I really hope no one gets offended – especially some of my ‘nice white lady’ readers. I certainly appreciate you and showing this video isn’t intended to be offensive, but it’s just too funny not to share. It’s funny because this is the plot of most Hollywood films in this feel-good genre. Check it out and tell me you didn’t laugh just a little:
And while the video is funny, there are some important points to elevate:
- In the big picture, it’s not about the nice white lady … it’s about those with power, privilege, and opportunities, and how we share them with others to empower. Many of us who are reading this likely fall under “the have’s” rather than the “have not’s”…
- Go ahead and make fun but there’s something very beautiful, compelling, and biblical about leaving comfort and familiarity to enter into the stories of others. And in our world of hyper info, data, and social networking, more and more people are falling in love with the idea of loving and serving our neighbors … rather than actually loving and serving our neighbors.
Other thoughts to ponder:
- It’s not just about the nice white teacher. It’s about the students: young women and men that need opportunities, need to be lovingly challenged and encouraged, and need folks to believe and invest in them.
- The frustration is when we exclusively elevate the nice white lady when we should be praising so many of the educators in our society. Check out this post on my blog about the power of stories, and in that case, Lindsay’s story from Deidox Films.
But let’s be real. No need to knock on the nice white lady. There were a few nice white ladies that were great teachers and influences in my life: Ms. Romano and Ms. K come quickly to mind. But there were also many other teachers that shaped and influenced my life, and so if anything, I want to thank all you teachers and educators who invest in the lives of our young women and men.
Some that come to my mind from our church community: Jeff Lam, Carrie Sekijima Lam, Garrett Chan (honorary member via this blog), Lenora Lee, Cyra Mangan Benedict, David Leong, Bo Lim, Kim Schultz, Rebekah Kim, LaVerne Chen, Erica Anderson, Michael Ko, Ralph and Marilyn H., Eric Long, Baine Craft, Karen Quek, Matt and Roxy H., Samuel Song, Lorna R.Follstad, etc. (and all of our youth and children’s ministry teachers). Who am I missing?
You and others all deserve a raise, a good summer vacation, and your own Hollywood film … or skit.
So, in honor of teachers and educators, I invite you to share about someone who positively influenced you. Who and why?
Eugene Cho, a second-generation Korean-American, is the founder and lead pastor of Quest Church in Seattle and the executive director of Q Cafe, an innovative nonprofit neighborhood café and music venue. He and his wife are also launching a grassroots movement, One Day’s Wages, to fight extreme global poverty. You can stalk him at his blog or follow him on Twitter.
