One year ago, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic. I was at the hospital, and my wife had just given birth to our second son. We watched our world change as the rest of the world changed right before our eyes.
Over the course of a year with the coronavirus, I underwent some changes as well. I saw deeper, darker sin patterns in my life that needed to be destroyed. I found freedom in letting certain identities and roles fade away. I learned to better love and cherish my wife and family. I discovered new creative passions and communities.
We were all impacted by the coronavirus in different ways. This entire year has been a trial and tribulation. And while vaccinations are underway, they do not undermine the fact that we have experienced disappointment and loss. This year has been devastating for many.
Our God Does Not Change
I want to encourage you that we are not without hope. God has not forgotten to be gracious. His compassion has not ceased. What God is great like our God? He is the God who works wonders. He is the same God that led his people through the sea. His path was through the great waters; yet his footprints were unseen.
While we still might not be able to see or know what he is doing, he calls us to trust him. We have the power to persevere. And while you and I and the world have gone through many changes, our God does not change. He remains the same. See the risen Christ. Feel the holes in his hands and side. He is still good and gracious.
Here at SOLA Network, we have followed the pandemic with various articles and interviews. Some were connected to Asian America, some were written for the church, and some were deeply personal. Throughout them all, in the midst of a global crisis, we tried to point our readers to Christ. We hope they act as a testimony to his faithfulness as we continue to trust and obey.
March 2021
Hannah Chao: What if Church Doesn’t Go Back to Normal?
“The Gospel message we have been charged to share has not changed and it will continue to spread and change lives.”
February 2021
Steve Chang: Four Things Pastors Wish Their Churches Knew About Them Right Now
“The reason why God has placed your pastor in your church is because he or she knows and cares for the flock, but please know that they still have limitations.”
Tia Kim: The Gift of a Quiet Heart (Video)
“Wait for the Lord, because God will redeem every weaning pain.”
Tim St. John: Lifting the Stigma of COVID
“Lifting stigma in our churches can only come as we, all together, lift our heads to see Christ and to seek his kingdom once again.”
Katelyn Wang: How to Make Our Prayers Global in 2021
“But for most of us, we live our lives largely unaware of the ongoing crisis that more than 40% of the world’s people groups remain 100% spiritually unreached.”
Patreeya Thorn: Finding Wide, Open Spaces During COVID (Video)
“Wide, open spaces are not just somewhere out there — they are within reach. They are in the freedom we find in the gospel, the knowledge that God’s presence is sure (even when we do not feel it), the hope that the cramped spaces of darkness & death do not get the final say.”
January 2021
Fred Mok: Mourning the Death of Small Talk
“I have hope in Christ that the church universal and all local manifestations of His kingdom will find old and new ways to connect and live out the command to love one another.”
Kevin Quan: Avoid These Dangers During Your Winter Break
“Run to the foot of the cross to experience the forgiveness of Christ for your sins and the power of Christ to live in new ways.”
December 2020
Steve Chang: Learning to Lead Together
“When I think about 2020 and what everyone’s been going through, there’s both a shrinking and an enlarging of my world.”
Patreeya Thorn: A Letter to the Lonely
“Jesus’s definition of a “Merry Christmas” is not one without sorrow, longing, or messiness — but one that is infinitely sweeter because he is there with us in all of it.”
Katie Cooke: Fruits from a Fallen Seed: The Redemption of 2020
“The Lord brings extraordinary redemption through ordinary means. Let us head into 2021 with faith that God is always doing immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.”
Justin J. Kim & Steve Choi: Knowing What is Essential: The Redemption of 2020
Justin J. Kim: “COVID-19 is real. It’s deadly and it’s spreading. But as God’s people, it can really debilitate us and strike us with fear that we forget that though we can lose our physical lives, what matters most is our eternal lives.”
Steve Choi: “This season has obviously been a challenge for all of us. But for Christians, one thing that pops into my mind is the word that has been used often: the word ‘essentials.’”
Owen Lee and Michael Lee: The Power and Resilience of the Church
Owen Lee: “It’s been really encouraging to see members of our church begin to see and assess the needs of our community, especially those who are really struggling.”
Michael Lee: “We don’t stand on our church programming, our church facilities, our church conveniences, or anything like that. But we stand on the rock of Jesus Christ, and he has carried us through some very difficult seasons over this past year.”
Tia Kim: The Gift of a Quiet Heart
“Through the many, unexplained sufferings in this life, how do we keep a heart like the weaned child? We must begin with humility.”
Hanley Liu: The Revival of Our Families
“At the end of the day, for us, as Christians, we have a higher kingdom that we live for. We have a king, and his agenda is very different from any political agenda.”
David Larry Kim: Remembering the Power of Prayer
“There’s a lot of stuff that we did that we realized we can do without. So it was about reprioritizing our lives and then working smarter in this new season of life.”
Aaron Lee: Grace Upon Grace: 7 Silver Linings for the Church during COVID-19
“COVID-19 has shown us in many ways that we are helpless, but not hopeless.”
November 2020
Patreeya Thorn: Finding Wide, Open Spaces During COVID
“Wide, open spaces are not just somewhere out there — they are within reach.”
Adam Ch’ng: Beware, Sin Thrives in Isolation
“As we self-isolate in our homes, we may be physically safe but in spiritual danger.”
Faith Chang: Pay Attention: The Trees Are Singing
“Our naming trees was a kind of noticing, and when we notice in God’s world, we gather kindling for praise.”
October 2020
Aaron Lee: Sing To Him A New Song: 3 Reasons Why You Should Write Your Own Hymns
“No song is wasted when it is written in the name of Jesus.”
Alice Kim: Two Ways We Can Better Appreciate Our Pastors
Alice Kim reads her article. Available on YouTube, Podcasts, IGTV, and Spotify.
“Pastors need to be encouraged to cultivate personal interests and pleasures that are life-giving and point them to the rest and feasting promised in Christ.”
Ben Shin: Celebrating Pastors’ Appreciation Month During COVID
“Most recently, during this time of pandemic and lockdown, pastors have now been required to learn a whole new set of skills that were never before imagined.”
September 2020
David Schuman: Why We Need Godly Examples (Even in Lockdown)
“We imitate the actions and thought patterns of the people we look up to.”
Heidi Tai: True Rest: More Than a Good Night’s Sleep
“In a year where my work plans have been uprooted and every earthly security challenged, I have found myself at the mercy of my Maker and relearning what it means to find true rest in Christ.”
David J. Schuman: The Only Person Who Saw 2020 Coming (And Can Fix It)
“No matter what the rest of 2020 brings, we can face it with quiet confidence and a deep inner peace because we know that our good and powerful God rules history.”
August 2020
Steve Chang: Why Asian American Leaders See COVID and Church Lockdowns Differently
“Immigrants and children of immigrants of countries have a different perspective on what persecution is.”
Adrienne Ihara: Two Unexpected Seasons: Singleness and Coronavirus
“Being single does not have to mean being lonely, especially when I can walk alongside others in our church who are in the same season of life as me.”
Wayne Hu: Loving Our Kids in this Coronavirus and School Season
“A Gospel-centered home is one where everyone is constantly reconciling every day through the power of the gospel.”
David J. Schuman: What to Do When You’re Afraid
“The next time you feel fear welling up inside, pause and remind yourself of the power and faithfulness of God.”
David Chong: A Prayer for Teachers, Staff, and Families Going Back to School
“You say that if we ask for wisdom, you will generously provide. Give us wisdom in how to lead our families to honor and glorify you in the midst of this pandemic.”
Faith Chang: Why We Need Wonder in Our COVID-19 World
“Wonder might expand your heart to give you the perspective you need. May you wooow today to his glory and for your good.”
Judy Lee: How to Worship God With Our Bodies During COVID-19
“Just like He provided for His people physically and spiritually in the wilderness, God reminds us today in the midst of COVID-19 that He is sufficient for us.”
Thomas Hwang: A Response to Local Churches Thinking About Re-Opening During COVID-19
“Perhaps it’s not persecution that we’re resisting but inconvenience, something which Americans are just not used to.”
July 2020
Wien Fung: 6 Areas The Church Must Address For a Post-Coronavirus World
“More crucially, mission, or ‘loving our neighbors,’ is now seen as the ordinary thing to do.”
Andrew Yee: Can We Really Share Our Emotions with God? Lessons from the Psalms
“When life goes wrong, and things aren’t as they should be, our hearts are often filled with all sorts of thoughts and emotions — anger, confusion, despair, anxiety, sadness, and so much more. We might wonder, can I really say this to God?”
Angela Hom: Reopening the Church: Lessons Learned from 10 Asian American Congregations
As churches across the country are reopening for in-person services, SOLA asked leaders of Asian American congregations who have reopened to share their experiences. This article is not designed to be a template for others but a snapshot of what some are experiencing so that we can learn and pray.
June 2020
Anonymous: I’m a Missionary Who Got Sent Home Because of COVID
“I did what my family, staff, and I thought was safest. I packed my things and left my apartment, where I had lived for seven months, in less than 24 hours. Then I flew across the world and within 48 hours, found myself in my parents’ house in New Jersey, social distancing at home.”
Daniel K. Eng: 6 Movies on Disney+ For Discussing Biblical Values with Your Family
“With families spending time together at home, we have more opportunities to have fruitful conversations.”
Heidi Tai: How Long, Lord? A Prayer for Our World
“Through fire and flood, sickness, and suffering, you have shown us time and time again, that our earthly idols cannot save.”
Christina Li and Esther Wong: Repentance to Revival: How 2020 Can Transform Asian American Christians and Churches
“Have we as Asian American believers been too busy ‘building our own houses’ while the body of Christ ‘remains a ruin’ because we have not reached out and bridged ethnic and cultural divides to love one another?”
James Tang: How to Pray for the Youth in Hong Kong
“I still believe in the next generation because I believe in a God who is faithful to fulfilling His promises from generation to generation.”
Leo Rhee: Is Abnormal the New Normal? An Update on COVID-19 and the Church in South Korea
“Our church people used their time of semi-quarantine to really draw deeper into God and cultivate themselves for the next season, or they became more passive and drew further apart.”
Daniel K. Eng: Biblical Principles to Guide Us During this Pandemic
“As we consider the long-term implications of this pandemic — from school closures to social distancing — here are seven biblical passages with Gospel-centered principles to guide our attitudes, words, and actions.”
Jay Kim and Steve Chang: Our Churches Can’t Just Be Online: An Interview with Jay Y. Kim
During a time in which many churches have been forced to switch over to online services, a book called Analog Church might seem irrelevant. But author Jay Kim’s book is incredibly timely, as he carefully addresses both the challenges and opportunities churches face in this digital age.
May 2020
Jane Kim: Practical Steps for Families (Still) Engaged in Distance Learning
“In a time of uncertainty in the future of schooling, what are some practical steps to apply right now so that their young minds don’t hate learning forever? Hopefully, these tips from an educator who has been distance teaching for the last couple of months can serve you well.”
Dr. Roy Kim, Tim St. John: Addressing Sex Addiction and Pornography During Quarantine: An Interview with Dr. Roy Kim
“How can Christians and the church better understand sex addiction and pornography so that we can help those who are afflicted? How can those who are struggling with this addiction get help?”
Daniel K. Eng, Thomas Hwang, Hanley Liu, P.J. Tibayan: Should Churches Open ASAP? A Panel Discussion with the SOLA Network
They talk about what it means to love their neighbors, submit to authority, and religious freedom. We hope this conversation will spark healthy discussions within your church as we weather this pandemic together.
Daniel K. Eng: Gospel Reflections from 40 Days of Lockdown
“With the lockdown now lasting longer than forty days, I’m reminded of the significance of the forty-day period in the Bible. It’s a long time. This experience has deepened my understanding.”
Marie and Jonathan Lau: “God Sent an Angel:” How Our Family Survived COVID-19
“On my hospital bed, it suddenly dawned on me that the successful accomplishments of my life did not help me in this moment. It was the love of God and the genuine caring of many brothers and sisters that sustained me. My relationship with God and others become very important to me.”
Anonymous: The Continuing Persecution of the Church in China
“Relative freedom and peace are gone as China has launched an aggressive campaign to restrict and Sinicize Christianity within its borders, meaning all Christian worship, preaching, and other activities must comply with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Those not in compliance are seen as threats against national security and punished.”
Young W. Yi: Sabbath Rest in the Midst of Upheaval
“My prayer for all of us is that we would seek to rest in God’s presence every day of our lives, not just Sundays. But if you need a place to start, making Sundays a day of practicing the spiritual discipline of entering into Sabbath rest is a great place to start.”
John Quan: I Had Coronavirus. Here’s What You Need To Know.
“God has been gracious to me through this experience, and I have a newfound appreciation for my life, and especially for my wife and son. My faith in the Lord has increased, and I understand how He provides comfort to the afflicted and suffering.”
Vera Christian: Encouragement For the Suddenly Homeschooling Parent
“Rest in the Lord. Trust that He will guide you to do what is best for your family as you navigate through this path of distance education. And that’s success.”
Faith Chang: Loving Others Even In Social Isolation
“Whether through prayer, hospitality, or a quick check-in, actively serving another person in love may turn out to be God’s grace to you today.”
Tim St. John: Bring Our Grief and Lament to God During COVID-19
“What do we do when we cannot share a meal, hug a friend, or wipe away a tear? Where do we go with our grief when we are limited from physical closeness with others?”
Owen Y. Lee: Replacing our American Hope with a Christian Hope
“COVID-19 is an opportunity for people who are similar to my context —Korean American, middle-upper class, live in the suburbs, highly educated — to replace the functional American hope that we all live with, with true Christian hope.”
Fred Mok: A Novel Leprosy and the Death of Touch
“He welcomes the exile, sojourner, and outcast. He cares for the widow and the orphan. He stretches his hand out to the leper. I’m drawn to Jesus because I am not like him and I need his touch to transform me.”
April 2020
David J. Schuman: Living and Dying in the Time of COVID-19
“Let us live in this uncertain time with an unusual faith and purpose. Unafraid of death, let us look outward and serve in a time of great need. The church has a tremendous opportunity in this time to be a light to the world.”
Anonymous and Daniel K. Eng: Notes from the Hospital: Here’s What We’re Seeing
“Healthcare providers are people too and there is certainly fear that we will catch the disease. With increasing reports of healthcare providers getting the disease and dying from it, it certainly heightens our concern and fear. Pray that our families will be protected.”
Justin J. Kim: How Do Pastors Respond to a World-Altering Event?
“There’s so much out of our control in this world. There are so many things that we don’t understand. The only thing we can control is how we respond to what’s going on around us. We can control our attitudes and responses.”
Ajay Abraham: 3 Ways to Pray for India
“Considering this overwhelming number of people crowded within this country, some say that COVID-19 may have catastrophic effects on Indians. Yes! It already is having its toll on the people. Looking at the pandemic situation, what can we Christians, do in this lockdown period that has stopped the entire country?”
Chi Lam & Daniel K. Eng: “We Are Not Out of the Woods Yet”: How to Pray for New York City
“For the most part, people are doing a great job staying home and obeying social distancing rules when they must go out. The measures placed on the state are working, but we are not out of the woods yet.”
Michael Y. Lee: Redeeming Loneliness During Social Distancing
“Beyond what we see on Instagram and TikTok is the reality that there is great spiritual warfare waging in our hearts as we react to the pangs of our loneliness. Satan knows we’re lonely, and he’s on the move seeking to destroy our souls by making us feel even more alone. How do we combat this?”
Paul Nam: What to Pray For in this Time of Trial
“James encourages us to pray for godly wisdom because these trials, as much as they can be painful, are also opportunities. So let us take these opportunities to learn more about the character of God, to correct our views and expectations about life, and to minister to God’s people.”
Steve Choi: Help My Unbelief: A Prayer for COVID-19
“Lord, I believe in you. Help my unbelief at times like this. Would you increase my faith? You’re the only answer.”
Moses Lee and Albert Young: Four Ways to Build and Sustain a Healthy Worship Ministry
“The result is that worship team leaders and members tend to burn out at alarming rates. Our churches need healthy and vibrant worship leaders that inspire and lead our congregations to sing the gospel.”
Sarah Kang: 5 Ways to Support your Musician Friends
“Though I believe in the redemptive nature of God and the value of imitating and glorifying Him by exercising creativity, I am human, and I often forget these truths in the battle of the daily grind. And these are the moments I am reminded of the importance of community.”
Hanley Liu: How Christ Frees Us from the Fear of Isolation and Death
“This is a season where pastors (myself included) don’t have all the answers. But we need to learn and remind ourselves to go deep into God’s Word so that we grow in our union with Christ and strengthen our hope in him.”
Lisa Wong: How the Good News Transformed Mary Magdalene
“This is great news for those of us who, like Mary, find ourselves in need of hope. Jesus is a patient, caring friend. He has a mission for His followers, even those who don’t feel qualified. He has overcome sin and death and ascended to our God and Father.”
Gavin Kajikawa: A Different Way to Meet. The Same God to Worship.
“We are in the midst of a new season of worship as church families across the nation and the world have transitioned to streaming worship services online. Things certainly feel very different.”
Kim Kira: Are We in Awe of COVID-19 or in Awe with Christ?
“We’re spending hours a day fueling our faith in the coronavirus and spending 20 minutes with God. And so of course, COVID-19 is huge. It’s like we spent our daily devotions with the virus and now we stand in awe of it and we fear it. It’s much bigger in our hearts than God is most of the time.”
Patreeya Thorn: What She Couldn’t See: The Healing That is On the Way
“We are in the middle of a global pandemic. Actually, we are just guessing that it’s the middle. All we know is that each day feels like the last — a battle to hold onto hope and to fix our eyes on something better than what we can see in front of us.”
David Larry Kim: The Broadest Audience of Our Lifetime
“We have a few days until Resurrection Sunday and an opportunity unlike any other. Let us do whatever we can, through social media and through personal invites to bring people to Christ.”
Soojin Park: In Whom Do We Believe? Reflections on the Bleeding Woman
“Now that we cannot keep ourselves busy with “doing church” do you find that the substance of your faith has dwindled? As you see your stocks lose value and face potential career setbacks, do you find yourself captive to anxiety and fear?”
Judy Lee: What Wearing a Mask Taught Me About My Fear and Shame
“Christ bore the cross alone; He carried His shame and humiliation to Calvary, enduring far greater ridicule and suffering. His strength should enable me to preach His gospel without fear and shame. I pray my love for Him will outshine and dethrone my fear of this temporary spotlight amidst darkness—for His light will one day flood out both.”
Tim St. John: Relationship-Building Questions for Couples in Quarantine
“One vital way to build our understanding of how to love is to have conversations that provide opportunities to minister Christ’s love. To that end, here is a relationship-building activity for couples for the month of April. Take one question each day and discuss it with the aim of participating in what God is doing in your partner’s heart and life.”
Joanna Lee: COVID-19 Diaries: Finding Purpose Amidst the Pandemic
“As this COVID-19 pandemic progresses, I’ve been thinking a lot about my role as a health care worker and what I can do to help my patients stay healthy, especially when many of them don’t follow my instructions. I find myself wondering: ‘Has my day-to-day work with my patients directly reduced the risk of them contracting COVID-19?’ In other words, ‘Does what I do even matter?’”
March 2020
Asian American Christian Collaborative: Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of COVID-19
“We, the undersigned, join together as Asian American Christians and community leaders to denounce the current rise in overt anti-Asian racism throughout our country. We call for an immediate end to the xenophobic rhetoric, hate crimes, and violence against our people and communities. We invite all Americans to join us in combating these contagions and work with us for the welfare of all.”
SOLA Network: Why SOLA is Supporting the “Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of COVID-19”
“Here at the SOLA Network, we believe racism is a sin as it directly contradicts the truth that God created all of us in his image, contradicts Christ’s command to love our neighbors, and conflicts with his ministry of reconciliation. Therefore we believe Christians are to call out racism in its many forms and seek to protect the powerless and marginalized.”
Heidi Wong: An Open Letter to College Students Affected by COVID-19
“If right now feels like a type of hell, remember that while Christ doesn’t promise to erase our suffering, he does promise that he is with us every painful step of the way (Isaiah 53:4). He entered into our world not as a thief who takes away our hopes and dreams, but rather as the giver of life, that we may “have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).”
Kevin Yi: 3 Things Youth Pastors Need to Focus On During COVID-19
“Let me get straight to the point. The things that our students have been hard at work preparing for – it’s all getting canceled and postponed indefinitely. And the disappointment of losing so many academic and social markers of growing up is going to be crushing for our students.”
Tony Thomas: The COVID-19 Exile: 10 Practices for Building Up Your Family
“There was a certain centrality to family life and its significance to Christian discipleship that the rhythms of past ages naturally provided. And it helps us understand the context for the instruction of God’s Word from parents to their children in: Deuteronomy 6:7 – You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Tony Thomas: The COVID-19 Exile: Stuck with Our Families for Good
“While that promise gives us comfort, we recognize that the verse does say that all things take time to ‘work together.’ Thus, there is an inevitable wilderness between the Promise and the Promised Land. And thus, we do appropriately mourn and lament as we wait. Yet, part of what produces the healing and hope as we wait is pressing into the Lord to ask, ‘But Father, what is the good you are working to produce in this?’”
Hannah Chao: COVID-19 Stress Disorder and How Jesus Loved Martha
“I’ve gotten shorter with my kids (who are now home with me every day), I get distracted more easily, and I sometimes have a pit in my stomach that won’t go away, even after a big dinner. I think I have COVID-19 stress disorder. And I think the world does too.”
Min Lee: Making Disciples in Children’s Ministry Amid COVID-19
“But when the church is closed, how do we give them Jesus? How can we replicate what kids experience at church, right in their own home? What would be the best way to not only share a Bible story, but provide discipleship with the same small group teacher they see week to week? What can we do to communicate to parents that our vision is still, “A church for kids to call home” and that we absolutely love the kids?”
Heidi Wong: How COVID-19 Exposes Us
“This virus has exposed what my “givens” are. The things I had felt entitled to with no basis. It has made me reflect and consider what is truly necessary versus what I think I need.”
Ryan Zhang: What a Chinese Funeral Can Teach Us About Jesus’ Resurrection
“If you ever have the opportunity, go observe a traditional Chinese funeral. Observe the grief and futility of our earthly lives as we reduce everything to ash. But then remember that our hope is not in the cleansing of the fire pit or the transfer of goods into the next world, but in the cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ, and in the restoration of our ashes into life.”
February 2020
Heidi Tai: Bushfires, coronavirus and Kobe: Has God Abandoned 2020?
“The world is scared and hurting. Doesn’t God know that now is the time for divine intervention? At times like these I can’t help but question: Does God not see? Does God not hear? Has God forgotten us?”