A WORLD IN TURMOIL AND CHAOS
By: Paul Cullen
We hear constantly through the news and media of a world in turmoil and chaos. Destructive and at loggerheads with itself. Everybody, every nation cries out of its needs and wants, and nobody seems to listen and hear.
This year, I have returned after four years to Taize, the monastic community in the Burgundy region of France founded by its late prior, Frère Roger. And it is here, in its beautiful church where Frère Rogers’s life was ended in a burst of violence during the prayerful silence. I am amazed at how little has changed, yet one of the reasons why I haven’t returned is because I thought it would be different.
The world outside rages in stages of conflict with itself, and Taize still welcomes over 3000 people this week into its waiting arms with warmth and compassion. I spoke with one of the brothers of the community who said that frère Roger had built the foundations on which the community would continue to move forward.
And move forward it continues to do. Still welcoming these thousands of people on a Sunday, as the previous weeks thousands are preparing to leave. I find it remarkable still, that there is a place where young people of every nation can congregate; over 60 nations were represented the week I was there; Serbia, Croatia, America, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Germany, Nairobi, Hungary, Sweden, Austria, Russia.
All people of all ages and backgrounds; spending a week together in Community. Each of us with our little jobs. Cleaning toilets, distributing food, washing up. Nobody complains or assumes it’s somebody else’s job.
Taize brings languages, cultures and faiths together in a gentle and compassionate way, respecting all and sundry. We spend the week meeting strangers and leaving with friends.
A young Serbian man in his twenties shared with me his experiences in the two wars he’s survived and the regime he and his family suffered under Milosevic. Yet his attitude was one of reverence; understanding and gratitude. He seemingly bore no grudges towards the Americans who were here representing their country (over 70 of them). He instead simply rejoiced in the fact that he was here in Taize; another teenager, Martin from Austria, here with his brother and a small group spoke of his little village that he loved. It was amazing for me as someone who works in a secondary school to hear such optimism and enthusiasm and appreciation from such a young person.
There is an energy in Taize. Koruna, from Lithuania worked in the little café/bar area OYAK serving coffee, and had such an amazing vibrant appreciation of life, and was on her seventh visit to this place, she loved being able to practice her excellent English.
Here in Taize there are so many wonderful healing things that happen; in the moments of meeting people, to the peace and silence of the beautiful church; where a community of Brothers welcome people weekly throughout the year, a community recovering from the violence amidst their precious violence, welcoming nations of people here to recover from their lives briefly.
Two communities recovering, together as one.