REV. DR. SANG Y. CHUN
Chair Committee on Asian American Ministries, Michigan Area
English is my second language. My native tongue is Korean. As immigrants, Asian Americans usually experience some kind of language barriers. And I believe that Americans have some language barriers, too.
Talking about languages is a good starting point. The languages people use reveal who they are. My language background reveals my identity. I am a PK; not only a Pastor’s Kid, but also a Professor’s Kid. My father, as a professor in a seminary, had studied eight different languages; three oriental languages–Korean, Japanese, Chinese; two western languages– English and German; and three biblical languages– Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. According to his seminary students, he was a walking dictionary.
And I have also followed in that family tradition. I have studied seven different languages at the college level; all of the ones my father studied, except Japanese. This is rooted in the Asian America community. Some Asian countries, like India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Korea, have a long history in developing different languages in the same nationality.
There are 2,301 different languages in Asia out of 7,102 different languages in the entire world.
The language that is used the most in the world is not English nor Spanish, but Mandarin. Yes, 14.4% (995 million) of the world population uses Mandarin; Spanish 6.15% (405 million) and English 5.43% (360 million).
Do you know what the official language is in the USA? English? Spanish? No. There is no official language on this soil. English is not the language de jure, but it is the language de facto. Today immigrants in the USA are using 227 different languages.
In the Michigan Area, there are more than 30 Asian American ministers, and there are more than six different languages spoken among us. We are excited to launch a new Vietnamese Ministry in Madison Heights. They need a translator and the language barriers may be an issue. In Korean immigrant churches, we also have the issue of language barriers. Even though English is not the official language of this nation, the Asian immigrants have faced struggles to become ordained.
I have served cross-racial and cultural churches for 24 years. How have I dealt with the language issues?
I am still learning English and practice it whenever I speak and preach. However, I use a different type of language in my ministry. This language is the universal language. A little baby could understand it. This is the language of love.
I have a member who has a rare disease. Her body has degenerated beginning in her left hand and advancing to other parts of her body. Just a few months ago she could recite the Lord’s Prayer. Now she is hardly able to speak or move. She is bed-bound. But she can still understand my language. How can I minister to her? I read her familiar Bible verses and sing her favorite hymns. I offer big peaceful smiles and big loving hugs. I hope that she has some comfort and assurance of Eternal life from my ministry. This is part of using the language of love. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,) and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Cor. 13:1-2 (ESV) Our Savior and Lord, Jesus commands us, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” The founder of one of the largest religions in Asia, Buddha, says, “If you truly love yourself, you cannot hurt others.” For Building Relationships for a new tomorrow, we have to use the language of love as our basic tool. ~for the past 24 years the Rev. Dr. Sang Y. Chun has served caucasian churches in the Detroit Conference. Currently he is Senior Pastor of Ida/Samaria UMC.
Last Updated on May 11, 2015