The outpouring of charity to Haiti after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake was commendable, but it paled compared to centuries of neglect to that poor region of the hemisphere, the president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) told a crowd of 300 at Ministers Week in February.

Focusing on overcoming individualism in order to care for all of humanity, the Rev. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, delivered the annual Wells Sermon series at the weeklong Brite Divinity School workshop for pastors.

“We need to see past our false divisions and care about all God’s children, before the earthquake hits,” Watkins said.

She said that when the university’s football program advanced in the rankings in the fall, Disciples of Christ members across the nation became fans of the Horned Frogs as if they were rooting for family. She suggested that this kind of inclusion on a much larger scale should take place across humanity.

Watkins was named to President Barack Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2009, which aims to serve as a resource for secular and faith-based nonprofits and community organizations.

Watkins praised the church’s past victories, such as the joining of black and white disciples in 1969, but said the effort must continue. She cited the movie “Avatar” as an example of that unity.

When the planet’s natives address each other with, “I see you,” it is an acknowledgment of the valued human that stands before you, she said.

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