Burning Questions with Bill: How to stoke the fires of enthusiasm after a surge of personal inspiration

• By Bill Dobbs, Clergy Assistant to the Bishop •

Question: This month’s question came from a younger pastor at Annual Conference who came up to me right after the ordination service, face still full of the emotion we all were feeling, and said, “What now? What do I do with all this passion and enthusiasm for ministry with the poor in my local church?”

Dobbs: I recognize the question. It’s the same question I’ve heard from youth over the years when I was counseling at one of our summer camps. (Shameless plug: Christian camp counseling is an outstanding opportunity to share with, and learn from, children and youth, and I highly recommend it, pastors!)

More than one teenager, full of a week of faith-changing time, has been disillusioned when they arrive home only to find that people at home don’t share their newfound enthusiasm for the faith. Even worse: they find a kind of patronizing tolerance which knows, from experience, that if you just wait a while, the “camp fires of enthusiasm” will pass and things will go back to normal!

Will that be our experience of annual conference this year? Will we go home, full of enthusiasm for what we have heard and experienced, and find a congregation that does not share our passion for ministry with the poor? Will we find a congregation that has come to expect these annual surges of enthusiasm on our part, but which knows, from experience, that they only have to be patient for a time and the enthusiasm will pass. “How can this year be different?” the pastor asked. Please let me share, briefly, something of what I’ve learned over the years:

First, do everything you can to help those who were not at annual conference share your experience. It is much easier today that it used to be, but the principle still holds true. Get together with your lay or clergy partner at annual conference and develop a strategy for reporting back on annual conference. Don’t let that report just be about the ‘business’ of conference, even if that was part of what excited you.

Share the messages you heard and the things you saw. If your people were following the ‘live-stream’ of the conference, that will be even better, but there are recordings and videos of the conference which are available for you to use as a way to tell the story of annual conference. Just don’t wait too long. Your excitement will be contagious.

Second, don’t get discouraged. Your people were not there. They didn’t have your experience, so they don’t share your excitement. But that doesn’t mean they can’t get excited or don’t care about the poor.

They have been called by Christ, just like you. The Holy Spirit will change them just like you have been changed, if you keep the door open to God. Share the stories you heard and how they impacted you.

Your personal witness is powerful testimony that God can use to reach others, so keep sharing.

Finally, don’t try to do this alone. Partner with the other person or persons from your congregation who attended annual conference with you. Form a small group. Invite people with like minds and passions to join you. Become an “Acts Two” church within a church. Devote yourselves “to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper) and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, NLT).

And then hang on! God did “signs and wonders” in that first century church. People were changed – transformed by the Holy Spirit – so that they shared their money and meals, joyfully and generously, with those in need. And I’m here to tell you that God will do “signs and wonders” in your church as well! Thanks be to God!

It all begins with you. You must be willing to share what God has given you in these few days of annual conference! Don’t go back to business as usual or that is, most assuredly, what you will find.

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Young woman puts a face and testimony to immigration and poverty at annual conference

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

Just as the Word became flesh when God became man, the theme of the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference became flesh when 19-year-old Jasmine Franco told her story and the church responded joyfully.

With Franco standing behind a podium adorned by a sign that read, “I was a STRANGER and you took ME in,” a video by United Methodist Communications detailed her story of being a stranger in desperate need that found life and an abundance of grace in the Ypsilanti First United Methodist Church.

Franco is the American-born daughter of illegal immigrants from Guatemala who decided to bring their family to America in 1991 for more educational and work-related opportunities.

Franco was part of fairly normal working-class Ypsilanti family doing whatever was need to get by prior to November 2008, when immigration agents stormed into the family’s trailer.

By January 2009, Franco’s mother was deported back to Guatemala and her father and sister voluntarily headed back to their homeland to be with her.

Franco decided to stay behind.

She was adamant about finishing her high school diploma at Huron High School, even though it meant working 5-11 p.m. for minimum wage every day after school and fighting hunger and exhaustion at times.

Then her counselor at HHS, Stephannie Ruzicka, contacted the Education Project for Homeless Youth at the Washtenaw County ISD and along with school supplies and bus tokens, Franco found a saving grace — a relationship with the Rev. Melanie Carey, lead pastor at Ypsilanti FUMC.

“I did not even know the church, I did not know the pastor at the church — she just found out about (my story) through an organization and she was really interested in immigration and she got a hold of me,” Franco said. “They welcomed me with open hearts.”

Eventually Carey and her husband took Franco in as part of their family and the church fully embraced the young woman whose dedication and drive inspired them.

With their prayerful support and financial backing she graduated from HHS in 2010 and she is currently in her third semester of college, studying to become a physician.

Ypsilanti FUMC provided her with money to visit her family “who is still living in poverty” in 2009 and Franco has aspirations of bringing her sister Jennifer — also an American citizen — back to the states to live with her.

Franco now lives with a pair of empty nesters who attend Ypsilanti FUMC and she works on the weekends, sending money to her parents whenever possible.

For the complete story, courtesy of AnnArbor.com, click here.

Franco said she shared her story at annual conference to “say thank you to the wonderful people of the church”, but also to give people a different perspective on the volatile issue of immigration.

“I know not a lot of churches are open to the topic because it’s a very difficult subject, but I believe churches can help people…families are being separated every day and we’re sitting over here right now and I feel like if we all came together as churches we have the power to change that,” she said.

Franco received a standing ovation from the crowd, as many people wiped away tears and stood in awe of Franco’s courage and strength.

Later that day Carey took an impromptu “Ziploc bag” offering to give to Franco.

More than $2,500 was raised and when Franco — who had to leave conference to go to work Saturday afternoon — learned about the generosity via a text message from Carey, her heart was filled with gratitude.

“I can’t express the feelings I felt when Melanie texted me saying that all of you had taken a special offering for me,” she said in a note that was read on Sunday. “I was shocked and I felt the love from my family.”

She said she plans on visiting her family again soon thanks to the offering.

Franco’s story was a perfect parallel to the preaching of Desert Southwest Conference Bishop Minerva Carcaño, who proliferated on “opening ourselves to all means of grace, including the poor and hungry” in several reflections on immigration and ministry with the homeless.

The nudging of people’s hearts at annual conference did not end with the offering to Franco.

Twenty-five medicine kits were collected to send to Haiti, nearly $3,900 was collected for SPLASH — a youth initiative to provide fresh water to people in Liberia, gently-used children’s books were donated for schools in Zimbabwe and food and goods were collected for a food pantry in Adrian.

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Live from Detroit Annual Conference 2011: Detroit Conference will retain its name after proposal is voted down

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

The Detroit Conference will continue to be called the Detroit Conference for the foreseeable future.

Roughly two-thirds of voters at the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference voted down a resolution that would have changed the conference’s name to the Great Lakes Annual Conference.

It was the second time in 20-plus years that a resolution to change the name was not concurred with.

Both times Rev. Margaret “Peggy” Paige championed the effort.

Prior to conference she said the time seemed ripe to pass the resolution because the conference offices have moved out of Detroit and two districts passed name changes earlier this year.

Andrew Wayne of the Conference Leadership Team said before Friday’s vote that he understood the intent of the resolution, but he was fearful of what the outside reaction might be to dropping the name ‘Detroit’ from the conference’s title.

“This has the real potential to make it into the secular media and it will go something like this: ‘As people abandon Detroit, so does the United Methodist Church,’” he said.

The Rev. Charles Boyaue of Second Grace United Methodist Church in Detroit agreed the resolution was well intentioned, but passing it at this time would do more harm than good.

“We could name the conference the ‘Pluto Conference’ and it’s not going to help us make disciples of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Paige said Detroit is a vital city for the conference, but so are many others.

“I’ve been in the conference for 35 years and when I go to national meetings people see the ‘Detroit Conference,’ and say, ‘Oh, you live in Detroit?’" she said prior to conference. “No, I’ve never lived in Detroit, we’re much bigger than that as a conference so I think as we try to attract new pastors, including younger ones, it’s helpful to say no, it’s not just Detroit.”

Conference Treasurer Anna Morford estimated the cost of a name change prior to the vote.

“I do not have any sort of lists of how much it would costs…but one suggestion I’ve heard is it might be in the range of $15,000, but I have not tested it.”

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Live from Detroit Annual Conference 2011: Bishop Keaton on the 'house of bread', from Bethlehem to Detroit

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

Preaching from a pulpit in the north part of the country still often referred to as “The World’s Bread Basket” the Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton cried out for United Methodists to remember the “House of Bread” in the Bible and in their local churches and communities on Thursday.

At opening worship for the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference at Adrian College Keaton preached a message titled “Bethlehem Revisited,” focusing on how the gospel of Matthew and land of Bethlehem relates to nourishing the souls and bodies of the hungry and poor.

The Hebrew meaning of Bethlehem is translated as “house of bread” and a deeper look at the root origin of the word reveals “bread” stood for “the kneading of the dough,” a phrase often associated with struggles or strife in Biblical times.

“Bethlehem is world famous as Jesus’ birthplace, however it has a history that stretches out 800 or 900 years before Christ and it lives on after Christ,” Keaton said, noting that King David was also born in Bethlehem and he too was a shepherd of the people.

“Bethlehem was a ‘house of bread’ to feed the human belly and to feed kids and also the ‘house of bread’ to feed the spiritual hunger and desire of the people.”

Keaton said that history shows that while there was plenty of food to go around in ancient Bethlehem, the deacons of the city had to help many people gain access to it due to political and demographical impediments.

He said it’s comparable to the malnutrition epidemic continuing in many parts of the country and world today.

“Our country has produced enough food each year the last 40-50 years to feed the entire world…but then also, a recent CBS News report showed that (more than 40 million) people are on food stamps in the U.S.” he said. “There’s a devastating famine in the land of Detroit, much like there has been in Bethlehem.”

Keaton said just as the deacons in Bethlehem had to help distribute the food to those on the fringe of society, churches and Christians need to become more informed about the social structures and historic roadblocks that are stifling their communities, in order to create plans of action.

He said common reasons that people are poor include economic systems that control resources, consequences of military action in oppressive countries, natural disasters and simply being born into a lineage that has had a tough time making ends meet and may be uneducated.

“It is important to learn about the history of your town and understand what it means, to see it in a new light, to know its needs,” he said. “You don’t have to go 800 miles — sometimes it’s two miles, it’s right where you are.”

Keaton said his experience in sharing resources with those in need is that God will often provide an abundance and new opportunities will arise through faith.

Annual conference attendees shared resources on Thursday, through a special offering that will go toward The Advance’s Hot Lunch Program in Haiti and a safe haven known as the Bishop Judith Craig Children’s Village in Liberia.

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Live from Detroit Annual Conference 2011: Quotes and Notes from Faith Fowler at the laity session

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

Parsing together some of her trademark "laugh out loud" humor with authentic stories of working in partnership with the needy and homeless, the Rev. Faith Fowler challenged church members to consider their work with the poor at Thursday's opening laity session.

The charismatic executive director of Cass Community Social Services in Detroit approached the topic with candor right off the top.

“Poor people get a lot of attention in the Bible and the non-poor people get a lot of attention in the church,” she said.

Below are a compilation of some of the key points and stories she laid out for an audience that was engaged and excited throughout.

For the full story on her message, including some extra insights from a short sit-down with Fowler, check out the June edition of the Michigan Area Reporter or check back here frequently.

Fowler's "Three likely reasons the church is not full of poor people..."
1. “Poor people aren’t always the easiest to get along with.” Fowler mentioned that a lot of the generalizations about homeless or the poor that include them making poor choices or being lazy or abusing substances might be true, but everyone makes poor choices, so they are not that different from any other class of society.

2. “Maybe, sometimes we avoid poor people because we realize if circumstances were slightly different we might be them. If we had been born to different parents or lost a job or had a terrible medical condition…some of us are only a few missed paychecks away from where they are.”

3. “We really don’t know how to get a handle on poverty. It’s complex and complicated and sometimes it takes more mental horsepower than I have”

Things people should do when ministering to and with the poor
• Consult with people who have worked in specific settings to better understand the ramifications of decisions that are made in trying to assist them. She illustrated the point with this example: “A man came in (to Cass) before Christmas last year with some things to donate and he had met one of the homeless children on the steps, so he wanted to donate, in addition to what he had already brought to the giveaway, a bike to this particular boy. We’ve got a problem I said. He lives in a room with 30 other children who won’t be getting a bike and there’s no bike rack or lock or helmet and I could go on and on. That’s why it’s important to talk to someone who is there working about the pitfalls or how others might receive certain treatment.”

• People should also take into account cultural differences and do their best to stay away from dangerous situations

Things people should not do when ministering to and with the poor
• “Don’t wait until you’ve figured everything out about poverty or else you’ll never do anything." Fowler said making mistakes is par for the course and provides some of the best lessons for future consideration.

• “Don’t think you should be stymied or put on hold because of a meager budget, just start small.”

Fowler's real passion came through when speaking about how as committed United Methodist Church members who have taken the vow of membership for the denomination the church needs to re-focus more of its efforts on its home bases.

She said almost every organization that serves people in need around the country and in the state are full of good, "but so are the things are church is connected with and they need your help." She noted there are UMC mission projects everywhere from the Upper Peninsula to Detroit and their are organizations like Children's Village, Cass and more.

“It doesn’t make any sense to always be on the road. In fact, it’s a bit obscene to always be on the road when your neighbors are hurting.”

Tidbits that got her central points across with a few chuckles mixed in:

• “A group of youth were at Cass and it was a hot Michigan day, so they were asking why there was no air conditioning. They were Christian groups, so I asked them: “Is there a story in the Bible of Jesus just relaxing in the air conditioning?”

• Fowler, talking about a trip she took with the Ambassadors, a gospel choir composed of homeless men from Cass: “As we’re going over the bridge to the Upper Peninsula I was hoping for a compliment or an ‘atta’ girl,’ so I say, ‘Have you ever been to the Upper Peninsula before?’ hoping they will say, ‘No, thank God Rev. Fowler that you are taking us. Not the answer I seeked, the voice came out of nowhere: “Yes Rev. Fowler, but the last time it was in shackles.”

To watch an archived web video of Folwer's speech, check out www.detroitconference.org/annualconference.

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Countless ways to make an impact at the Detroit Annual Conference

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

Detroit Annual Conference is a time of year where old friends join in healthy debate, make decisions about the future of the local church, and a share few memorable meals together, but it is also an annual celebration of purposeful giving.

The 2011 Detroit Annual Conference offers attendees a variety of ways to make a difference locally and globally, with special offerings and collections taking place throughout the four-day event.

To bring to life the theme of engaging in ministry with the poor, the DAC Program Committee is asking clergy and laity to give back to the community that has hosted Detroit Annual Conference for 42 years.

In cooperation with Adrian First United Methodist Church, the Program Committee is sponsoring a collection for food pantry items that will be distributed in Adrian.

Annual conference attendees are encouraged to bring the following goods: diapers and wipes for infants through size 6; toilet paper; boxed milk (that does not require refrigeration); canned fruit; and cereal.

According to county agencies there were more than 600 homeless people in Lenawee County in 2010 and untold more in need of a helping hand.

Another collection aimed at helping people close to home is the Bishop’s Seat Cover Project — an ongoing initiative to collect new underwear for children and youth in the Detroit Conference.

Churches can collect new packages of undergarments in creative ways such as hosting an “Undie Sunday” or making it a youth group-led mission. Underwear should then be delivered to the Ministry Fair at annual conference by May 21.

Any questions about the Bishop’s Seat Cover Project should be directed to Rev. Cathy Freeman at 734-665-5632 or cathyfreeman27@yahoo.com.

The Conference Board of Global Ministries is asking people to remember those suffering in Haiti as well, by helping with a collection of medical supplies.

Individuals and churches can purchase specific medical supplies listed on the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) website at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/.

Medical supplies kits are the only collections being accepted for this specific initiative and every container must include a $20 check made out to “Detroit Annual Conference” to cover shipping costs.

Sticking with the theme of international mission, a special offering will be taken at the opening worship on May 19 to support The Advance’s Hot Lunch Program in Haiti, as well as a safe haven known as Children’s Village in Liberia.

Through the Hot Lunch Program, Detroit and other conferences provide meals for nearly 20,000 children attending United Methodist-supported schools in Haiti.

Lunch costs continue to rise due to hikes in the cost of rice, fuel, and charcoal.

The Bishop Judith Craig’s Children’s Village in Liberia provides a safe and nurturing haven for children who have been orphaned by war, abandonment, death of parents due to HIV/AIDS, or extreme economic difficulties.

For more information on these projects, visit The Advance website at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/advance/.

Youth will also be getting involved in the giving through a fundraiser for SPLASH (Saving People’s Lives and Giving Hope) that is being run by the Conference Council on Youth Ministry.

Youth will be selling buttons and raising awareness about how the conference can help its neighbors in the Liberian United Methodist Church.

Through past efforts, the CCYM has raised enough money to build a well at the Liberian Annual Conference’s new youth center.

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Cass Community Social Services leader to address laity at Detroit Annual Conference tomorrow

• By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communications •

The Rev. Faith Fowler, director one of United Methodism’s most comprehensive ministries with the poor, will speak to annual conference lay members at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 19.

As chief executive for Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) in Detroit since 1994, Fowler oversees fiscal, administrative, and program development for the human service agency that works with the hungry, homeless, unemployed, "at-risk" youth, the mentally ill, developmentally disabled and more — all while also serving as senior pastor of the Cass Community United Methodist Church.

“During an annual conference built on the concept of engaging in ministry with the poor, we couldn’t have arranged for any more appropriate person to challenge us as laity,” said Mike Clark, Detroit Conference Lay Leader. “Lay men and women are, and rightly should be, the initiators and sustaining force behind powerful ministries. No one is more capable of fanning those flames within us than Faith Fowler."

Beyond her work at CCSS, Fowler has served as a board member for the Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corporation (CCNDC) and as an advisory board member of the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. She currently serves on the General Board of Church and Society and as the Chair of the City of Detroit's Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Community Advisory Committee.

Prior to coming to Cass Community, she served from 1986-1994 as pastor at the William S. Ford Memorial United Methodist Church in Detroit. From 1983 to 1986, she worked with the Catholic Chaplaincy Team at Walpole Maximum Security Prison in Massachusetts.

Her interests include reading, running, the environment and travel. Fowler has finished the Boston Marathon four times. She has visited Zimbabwe, Africa; Australia; Korea; Russia, as well as several countries in Europe and England.

Her recognitions include a Detroit Free Press Green Leader Award, Roeper School’s Golden Apple Humanitarian Award, and, for the Detroit Conference’s East and West Districts, a Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award.

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Resolutions to keep an eye on at the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

Provided is a detailed look at some of the most intriguing legislative sections set for discussion at the 2011 Detroit annual Conference. Click here for a complete handbook of all this year's voting items.

Rename the Detroit Annual Conference

What it means?

The proposal requests that the Detroit Annual Conference be renamed the Great Lakes Annual Conference and that it goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013 following the 2012 North Central Jurisdictional Conference.

Support

The proposal was submitted by Rev. Margaret “Peggy” Paige of Quinnesec and Iron Mountain First United Methodist Churches. Support has been offered by 38 other churches, which Paige said stretch from St. Ignace to St. Clair Shores to Nardin Park United Methodist Church in Farmington Hills.

Why?

Paige said she submitted this petition “what must have been 20 years ago” but the timing wasn’t right and it was withdrawn. She said 2011 seems more appropriate after the conference moved its central offices out of Detroit and two districts just affirmed name changes.

“I’ve been in the conference for 35 years and when I go to national meetings people see the ‘Detroit Conference,’ and say, ‘Oh, you live in Detroit?’ she said. “No, I’ve never lived in Detroit, we’re much bigger than that as a conference so I think as we try to attract new pastors, including younger ones, it’s helpful to say no, it’s not just Detroit.”

She said there might be some opposition from people in the Metro Detroit area, but she believes the diversity of the conference should be encapsulated in its name.

Add a conference benefits officer

What it means?

The proposal is requesting the conference add a full-time benefits officer to deal primarily with pension and health benefits of clergy. If the resolution passes in full, the benefits officer would receive a salary on par with other cabinet-level positions and a housing/furnishing allowance.

Support

The Conference Council on Finance and Administration Board of Pension and Health Benefits submitted the resolution.

Why?

Since 2006 the Rev. Don Emmert has dealt with issues related to pensions and health benefits of clergy families as part of his responsibilities in the Treasurer’s Office. As of 2011, the conference has 434 active and 292 retired clergy and families. The CFA and the Board of Pensions and Health Benefits recognize the complexity of an ever-changing health care system, the personal needs of families, and pension issues require the attention of a full-time benefits officer.

Other items to consider

There is a resolution on the table to change the New Church Development Table reporting structure for the conference. The proposal states the New Church Development Table shall administratively be transferred from the Conference Board of Global Ministries to the Conference Leadership Team and it shall be renamed the New Church Development Committee. The committee would report directly to the Conference Leadership Team instead of having to go through the Board of Global Ministries.

Also on tap are many resolutions that are aimed at legislation to be debated at the 2012 General Conference session that relate to the United Methodist Church’s stance on homosexuality and the church’s response to issues regarding sexuality.

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Column: What to expect at the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference

• By Jerry Devine, Detroit Conference Director of Connectional Ministries •

“Lord, when was it that we saw you?” (Matthew 25:37 NRSV)

Within just a few days we will welcome one another at our 2011 Detroit Annual Conference session. 

Our theme this year, “When Did We See You, Lord?” is grounded in Jesus’ teachings in the Gospel of Matthew. It is an expression of one of our four denominational foci — ministry with the poor.

To incarnate our theme we intentionally requested practical items for the Adrian area outreach. We offer our gratitude to Adrian First United Methodist Church and Rev. Gary Dawes for coordinating this effort.

Jesus made it very clear in his way of living and teaching that his followers were to be aware of and responsive to the needs of others, and that in doing so we are connecting to Christ himself. See our DAC website, www.detroitconference.org for a list of the items being accepted to help the local food pantry and other denominational initiatives.

The hope of the DAC Program Committee is that when over a thousand United Methodist disciples gather together, life for others will be made better because of our presence. Additional opportunities to be in ministry at annual conference will be to bring Haiti medical supplies, Bishop’s “seat covers” (new undergarments that will be distributed across our conference), and to be prepared for a special Covenant Offering for Haiti and Liberia.

Once again, this year we will live-stream all of the worship services and plenary sessions so that local churches can not only be informed but be a part of the gathering. We have expanded the Ministry Fair table space so there will be an even more creative environment. This year we have arranged for the Fair to be on Friday evening at the same time and location as the Methodist Children’s Home Strawberry Shortcake Social. It will be a festive opportunity to see one another and to see how Christ is working through various ministries.

We have business to care for as well. There are 10 resolutions related to our annual conference and 16 petitions related to the 2012 General Conference.

One of the ten resolutions is the proposed creation of a modified New Church Development Committee.

It is an intentional strengthening of this work of creating new places for new people. How we organize our shared life and structure says a great deal about where our priorities are. Likewise, how we spend our shared funds says the same. This year you will see a reduced and more focused 2012 budget request. 

The Conference Leadership Team portion prioritizes church growth, leadership development and congregational vitality in a diverse demographic.

For those who love details you can peruse the Standing Rules and Structure. While much remains the same each year, this year we will see a streamlined structure for the Board of Global Ministries. The board brought this forward in order to free people up to be directly involved in areas of passion and calling. The desire is to connect people directly to ministry, not simply place them on an agency.

Finally, we will make decisions about leadership. We will see this in the immense work done by the Conference Nominations Committee as they sought to bring appropriate gifts and more diverse voices to many of our conference agencies.

At a time when multiple studies are taking place on the future of our denomination and our methods of recruiting, credentialing and deploying clergy, we will discern and elect four ordained clergy and four laity as our delegates to the 2012 General Conference.

We will elect an additional equal number for the 2012 Jurisdictional Conference. We will celebrate the leadership of those clergy who retire from active service this year, along with celebrating with those who are now to be licensed, commissioned or ordained. Developing principled Christian leaders is yet another of the four foci of the denomination.

We are United Methodists as we gather. May we see Christ in one another.

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