COMING FROM THE VINE
by ANDREW LEE
Jesus said, “No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
I was never the fruit of my own branch, planted in a new and rich soil in isolation. Rather, I trace my life through the vines and branches I am connected with, the way the sun has kissed each of those branches and leaves before me, my story and narrative intermingling with other branches as I spring forth tender new shoots. Our Creator is good and declares this growth good–but what is the existing purpose of a budding stem? It simply grows, it has no end goal in mind. God does not ordain where each segment of a vine must grow in place, instead lets them stretch out as they curl and trace. I am part of those who have gone before me. My identity and history go hand-in-hand.
Part 1: Prayers in Mandarin
“In an English-inundated world, I tingle whenever I hear words of Mandarin worship, prayer, or Scripture. I suspect it’s generative from three generations of matriarchal faith that have held me, fed me, sang to me, prayed over me in cooing Chinese tongue…”
Part 2: Beginnings in Syracuse
“Syracuse is where my mom, fresh from Taiwan, rode the school bus amidst a 79% minority but predominantly African American student population at Nottingham High School. Syracuse is where my dad, young and bright-eyed coming out of prestigious National Taiwan University (NTU), found and met my mother…”
Part 3: A Hyphenated Name
“I am a continuation of the faithfulness and provision God has shown to my mother’s side of the family. I am also the legacy of my dad’s sojourning into a new land…”
Part 4: Charting Identity
“I’m learning that identity and history are inextricably tied. Jesus Christ was a Jewish man in the 1st century. He spoke prophetically and carried forth a gospel of good news that was for all people, but he knew intimately the Jewish context in which he had grown up with. God himself entered into our human history with a particular locality and body…”
Part 5: Towards Redemption
“I wonder when my mother reflects on her past experiences with bitterness and regret, whether she sees God stepping in where she is most dependent. I wonder whether my dad feels like a transplanted branch, one that is grafted and now unduly immovable, desperately needing more of Jesus’ love to survive…”
Appendix
“ME TOO” – a poem and spoken word piece in response to the InterVarsity 2014 APA Conference.
ABOUT ANDREW
Andrew is a 26-year old Chinese American currently working part-time as a software engineer, part-time in ministry at his church in San Francisco. You can read more of his reflections on how his Asian American identity intersects with faith on his blog.