Remembering my Dad, John Williams, who served in both WWII and the Korean War. I recently had a birthday and it only happened because my Dad loved my Mom, Yuson Kim, enough to go back to Korea after the war was over to marry her and to bring their children to America. He knew he would be facing racial prejudice bringing home a Korean wife and an interracial marriage to America in the 50’s. In fact he did, maybe even from his own family. The army sent him to Fort Riley, Kansas, which I later discovered was a compassionate fort, a place to send military interracial couples to ease the transition into American society. I never really noticed that I was that different because there were a lot of interracial families in nearby Junction City, or JC, where we were raised. We didn’t have much financially and went through some tough times because my loving, sweet Mom had some mental health issues. There was a small, all white church two blocks away that reached out to us. They brought us groceries and gifts near Thanksgiving and Christmas. My Dad, a stay at home Baptist, and my Mom, from a Buddhist family, were reluctant to let us go to church. But the white church members, very conservative in their political and moral beliefs, persevered in reaching out to us because they wanted to let us know God loved us. They never tried to force us to believe what they believed, politically or spiritually. They just loved us. They introduced us to God and to Jesus when we were young. God and Jesus was not something they just spoke about. We saw Him in their lives. They were not famous or rich people. They just loved God and they loved us. They spoke of Jesus teaching about His kingdom that was invisible that transcends political systems here on earth. They spoke about how Jesus came not to restore a political order but a spiritual relationship and fellowship between God and man. The words of Jesus to be spiritually reborn became a reality in my life. I now have two birthdays: a physical one and a spiritual one. When I see the hatred and prejudice around me, I remember the kind white people that loved me and my family when no one else did and I realize that not all white people can be defined to be a certain way just as all black people cannot be defined by a few bad apples. But more importantly, I do not worship political leaders because all men and women have feet of clay. If the Bible is true, one day we will all bow down to the one true Lord Jesus Christ, whether we acknowledged Him in this life or not. His disciples were devastated to see Him die at the hands of the most powerful empire on earth at the time, the Roman Empire. But three days later, He rose from the grave to prove He was the Son of God and that He is Lord over all. Rulers since have persecuted those who follow Him and tried to keep believers from loving Him but just like Jesus, they rise again. Jesus died as a substitutionary sacrifice to pay the penalty of our sins, to heal our broken relationship with God, and give us eternal life. So I have hope that no matter what happens in our country and nation and world, that God is still in control and He will receive me when my life on this earth is over. I don’t need to mourn or rejoice in political leaders. I rejoice and hold fast my faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords and the King of kings.