I am studying to be a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Part of our training (we call it formation), involves serving somewhere as an intern. Where and what you do should be a new experience and one that stretches the mind, body and soul. When I was asked what I wanted to do this year I envisioned being involved in college age /young adult ministry through a traditional parish. Working with college age/young adults was something that had been kicking around in my head for about a year, planted there by a wise spiritual advisor. Then I was asked, "What do you think about working with the University Chaplain at Johns Hopkins?" I have to admit, a shiver went down my spine and it shook me up. To know why you need to know a bit more about me. I have a day job as a Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. My interest is in Immunology, the study of the immune system. I train Ph.D. students, have a research program, direct a graduate program, teach medical and graduate students, etc - you probably know the drill - a biomedical scientist type. One, you would think, that would be pretty darn sure of himself. But, suddenly, as a result of this suggestion, I was cast into a world of uncertainty, I felt a bit threatened, even scared. I reflected on this and discovered that even though I would like to consider myself a spiritual, faith-filled person and I am training myself to be in lifetime service to God and the human family, here I found a wart. I realized that I have never really integrated my professional and my spiritual side - I had compartmentalized them - hid them from each other, never letting them fully touch. Here I was a person who had related to young people as a teacher and researcher but I had never connected with them in the spiritual realm. Clearly I had found a "growth area" - something that needed to be tended. As a result, I said yes to working at the IFC, not only to experience and learn, but also to figure out how to fit together parts of my life I knew in my heart should be but were not yet connected.

How did things go? I am truly at the beginning even now. I started out by simply explaining to colleagues what I was doing - not in the form of a general announcement - I did not stop in the middle of a lecture to the medical students and say, "By the way" Instead, I figured out that it could be a natural part of conversation. "No, I’m sorry I can’t go to dinner with our visiting colleague, I have to go to the Interfaith Center at the Homewood campus this evening, why? Well I’m working with the University Chaplain" Just these simple acts of human honesty, revealing who I truly am, hiding nothing, was the ticket. It was a scary at first, fear crept up in me that I would be labeled a religious fanatic or looked at as "weird". Imagine, professors are fearless right? - at the top of the academic food chain! God-language is not usually part of the conversation one has down at the Medical School. Surprisingly, my fears were not realized - people are curious, interested and supportive and wished me well. Even my graduate students know! I could reveal my spiritual-self in my professional/scientific world; it was not oil and water. The work is started but not done. On a daily basis I am asking, "am I doing it this way to avoid revealing who I really am? Is this my true self?" Do I show up, be it at work or in my ministry, with all parts of me engaged? I am gradually learning the "tricks" I use to hide and avoid revealing who I truly am. The journey continues and will only end when I breathe my last breath on this planet.

My time spent at the IFC has been a true gift, not only for what I found out about myself but for the tremendous inspiration I have found in the young people I have met. I discovered that many are asking the same questions I am asking. Here are talented young people of faith whose relationship with God/the Divine is critically important. On the other hand they are students trying to master history, physics, engineering, biology, etc. and to find their place in the world. How do these pieces fit together and, most importantly, how will they shape their lives and the lives of others as they begin to use their talents in the world? I am inspired that they are considering these questions! These are questions that humans have been contemplating throughout the ages and they are wrestling with them and building up spiritual muscle on the way. I did not have the same wisdom when I was in college and seeing our Hopkins students do this moves me.

The students I’ve met at the IFC offer me great hope for the future. We all know that religion has often been hijacked as a reason to separate the human family and sadly, to do violence. We see this all over the world: "Live on CNN!" But here at the IFC, I see young people coming together to figure out another way, that religion need not be a barrier but a bridge that unites. Here Catholics and Muslims prepare a meal together, Hindus and Jews discuss who G-d is, people of all faiths assemble to talk about violence and war. We come together to discuss serious topics, to understand each other and to play, dance and share a meal. I have found it interesting to see how important food is to the action and activities at the IFC. I should have realized this when the first thing I noted when I first visited the IFC was the ice cream freezer! Many times I find the students gathered around a table, being nourished and, most importantly, through words and actions, nourishing and feeding each other. The food that is brought is consciously assembled, so that all may partake - no one is excluded, it is universal food. I ask, "If these young people can co-create then why can’t this be done elsewhere? or everywhere? Why not??" I close my eyes and imagine the world these young people could/will create - a smile forms on my face - I see what we Christians call the Kingdom of God on Earth! Many Blessings to you. Ð