Koreans In America, Will You Let God’s Heart Shine Through You | From Kindness Received To Kindness Given
From Kindness Received to Kindness Given: A Call for Koreans in America to Reflect God’s Heart
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Discover a faith-based reflection for Koreans in America: how the kindness once shown by Native Americans should inspire us to show love, not contempt, toward our less fortunate neighbors. Rooted in the words of Yeshua and the Hebrew Scriptures, this article challenges us to choose compassion over disdain.
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Quick Summary
Koreans came to America and were welcomed—sometimes even allowed to establish entire towns like Koreatown. This was an unexpected blessing, built on the kindness and hospitality of Native Americans and other early communities.
Now, as homelessness grows near those same neighborhoods, a choice stands before us:
Will we repay kindness with kindness, or will we allow contempt for the poor to stain our witness?
Will we reflect the love of God that once opened doors for us, or will we harden our hearts?
This post explores what Yeshua (Jesus) and the Hebrew Scriptures say about hospitality, humility, and how to treat the poor. It’s a call to remember that the land belongs to God and to live out His love with authenticity.
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The Story We Often Forget
When Koreans first came to the United States, life was not easy. Strangers in a new land, we carried the weight of language barriers, discrimination, and poverty. Yet, despite hardships, kindness met us.
Native Americans and other communities allowed space for Koreans to settle. In Los Angeles, Koreatown stands today as a living testimony of hospitality once given. That kindness was a gift—an inheritance of grace.
But now, when the poor set up tents nearby, do we respond with compassion—or contempt?
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Yeshua’s Call: How Do We See the Poor?
In the Gospels, Yeshua repeatedly reminds His disciples that how we treat the poor reflects how we treat Him.
Matthew 25:40 — “Truly I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me.”
Luke 6:20 — “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
John 13:34 — “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
The poor are not an inconvenience to push away. They are an opportunity to show the love of God.
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The Hebrew Scriptures: God’s Heart for the Poor
From Genesis to the Prophets, the Scriptures proclaim that the land is God’s and that His people must not despise the poor.
Leviticus 25:23 — “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you reside in My land as foreigners and strangers.”
Proverbs 14:31 — “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Isaiah 58:7 — “Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
The same God who blessed Koreans with a home here calls us to extend that blessing forward.
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The Problem We Face
Today in Los Angeles, Koreatown residents express outrage at homeless encampments. Reports describe frustration, fear, and anger.
Yes, safety and order matter. Communities deserve cleanliness and peace. But when outrage overshadows compassion, we forget the very mercy that brought us here.
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A Different Way Forward
Instead of disdain, we are called to build community—just as others once allowed us to build ours.
Remember the kindness received — Koreatown exists because others allowed us space.
See God’s image in the poor — They are not a threat, but beloved creations of God.
Shift from outrage to outreach — Practical help, small gestures, advocacy, and prayer can change the narrative.
Choose honor over contempt — When we honor the poor, we honor God.
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Why This Matters for Our Witness
We claim to follow Yeshua, the One who had no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58). If we scorn the homeless, we scorn the reflection of our Messiah’s own earthly condition.
Hospitality and compassion are not optional extras. They are central to the Kingdom of God.
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Final Call to Action
Koreans in America:
Do not repay kindness with contempt.
Do not despise those who are struggling.
Do not forget the God who gave us a home in this land.
Let us honor Yeshua by honoring the poor. Let us remember that this land belongs to God—not to us. And let us build community not only for ourselves, but for the broken, the needy, and the lost—just as He commanded.
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Closing Reflection
The love shown to Koreans in America was never meant to end with us. It was meant to flow through us.
Just as Yeshua stretched out His arms on the cross to embrace us all, may we stretch out our arms to the poor, the homeless, and the forgotten—because when we do, we embrace Him.
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