Photo by Michael Kanstrup

By Sharon Lee Song

In their book, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity…and Why It Matters, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons found, based on their poll results, that non-Christians think that Christians are judgmental, hypocritical, homophobic, too political, insensitive, and boring. The results of their three-year poll from young, unchurched Americans about what they thought of Christianity indicate that 50% of respondents based these negative views on personal contacts with Christians. Sadly, this means that Christians are not exactly seen as people who embody the virtue of magnificence, filled with joie de vivre (exuberant enjoyment of life), or viewed as radiant by the rest of the world.

This perception from non-Christians points to the poor reflection of how we as Christians relate to and engage with our own image of God. If our vision and image of God are judgmental and hypocritical, then how we live will be reflected as judgmental and hypocritical. If we have these distorted images of God, this absolutely affects how we live and relate to people and the world around us. We all have distorted images of God, and we reflect these distorted images until we engage in deep, transformative inner work with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus exuded magnificence (joie de vivre, radiance). Jesus was a force to be reckoned with. How else would someone convince twelve other people to drop what they were doing, leave their jobs and families, by simply saying to them, “Follow me,” and for three years at that, if He didn’t embody this virtue? During the years of His ministry, word spread throughout the land of His power. Thousands of people mobbed Him, seeking healing, restoration, and deliverance. People clung to His life-giving words, were literally transformed by them, and were astonished by the wisdom and truth that He spoke (The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, Matt. 13:54, Mark 6:2, Luke 4:22 to name a few).

Jesus didn’t mince words. Jesus’ words made some major waves in his indirect, hierarchical, patriarchal culture. He spoke hard truths to people, and challenged them in ways that threatened their sense of security, power, and identity (i.e. the Pharisees, and other religious leaders). Wherever He went, He was unapologetic in what He said and did. He said things like, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7) Jesus said this because He knew who He was, where He came from, and where He was going, without a shadow of a doubt. This image of this magnificent Jesus in Scripture has become so distorted, dull, and anemic, and I dare say it is because many Christians do not know this truth fully or deeply from John 14:6-7. We do not know The Way, and therefore we do not know The Truth, or The Life.

If we do not know The Way, The Truth and The Life, then we will surely continue to fall short in accurately reflecting Jesus’ magnificence. In the eyes of people who don’t know God, we will continue to appear as judgmental, hypocritical, homophobic, too political, insensitive, and boring. This is definitely not what Jesus has for us, or what He means at all when He empowers us to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Just as Jesus embodies the virtue of magnificence, we are also made and called to embody this as well.

Women face compounded challenges in order to embody the call to magnificence in the image of Christ. Women’s empowerment movements around the world have given us more freedoms than ever before. However, Asian American women continue to face both racism and sexism, while the traditional Asian cultures that we were raised in also encourage women to be quiet, not express their opinions, and not to stand out too much. In contrast, American culture rewards those who stand out, speak up, and make their voices heard. Where does this leave us? What will Asian American Christian women’s voices sound like if we embody the virtue of magnificence like Jesus?

I recently watched the Netflix documentary of Beyoncé and her headlining 2018 Coachella performance called Homecoming. Not only was it a historic celebration of African American culture, highlighting the richness of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), it was also a powerful portrayal of a woman of color who embraces her own magnificence, and that of African American people. I didn’t expect to be so moved emotionally or spiritually by this film. While I watched in awe of her embodied magnificence, I was also surprised to find that I struggled with a sense of resistance and discomfort that spoke up in this way in my head and my heart, “It’s almost like it doesn’t feel right for a woman to be that powerful.” How anti-feminist of me. But the voices and influences of racism, sexism, patriarchy, and traditional Asian culture have deep roots that are not uprooted easily.

Yet, The Way has been made for us. There is an invitation and a call to Asian American Christian women to engage with the Holy Spirit in transformative inner work so that the distortions of God’s magnificence become clarified, so that we can reflect and live out magnificence in the image of Christ, illuminated through the clearest and brightest lights — through us. This deep transformative inner work comes with intentional seeking and knowledge of spiritual formation, deep healing work, prayer, Scripture meditation, and the wide and rich range of spiritual disciplines like spiritual direction and contemplation and more.

You might be thinking, “I’m not Jesus, or Beyoncé!” Or, “I’m an introvert, I’m not a loud person.” You may cringe at the thought of being upfront or center stage. Reflecting magnificence of God does not mean that we all have to be loud, up front, or on center stage like Beyoncé. While reflecting on this month’s theme of magnificence, I was drawn to the word “magnify,” which has the same root word, and thought of The Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1. Take a moment to imagine and recall Mary’s situation at that time. She just experienced an angelic visitation, and was informed that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit, and that her formerly barren older cousin was also with child. Mary rushed to visit her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s baby leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, given a word of knowledge that Mary would carry the Son of God in her womb, and that Mary’s faith of believing what she had seen and heard would come to fulfillment. It is remarkable to me that Mary then breaks out into what we know as her song of praise, her Magnificat, when she is just an obscure, young, out- of-wedlock pregnant teenager in the margins. Yet, Mary fully embraces who she is called to be: “I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38).” She is chosen by God and has been given great favor. Mary has knowledge of who she is, what she is called to be and do, and who God is, and declares, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:46-47).” In The Magnificat, she demonstrates and sings of the magnificence of God, and therefore, reflects her own magnificence.

I invite you to engage with this by asking and meditating on Jesus’ magnificence, and what it means for you as an Asian American Christian woman to reflect your magnificence through your life. What deep, inner transformative work do you need from the Spirit to live out and shine magnificence?

“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand — shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message)

Sharon Lee Song lives and works in South Los Angeles for Servant Partners, an urban missions organization. Inspired by her own transformation through self-care and soul care, Sharon became a Holy Yoga instructor, and spiritual director. She’s committed to using what she’s learned from her training to support others in living healthy, sustainable, urban spiritual lives.