Homily given on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at the Taize Eucharist, by Mr. Jason Rios

          Tonight is my third homily at a Taize service here at St. Thomas'. My first homily tethered closely to the original idea behind these mediations, which was to tell one's spiritual journey. I talked about how I had found St. Thomas', and what a welcoming, unique, and spiritual place it was and continues to be. The second one concerned my passion for music, and how I believe that we can communicate directly with the divine through it. My third homily... the one for tonight...will be my last one at St. Thomas'. In two month's I will have packed my belongings, painted over the walls in my apartment-that I wasn't supposed to paint in the first place-and I will be on the road toward my new home in Memphis, Tennessee. I feel that in this homily, I can give a unique perspective-the point of view of a spiritual journey that seemingly is at an end, but continues; that is at a crossroads, but knows which way to turn.

          Since 9^th grade, I've known I wanted to someday be a teacher. So it seemed a natural idea to apply to Teach For America after I came to the difficult realization that a PhD in History was not the route I wanted to take to reach my goal of teaching. Teach For America is widely respected program that aggressively recruits and trains new teachers in order to place them in high needs schools around the country. That sense of dedication and devotion to our underserved brothers and sisters speaks to the strong social justice streak that runs through my body. However, I told myself that unless I landed a placement in an appealing major city-San Francisco, New York, DC-I would turn down  the offer, should I be accepted. At 27, I've never had a driver's license, and I didn't want to go anywhere where I'd have to learn how to drive.

          On top of the shock of being accepted to the program, I was then dumbfounded when I logged onto my online application to discover my placement-Memphis. Memphis. I'd been there twice before to visit a friend who went to Rhodes College, but...live there? Make it my home? I didn't know what to think. Suddenly and strangely, I could not muster the outright ‘no!' that I wanted to deliver. I was intrigued. I was interested. I knew, deep down, I was going to say ‘Yes.' I think that's the way it is when God calls you to do something new in your life. Underneath all the hypothetical ‘what ifs', underneath all the doubts and emotions tossing about, there was a still, small voice-a voice that said "Go."

          And so I am. And now the hypotheticals are becoming reality, and the feelings of loss and separation about which I could only speculate are now creeping in to my daily life, setting up foundations on which to build mighty emotions. And one of those creeping feelings is-What will I do without St. Thomas' in my life? What will I do without my beloved rectors-John and Nancy Lee? What will I do without Tim, my choir director, and the heavenly music we create each Sunday to praise God? What will I do without the friends that I have made here? What will I do without this place, where it is abundantly clear that God loves me, regardless of my age, race, or sexuality? At their very best, churches are a nexus of strength and love-a place to come and be fed, physically and spiritually-St. Thomas' is a church at its very best. It would seem that my spiritual journey here is at an end.

          But churches at their very best feed you, not so that you can stay in one place, sated and content, but so that you can go out into the world, confident that you are equipped with the tools that you need to make the world better. My decision to teach high-needs children in Memphis is a decision to follow a calling-it is a decision to take the strength and love I have found in this place outside of these four walls-to share life's joys with others.

          If Christ lives in each of us, then we are truly all the Body of Christ, each one of us connected to another, no matter how far apart we may be. As I tend to think musically, my mind wanders to the opening lines of Hymn 529...In Christ there is no East or West, in him no South or North, but one great fellowship of love... I will be away physically from St. Thomas' but I will still be an appendage of this body, connected in spirit to a family that I love and who loves me. And while in Memphis, I will share that love with others-I will shape them, as they in turn will shape me-and through our changes together, the body will grow larger, the connections greater, and the light brighter. My physical journey at this parish may be ending soon, but not my spiritual journey, because I take the lessons and teachings of the people who make this place a sacred one with me wherever I go. Think about those places where you are energized, where you are fed-remember that you are there not only for nourishment, but to be sent out, to do good works, to share in God's truth, and to share in God's love, to change and be changed, to bring us all a little closer to that great fellowship. Amen.