Pilgrimage of Trust
13/04/13 05:25
The brothers of the Taizé Community in France have begun to anticipate an important anniversary for their community. In 2015, the community will celebrate its 75th anniversary. The year is also the 100the anniversary of the Brother Roger’s birth. For some communities, it would be an opportunity for a grand celebration of the history and roots of the movement. The centennial of the birth of a founder combined with a diamond jubilee would provide an opportunity to look back. But it is not so with Taizé. One of the differences can be found in the numeric of the year 2015: Brother Roger was only 25 years old when Taizé was founded. The movement has been, from its beginning, a movement of young adults.
It is often true in the story of Christianity that elders are led by those who are younger. From our very roots, Jesus taught us to value children and youth and to understand that they have qualities and values that are essential to a mature faith. Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” It has always been true that a life of faith values and listens to those who are younger.
So, in anticipation of 2015, Brother Alois, leader of the Taizé Community, wrote a letter inviting Christians of all denominations and affiliations to join together to embody a new solidarity as we move together. He began his letter with these words:
“For a new solidarity among human beings to spring up at all levels – in families, communities, towns and villages, between countries and continents – courageous decisions are needed. Aware of the perils and the suffering that weigh upon humanity and the planet, we do not want to give in to fear and resignation. And yet a fine human hope is constantly threatened by disenchantment. Economic difficulties which are increasingly burdensome, the sometimes overwhelming complexity of societies, and helplessness in the face of natural disasters all tend to stifle the fresh shoots of hope. To create new forms of solidarity, could the time have come to make a greater effort to uncover the wellsprings of trust?
“No human being, no society can live without trust. When trust has been betrayed, the wounds leave marks that go deep. Trust is not blind gullibility; it is not a facile word. It is the result of a choice, the fruit of an inner struggle. Each day we are called to set out once more from worry towards trusting.”
The letter goes on to outline a vision of a “pilgrimage of trust on earth” searching for ways to put into practice the quest for solidarity and trust. That pilgrimage has led some of the brothers of the Taizé to our community. Brother Emil will be joining our congregation in worship on Sunday.
It is hard to say where this particular journey began. Maybe it began 15 years ago when a small group of people gathered for worship in the style of Taizé at the 1st Congregational Church in Vermillion. The gathering welcomed students from the University of South Dakota. A small group of youth and adults from our congregation were able to join in that worship once in the summer of 1998. From that simple practice of worship, in 2009, a group of University Students, including two Lakota men, made a pilgrimage to Taizé in France. The Taizé movement was strong and well established, and had welcomed young adults from around the world, but had not yet built significant relationships with Native Americans.
That visit led to a return visit from a brother of the Taizé community to Pine Ridge in the summer of 2010 and again in 2011. Last summer the visit lasted a week with the brother staying with the Two Bulls family on Red Shirt Table. A vision of the extension of the pilgrimage of trust began to form in the minds of the brothers of Taizé and the Lakota leaders. This year, on May 24 through 27, the brothers of the Taizé will make a pilgrimage to Red Shirt Table. They have invited young people aged 18 – 35 to join them for Bible study, workshops, small groups sharing, meals together and worship outdoors on Red Shirt Table. People from around the world will be coming. Hundreds of participants will reach beyond the boundaries of language and culture to pray, study and live in community.
Last night was another step on the journey. Two of the brothers of the Taizé arrived in Rapid City yesterday and a small community of people from across our state gathered for a simple meal, conversation and worship. As we sat in the worship space of The Well, Susan and I remembered our experience of worship in the style of Taizé back in the summer of 1998. The 15 to 18 year-olds who were with us on that particular trip are now 30 to 40 year olds. Time passes. We all grow older.
Now is a good time to cross the boundaries that separate us. Neither the romantic image of Native American people drawn in novels and movies, nor the stories of unremitting poverty, violence and despair paint an accurate picture of our neighbors. Warm hospitality, loving individuals, quiet faithfulness and deep spirituality are parts of the Lakota story that we hear only when we take time to listen carefully and deeply. As Brother Alois said, “Only be coming together beyond our differences in a climate of prayer and sharing can we find new ways forward.”
I am now too old to register for the young adults’ event. But I am not too old to serve the community, to help with logistics and details, and most importantly to join in the prayers. One of the advantages of my age is that I can remember other significant moments of prayer and see the connections between the prayers of 15 years ago and those we share today.
Something very important and very exciting is happening right in our own backyard. Surely God is doing a new thing and we have been invited to witness God at work. It all began in prayer. It continues in prayer.