As head Elder, I thought I’d share some encouraging words with you. As most of you know, I grew up in this church. Bethany has always been warm and welcoming. Bethany is a family. We love each other, care for each other and support each other.

In my experience, most people here are color-blind. My husband always says “We all bleed red.” Just as God looks at our hearts and not our skin color, I believe that is what we are called to do. (All of us.) We respect and love each other in spite of our differences because that’s what families do. I encourage you to concentrate on what we have in common instead of our differences.

I’m reminded of the song I learned as a child:

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red & yellow, black & white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the
world.

This is my prayer for Bethany, our country and our world.

~Darlene DeMarr