AAPI Month Spotlight: Jonathan Wen
Q: How has your experience as someone of Asian/Pacific Islander (API) origin shaped your relationship with God?
Something that I put an emphasis on is community. Growing up, I enjoyed going to Chinese school and gatherings as those were the spaces where the minority became the majority. Those communities brought a lot of comfort to me as these were places I knew I could find common ground with other similar American-Born-Chinese (ABC) people. As I moved away from home, it became difficult to find community with other ABCs at times. That's when God showed me that community can also be His people regardless of race as Christians all share an incredible connection through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. No matter where you go, God will always guide you to a community to find fellowship and let your faith grow.
Q: Are there cultural practices or values that have helped you see or understand God more deeply?
A key cultural value that I hold close has been hospitality and serving. Growing up, my parents would host biweekly bible studies and various gatherings at our house. They put a lot of effort into making sure the house was clean and prepared a lot of food for these events. Whenever there were new asian families moving into town, they would be some of the first to greet them and even invite them to a meal at my place. Inside church, they would do a lot of behind the scenes work and make sure there was enough food for church lunches/picnics and inviting non-Christian families to come out to events. Their love and willingness to outreach to others has shown me a lot of God's love, patience, and the heart of serving. They served with full hearts willing to pour out to others so that others may understand who God is and how it has changed their lives and many others.
Q: Is there anything you wish the church knew about the API experience?
I think taking the time to listen to the experiences of API people is one of the best ways to learn more. I recall having heard some of the hardships my parents have gone through growing up and it reminds me that God works through all things. We are all God's people and every person shares a unique perspective that shows how God has transformed our lives just as 1st Corinthians 12 says how the body is made up of multiple parts. The experiences you hear will point to God's plan of redemption for us and the power of cross.
