What Does Passing the Peace Mean to Me in Light of Who I Am?
FROM SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR, TINA LU
A note on the post: The launch of this blog in the month of May coincides with the celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This post is in recognition of this as we intentionally listen to your voices this month that have far too often been silenced. Our desire is to create space to listen to diverse voices that represent all the pieces of Christ. Today we begin by listening to the voice of Tina Lu.
“To our brothers & sisters of Asian descent, your stories & perspectives are valuable, & the body of Christ has much to learn from you.” - Tina Lu
My earliest memories of coming to America as an immigrant child are punctuated by complicated feelings of welcome & alienation. Both feelings found a home within me. During different seasons & at various settings, I have felt welcomed, content with being in my body & at rest with my identity as God’s beloved daughter. I have also felt displaced & homeless at other times, questioning whether I belonged & why people couldn’t see the beauty I see within.
Feelings of alienation are all too familiar for those of us who identify as Asian American. Alienation shows up when we are told to “Go back to where you came from!” It shows up when we are assumed to lack personality or a voice for not seeking the limelight.
It shows up when we have the courage to speak up on issues that matter to us, but are instead met with silence, ambivalence, or disregard. Alienation not only shows up in personal ways but also through systemic legislations that have barred people who share my features from entering this country & through executive orders that have led to the mass incarceration of people who were deemed threats to the safety of America, despite being loyal citizens & contributing members of society. These are but two examples of structural alienation that to this day, have had lasting impacts on people of Asian descent throughout America.
Alienation is antithetical to peacemaking. It severs relationships & renders a body invisible & unworthy of attention. Peacemaking, on the other hand, seeks to tear down any walls that separate, so that all may embody the inherent dignity & worth given by our Creator. During this season of my life, God has been birthing within me a new understanding of what it means to "pass the peace." Historically, peacekeeping for me has meant not raising my voice, not engaging in direct conflict, not naming my own discomfort, anger, or frustrations out of a desire to protect other people's feelings. While there is a place for taming my tongue & remaining silent when I have nothing edifying to say, there is also a place for truth-telling that does not shy away from conflict, for the purpose of creating peace between & within people.
Pursuing this new understanding of peacemaking has meant being intentional about learning the history of this country through the lens of those who have historically been marginalized. Over the past two years, I’ve sat at the feet of teachers such as Erika Lee, who wrote The Making of Asian America: A History, Howard Thurman of Jesus & the Disinherited, Randy S. Woodley of Shalom & the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision, Jemar Tisby of The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, & many more, who have shown me just how deep the roots of racism run in this country.
To pass the peace, in light of this history, means that those who operate out of the dominant culture must do the hard work of unlearning a narrative that has historically placed them at the center. We also must not shy away from naming the harm that has been done to those who have been relegated to the margins, & work collectively to seek restoration, restitution, & reconciliation on their behalf & in solidarity as brothers & sisters in Christ.
In light of who I am, an Asian American woman who is in the process of finding my voice, passing the peace means giving myself permission to speak truth courageously, without censoring myself or questioning whether I should be heard.
As one who is already skillful in the art of listening & being attuned to the dynamics of harmony & dissonance, passing the peace means leaning into the beautiful parts of my ethnic identity & offering my listening ear in a world that is often too busy, too noisy, & too opinionated to listen well.
In light of my identity as a daughter of the King, passing the peace means settling for nothing less than seeing myself & others as beloved children who are worthy of being seen, heard, & known.
Our God, the ultimate host, welcomes all to His table to feast & eat their fill. Yet the reality is that sometimes, even when a beautiful feast is set, those on the inside lock the door so others cannot come in; or worse, curious onlookers see a distorted view of the feast & its Host, & they refuse to draw near.
My calling as a spiritual director is to partner with God to set the table, such that when people hear the invitation to “Come,” their alienation will be replaced by warm embrace, & they will feel compelled to enter, eat, be filled, & remain in the Lord.
This Fall on October 28th, 2024, Tina is hosting a workshop and reflective space through PAX entitled, Silence: Healing or Hurtful? We highly encourage you to learn more about it below!