Pastor’s Corner – November 16, 2025
History Has Failed Us, But No Matter – Luke 21:5-19
A few years ago, I read Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. It’s a historic novel about a Korean family and the subsequent generations that followed migrating to Japan and the United States. It is a tragic critique of colonial and post colonial times where families endured traumas, humiliation and suffering yet persevered and thrived through it all. The opening chapter begins with these words; “history has failed us, but no matter.”
Now if you are wondering what Pachinko is, it’s a pinball machine you find in gambling parlors throughout Japan. During Japanese occupation, Koreans were considered second class citizens and were discriminated against, so that many were relegated to illicit jobs in industries such as gambling that were connected with organized crime like yakuza. However, Pachinko, owned by mostly Koreans, flourished and became bigger than the auto industry in Japan. It’s a fascinating historic novel that tells a story of resilience from one generation to the next.
In similar fashion, the story of the church shares this resilience and perseverance against imperial power and destruction and violence that consumed the historic reality of the times. Jesus warns his disciples of such a time in the gospel reading, but promises us that not a single hair will perish, but through our struggles we will gain our soul. Yes, history has failed us, but no matter, we will restore our humanity and we shall overcome, with justice and peace. Yes, we were hurt, traumatized and suffered, such is life, but we shall overcome no matter because God loves us and gives us the strength we need today! Amen.
Pastor Dae