Every winter, the fields around Plant City, Florida, overflow with strawberries. Visitors flock to the annual festival for milkshakes and photos, but few notice the hands picking the fruit at dawn. Fewer still see the children of those farmworkers sitting in local classrooms hours later, struggling to learn in an unfamiliar language.
One morning, a young man named Ramon—whom I mentor—barely greeted me before asking, “Pastor, where’s God?” The night before, his friend’s father went to buy dinner and was detained by ICE agents. He never returned home.
I had no quick answer, and I thank God I didn’t try to manufacture one. Instead, I sat beside him and listened.
For years, I preached about immigrants from the pulpit with sincere intentions and sound biblical exegesis. But preaching from afar allows us to feel faithful without undergoing true transformation.
It is easy to speak about people when we do not truly know them. Over three years ago, God called me to step into discomfort—to stop simply talking about these young people and start walking alongside them.
The Word moved into the fields
The Gospel of John captures this movement simply: “So the Word became human and made his home among us” (John 1:14). God did not send an abstract message from afar. Christ came, moved into the neighborhood, shared meals, and walked the dusty roads of daily life.
Paul describes how Christ “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). Humility remains a challenging standard. While a pulpit can foster pride, high school hallways quickly reveal our limitations. There, you are not the expert; you are a guest.
As United Methodists, we emphasize sanctification—the means of grace that transforms us into Christ’s image. I have learned that much of this transformation occurs not when I speak, but when I quietly listen.
I was a stranger
Jesus declared: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). He reminded us that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for him.
This shifts our perspective: It is not merely about helping others, but encountering Christ in their faces. These students have taught me that education represents hope for families who crossed borders for a better future. I arrived intending to serve them, yet they have evangelized me.
Where is your plant city?
Every community has overlooked neighbors. Here are practical ways to get involved:
- Contact a local school's English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program to ask about their specific needs, listening before offering solutions.
- Volunteer as a tutor or mentor, or help families navigate school communications.
- Attend an immigration hearing or vigil to observe, listen, and stand in solidarity.
- Partner with local congregations actively serving immigrant families.
- Support and engage with underserved Latine/Hispanic ministries in your area.
Stories that cannot be disputed
While politics and theology spark endless debate, authentic stories touch hearts. When asked to define "neighbor," Jesus offered the story of the Good Samaritan, instructing His listeners to demonstrate active compassion (Luke 10:36–37).
Listening to these students led me to places where these stories unfold daily. At vigils outside an immigrant detention center in the Everglades, we prayed alongside families awaiting news of loved ones. I went not to give a speech, but to offer presence and solidarity.
The hope on their faces moved me deeply. Knowing strangers stood and prayed beside them assured them they were not forgotten. Presence provided what words could not: The assurance that they were seen.
Our church’s Social Principles affirm the dignity of migrants and call us to welcome them. True affirmation requires our tangible presence, not just our words.
The Gospel reminds us that the Word took human form and lived among us. Our most profound witness rarely happens behind a pulpit; more often, it unfolds on an ordinary afternoon in a classroom when we choose to be present and listen.
The Rev. Juan Marcos Garay is a Puerto Rican pastor and church planter with 25 years of ministry experience, currently serving Grace Community United Methodist Church in Lithia, Florida. His ministry emphasizes mentoring young people, accompanying immigrant families, and building communities rooted in Christ’s love.
This page was published on October 9, 2026. The contact is Laura Buchanan.
