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Taize Homily: Christian Garcia | Print |  E-mail
Written by Christian Garcia   
Sunday, April 26, 2009
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Taize Homily: Christian Garcia
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Good Evening.

Thank you for being with us today.

My name is Christian.

I would like to share this afternoon what was for me the definite moment when I knew that God exists and also that God is watching.

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."  Says Woody Allen. And this is the perfect quote to start with...

I was born and raised in a Catholic home, although going to church every Sunday was not the norm. I remember that my grandmother was the one who always wanted us to try at least going for Easter and Christmas. But even despite her best efforts, my mom and dad took a different stance... I guess they want me to figure out the whole cosmic-greater-than-you-might-think-God for myself.

It didn't work...

Years passed and I became completely sure that I was completely an agnostic. Just flesh and bones waiting for the next step. No Church. No Angeles. No Bible.

And I was pretty satisfied and happy been a self-proclaimed agnostic. But, of course what does a teenage boy know about the important things in life, especially spiritual stuff, and at that moment my mom did the obvious best thing to do. She got me into a Catholic school.

I was not a happy camper.

And for three years between attending Calculus and English, there were Theology classes. I grew angrier; more disappointed about church and with many more questions about the nature of God, the nature of church, and the relationship with us - the human race, especially me.

So, one day I reached the bottom. I could not stand this situation anymore. I was really angry and confused. I wanted answers. I wanted facts. I wanted evidence.

That morning when I was walking to school, I raised my internal voice and I said... "You do not exist. You are just an invention of men. I don't believe in you... And with all your power and omnipresence you are not going to stop me from doing this..." 

And then it happened.

I reach into my pocket. I grabbed a package of candies. There were three candies left. And I continued... "You are not going to stop me from enjoying this candy." I grabbed the first one, and when I unwrapped it, it fell.

Quickly I grabbed the second one. And I said "This is not happening, it was an accident... You, invention of men." This time I unwrapped the second candy, and holding it between my fingers, it slipped.

I stopped for one second, in shock. This was my chance. This was a conversation. My revelation.

And standing there by myself I grabbed the last candy. I unwrapped it very carefully, and I put it in my mouth. And in my internal voice I said "I knew it"... I started walking again. With the first step, I tripped. And the candy went out of my mouth in a perfect parabola.

HE was laughing. I was speechless. I felt humble. I started walking again and I never looked back.



 
Episcopal Relief & Development Stories from the Field
Read true stories of success and triumph from some of the countries where we work. You will receive new and featured stories from our partners in the field as they are published.
  • A Boat of Her Own

    Elena is a food vendor in the community of Uros-Chulluni, Peru, where the only mode of transportation is by boat. The expense of renting a boat to sell her food limited both her business growth and mobility. Although Elena dreamed of owning her own boat, she had no collateral to secure one.

    Through a micro-finance program supported by Episcopal Relief & Development, the Ecumenical Church Loan Fund and the Anglican Diocese of Peru, Elena and her neighbors formed a community bank. She was then able to obtain a small loan without traditional collateral, enabling her to buy her own boat.

    Now Elena’s business has expanded to include not only the sale of food, but also handicrafts and candy. She’s thankful to Episcopal Relief & Development for showing her how to improve her income, continue her children’s education and strengthen her family.
     

  • Building Access to Clean Water

    Maria, her husband Juan and their five children knew the harmful effects of dirty, contaminated water in their village of Bijagua, Nicaragua. They used to bring the household water for cooking, bathing, drinking and washing in buckets from a stream 10 minutes away from their home — the same stream where cattle roamed.

    The children were constantly sick with diarrhea, and getting the water each day was a real burden. “Our daughter spent so much time carrying water, she was falling behind in her school work. We always worried about her walking alone in the dark of the early mornings and evenings. There are poisonous snakes around here,” said Maria.

    Episcopal Relief & Development partnered with El Porvenir, an organization that works in Nicaraguan communities to develop water, sanitation and re-forestation projects. The program also provided Maria and her community with education and training on properly maintaining the water system, water hygiene and protecting children and families from preventable, water-related diseases. Instances of water-borne illnesses were also tracked by local health monitors.

    Now Bijagua has safe water and residents can stay healthy. “Our daughter is excelling in school now that she doesn’t have to carry buckets of water. And the children don’t have diarrhea anymore,” Maria stated.
     

 

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