In one of the most touching and profound scenes from one of my all-time favorite books, The Little Prince, the tow-headed hero encounters a fox under an apple tree and they get to talking. At one point in the conversation, the fox warns that he is not "tamed," and the Little Prince inquires, "what does that mean, tame?" To which the fox replies, "it means to establish ties." The boy is perplexed by this definition so the fox explains further,

"Just that...to establish ties. To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys; and I have no need of you. You, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox who is like a hundred thousand other foxes. But! If you tame me, then we shall care about one another. To me, you shall be unique in all the world! And to you, I shall be unique in all the world."

So the fox teaches the Little Prince how to tame him, little by little each day. Over time, they establish such close ties that when it is time for the boy to travel on, the fox laments that he shall cry and shares some parting wisdom with the Prince: "Goodbye," says the fox, "and now here is my secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye. And remember, you become responsible forever, for what you have tamed."

I'm off to my next adventure just like the Little Prince, and I, too, shall likely cry. And just as the boy and the fox "tamed" each other , I have had the honor and the pleasure of "establishing ties" with so many of you this past year at First Parish. We have "tamed" one another, you and I, and in the process we've come to be unique individuals who care about each other.

So, even though I am moving on and a new ministerial intern arrives in September, I'll strive to always remember (and I hope you will, too) the myriad ways in which our time together has brought the Little Prince's secret to life: that the quality of caring which is essential to community and essential to ministry is invisible to the eye, but that it is seen rightly and clearly by the heart.

Thank you for "establishing ties" with me this year. I'll always remember and feel responsible for the gift of trust, affection, and support you so generously and genuinely offered. To all, Godspeed and

Blessed Be.