(This is the short piece I submitted to my church newsletter as a summary of my time at the 2012 Taizé Pilgrimage of Trust here in Chicago. My experiences go much deeper and are more heartfelt than I have succinctly described here.)
“When tirelessly the Church listens, heals, and reconciles, it become what it is at its most luminous--a communion of love, of compassion, of consolation, a limpid reflection of the Risen Christ. Never distant, never on the defensive, freed from all forms of severity, the Church can let the humble trusting of faith shine right into our human hearts.” --Brother Roger, Peace of Heart in All Things
During Memorial Day weekend, from Friday evening to Monday afternoon, over 700 young people ages 18-35 from 36 states, 6 provinces of Canada, Mexico, Haiti, and a few European countries gathered at DePaul University in Lincoln Park for the 2012 Taizé Pilgrimage of Trust. Three times a day (morning, midday and evening) we gathered for prayer with six brothers from Taizé (including Augustana’s new friend Brother Emile). At other times, we gathered for small group discussions, workshops, meals, and fellowship time together, discussing the role of Christians and faith in an increasingly divisive world.
The intent of the Pilgrimage of Trust was to bring together young people from all over North America to reflect on and discuss the necessity for trust in our own relationships with God and with each other as Christians, as well as with our congregations and the places in which we live. In his Saturday evening address, Brother Alois exhorted us to frame our relationship with God in trust, trust in God’s call to the work of our lives, and trust that we are loved, no matter how imperfectly we view ourselves. The silent time during Taizé prayer (lasting up to ten or fifteen minutes) gave us the opportunity to simply be still, calm our minds, and listen for God’s voice--a discipline that few of us have built into our busy lives.
On Sunday evening, Brother Alois challenged us to take our reflections and discussions from the weekend--as well as the strong feeling of community we experienced with others during those few days--back to the places where we live to create and strengthen trust in our communities. That might be through the work of our hands, through our worship, or, as quoted from Brother Roger’s letter above, simply the ministry of listening to the needs of our neighbors.
I visited Taizé in France in 2003, and this weekend was for me a wonderful reminder of “that little Springtime” (as Pope John XXIII called it). My spirit felt both at peace and refreshed, and I left on Monday afternoon feeling empowered and emboldened to serve as Christ did. I met some wonderful people from all over North America--Canada, New York, Indiana, California--who gave me great hope for the future of the Church. As Brother Alois states in his 2012 letter, “World peace begins in our hearts.”
