2021 did not turn out to be the reset year we wanted. But life continued. People graduated from schools, found new jobs, got married, and had children. Even when days were hard, we found that the months changed, seasons passed, and the year suddenly came to an end. We also found time to process our thoughts, write them down, or read about the lives of others—and we are proud to say that happened here at SOLA Network.
In 2021, despite the pandemic and the lingering uncertainty in our lives, readers like you came to our website to learn, question, and grow together. We had amazing contributors who shared their ideas, experiences, and questions to help us grow in gospel living.
For this article, I’d like to highlight some of the quiet yet still powerful articles from our contributors. While they may have had a smaller audience, they still contain beautiful messages that will encourage and challenge you. Here are SOLA’s hidden gems of 2021.
Is Anyone Else Afraid To Watch “Minari?” by Young W. Yi
Is anyone else afraid to watch “Minari”?
The cast of the film is jam-packed with people in the upper echelon of acting from Youn Yuh-Jung to Steven Yeun. You can predict from the movie poster alone that the message, narrative, and story would be be powerful.
But what if that is what you’re afraid of as a viewer of this film?
I know I’m not alone in feeling this way because of the conversations I’ve had with some of my peers. Not only that, even Youn Yuh-Jung’s own son confessed a similar fear, and his mother revealed in an interview that he had not watched the film yet.
Ten Questions to Ask Your Mom After Mother’s Day by Hannah Chao
So you got your mom flowers, bought her brunch or dinner, and posted her photo with an appreciative caption on Instagram.
Now what?
We may have done an exceptional job on Mother’s Day, but how can we continue to love and cherish our mothers throughout the rest of the year? We know the Bible commands us to, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). So how can we do this practically?
One excellent way is to ask your mother questions about her life. Oftentimes we only see her through the lens of “mom.” But she had a life before you were born, and she continues to have experiences that you just don’t know about. Sometimes those hidden areas of her life can be filled with blessings and context that can make your relationship with her rich and fruitful.
Recognizing Domestic Violence in our Churches by Tim St. John
The words “domestic violence” and “abuse” generate powerful images in our minds of physical fights or violence. However, the reality is that discovering the presence of abuse in someone’s life is far more subtle.
Domestic abuse is defined as “an abuse of power, manifested through selfishly motivated patterns of behavior intended to exercise or maintain control over one’s partner.”
In that way, identifying domestic violence can be like putting together a 10,000-piece puzzle in which you are considering thousands of little moments and asking the right questions. It involves carefully looking at patterns of behavior, the intentions behind those patterns, and the outcomes of those patterns.
Spiritual Abuse: Why the Church Needs to Talk About This Problem by Thomas Hwang
This past year has been a tough one for church leaders. Apart from the pandemic that forced churches to shut down, there have been what felt like countless new stories of church leaders falling to sexual misconduct. From Bill Hybels to Carl Lentz to Ravi Zacharias—cases of sexual abuse are being uncovered in every Christian tribe. It has been disheartening to read, but it began a needed reckoning—and it all started through the stories told by their victims of sexual abuse.
There are still stories of abuse being posted by Christians, but it’s a little different now. Instagram accounts like DoBetterChurch and Letters From Rahab are filled with personal stories recounting stories of emotional and sexual abuse. But some posts focus on an unfamiliar, lesser-known type of abusive behavior that often takes place in the church.
Spiritual abuse.
Watching Bluey as an Asian American Father by Larry Lin
During the height of the pandemic last year, our family caved in and subscribed to Disney Plus. Our family doesn’t watch movies or TV shows much, but I was curious to watch some of the new live-action remakes of old animated movies I had watched as a kid (like The Lion King or Aladdin), and I wanted to catch up on old superhero films that I had missed. But I soon stumbled upon a show that blew everything else out of the water—Bluey.
On the surface, Bluey doesn’t seem very special. It is an Australian TV show for kids that revolves around a family of anthropomorphic dogs. There’s Bandit the dad, Chilli the mom, Bluey the six-year-old daughter, and Bingo the four-year-old daughter. The family is often playing silly games with one another, and the episodes deal with topics that most kids go through—sharing toys with your siblings or not giving up even when it’s hard.
But the oddest thing started happening as I was watching Bluey. I started crying.
When Mom Goes Back To School: Lessons Beyond The Classroom by Alice Kim
Last semester, I opened an email with a link to the final exam grade. It’s not a favorable sign when the body of the email included a comment that read I was eligible for a retake. I braced myself.
Click … “Oh no!”
My family was aware that I was checking multiple times a day for the grade to be posted. So when they heard my cry, they asked, “What did you get?” My chin and shoulders dropped. My back slouched, and my stomach caved into the chair. I slowly let out, “I got a D.”
The Church Behind Barbed Wire: The Stories of Japanese American Christians in Internment Camps by Tom Sugimura
The first time I remember learning about Japanese American internment was hearing my Obachan speak bitterly about what this country had done to her family. The war years and the ensuing aftermath had dramatically altered her dreams for life.
The Japanese American internment period has left a dark stain on our country. It isn’t talked about regularly, and yet there are many stories that need to be heard, especially for Christians.