We live in a day and age where it is so easy to depersonalize other humans. It is vitally important to maximize others’ personhood in view of their inherent dignity rather than minimize them. An all-encompassing Christian doctrine of creation will require that we treat the human as well as non-human creation as sacred rather than profane. New Wine’s conference series “Maximize—Don’t Marginalize” addresses various pressing issues along these lines: suicide prevention, end-of-life care, minority religious groups’ freedoms, the non-human creation’s welfare, racial sensitivity and policing, and LGBTQ+ youths’ wellbeing.

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Session Descriptions

Session 1 - Suicide Prevention: Beyond Shame to Shalom

The NIV Bible reflects upon the word shalom: “Shalom experienced is multidimensional, complete well-being — physical, psychological, social, and spiritual; it flows from all of one’s relationships being put right — with God, with(in) oneself, and with others.” By contrast, suicide suggests the absence or breakdown of total well-being. This New Wine session will focus on suicide prevention, which involves moving beyond stigma and shaming those who have died by suicide, who are struggling with thoughts of suicide, and those who are suicide survivors. The best way to prevent suicide is to put right our relationships with God, one another, and ourselves through discerning, empathic, and vulnerable sharing of life that affirms physical, psychological, social, and spiritual health. (If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for support and resources.)

Presenters: Eric Boyer, Matthew Farlow, and Janie Caq’ar Ferguson, with Paul Louis Metzger moderating.

Session 2 - End-of-Life Care: Wounded Healers

End-of-life care should not signify ending care for those who are most vulnerable. Rather, it requires that our primary focus should be on the dying patient. This session will focus on medical ethics and advocacy for the most important party at any dying individual’s bedside—the dying person. All other stakeholders must come to share in their struggle as support givers who are “wounded healers.” Medical professionals must serve as “technological wizards” and “compassionate care guides,” as medical ethicist Robert Lyman Potter argues. The rest of us must also learn to balance objective or medical considerations and subjective or empathic concerns in embodying keen care for the dying patient or loved one.

Presenter: Robert Lyman Potter, with Paul Louis Metzger moderating.

Session 3 - Freedoms for Religious Minorities: The Fully Clothed Public Square

The dominant religious culture readily dominates minority religious traditions or those of no tradition at all. Those in the dominant religious culture must learn to heed the warning in the U.S. that those who live by the church state or state church sword may die by it, too, as soon as the fortunes are reversed. Moreover, beyond any fears of reprisals when any major shifts in regional or national religious demographics occur, Christians must also come to terms with how our Lord rules as a humble servant, not as a Christian nationalist. This session will emphasize the importance of Christians calling for a fully clothed public square that makes space for people of all other faith traditions. That way, we do not impose wearing only Christian dress, or cede to presumably naked, secular neutrality.

Presenter: John W. Morehead, with Paul Louis Metzger moderating.

Session 4 - Creation Care: Pro-Life, All Life

It is not only human persons to whom we must show sacred regard. As noted in the conference overview, an all-encompassing Christian doctrine of creation requires that we also treat the non-human creation as sacred rather than profane. In fact, we cannot show proper regard for humanity if we do not steward and sustain the environment well. After all, humans do not live in a vacuum, but on God’s green earth. Thus, for all the talk of pro-life, we must be pro all-life. This session will seek to demonstrate that the emphases on human care and creation care are not mutually exclusive but require one another. This is especially evident for impoverished and displaced people groups who are most vulnerable to pollution and have reduced access to life-sustaining natural resources.

Presenter: Marc Foggin, with Paul Louis Metzger moderating

Session 5 - Race and Policing: Black and Blue Lives Matter

In our deeply partisan and polarizing society, it is very easy to pit one group of people against another group of people. Regardless of all the associations and attributions we make when hearing “Black Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter,” we must be very attentive to the heart cry of African Americans who have long endured racism in a variety of forms, including policing. Similarly, we must be very attentive to the fears and concerns of people who serve in the police force. We must not dehumanize either group, or marginalize them, but maximize their identity. This session will seek to account for various injustices, including how we all too easily minimize people based on their skin color or the badge and uniform they wear. We need to ‘police’ our societal structures so that we can move to protect one another—black lives and blue lives—and enhance justice and dignity for all.

Presenters: Cliff Chappell and Paul Lyda, with Paul Louis Metzger moderating

Session 6 - LGBTQ+ Youth: Fostering Care Close to Home

It is important that people of all walks of life come together to end homelessness and suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. Stories persist of Christian parents forcing their children who “come out” to move out, often leading to life on the streets. Homelessness makes them vulnerable to various forms of abuse, as well as the threat of suicide. Those in foster care face similar pressures and challenges. This session will bring together those of affirming and non-affirming theological positions to care for the hurting, in this case gay youth. The common denominator of human dignity and decency must take precedence, as in the case of the Samaritan in Jesus’ account of neighbor love in Luke 10. The Samaritan cares for the person beaten and left for dead. The Samaritan knows nothing of the other man’s beliefs or lifestyle, simply that he is in need, and addresses it. The same must also be true today: may we care for and love our LGBTQ+ youth and neighbors as ourselves.

Presenters: Brad Harper, Drew Harper, Toraya Miller, and Manny Santiago, with Paul Louis Metzger moderating.