Dim Sum and Faith: How Our Stories Form Our Souls

Author Jenn Suen Chen masterfully utilizes the metaphor of people gathering around a dim sum table in her gentle, engaging invitation to readers to awaken their hearts to God’s love and presence in their lives. Suen Chen envisions that, at the dim sum table, a steamed and baked meal of sweet and savory delicacies is enjoyed—never alone, always in community—by family and friends as they trace their stories and discover how their personal narratives shaped them spiritually.

The child of Chinese immigrants to America, Suen Chen vulnerably and frankly shares childhood and early adult experiences as she navigated two cultures. Often, in the United States she was perceived as too Asian to be American, and, later, when she lived in China after she married, she was viewed as too American to be Asian.

As Suen Chen relates personal anecdotes, she invites readers, with God’s help, to open their hearts and minds, to draw out their memories, and to ask questions, such as, “What values were part of our shaping process? What principles were important to those influential adult figures in our lives, and how did that translate in the environment we were raised in? What beliefs did we come to hold?”

This call to deeper spiritual formation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit envisions several steps that individuals could follow, though each person’s journey of discovery is different from any other. First, Suen Chen asks readers to share their stories and the forces that shaped their identities. Second, in a phase she calls undoing, Suen Chen invites them to identify their inner landscapes and to probe the areas in their lives that are “below the water line.” Third, she encourages them to awaken to God’s never-failing love by slowing down and cultivating a listening presence. And fourth, she calls them into a time of remaking—joining others on the journey, cultivating gratitude and generosity, and living as those who are beloved.

Suen Chen skillfully weaves the truths of Psalm 139 throughout her book and at the chapter conclusions, which include reflection questions and a prayer. In an afterword, she writes, “The truth of God’s always-abiding presence in our lives brings such comfort. We are hemmed in, protected, cared for, and seen. That is our truth. If there is anything I want to leave with you, it is the truth of the tender heart of God toward you. You are deeply seen and deeply known. You are his beloved.” (IVP Formatio)