I know Jesus Christ stands beside me.

I do not need to ask what you would do if He were standing here, because my testimony is that He already is.

Those I love do not simply disappear from my life. They walk beside me every day. Their love, their lessons, their example, and the covenants that bind an eternal family do not end because I cannot physically see them.

That is how I understand Jesus Christ in my life.

He is not someone I reserve for Sunday. He is not a name I use simply to describe a religion. He is my Eternal Brother, my guide, and the one whose name I invoke when I stand accountable before God the Eternal Father.

So when you stand before me, understand what I believe:

You are not dealing with a woman who believes she stands alone.

I stand as a child of God.

I stand with those I love.

I stand remembering those who came before me.

And I stand with Jesus Christ beside me.

That does not make me greater than my neighbor. It reminds me that my neighbor is also a child of God, and therefore my responsibility is greater—not smaller—to behave with integrity.

And me first.

Before I ask you to examine how you have treated me, I must examine how I have treated you.

Before I ask you to respect my boundaries, I must respect yours.

Before I ask you to account for your actions, I must be willing to account for mine.

That is the covenant I am trying to live.

So I will continue to stand before my community, speak what I believe to be true, defend the boundaries entrusted to my care, and still remember that the person standing across from me is another child of God.

Those I love don’t go away.

They walk beside me every day.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.