Hello! My name is Aaron and most Fridays I will contribute a curated link column specifically for our SOLA readers.
I hope to highlight articles related to Asian American issues and blog posts written by Asian American authors. I will also include some fun recommendations to get us ready for the weekend.
If you would like your work to be on my radar, please tweet me @musicgoon or email me at aaron@musicgoon.com. And of course, don’t forget about the upcoming SOLA Conference.
Link Roundup
1. LA Times: Empowered by #MeToo, a new generation fights sexual abuse in South Korea’s schools
Victoria Kim, Korea correspondent for the LA Times, details how students in more than 65 middle and high schools spoke up about experiencing sex abuse at the hands of teachers.
2. The Undefeated: Jeremy Lin: ‘There’s definitely some bittersweetness to my career’
Cary Chow interviews Jeremy Lin. They discuss Asians in pop culture, representing an entire race, and having faith when facing injuries.
3. Jonathan Hayashi: How the Church Should Respond to Parents with Rebellious Teens
Jonathan Hayashi writes on his personal site and calls the church to respond to the complexities facing today’s youth.
4. Pew Research Center: The concerns and challenges of being a U.S. teen: What the data show
“Seven-in-ten U.S. teens say anxiety and depression are major problems among their peers. Yet anxiety and depression aren’t the only concerns for teens.”
5. The Blazing Center: 13 Glorious Truths About Who We Are In Christ
How should we think of ourselves after Jesus saves us? Mark Altrogge keeps Christ at the culmination of our identity.
Weekend Recommendations
1. Keith & Kristyn Getty: The Lord Is My Salvation
We plan to sing this song at my home church, FCBC Walnut, on Sunday.
2. ERLC Podcast: Christine Hoover on Training and Equipping Women
Christine Hoover, an author and pastor’s wife, shares about training and equipping women, pastor’s wives and friendship, and more.
From SOLA
1. Mark Lee: How God Used an Asian American in a White Church to Start a Multi-Ethnic Ministry
“The goal is not diversity. The goal is to make our city the hardest place to go to hell. With that being said, if you do want to reach beyond the Asian American walls, I encourage you that the time is now.”
2. Tim Park: When a White-Majority Church Invited an Asian-American Pastor to be its Senior Pastor
“I’ve witnessed firsthand our church gradually making the move from a majority church to a multicultural church … it isn’t something that happened overnight, but it also wasn’t forced.”
3. Peter Park: Token Asian American Pastor?
“Who was asking me to go to Texas? A predominantly (75%) white megachurch in Plano (yes, Toyota’s new home city) that was started the year I was born: 1972. Honestly, my first thought was, “Are they looking for a token Asian? Then no, thank you.” Secondly, why search all the way in California when I was sure there were plenty of Asian American pastors available in the belt buckle of the Bible belt?”
4. Patreeya Prasertvit: White Flags: What Surrender Isn’t
“A few months ago, I found myself at an impasse with God. Circumstances of life felt out of control, my plans for my life were threatened, I couldn’t understand what was happening or why. And I felt my fists begin to tighten around what I wanted, what I thought I deserved, what I thought God owed me. I’m surrendered, I told Him. My life is Yours! But what I’ve had to wrestle with was that my view of surrender (and my view of God) was incomplete.”
5. Hannah Chao: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and Being Truly Seen
From the SOLA archives. “I watched Crazy Rich Asians last week. I cried, my husband teared up, and, according to my Twitter feed, a ton of other people did too. So why is a romantic comedy making people weep?”