I am amazed by the inclusivity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Where anyone from anywhere in any circumstance can experience the heart-assuring, mind-renewing and non-condemnatory benefits of its message. Where we (believers) all have our share of the pie. That is, God and His kingdom.
Also, it is progressive, as believers are encouraged to share this message with as many people as possible, hoping that they will accept it. Seeing men and women dedicating their livelihood to the sharing of this message is very heart-warming. Especially those who do so while experiencing an illness or a disablement.
In this edition of Living ‘N’ Telling, I share with you the story of a Christian writer and aspiring theologian, Kevin Park. Kevin Park was born in South Korea, but he migrated to New Zealand in 2000. In 2011, he moved to New York to live with his father for three years. Then he returned to New Zealand in 2014 and hasn’t migrated since.
Kevin has cerebral palsy, which is a neurological condition caused by brain damage resulting in impaired muscle tone, coordination and movement( Cerebral Palsy (CP) (for Parents) - Nemours Kids Health).
He has a speech impairment and experiences challenges coordinating the left side of his body, particularly his left hand. Despite his condition, Kevin shared that he was a cheerful young man who enjoyed the company of others.
“I have always loved people, so I wanted to please them in everything I do. Although I have cerebral palsy, I hung out with non-disabled friends without any problems.”
However, this led to Kevin being a chronic people-pleaser. His desire for friendship resulted in him imitating the friends he hung out with. Thankfully for Kevin, this desire to please people resulted in him being invited to church, and he enjoyed being there.
“Fortunately, one of my classmates invited me to his youth group. Since I liked it so much because of hanging out with lots of people and doing activities with them, I kept asking him to invite me to future youth events.” Kevin continued attending his friend's church until he become an adherent in 2010. However, he didn’t stay there for too long as he migrated to New York in 2011 to live with his father.
One would think that migration to one of the world’s most liberal cities would stunt any desire Kevin had of attending church. Fortunately, that was not the case. Kevin got spiritually saved in 2011 when he attended an event hosted by members of the Promise International Fellowship church. It was at this event that Kevin felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to know Jesus more.
“At one of my connect group’s potlucks, I encountered God. I felt God prompted me to know Jesus better through the Holy Spirit. This was probably because I was not a faithful Jesus’ follower as I only went to churches to hang out with friends.”
Kevin responded by committing his life to know Christ and to make him known. His knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ grew exponentially. So much so that he became a Christian writer in 2013. His theological knowledge became noticeable to a close friend who considered him to have superior cognitive knowledge compared to the average person his age.
After he returned to New Zealand in 2014, a friend, who was a pastor, encouraged him to pursue biblical and theological studies. Kevin agreed to this and was enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Theology program at Carey Baptist College in New Zealand. He is currently in level 7 of this program, and he intends to complete it in the year 2024.
“When my close friend told people what my capabilities are, even though I have cerebral palsy, she said that I am a 120% functional man, and my theological knowledge is beyond my age. She also said that I am an overcomer, and my pastor friend told me that I am smarter than her. Because of these encouragements, I believe I can do anything, especially if it is related to biblical and theological studies.”
In spite all the progression Kevin has made in his Christian journey, he admits to facing challenges in his faith. Challenges stemming from, he believes, not being a consistent doer of God’s word. Where he sometimes does things that aren’t consistent with what he believes.
Despite these challenges, Kevin firmly believes that God requires him to trust in the sufficiency of His grace as he strives to be a faithful follower of Christ.
“We are not called to be perfect but obedient and faithful followers of Jesus. He is our righteousness as He bore all our sins and took them on the cross. I always try to serve others by sharing the good news of Christ as best as I can in humility, so they get encouragement to live their lives abundantly. Knowledge about Christ and faith in Him has to be shared with others, so they could build with one another effectively.”
Kevin’s life is another example of God showing His faithfulness to those who believe in His son, Jesus Christ. His work as a Christian writer has encouraged many locally and internationally. He is a columnist for the Press Services International (PSI) New Zealand young writers and METANOIA, which is an online platform monitored by current and aspiring theologians in Auckland, New Zealand.
As stated earlier, Kevin believes that his life goal is to share the good news of Christ with as many people as he can. Writing allows him to achieve this goal given his speech impairment. Furthermore, it enables him to encourage other believers to help each other in remaining steadfast in the faith.
“I plead with you to encourage and build one another up by sharing the good news of Christ. Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” When we are building with one another, we are doing life and faith together. Life cannot be done alone. This is our role as missionaries, and everyone is called to be a missionary. God has entrusted believers with the message of reconciliation with Christ, so the good news of Christ could be spread around the world. The main good news of Jesus is that He has given us eternal life through faith in Him. Jesus is the reward to those who seek Him wholeheartedly as He is the bright morning star. Jesus is the reason for the lives of believers.”
Kevin’s love for friendships led him into the greatest friendship man could ever enjoy in this lifetime. His desire to please men was transformed into a yearning to please God. His weaknesses, brought about by his cerebral palsy, gave rise to hidden strengths that continues to be nurtured and led by the Holy Spirit. Like a skilled archer, I pray that Kevin’s ministry will continue to pierce the hearts of the proud and undiscerning and minds of the unbelieving.
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