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| Ineke Mitchell |
It seems impossible that it has been a year since I wrote my first Annual Report for the Connecticut Conference. The calendar, however, indicates differently and confirms that indeed it was a year ago that I first reflected on life in the North Central Region. As I traveled the region this past year and shared in ministry with clergy and congregations in a variety of ways, I kept revisiting my favorite metaphor for the church. With all due respect to St. Paul, whose image of us as the body of Christ is powerful and essential to our understanding of a healthy community of faith, for me a more helpful image of our life together as minister and region is that of a SCUBA diver and coral reef. For some of you this won’t come as a surprise, because you are aware of my passion for diving.
The more I dive and visit my favorite underwater places of worship, the more I learn about how to traverse the roads of life and ministry above ground. A reef is a magnificent, living, breathing creature whose true colors are most vibrant when the light shines brightly. Life on the reef is best observed when currents are gentle. Being able to “hang around” and watch and truly absorb the life played out in all its intricacies of interdependent relationships is a privilege and honor. At times, however, currents can cloud vision, and every once in while a predator comes close.
There are parts of the reef that look very fragile, but which might actually be the backbone that provides much strength. At first glance, some parts seem almost without life, while others are teeming with activity. But first glances are not always accurate or complete, and what appears inactive might reveal surprising life and what teems with activity may be little more than a feeding frenzy.
All in all, it takes many visits and much observation to become intimately acquainted with the reef. I feel honored to have seen much of the reef l call the North Central Region this past year and am deeply grateful for having been invited to interact intensely with so many parts. There are still a few places I have barely “swum by,” but I look forward to continuing my journey of discovery. Please know that I am a careful, well trained diver. I never dive alone, safety always comes first, and the health and welfare of the reef always has priority. And I never forget the diver’s rule # 1: never stop breathing.
