Posts by Steve Hong

This post was originally published on the Khora Collective blog. A word about the title of this post: it identifies the original audience of this post, for a non-profit whose mission targets AAPI leaders. Similar to Kingdom Rice, the narrative is rooted in the AAPI experience. But our mission intentionally ties our AAPI to all…

(Note: The author of this post, a Black man, originally spelled out the n-word used below.) I was driving my Uber between passengers when a song came on that had me imagining myself in church, with a whole congregation, listening to that good ‘ole reliable gospel piano intro that immediately told me that all is…

Catherine, married to Thomas, has been my friend for well over 30 years since college. In those years, one of my special memories consisted of our letter correspondence in 1992 while she lived in Turkey. Several years ago, she returned to Turkey with her husband Thomas and as I listened to their experience, I felt…

The Scriptures center the vulnerable: the widows, strangers, and orphans. In the New Testament, Jesus flips the script from the powerful, the well-read, the trained, to the vulnerable and the outcast. Jesus, the suffering servant embodies this mission, and demonstrates how to be a good neighbor to those we’d least expect. How many times did…

That’s my band playing “I will survive” to introduce #metoo advocate Rowena Chiu. A video of the song can be found by clicking here. What kind of birthday party centers themes of xenophobia, sexual assault, and the displacement of ethnic groups? I was a bit concerned if this would fly. Thankfully, I received comments like…

Through the years, I’ve guest lectured to students of medicine, ethnic studies, therapy, urban studies, divinity, and more. In each case, I’ve presented how a narrative of shame-reversal can serve each of their respective disciplines. In the Fall of 2024, Dr. Aizaiah Yong invited me to facilitate a session for three early career faculty members of…

Hibernation: This refers to shutting down in-person social interactions. For me, this was a gritty and concrete process of going through the calendar and systematically withdrawing from all in-person commitments. If I had a bad case of Covid, or something else with debilitating symptoms, then by default, I’d have to pull out of everything, including…

Reflect on the Gospel’s journey from a “white gospel” to a global one from Steve Hong   The following was shared at Portsmouth Square by Kingdom Rice volunteer Hubert Pun in my absence. This was part of “Love in Action” – a 4 mile survey of what it looks like to live out God’s peace in…

I was Cru’s first AAPI fundraising director, and as such, I coached most of our ministry’s staff in fundraising, from newbies to veterans. Serving in that role, a couple things became exceedingly clear. Thankfully, my then Leadership Development team saw the same things. In fact, one of our members documented the experiences many of us…

To Randel’s Beloved Family: Here is the message I shared at the funeral. May its truths bring comfort today and for the days of grief that lie ahead. With God’s comfort, Pastor Hong