Dear Friends,
When I took the job of being your pastor some friends of mine, Gerry and Jeanne Foisy, gave me a beautiful set of communion chalices, which I keep on a shelf in my office. Jerry and Jeanne are people I see a few times a year, usually at parties thrown by mutual friends, and while we don’t spend a lot of time together I consider them to be dear friends. They are truly good people.
Jerry is not a superhero, but like a superhero, he has an alter ego–complete with a costume–that has made him famous. He is Mr. Garlic, the official spokesperson for the Gilroy Garlic Festival. His Garlic outfit is kind of silly, but Mr. Garlic is larger than life and able to transcend the goofiness of the disguise such that he is a mascot not just for the Gilroy Foods (which sponsors the festival), but also for all in life that is joyful and kind and civic minded (which isn’t an easy thing to do when you are dressed up like a giant garlic bulb, but for years Jerry has managed to pull it off with grace).
A few weeks ago, I got the sad news that this year would be Gerry’s last Garlic festival as Mr. Garlic. For personal and health reasons, Gerry has decided to pass the weird garlic outfit on to someone else, which has all of Gerry’s friends grieving a little. Life moves on. Even great community institutions transition. For Gerry it’s a costume, but for the rest of us it’s a reminder that life is joyful but short. On Sunday, during communion, I’m going to honor Jerry by using the chalices he gave me to celebrate my coming to Montclair.
It is said often that a village must join together in the work of raising children; I think community is equally important as we live through our adult lives. I’m happy to have had Mr. Garlic as a small but important part of my village, and I look forward to honoring my friend with you on Sunday.
Very Best,
Ben
P.S. You can read more about Mr. Garlic here: http://www.gilroydispatch.com/lifestyles/mr-garlic-passes-the-bulb/article_58624ba0-5071-11e6-bc76-7b773a633793.html?mode=jqm