Who's On Your Radar?

"Oh, I really want to talk to her."

"Why's that?"

"Well, you know. She's hapa and our kids will be hapa."

(For those unfamiliar with the term, "hapa" is a Hawaiian term for a person of a mixed heritage)

I didn't really think much of it at the time. My wife and I had been married for a couple of years at this point, and while starting a family was in our near future, the thought of children and them being hapa didn't really cross my mind. But over the next year or so, I noticed my wife taking more interest in people who were bi-racial and initiating conversations with them more frequently. I simply chalked it up to be her being a proactive mother, or rather soon-to-be-mother, who was looking out for the best interest of our children.

Fast forward to the present where my wife and I have two beautiful daughters (Eden and Ariella). I've thought more about that little dialog from the past and I have had new insight on why my wife was more proactive in talking about their ethnic heritage. ( For some context, please read this post that I wrote about my daughter and her heritage .) For me, since my daughters have both turned out with fairer skin and, to be frank, are more white-looking, whatever marginalization they'll experience will likely be less than mine. They will undoubtedly be marginalized for their gender, but they may be spared the overt racism I experience because of how I look.

For me, racism and marginalization is part of my life. It is something I have always dealt with, always had to think about. In the case of my wife, who is Caucasian, she did not grow up having to think about those things. Marrying an Asian American man, becoming involved in an ethnic-specific ministry and now having bi-racial children has brought those things to the forefront of her mind in a new way.

One of the reasons she may be more aware of the children's ethnic identity is that, frankly, having to do so is new for her.

At this point, you might be wondering "Well, what does this have to do with ministry?"

To put into one word,  everything .

We live in a complicated society and our ministry field, while it was never as black-and-white as it may have seemed, is turning grayer and grayer. The more we put ourselves out there to build spiritual movements everywhere, the more we encounter people who come from very diverse backgrounds: ethnic minorities, people who deal with same-sex attraction, the LGBTQ community, undocumented students, the abused, and the list goes on. And what's one of the things that these groups of people have in common? They are the marginalized.

For someone who doesn't come from a marginalized background (in other words, someone who's privileged) marginalization can be a very confusing issue. I don't have the time to unpack such a loaded topic, but what is true is that for many people, marginalized groups don't come onto their radar until something forces them there. Sure, we may adopt a stance of charity toward certain groups but, as they will attest, that is miles away from genuine interest in and identification with them. For my wife and I, the unique role of bi-racial people and the complexity of our mixed race marriage didn't really connect with us until we began to think about starting our family.

As ministers of the Gospel, we carry with us the unique challenge and privilege of being ambassadors for Jesus. If you need reminding on what that looks like, reread the Gospels again. Who is Jesus spending time with? Who is he breaking bread with? Who is he standing up for and protecting?

Unlike many of us, Jesus didn't need a life-event to "force" groups onto his radar. Neither was His ministry was ever done from a posture of false charity. He sought out marginalized and oppressed groups because He had compassion on their situation, because injustice angers Him, and because He loves His children.

Don't wait for an epiphany to bring these groups to your attention.  Think now: Who are the people in your circles that are marginalized? Who on your campus is ignored? What can you do to love them and be a friend to them today?