Living in the “Now”; ESL Ministry in the Korean Community in Northern New Jersey
Whether we believe that the Messianic Age is to come, or is already realized by the work and presence of Christ, we can appreciate the longing for an “already-not yet” theology. The author of Hebrews writes, “As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death” (2:7–9). Christ is now crowned with glory and honor, but still he said, “My kingdom is not from this world” (John 18:36). There is a tension between the “now” and the “not yet.” And indeed, if we completely focus on the “not yet” without very much regard for the “now,” we are not living as we have been called to by Jesus when he prayed concerning the disciples saying, “I am not asking you to take them out of the world … They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world” (John 17:15–16).
We are in the world, yet not of the world. As there is a “not yet” on the way, we know not when, yet we are also called to be part of the world, to serve, to study, to love, to preach, to worship, to praise. We are here, and while we feel the pull of the “not yet,” we are here, at this time, in this place, for each other.
Discussions regarding the realness of Jesus and God being with us are held at the meetings of the Morning Star Fellowship ESL Bible study in Ridgefield, New Jersey as we study, worship, learn from, and teach one another. This is how God’s kingdom manifests in our lives now in the flesh. Jesus is coming, but Jesus is already here. There is a very clear sense that the kingdom is among us.
The goal of most first-generation Koreans who attend the ESL Bible study is improving their English language skills. Many are attracted by the prospect of learning to read the Bible in English, perhaps as a spiritual entry into the English language or pure curiosity. But “instruction” does not adequately reflect the process or goals for this ministry. In the course of speaking English in this ministry, communication is a critical goal, yet the main objective of the teaching is spiritual, cultural, and linguistic growth for both English and Korean speakers, through the process of language learning, sharing what we have in common, and talking about our faith.
ESL ministry is ministry with a new emphasis, beyond instruction. The emphasis is on relationships. We strive to create an environment where both English and non-English speakers can be teachers and learners with a mutual sharing of cultural insights and faith experiences.
The theological basis for ESL ministry is that all are equal before God and in relationship with one another. Learning and communication takes place in an atmosphere of equality before God. This means that the minister walks with the learner, accompanying him in his journey in a new land. It means that the minister welcomes and absorbs information about a culture that she has much to learn about. The learner is valued for his experience and insight in the faith. He shares his faith while practicing English skills. The minister contributes knowledge about language, but the learner also has much information to impart to the minister. In this way, a relationship is created that is mutually affirming, useful, and uplifting. This is the beginning of a new community in Christ, where all are equal, valued, and reconciled to God and each other. Living in relationship to Christ and making new friends is a source of joy, self-awareness, and growth.
What is the rationale for an English ministry with persons from other lands and cultures, whose first language is not English? We might assume that the experience and cultural identity of the “other” would best be affirmed by communicating in the language in which she is most familiar and most able to express ideas, feelings, and stories. We believe, however, that it is also a valuable experience to learn to communicate in the language of the culture in which one is living, in order to participate more fully in that atmosphere. Teaching and ministering in English can be done in an intentionally inclusive way. There is not a requisite assumption that the English language and American culture are superior to that of the immigrant. Ministering in English is a way to be together in a multicultural community. To provide opportunities where immigrants can make the best use of the resources, services, and friends that surround them is to serve the community in Christ’s name inclusively.
On the one hand, the tendency for ethnic ministries to be conducted in the native language of the participants does affirm their cultural identity. A description of how identity is affirmed in learning in a review of “How People Learn”(Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, 2000), while it addresses scientific, mathematical, and historical learning, could also be applied to learning in a faith context:
Bransford and colleagues emphasize the following three conditions for effective learning: engaging prior understandings and background knowledge, integrating factual knowledge with conceptual frameworks by encouraging deep understanding, and supporting students in taking active control over the learning process.1
One who joins a faith community in a new land might be longing for connections in her native language. The learning process in her native language might be enhanced by the experiences indicated above — engaging prior understandings, integrating knowledge and concepts through deep understanding, and being in charge of that process. These experiences could affirm cultural identity. The advantage would be that such affirmation stresses the intrinsic value of one’s experience and place in the world and works with the tools (of language) that are already available. On the other hand, if one is nurtured and affirmed in cultural identity while learning a new language — if one’s understanding is that one’s identity, language, and personal experience are valued — there is no reason why the experiences referred to cannot be a part of the process of language learning coupled with intercultural dialogue.
While ministry in one’s first language can be comforting and affirming in a foreign culture, communicating in English, as well as learning about American culture and society, can be seen as a useful skill that brings benefits.
For one thing, it is particularly noticeable in this part of New Jersey that members of the Korean community can easily spend their time — in their family and circle of friends, in their jobs, in shopping, in the professionals they consult — interacting only with other Koreans. Yet this is not the best way to benefit from what an adopted culture has to offer:
The multicultural environment often creates alienation and anonymity, and leads to ghettoization of communities in their new location and situation, centered around identity issues such as ethnicity, race, language, culture, subculture, and class. It is a common concern among Christians as to the appropriate ways of proclaiming the gospel message of wholeness and reconciliation to these communities.2
One member of our ESL Bible study was a nurse who worked for a Korean doctor. She came to the Bible study with the hope of improving her English so that she would be in a better position to apply for a position with a hospital, where she could earn a better wage. Since her personal and professional life involved communicating in Korean almost exclusively, her experience was limited, possibilities for practicing English were practically nonexistent, and her options in life were narrower than they would be if she were bilingual.
So although it may at first seem counterintuitive because it involves what can be a challenging learning curve, multicultural communication in a common language (in this case, English) is desirable for the following reasons: it fosters mutual respect and understanding, a goal in itself; it helps immigrants participate more fully in their adopted culture, which means: better access to employment and education, and greater ease navigating English-language services; deeper understanding of the culture; feeling more at home in the world that the second generation, inhabits; a means of making new friends; and participating in the broader community, that is, “belonging.” It also helps native English speakers who may be comfortable with their majority status have a deeper understanding of and empathy for immigrants; challenges everyone to move outside of their “comfort zone,” toward greater personal and spiritual growth; and encourages mutual understanding in the body of Christ, based upon cultural and faith sharing.
We are not just teaching English in the church building. This is not a matter of teachers passing on knowledge about the English language to passive recipients, or even to active recipients, in a relationship with a lopsided power differential. This is where we find a connection with the theory of Paulo Freire. The teachers are students and the students are teachers. All contribute and all receive. We are equal because we are members, together, in the body of Christ, as we share our experiences our biblical insights.
It is through this expression that we are living out the Peaceable Kingdom, walking together in the “now” while anticipating the “not yet.”
In preaching to both the English-speaking Euro/American and the immigrant Koreans, together or separate, my emphasis is continually that our life together, as the body of Christ who live together in the “now,” is based upon teaching and learning, giving and sharing, generosity and love. We are brothers and sisters here in the eschatological kingdom now, and even though this endeavor is not always easy, Jesus holds us close in the process. By grace, we walk together on the porous edges of the kingdom.
Notes
1. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept05/vol63/num01/Affirming-Identity-in-Multilingual-Classrooms.aspx (accessed Sept. 23, 2014).
2. Wilson, Henry S. “Mission and cultures: some paradigms of encounter.” Asia Journal of Theology 18, no. 1 (April 1, 2004), 27. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed July 6, 2014).
