{"id":11094,"date":"2025-07-05T21:49:58","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T01:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e-krc.org\/?post_type=article&p=11094"},"modified":"2025-07-05T21:58:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T01:58:02","slug":"old-friends","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/e-krc.org\/en\/article\/old-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"Old Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to the powerful search and connection features of social media, I was eventually \u201cfound\u201d after being out of touch with old classmates for many, many years. When I returned to my hometown in early 2025, I was amazed to be able to attend reunions with classmates from elementary school all the way through college.\n\nThe first thing everyone said upon meeting was, \u201cHow many years has it been?!\u201d\nWhat came next varied\u2014\nThe male classmates would often say, \u201cWow, I hardly recognized you!\u201d\nWhile the female classmates, with a touch of social grace, would exclaim, \u201cYou haven\u2019t changed a bit!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V was a classmate from elementary school, though we were never actually in the same class. She now lives in Alaska, and we\u2019d only interacted occasionally on LINE. But this time, we met for coffee and ended up talking deeply for two hours. Time, distance, and our very different life experiences didn\u2019t get in the way\u2014it felt as if we had always been the best of friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why were we able to form such a close bond in an instant? V said sincerely, \u201cBecause we\u2019re both Christians.\u201d And it\u2019s true\u2014in God\u2019s Kingdom, we are one family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The articles in this issue repeatedly reflect the deep bond of being \u201cone family in the Kingdom of God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Stewardship section, an article titled \u201cLife Is a Hymn of Praise,\u201d features an interview with Pastor Chuemay Li of the Quaker Phoebe Church. Through the formation of her life philosophy and approach to ministry, we see how she treats friends, church members, the homeless, and everyone around her\u2014as family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Knowledge & Practice section, an article titled \u201cWalking Together in Hope,\u201d reflects on the South Asian tsunami and the Great East Japan Earthquake. It encourages us to acknowledge the fragility of life in the face of disaster, to look to our gracious and merciful God, and to cherish every layer of relationship we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Families section, an article titled \u201cLoving Freely in Christ,\u201d reports on the 2025 KRC Spring Retreat. Guest speaker Rev. Cecilia Yau reminded us that to truly love God and others freely, we must model the unity of the Triune God\u2014abiding in the Lord and allowing Him to dwell in us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the term \u201csocial justice\u201d becomes overly politicized, how should Christians and the Church speak about and live out the call to \u201cdo justice, love mercy\u201d? In this issue\u2019s featured article, \u201cBecoming Good Neighbors,\u201d Kate Denson\u2014National Director of Justice Programs at InterVarsity and organizer of DC Plunge\u2014emphasizes that being a good neighbor also means being \u201cneighbored.\u201d True shalom\u2014true justice\u2014is found in right and healthy relationships with God, with others, with oneself, and with creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doesn\u2019t this also echo KRC\u2019s annual theme\u2014God, People, Self: Deeply Connected, Bearing Much Fruit? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The year 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the magazine\u2019s founding. With over a thousand articles published in both Chinese and English, what kind of impact has Kingdom of God truly made?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recently, we\u2019ve received updates from some \u201cold friends\u201d:\n\u2014An author we hadn\u2019t heard from in years has become a missionary and even contributed a report.\n\u2014Another reader, after reading a missions article, joined a short-term mission trip.\n\u2014A reader reached out with interest in an article from Issue 8, hoping to contact the author.\n\u2014A gospel organization published a piece that referenced content from an article in the KRC magazine written ten years ago.\n\u2014A ministry leader we interviewed shared that KRC accurately captured their vision, and when meeting with a public sector official\u2014someone he had never met before\u2014the official brought up the magazine\u2019s coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you\u2014yes, you who are reading this\u2014for your continued interest and support over the years. You, too, are an old friend of Kingdom of God, a beloved member of God\u2019s family.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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