When I came to the United States from Mexico 16 years ago, I felt confident of who I was. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to move to the United States was that I felt very much in control of my life. I was 22 and had graduated from college. I was active in my local church. I had a fiancee and planned to get married soon. I had secured a job I liked that offered potential for professional growth. I had it all figured out.

Then, unexpectedly, I felt a desire to go to the United States. This prompting -- which I now recognize came from God -- didn't make a lot of sense at the time.

I had a love-hate relationship with the United States. I was born and had lived most of my life in a border town, and border culture is complex. My parents were seasonal workers, which meant that the U.S. was where they went for six months out of the year. My sister and I were left in Mexico. As teenagers, we were responsible for our household; we had to grow up without adequate supervision and accountability. For children left behind by immigrant parents, life is not easy.

But after a time of discernment, I made the decision in 2003 to move to North Carolina.

The experience of immigrating has taught me a lot, both about the culture of my new home and about myself. It has also taught me the value of "cultural humility," a concept from the medical field that I believe is a good model for Christian leaders.

As Christian leaders, we often minimize the significant role that culture plays in the formation of individual identities, in our views of God and the Christian life, and in our leadership styles. We often assume that because one of the core principles of our faith is loving God and neighbor, we will automatically acknowledge and appreciate other cultures.

But I think that if we really want to live fully into our faith, we must be intentional about seeing and exploring our differences. It is precisely in paying attention to our cultural differences that we can learn more about God and our neighbors.