100 blog readers and as a people group, we (Asian-Americans) don’t make or break your profit margins as a publishing house or corporation. However, know that one day that will change. I won’t be the one causing a revolution, but I will be the one that has stood here with my open hand reached out to you and inviting you into my world, just as you have been gracious enough to invite me into yours. Your indifference to me is more disrespectful than you know, but I’m not one to call you out on it. Instead, my hand is open and my arm outstretched. I’m here to join in conversation and relationship with you based on mutual respect and grace anytime.

While sitting in on a session at Unleashing Beauty where Charles Lee was speaking on the topic: “Practical Compassion: Simple Ideas of Care for Our World” I was struck by something he said. It was such a minor thing in the context of his discussion and something I think most in the room didn’t even think twice about. He made a reference to homeless people by saying the word houseless instead. That one word stood out and spoke volumes to me. I mean, in our minds it’s not slander or condescending to say someone is homeless. However, in the context of their situation, are they truly homeless or are they houseless.

I had a chance to speak with Charles after Unleashing Beauty and let him know how his language had impacted my thoughts. He said that (and I paraphrase here):

there are people that don’t have a house, yet have a home and there are people that have a house, yet do not have a home.

So true! I know that no matter where I was at, that with my family and love in our hearts we would have a home…even if that meant a patch of ground under an overpass, a cardboard box in an alley, or a motel room. Even though it’s in my mind and probably not in yours, it seems almost like an injustice to refer to someone temporarily without a house as homeless. If in my thoughts someone is houseless, not homeless, then it should be so in my words as well. After all, it’s not about looking down or feeling sorry for a houseless person…it’s about doing our part and sharing love to others how and where we are able. Someone without a house is a person just like we are. Their circumstances may be different, but they are still human just like you and me. Our houseless brothers and sisters deserve dignity, respect, and our love.

Thank you Charles for opening up my eyes to see how my use of commonplace wording really goes against the words in my heart and how I need to change my language, rather than conform to the language of others some times.

While putting the books into the bookcase, I decided to pop open New Day New You. It’s a 365 day devotion book. I stumbled upon the devotion for October 22nd. It references 1 Corinthians 2:9:

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

Joyce begins this devotion by writing:

Perhaps God has been speaking you about some changes in your life and you want them, but you are afraid. I want to encourage you not to be afraid to step out. Even if you make a mistake, it won’t be the end of the world.

Those are words to live by for sure. Some of us go through life so scarred from our last mistake that we are crippled to move forward. The sting still hurts and it causes us to never want to feel that pain ever again. Rather than push forward, we stay stagnant or drift backwards. Our eyes are forward, but we seem to be losing ground to our goals.

Change is a word that I have embraced often. Sometimes because I wanted to, sometimes because it was inevitable and I just had to go with it. When I seek the change and am excited by it, I run full-steam-ahead and sometimes burn myself out before realizing the goal. When change is forced on me, sometimes I respond by resisting it. No matter what we may believe at the time, the reality is that change is a good thing no matter what. We were not created to stay static, nor were we designed to live in the moment of a victory and never pushing for more. Our life is not just one moment in time. Instead, it is s journey consisting of many moments strung together to create a legacy. Our destiny is already determined, but our legacy is what we make it to be. Do we want to be remembered for past failures and shortcomings, or do we want to share in the joy of victories as we grow stronger with each passing day?

What things does God have in store for you? What is he waiting on you to see accomplished? All it takes is making that first step and leaving your fear and hurt behind you. Joyce Meyer concludes the devotion with:

You are not going to be able to everything, but step out in God’s timing into the thing you feel he is leading you into.

You can be assured in the promise from Hebrews 13:5 AMP: “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not…”

I’m glad it’s Friday as that means the weekend is here, but I just feel like nothing got accomplished this past week and I’m racing to get things done: I have a website update that was promised yesterday, trying to sand down some spots on my office door so it will close freely (which now causes more painting to be done), I have to call a client, send a FedEx, ate a fast food chicken sandwich that is making me nauseous, have a friend coming in from out of town–all the while my oldest daughter is in my family room waiting on me so I can run some errands with her. That doesn’t even include the crappy situation that arose this morning!

However, after writing all that out, I know that these are things to be done and that time will wait for me to be completed. I shouldn’t stress or despair or have a negative attitude. I mean, things could be worse…much worse! Even then, because of who I am and whose Spirit is in me, I would have no excuse to complain. I just need to be patient, focused, at-peace, and appreciate all the positive things that have this week: My home office 99.5% complete, I’ve got to visit with my oldest 3 times this week, It’s 80 degrees and sunny near the end of October, I have a roof over my head, food in my stomach, and amazing friends that I wouldn’t trade for anyone else!

It’s easy to make today about me and my junk, but I choose not to. Part of that is reminding myself through writing this out. I have a lot to be thankful for, which I will not lose sight of because of my circumstances today.

Happy Friday!

As most of you know, I was involved in remodeling my home office last week. It was a simple endeavor that was to be very inexpensive and only take 2-3 days. However, it went about 3x over budget (still very cheap in most people’s minds though) and about a week to complete. One unexpected thing that happened was that a new door didn’t fit and had to be cut to size. I have a saw for this, but it’s in a storage unit so I decided to call a friend of mine that lives about 2 minutes away and see if I could use his saw. The conversation went something like this:

me: Hey, what’s up

my friend: nothing much

me: can i get you to give me a hand with something for a couple of minutes?

my friend: sure, i’ll jump in the car right now and head over.

I then proceeded to explain that I wanted to take my door over to his place and make a cut with his saw. That way I could make on trip and be done, rather than borrow the saw, bring it home, make the cut, then take it back to him. It would have been easy to lose sight of something huge in that phone conversation had I not been listening for it. Did you notice how my friend immediate was ready to jump in his car and come over to help? He didn’t even ask me what I needed help with or anything. If I am honest here, I’d have to admit that rarely would I be that willing to help someone out. Usually, I’d say something like, “Yes, I can help, but how long will it take?” or “Maybe…what did you need help with?” It turns out that my friend only had a few minutes to help as he had to get ready to go to a party that night, but he never said a word about it until I saw him. So, he dropped what he was doing and gave up some time cleaning up and getting ready for the party in order to give me a hand with my door. Rather than even have me pick up the saw, he drove it over and made the cut for me at my place.

Ultimately, this is what friends do for other friends, but this instance of selflessness really made an impact on me. It caused me to realize that as small as this act may seem, it’s something that I do less of than I’d like to admit. I need to be more of a selfless friend.

Listen to the rhythm of your heart and dance.

One of the things I am trying to do more of is embrace the simple things in life. Small creative things like arranging some words and forming them into a thought are not only fueling my inner-creative-self, but they are also bringing me joy.

I used to find a lot of joy in my younger days going to clubs and dancing. Not to meet women or get drunk with the boys, but to just feel the rhythm and let the beat move me. There were a couple of clubs I used to frequent that were outlets for this. People just hanging out and getting lost in the music. It was a very freeing thing for me to do. Being in a place where people weren’t judging my dance steps or the clothes I wore allowed me to just be one with the music. Sometimes I’d start off dancing to music by myself, finding a solitary patch of dance floor, only to find someone else–minutes later–connecting with my movements and sharing my space on the dance floor for a brief moment in time. No words would be exchanged…rarely even a passing glance would catch our eyes, but somehow there was a kind of connection that was being made. We found common ground in the rhythm and moved to a shared beat.

I reflected on my days as an atheist club kid and can’t help but find similarities in my life today as a man of faith. I believe God’s creative nature is at the core of our very being, yet we do a lot to stifle that creativity. We hear the music, but won’t submit to the rhythm. Maybe we want to dance, but we get embarrassed or concerned about what others will think when we do. Worse, we do some rigid, out-of-sync kind of dance that has nothing to do with the music and then walk away wondering why people dance in the first place. Too often I find myself wrapped up in the details and the deadlines. I hear the music, but I can’t stop to let it take over my senses. I’m losing the rhythm that beats within my heart. I’m probably also losing out to some opportunities of sharing space with others whose heart may be leading them to my patch of space in the world where we could meet and connect our pieces to the greater song.

Close your eyes for a minute and think of a favorite song that makes you want to dance. Hear the beat in your head and let the rhythm move through your soul. Think about being in an open space with no one else around, where you can just dance anyway you want to and allow yourself to get lost in the music. Does that make you feel happy? Can you find a sense of freedom in letting go like that? What around you is the music you should be dancing to right now? Is your heart speaking to you and asking you to just go with an idea because it’s the right thing do, regardless of what others think? Is there something causing you stress and making you cringe as if the DJ just dragged the needle across the record? Are you more focused on the results than being in sync with the rhythm? When was the last time you danced?

I don’t know if you heard the news about Drew Carey giving $1 million to help fight cancer if he gets 1 million followers on twitter by the end of the year (Read about the story titled, “Make Drew Carey Give Away $1 million” by clicking here). So, Drew Carey makes the announcement, which gets picked up by the news agencies, and then he writes a blog post about his thoughts post-announcement. In essence, he makes a point that our giving should be done in secret. We shouldn’t broadcast our giving for the world to know about it, if it is the notoriety that motivates our gift more than compassion for our fellow human beings. Funny thing is that Drew uses Matthew 6:1-4 as an example of how we should not make our giving a public enterprise, but then goes into a sort of exegesis to breakdown the intent and content of the passage in Matthew:

This is from the New Testament, Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV) “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

I’ve always used that as the general rule for my charity giving. It’s tough to do when you’re famous though. I get invited to a lot of things involving a charity auction of some kind where I have to announce to everyone how much I’m giving just to be able to give money and get the auction item. But I still think it’s better to just give the money and shut up about it whenever you can. Don’t take out an ad. Which is why I’ve been feeling the way I’ve been feeling.

But I’ve also been thinking a lot about the meaning of that passage lately, and maybe I got it wrong.

Jesus is talking about intent here as well as action, no? If the intent of your charitable contribution is to let everyone know what a big man you are, then verily I say unto you that the good karma stops there. But if you would just do all your giving in secret, well then… problem solved without even thinking about it. Theology students and bible scholars, feel free to chime in via the comments section.

My guess is I fall somewhere in the middle on this. My intent is totally pure, but I did it publicly AND asked for something in return (a million followers), so see you in hell. (Ha ha. Just kidding. The idea of a bunch of people suffering for all eternity in a big cavern of fire being poked in the butt with pitchforks by demons and whatnot was made up by Dante. It’s not really in the Bible. The concept of hell is, but not the pitchfork in the butt stuff.)

If one is a celebrity like Drew Carey, I can see how giving in secret every time could be difficult or maybe even impossible. Being the host of The Price is Right and on our tv screens every weekday, it’s obvious he doesn’t need to do anything to gain more attention to himself. Therefore, I believe that his intent was to be gracious and to give to others. I also believe that even Drew makes millions of dollars per year as a celebrity, that writing a check for $1 million to help find a cure for cancer is not pocket change for him. However, what about us as the church? How do we give? What do we expect in return?

Mr. Carey declares in his blog post:

And though I’m now miles from what you would call a practicing evangelical, a lot of the teaching I received from that time in my life still sticks with me. After all, good advice is good advice. Doesn’t matter where it comes from. Nowadays I’ll take a spiritual lesson from wherever I get it: Jesus, Buddha or the guy who cuts me off on the 101.

Knowing that there are some instances of profanity in Carey’s blog post and an admission that he spent his youth as part of a Pentecostal church, I think we in the church would tend to disregard Carey as not being relevant to us. For me, I argue that Drew is absolutely relevant to us and that we can learn from him. If someone can take the Scripture and not try to take it out of context, and even go the extent of using it to sort of convict himself of doing something that may have went outside of his personal beliefs as to what is right, that speaks volumes to me! In a world where so many people try to take examples from the Bible and extract them out of context as proof of how God does not operate under grace and love, I am encouraged to see someone in the public spotlight like Carey studying a Bible passage and relating it to his own life in a positive way. If only more Christians would do the same thing, we could then show the world that we aren’t just blindly following some ancient book that has no merit or relevance to our lives today. May we examine how we give…why we give…what expectations or demands we place on our gift, and shed our nature of seeking recognition for our acts of kindness. Instead, may we give from a clean and pure heart and bless others rather than seeking to be blessed ourselves.

Thank you Drew Carey for making this Evangelical Christian analyze how I give to others and how we as the church can learn from people outside of the church, Buddha, or the guy that cuts us off on the freeway. Thank you for your compassion for others and for your openness in sharing your thoughts on your blog.

PS. For those of you on twitter, won’t you help Drew Carey (@drewfromtv) raise money for the fight against cancer by simply becoming a follower? Who knows, you may get some wisdom along the way as well :)

I was born in Japan, but put up for adoption. My adopted parents are bi-racial, being that my dad was white and grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania and my mom was a native Japanese woman. My parents met in Japan while my dad was stationed there in the US Air Force. So, while I have my adopted father’s last name, I am 100% Japanese. However, the context of my culture is really American. While my mom is Japanese, due to prejudice and racism she did everything she could to assimilate us into our exclusively white neighborhood. I was one of 3 Asians in my graduating class in high school. So, for me, most of what I know is rooted in white, American culture. In the conversation of Asian-American church, I am kind of the oddball. However, there are aspects of me that are inherently Asian…things that I don’t consciously think about or purposefully do or think, yet they are ingrained in who I am. This is the conflict I have spent the past 9 months trying to figure out–who am I and who am I supposed to minister to?

When I look at the predominantly white, American church I don’t necessarily see it as evil or racist. I don’t even really consider it segregated. What I do see though is that there is a perspective present there that only someone not white would understand. When a white pastor proclaims to a white congregation that they want to purposefully try and reach out to people of color, I know their heart is in the right place. However, in reality, this is a very difficult challenge because of the current establishment. Just as most white people would feel uncomfortable driving into a black neighborhood and worshiping as the only white person in a black church, people of color can feel the same discomfort in a white church. I know that you’re reading that last sentence and believing that it is not true of you, but I think if you were being completely honest you would agree, even if not publicly. Know that not only is there a discomfort for non-whites in a white church, but there is also a disconnect. American culture, as mainstream as it is, really lacks diversity and the incorporation of other cultural perspectives. You can bring in an African-American pastor to share a message on Sunday about Kwanzaa, but that really doesn’t help us break down the discomfort and the disconnect that exists in our churches today.

Having said all of this, let me reiterate again: I do not believe that churches that are predominantly one race are racist. I just believe that the method is causing them not to realize a congregation that truly represents the diversity of their community.

If you are part of a white church, in a white community, in a small farm town in the midwest somewhere, does that make you racist? Not at all. Part of the conversation of diversity and multi-culturalism has to exclude some people just because their ministry has no choice except to be predominantly white. Same is true if you are part of a black church in a predominantly African-American neighborhood.

Does racism exist in the church today? Yes, it absolutely does. However, so does idolatry, addiction, hypocracy, the making of celebrities..etc. The church today is not perfect! We don’t always practice what we preach. If we better-understood the message of Christ and grace, we’d be a happier church without judgment and criticism.

While I acknowledge racism exists in the church, I also believe that racial segregation is a by-product of how we “do” church today. It is rooted in how we have “done” church in the past. It’s become more about us and less about Christ. That being said, I still know that the heart of many churches is in the right place.

Know that if a church is trying to establish a ministry to Russian people that have migrated to the US and still know more about Russian culture and the language than they do about America and English, it does not make them racist. Also know that if white people in a swank suburb are being ministered to in the context of being white collar professionals with no programs or ministries to connect with people other than themselves, does not make them racist. People of different cultures, in different communities, will just naturally want to congregate together.

Know this as well: There are people being called into ministry to start doing a new work that goes beyond color or socio-economic classes. As the future of our American culture changes, we as the church must change with it. For some, the status quo isn’t about racism and segregation, but there is a feeling that change must take place. Let’s not try to bridge the gap of black and white, but instead let us bridge the gap to be people reaching people, regardless of color or social status.

I’m sure that there isn’t often any meaningful conversation in the context of a predominantly Caucasian church in America that has to do with race and culture. In reality, the Caucasian church really just focuses on what they know, which is being White in America. Caucasians have come from so many different countries and just basically blended into one race of people here in America known as Caucasian. Even though the ethnic culture may be unique (Germans vs Irish vs French, etc.) everyone seems to be comfortable in their own skin, worshiping together in church. However, when it comes to being multi-cultural, the conversation goes to reaching people of any ethnicity outside of the Caucasian Christian group, yet invariably ends up meaning, “We’d like more African-Americans in our mostly White church.”

While White America owns the right to being the majority and therefore setting the cultural rules in the US, ethnic minorities are all trying to stake their claim to their identities within this White, American culture. Some will choose to blend in, while others rebel and holdout for something that acknowledges their ethnicity and recognizes that in the worship setting.

Being that I’m Asian-American, I can really only speak with any authority on that perspective. I think most Asian-Americans would be uncomfortable worshiping in the context of being multi-cultural with Hispanics and African-Americans. Rather than embrace the beauty of diversity, I think we Asians want to seek the refuge of a worship environment where people look like us and share a similar heritage/culture.

If we as Asians want to isolate ourselves and worship only with people that look like ourselves because we feel that we are owed the right to express our ethnicity in our Christ-likeness, then why should we be critical of American church that is predominantly White?

There is a saying within the church that “like attracts like.” In other words, if a pastor is Caucasian, then he/she will attract other Caucasians. If a pastor is Asian, he/she will only attract Asians. That once a worship gathering starts to build momentum, non-Whites will feel uncomfortable incorporating into a White congregation and Whites will feel uncomfortable joining into an ethnic-centered congregation, be it Asian, Latin, Black, etc.

If like attracts like within the church, what about people like CNN’s Soledad O’Brien? We think we have it bad trying to figure out the answer to meeting the needs of incorporating ethnic culture into the church, what do we when people are of diverse races such as Soledad, whose father was Irish and Scottish from Australia, and her mother is Afro-Cuban. As Soleded described herself in this CNN.com article:

I have a mass of kinky hair, light brown skin and lots of freckles. I’m black and Cuban, Australian and Irish, and like most people in America, I’m someone whose roots come from somewhere else. I’m a mixed race, first-generation American.

How do we, as the church, not only connect with someone so culturally diverse as Soledad O’Brien, but how do we present ourselves in a relevant way if we are either Caucasian or Asian in our makeup? How does someone of mixed-race identify with the church? Should it only be the responsibility of the White church in America to reach out to people of mixed-race? In actuality, should any of us take responsibility for crossing ethnic/cultural boundaries?

Will God bring every nation and every tongue together at the appointed time, or should we feel commissioned to integrate all Christians into a unified body of believers all worshiping together today, because that will be the true reflection of heaven? As a corporate body of spirit in heaven, will we even identify with race and heritage at the appointed time?

These are the kinds of issues I feel compelled to investigate as I seek to find my place within the Body of Christ as someone who is externally Asian, yet internally I relate more to White American culture with aspects of myself that respond strongly to African-American gospel music and having a heart for mi familia like my Hispanic brothers and sisters. When I read the CNN.com article from Soledad O’Brien she portrays such peace and comfort at who she is, while feeling some strain from the African-American and Latino community to represent them proudly. In the end, she is neither. In the end, she is just Soledad O’Brien, the uniquely beautiful person God created her to be, that even though she is a person of color, has been able to be comfortable with the perspective of many living under that skin. While there will always be first generation people bringing their culture into the US and having difficulty assimilating, our multi-cultural nation will be constantly evolving into a whole new culture that we may completely miss out on by being so immersed with how to deal with the various cultural perspectives in the church today. Sometimes, for guys like me that are conflicted in the conversation of the American church today, it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. In the end, it really doesn’t seem so black and white, yellow or brown. It just seems to be kind of muddy, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about that.

Twitter was the tool that allowed me to make connections via my computer, but The Idea Camp was where I had to come out from the digital world and enter into relationships in-person. The Idea Camp was such a welcoming venue with a lot of caring, friendly and genuine people that it was easy to be someone I am not ordinarily–an extrovert.

While I remember and have been impacted by the Idea Sessions on church planting in suburban communities with a heart for urban areas, social networking and using technology in ministry, it is my relationships with people that have changed my life the most.

I’ve posted on The Idea Camp several times on my blog, but being connected with the people I met there–even some I met via dialog on twitter, yet never met in-person–on a continual basis really makes me pause and reflect on the amazing things that happened as a result of my attending a free conference called The Idea Camp.

For those of us introverts that know we have to make a better effort to connect with others, The Idea Camp is a perfect place to do so. The focus isn’t on celebrity speakers, it’s on the attenders. You will be asked (not forced) to engage in discussions with a roomful of other attenders and share your insight as well as take away insight of others. You will have a chance to hear someone speak about something to the audience, yet walk up to them and ask them some follow up questions. The Idea Camp is a great place to learn from others, but it’s an even better place to see others learn from you. It’s a humbling experience, but one that changed my ministry and the way I look at conferences and networking. Thanks to The Idea Camp, I’ll never be the same.

Did you attend a previous The Idea Camp in Irvine, CA or Washington, D.C.? What were your experiences? Did you build lasting relationships as a result? Please share some of your impressions for the sake of those that may not be familiar with The Idea Camp or may be uncertain as to whether they should attend or not. Also, you can learn more by watching the interview I did with Charles Lee and reading the overview of the upcoming The Idea Camp here.

PS. If you’d like to attend The Idea Camp in Portland, OR 11/20-21 for free, there is a link on the right sidebar where you can click-through to the registration page.