During his ministry on earth, Jesus used illustrations from his cultural context to deliver profound theological truths, which had tangible implications for his first-century Jewish listeners. Take, for instance, the lead up to the parable of the Good Samaritan.
In Luke 10, an expert of the law approaches Jesus and asks him, “What must one do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers the expert’s question with another question: “What is written in the law?” The conversation eventually leads to the recitation of the Great Commandment – to love God and to love our neighbor.
Upon hearing this, the expert is dismayed by the tall order of this command. In response, he asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Again, Jesus answers the expert’s question not with a direct response, but a parable.
As a refresher, Jesus’ famous parable consists of five characters whose roles were incredibly relevant to the day-to-day life of the Greco-Roman world – a traveler, robbers, the priest, the Levite, and a Samaritan.
Jesus’ selection of each of the characters in this parable was purposeful and meaningful. Many pastors have sought to retell this parable using new characters whose selection is also purposeful and meaningful for modern contexts.
What would a retelling of The Good Samaritan look like for Asian Americans in the context of the Black lives matter movement?
I offer four characters who are relevant to this cultural moment for the Asian American Church – Black America, White America, 88 Rising, and K-Pop stans.
1. Black America and White America – Luke 10:30
For all of American history, Black America has been in the shoes of the traveler who was beaten. From slavery to Jim Crow, from redlining to the War on Drugs, Black America has lived the all-too-familiar journey of being wrongfully attacked, beaten, and stripped of dignity.
However, there is a distinction that must be made between White America and the robbers of the original parable. While the robbers were clearly outside the law, throughout American history, White America has operated cruelly, often as the law itself.
As we study this parable, we must mourn for the treatment of the traveler, as well as our Black brothers and sisters.
2. 88 Rising – Luke 10:31-32
88 Rising is the managing label for the Chinese hip hop group Higher Brothers. Over recent years, the Higher Brothers have risen to fame in large parts from co-signs from Black artists like Migos and Snoop Dogg. Their musical style very closely resembles that of American hip-hop, a genre that was forged in the struggles of Black America.
However, despite the notoriety and money that 88 Rising has received directly from Black America, they have been mostly silent with regard to the struggles of Black America. The music industry has always played a role as a social commenter, and one would expect a hip-hop group comprised entirely of minorities to engage in their role – but alas, silence. Why?
I would argue that like the priest and the Levite, 88 Rising is primarily consumed by self-interest. If they chose to use their voice to stand in solidarity in Black America, they would face significant financial losses from their listeners in China.
But what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
3. K-Pop Stans – Luke 10:33-35
On the flip side, the story of the K-Pop stans (stalker-fans) parallels the story of the Samaritan. In a similar vein to the Good Samaritan, the K-Pop stans are the last one we would expect to stand with Black America.
Despite their characterization as outsiders with no say or involvement in the nuances of American politics. we have seen them act where the Church has (in large part) failed. Like the Good Samaritan, they have gone above and beyond what anyone would expect, taking to Twitter in advocacy and solidarity, even taking over trending racist hashtags with their own fan-made videos.
This parable challenges the Asian American Church today. For many years, the Asian American church has acted primarily out of self-interest or self-preservation, becoming like the priest, Levite, and 88 Rising. The Asian American Church has not taken a stand against racism and fought for justice for our Black brothers and sisters. The Asian Church has stood off to the side in fear that White America would no longer view us as a pet, but as once again as a threat – to echo the words of Dr. Soong-Chan Rah.
Throughout his interaction with the expert of the law, Jesus emphasized the doing – standing in direct opposition to a mindset of passivity or complicity, culminating into Jesus’ concluding words to the expert “Go and do the same.”
The call for the Church today is clear. We too are to go do the same. We cannot be tolerant of the sin of racism. Any boundary that inhibits us from loving our neighbors must be dismantled. The call of this parable is not only to examine the racism that persists in our hearts, but to seek justice for any and every person in need, regardless of nation, tribe, or tongue.
We, like the Good Samaritan, must walk in the path of the beaten man by learning the history of Black America and listening to the experiences of our Black brothers and sisters. To walk in the path of Black America means that we, the Church, must set foot in spaces that may feel different, uncomfortable, or dangerous. To do so is to follow the example of Jesus, who stepped down from His throne in Heaven to enter Earth, knowing full well the dangers presented by the journey.
While this can be a daunting task, it is a necessary one. The journey to go and do the same is a journey that 88 Rising has begun, and the Church must follow suit. But while 88 Rising and K-Pop Stans seek justice for the marginalized for a various number of reasons, the Church seeks justice for a reason unique to both groups. The Church seeks justice to follow the example that King Jesus has modeled to His Church. It is Jesus—not K-Pop Stans—who is our great redeemer, rescuer, and reconciler.
- It was Christ whose mission was to “set free those who are oppressed” (Luke 4).
- After all, it was Christ who broke down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile (Eph. 2).
- And it is Christ who every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship for all eternity (Rev. 7:9)
Following the example of Christ, the Church must be empowered by the Spirit to lay down our comforts, our freedoms, and our self-interest in our pursuit of reconciliation, as Christ did for the Church on the cross (Rom. 5).
This journey is one that will be characterized by decades of repentance and consistent faithfulness to the calling of the prophet Micah to “carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.”
Go and do the same.