Faith Matters | COVID-19, racism and the church. Don’t forget we are in this together
Did you know that there is an Asian pastor right here in Bradenton? It’s true. I know because I’m married to him and he’s one of the pastors at Kirkwood Church. His name is Sung and he was born in Taejon, South Korea. As I sit down to write this article, he’s in the office right next to mine. He’s not sneezing, not coughing, and does not have the coronavirus.
But, he was born in South Korea — FOUR DECADES AGO — and as of Feb. 29, the Centers for Disease Control lists South Korea with a Level 3 Warning, meaning that all non-essential travel is discouraged. That’s not a problem for Sung, who has not been back to South Korea since he was 2 years old. However, he still looks Korean, and recently that has changed how some people look at him.
For as upsetting and disruptive as this recent outbreak has been, it is heartbreaking to start hearing stories from our Asian friends that are, quite frankly, overtly racist. I very much understand that a viral outbreak can be unnerving, but it is absurd to assume that every single Asian person is carrying it or is personally responsible for unleashing it on the world.
Want to hear something really crazy? I’m Italian. I have never been to Italy (although I do have plane tickets for this summer – true story). Italy also has a Level 3 Warning from the CDC. And yet, no one stares me down in a grocery store, looks incredibly uncomfortable when I sit down at a table next to them in a restaurant, and most certainly is not convinced that I personally started and spread the virus.
Why is that? Well, it’s because when you look at me you’re not exactly sure what my ethnic background is. But, when you look at Sung, you are immediately going to at least be able to place him on the right continent. If you are so inclined, you can judge him entirely based on the way he looks. That is called racism.
Again, I don’t want to make light of what appears to be a very serious global health issue, but I would like to suggest that perhaps we have an even bigger issue on our hands — one that the church has a responsibility to face head on. Racism is one of the most pervasive pandemics that the world has ever seen and to-date there is no vaccine. But, there is the church – the body of believers who follow Jesus Christ. And, at the very, very least, we can make our places of worship welcoming to everyone who walks in our doors.
You see, I have family in Italy. I am very worried about them. Sung has family in South Korea. He’s very worried about them. We look nothing alike, but on the inside we carry many of the same fears, worries, and angst – things that many of you share as well. And we believe in the same Savior, Jesus Christ — who did not go to the cross just for the Italians or for the South Koreans or for the Lebanese or for the Thai or for the Irish or for the Germans or for the Canadians — all of whom are represented in our congregation. Jesus Christ came, died, and rose for the world — all of us.
The truth is we’re all in this together: this virus, this life, this planet. Not all of us will come up with a cure or a vaccine for COVID-19, but every one of us can be a part of eradicating racism today. Let’s start with the church. See you, beloved child of God, on Sunday!
Faith Matters is written by members of the Bradenton clerical community. Hope Italiano Lee is lead pastor at Kirkwood Church in Bradenton. You can reach her at hope@kpcbradenton.org
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 5:00 AM.