The Summer
“Nada te turbe nada te espante; quien a Dios tiene nada le falta.
Nada te turbe, nada te espante: solo Dios basta.”
This was one of the Taize chants that I learnt and could not get out of my mind even when asleep whilst I was in Taize at the end of July with some of our young Adults.
“Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. Those who seek God shall never go wanting. God alone fills us.”
When we arrived all of us were put into small groups with whom we would then spend the remaining seven days studying scripture and sharing our faith and life stories with.
The opening question for us as we gathered at Taize, along with 3,500 others was Where is Joy to be found?
I was conscious of the fact that we were sitting in a large field on a “youth camp” of sorts and only a few days before another “youth camp” meeting in Norway had become the scene of terrible destruction and killing. I was also aware that for many in our world personal security and community wellbeing are not taken for granted, indeed there is much to trouble us and frighten us in the world we have created. My answer therefore was to say that for me joy was the best word to describe the week that I shared with our young Adults and many others from all over Europe in a small French village called Taize.
Brother Alois, the new leader of the Taize community since the killing of Bro Roger the communities founder, writes in his monthly letter about joy.
“A joyful hear, that is your life. Leave sadness behind. We undergo trials and sufferings in our lives, sometimes for long periods. But we always want to try and rediscover the joy of living.
Where does this joy come from ?
It is awakened by an unexpected meeting, by a lasting friendship, by artistic creation or again by the beauty of nature.”
Well I can certainly say one of the beauties of Taize is to be found in the unexpected meeting and the enjoyment of lasting friendship. Thank you for your prayers and financial support that made our trip to Taize possible for the second year.
I hope very much that in this holiday season you too will find joy in the unexpected meeting and the renewal and enjoyment of lasting friendships. Jesus meets us in the unexpected twists and intersections of our lives, in suffering and pain as well as in the beauty of is creation which many enjoy as holidays, and of course rejoice that he calls us his friends as we struggle with our faith and the demands of living.