Mountains that speak to us

Abstract

For me, grounding in mountains means refusing to forget the trauma and resilience embedded in Korean soil while also refusing to overlook the hauntings of Los Angeles. Both require deep work of unearthing economic, political, and ecological wholeness, and we need to find such connections to heal collectively.

My teacher’s words—“remember this land”—still echo after four decades. I long for healing in the San Gabriel Mountains where my children and I have made our home. I long to stand one day on Mt. Baekdu from the Korean side, to touch the soil of my ancestors before borders divided them. Enns and Myers remind us that decolonization is lived discipleship: remembering haunted histories, transforming inherited structures, and practicing restorative solidarity. Mountains embody this call.