More Than Serving Tea
More Than Serving Tea is the title of book authored by a group of Asian American women InterVarsity Staff. It’s also the title of a great blog the authors contribute to. I’ve known about this book for some time because one of the authors, Kathy Khang, is a friend of mine from our days in Chicago. We attended church together, were a part of the same small group, even have children that are close in age. Kathy has been a source of great encouragement to Sarah and me because we got to see firsthand a mother of 3 (who happened to give up a vibrant career in journalism) committed to her family, her church, and ministry as the Chicago area director for IV and heading the Asian American chapter at Northwestern.
After the book came out Kathy invited me to a gathering for all the authors in LA. By then I was in Seattle so I told her, “Hey why don’t you come up to Seattle?” That started a conversation with Kathy, followed by a conversation(s) with Carolyn Shimabukuro of JEMS, followed by a conversation with an administrator at SPU, and next thing we know we have both a critical mass of interest and leadership plus funding and facilities for an event geared specifically toward Asian American Christian Women here in Seattle to take place in 2008. We’re planning on having Kathy come out and speak, an all female worship team, spiritual directors present, and other talks/workshops. Most of all we want to provide a space for women to connect, network, and be affirmed, encouraged, inspired, empowered. We’re still in the brainstorming process and looking for input/participation (for anyone who is interested please email me).
As I’ve gone to meeting after meeting with women (I’m usually the only male present) I’ve found that it’s been helpful for me to explain why I’m involved with this. In fact one person originally thought that I was a woman before she met me because “Bo” can go both ways. So why am I involved? I answer, “Repenting.” This is my way to repent for the ways I have not affirmed, inspired, empowered women in the church either through active or passive ways esp in my involvement in ministries in years past. Now I’ve been given an opportunity to do something – an opportunity not all possess. One of my students has struggled with gender inequality throughout her life (it’s not a short life, she’s an adult learner) and unfortunately much of her greatest pain has come within the church. She however is convinced that at the end of the day it is not primarily women who will bring about change. In her words, “I am convinced that world will change through righteous men.” She recognizes that it is men who predominantly hold positions of power and thus it is through men lasting change will come about. Now I agree with this in part (i.e., there is A LOT women have done, are doing, and will do). And if you’re thinking that this is quite a pompous post to boast of oneself as a “righteous man” that isn’t my point. If anything I take my student’s statement as a extremely challenging call for me to reconsider how I use the privileges afforded me in our society as a father, man, professor, husband, and American to either maintain power structures for myself or to empower others.
