The Great Waking Up Sarah Shin & Shin Maeng #239

In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Shin and Shin Maeng, the author-illustrator team behind The Great Waking Up: The Story of Easter, for a rich and deeply human conversation about hospitality, imagination, faith, beauty, and the courage to keep dreaming.

We also talk about the creative process behind The Great Waking Up, and why they wanted to create a children’s book that is both theologically rooted and visually stunning. Along the way, we explore the power of art to awaken curiosity, the role of beauty in faith formation, and why children’s books can open profound conversations about resurrection, grief, hope, and the story of Jesus.

Sarah Shin is a writer, theologian, teacher, and ministry leader whose work brings together theological depth, imagination, and pastoral care. She has studied at MIT and completed advanced theological training at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She also teaches at Westminster Theological Centre in the UK. Sarah is passionate about helping people encounter Scripture with greater wonder, depth, and hope.

Shin Maeng is an illustrator and artist whose work is known for its beauty, theological richness, and emotional depth. His art invites both children and adults into deeper engagement with the biblical story. Together with Sarah, he helped create The Great Waking Up, a visually compelling retelling of the Easter story designed to spark imagination and spiritual curiosity.

1. Memorable meals and Turkish food in Scotland
2. Hospitality, restaurants, and finding family through welcome
3. Korean American family life, feeding others, and ministry through meals
4. Belonging begins with curiosity
5. Identity, stereotypes, and being invited to tell your story
6. Dreaming, hope, and the origins of The Great Waking Up
7. From dream to reality: writing, illustrating, and getting published
8. Art, imagination, and ‘digital stained glass’
9. Beauty, sacred space, and art as a conversation starter
10. Fear, courage, and taking the next step
11. Collecting ‘yes’ stories and nurturing hope
12. Dreaming in midlife, parenting, and resisting resignation
13. Waiting, uncertainty, and trusting God in liminal seasons
14. Friendship, Sabbath, and living an undivided life
15. Post-interview reflections