the fact is we are all biased and prejudiced; all depraved [and beautiful] and jacked up. we’re certainly all ‘racialized’ in many ways. long story short, i’ve been following some drama with the folks at Youth Specialties (Zondervan) over a book published by YS called, skits that teach. well, one of the skits is outright racist as it parodies asians. and yes, this is supposed to be educating the youth of america. i re-posted the above video entitled, ‘silent racism’ because it is so appropriate. it was created for an assignment during our church’s 2006 faith and race class. for me, it speaks so much to the systemic racism that exists and how we’re all guilty and must seek to see the beauty and dignity God gave to each person, each tribe, and each ethnicity. Continue reading “silent racism – there’s hope”
pastoral health
I just got back from a quick visit to Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve only been in AZ in the summertime prior to this visit (and it’s crazy nasty), but I now understand why so many folks choose to spend their winters in Phoenix. It was about 70 degrees and warm with a slight breeze. Anyway, I am part of a group of pastors that aid our denomination in the discussion and work towards building ‘pastoral health and excellence.’ Couple years ago, we received a grant from the Lilly Endowment Fund of about $1.7 million dollars. Not exactly chump change. The funds go towards a variety of things that iIm still trying to understand but the issue is very simple: the ministerial profession (life as pastors) is now considered one of the most dangerous or unhealthiest profession. It’s usually rated last or second to last. Nice. Continue reading “pastoral health”
i left my (leg) in san francisco
my family and i are visiting san francisco for a couple days this week. the kids are enjoying ‘mid-winter break’ and minhee and i are attempting to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. i love this city. i grew up in san francisco; we got engaged in this city; our parents still live here; and we very much enjoy visiting one of the most incredible cities in the world.
but i realized on our way down that it’s been nearly 3 years since we’ve visited san francisco. by far, this is the longest stretch that i’ve been away from SF. it helped that our parents have instead, flown up to visit us in Seattle but i shared with my wife that honestly, there’s a part of me that’s been reticent to visit the city. why? Continue reading “i left my (leg) in san francisco”
‘portrait’ in the seattle times
my kids looked through the sunday paper today and asked, ‘why are you in the paper daddy?’ i didn’t really have a good answer but for whatever reason, both quest church and i have received ‘favorable’ responses from the larger city of seattle and the local media. while it feels good to be noticed and acknowledged, this is important to me as i seek to not only serve quest church, but to serve and love the larger city and people of seattle. while i believe in the importance of caring for your family and your church, we have to be careful not to be so insular that we can’t look beyond our walls. Continue reading “‘portrait’ in the seattle times”
10 best korean movies/films
What are the 10 Best Korean films?
Here is my list. Some may question the inclusion of some of these films but they fulfill my requirements –
- a compelling story
- superb acting
- captivating cinematography
- a larger societal impact and message
I make these recommendations not simply because I’m Korean-American and have a healthy level of pride in Korean art & culture but because anyone that knows anything about film can attest how the Korean film industry is making some serious waves around the world. Each year, you will see an increasing number of films being entered into international film festivals (and some that have walked away with notable prizes such as Oldboy in the 2004 Cannes film festival). With the emergence of Asian film festivals in growing urban cities around the world, you’ll be learning more and more about Korean actors, actresses, directors, and films. Continue reading “10 best korean movies/films”
EUGENE CHO 