“I’ve always been caught between worlds,” writes Tasha Jun in her newly published book about family, ethnicity, and belonging. In the prologue to Tell Me the Dream Again (Tyndale, 2023), she continues:
Ready and not ready. English and Korean, light and dark, weak but prophesied strong, caught between the grief over things lost and the joy over things found. I wandered between those seemingly opposing worlds, struggling to find a voice to speak and a firm place for my feet to land.
In this beautifully written book about growing up biracial in America, Tasha Jun has clearly found her voice. While at times she’s been embarrassed by her heritage and even tried to hide or deny it, she’s grown to embrace and value it as part of God’s gift to her. My Kindle copy is studded with passages I’ve highlighted. I don’t want to spoil her stories, so you’ll have to read Tell Me the Dream Again for yourself, but below are just a few nuggets that I hope will whet your appetite for the book and encourage you to think about your own story and dreams.
On family:
No matter your family history, Jesus has been there. He knows what it’s like to be born into a family that sometimes thinks you are crazy. He knows what it’s like to lose family and to have scandalous branches in your family tree. Jesus, the ultimate healer, knows that familial healing is often anything but instant—not something that can be summed up on a coffee mug.
On learning to value our ethnic and cultural identities:
It’s liberating for me to realize Moses wasn’t asked to deny his ethnic and cultural identity to know God and lead others. In fact, it was the opposite. His ability to understand both Hebrews and Egyptians meant he was uniquely qualified to lead a diverse group of people into the future. He was able to carry tensions and consider angles that others might not naturally think about.
On considering your own story:
I don’t know your story, but you and your details matter too. May my stories help you to bravely and patiently look at your own and lead you back to who you were divinely knit together to be. May it help you see that your identity in Christ is tightly woven with the unique colors, scents, and cultural stories he’s given you. May you begin to see the way God’s perfect love and Kingdom are reflected in all our diverse experiences and table settings. May you come to know Christ’s love for you in every deep part of your heart, mind, body, and soul.
Thank you, Tasha, for your brave and beautiful book!
Writing/Reflection Prompt: Choose one of the quotes above and respond. What appeals to you about this quote? What questions does it raise for you?
Disclosure: Tasha Jun and I are both part of the Redbud Writers Guild, and I received a complimentary copy of her book through my membership on Net Galley. But I would have wanted to read the book anyway. I highly recommend Tell Me the Dream Again by Tasha Jun (Tyndale, 2023).
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April Yamasaki 
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