Taize

What does Taize mean to you: hymns, youthgatherings, Br Roger? At least to me, Taizemeant only this much since my first contact

with it during the international "Pilgrimage ofTrust on Earth" held in Madras, India, in 1988.However, after twenty years, this na'i've picturefell apart during my recent stay there in April2008. This coming month of November, Taize

comes to Kenya.

By Sahaya G. Selvam

Taize is a new ecclesiology.It is not an abstract theol-ogy debated about, but anexistential lived-out ex-perience of a church as a

community of faith and reconciliation.Taize, once an insignificant hillock, istoday the mountain that bears the torchof Christian faith for Europe and the restof the world. As I curiously exploredinto the history of the founder and thecommunity, while living through thedaily experience of just being there, andattentively listening to other participants- young and old -1 became aware of thefollowing aspects of this impressive ex-perience of the Church:

NEW PEOPLE September-October 2DD8 31

The author of the article in front of Taize Communrty (France). Betow. Br Roger Schutz, founderof the community, who died in 2005: "The Christian message is a matter of the heart. That is

the secret of Taize. ~

A Faith Community Open tothe WorldAs you anxiously make the bus journeythrough the countryside of France, in aplace that is almost nowhere, the sign-board says "Taize Communaute". In1940, at the age of twenty-five, whenRoger Schutz-Marsauche (1915-2005)left Switzerland to go to France, to livedangerously on the warfront, he desiredto create a community that would be asign of reconciliation.

I belong to a religious order in whichthe religious community is a necessityto continue the apostolic dreams of thefounder, whereas in Taize it is the op-posite. As an overflow of the commun-ion among the Brothers who gatheredaround their founder, the communitybecame open to people, especially theyoung. Since 1958, people began tocome to Taize to participate in the com-mon search for the God of Jesus Christ,through the cross and reconciliation.The welcome in Taize is a credible sym-bol of Christian hospitality. Brother Luc,whom I met later in Nairobi, reiterated tome, "The young people come to Taize,because of the community of brothers."These brothers live a religious life intheir vows of celibacy, simplicity andcommon life.

This community is also ecumenical.The community of over hundred broth-

ers who come from around thirty na-tions also have various Christian back-grounds: catholic and protestant. Rightfrom the beginning, seen today in theicons in the Church and the architectureitself, was also the strong contributionfrom the Eastern Orthodox Church.

For all the silence there. Taize is farfrom being a monastic castle tuckedaway from the world. It is a communityalso open to the contemporary realitiesof the world of today: pov-erty, war, marginalization.Br Roger himself shel-tered refugees of the Sec-ond World War, later hissister cared for orphans ina nearby home, and todaysome of the brothers sharethe lives of the poorest ofthe poor in different partsof the world. A churchopen to the world!

A Sign of the King-dom in SimplicityAnother aspect that strikesthe visitor to Taize is itssimplicity: in structures,in food and lifestyle andabove all in the life of thebrothers themselves. Itis well known that, "Thebrothers of the community

live solely by their work. They do notaccept donations. In the same way, theydo not accept personal inheritances forthemselves; the community gives themto the very poor."

Not far from Taize is the ancient Ab-bey of Cluny, once the greatest edificein Christendom, today a mere exhibit ofruins and commercial complexes. Justthe opposite is being unveiled in thegreen hillock: humble structures that arepowerful symbols against the consumer-ist society of today. Br Roger was veryconscientious about keeping structuressimple. Medium is the message. Andthe Christian message is a matter of theheart. That is the secret of Taize.

Having lived in the comfort of Italytwo months prior to my visit to Taize- often eating in three or more plates,the message of simplicity of daily life inTaize - with just one plastic plate and aspoon that became also a knife to applybutter to the bread, was very impressive.My European colleagues themselvesoften commented about this, as they en-joyed the adventure of the ordinary life.The Christian message: "Blessed are thesimple", has also a contemporary impli-cation: being a concrete solution to theecological crisis! One of the afternoonworkshops that I attended during mystay, led by Br Maxim on Environmen-tal Responsibility, was made credible bythe simplicity that we lived in Taize.

32 NEW PEOPLE September-DctDber 2DD8

An Assembly of Pilgrims in Si-lence and PrayerThe bells chime three times a day. Acall for prayer. There is a unison move-ment of people towards the church - thesimple, cosy, quiet, haven for souls. Theprayers are simple too: songs, short read-ing of the Word of God, quiet moments,petitions, more hymns. No one tells ushow to pray, we just do it. We join thecommunity of brothers who pray. Thiscommunity, that faces the same directionin an attitude of pilgrimage towards theDivine, also allows sufficient space forthe inner movement of the individual.

No preaching. Only teaching, shar-ing, discussions, and workshops in smallgroups outside the prayer moments. Re-flection in the adults group that weekwas led by Brother Pedro, who sharedvery simple but deep thoughts on Gen-esis 1 to 11.

My two room-mates in Taize camefrom Germany. Both, professionals,felt the need for prayer and silence, so

Young people in pilgrimage to Taize: "The young people come to Taize because of thecommunity of brothers."

It is a communityalso open to thecontemporary

realities of the worldtoday: poverty, war,

marginalization.

they came there. About ten minutes ofsilence during the three common prayermoments, silence around the church andin some areas like The Source, and si-lence after night prayers, create an expe-rience of tranquillity.

Besides these particularities, Taizecontinuously bears a feeling of silenceand prayer. This is yet another gospelcontradiction to the contemporary worldwhich, with its broadcasts and bill-boards, is full of noise.

A Community on the Way toHolinessWanting to know more about the TaizeMeeting in Nairobi in November 2008,I met Br Parfait. I took very little timeto recognise him as the one who had

prepared us for the Taize Meeting inMadras twenty years ago. I also met BrJohn Patrick from Madras.

Anyway, I got invited to lunchwith the brothers. The first part ofthe meal was in silence, as we en-joyed a simple wholesome food.The music was soft and gentle. Iwas not new to this. We too dothis during retreats in my religiouscommunity. When the musicstopped we spoke. My companionat conversation was Novice Adamfrom Indonesia. My ^curiositiesabout the internal workings of thecommunity were sufficiently clar-ified. I perceived everything to be

simple, yet orderly and joyful.Then a gentle person spoke in French

with a hush voice; his eyes were filledwith compassion. It was Brother Alois,the Prior of the community. I had ex-pected him to be older. Brother Rogerhad appointed him to the leadership roleeven before his death. Brother Aloisshared news about the brothers whowere outside Taize. There was a lot offraternal laughter; there was a feeling ofoneness - even with those in Bangladeshand Nairobi.

When the prayer was over, Adamwanted me to meet Br Alois. I wantedit too! But Br Alois came to me. Hegreeted me with such openness and gen-tleness that there was certain holinessvisible. Br Parfait joined us together

with Br Sebastian. The four of us wentto the room of Br Roger.

There was something extraordinaryabout that "sacred space". It was veryordinary in fact: the simple bed covers,the books, the prayers on the notice-board, the photos on the masterpiece,the light gushing through the French-window and the icon of the Blessed Vir-gin gently seated in a corner. Br Aloisinvited us to pray a 'Hail Mary' in frontof that icon, before which Br Roger him-self had prayed everyday. Then Br Aloisasked for my blessing. A humbling ex-perience! "Stay as long as you wish", hesaid farewell to me with the characteris-tic hush tone.

I was in the room of Br Roger. Oh,Sacred Space! Indeed, I knew, in thereonce had lived a holy man. The commu-nity that he founded is also on the Way.

No wonder, someone in our group re-marked, "Would paradise be somethinglike Taize?"

EpilogueTaize visits Nairobi this November. Willthe political impasse in Kenya make itdifficult? No! The youth of the worldwill bring hope to their Kenyan counter-parts, because it is going to be a "Pil-grimage of Trust on Earth." Only trustcan bring hope to the youth of the world.And to the political leaders too. This isthe mission of the church in the worldtoday.

NEW PEOPLE September-October 200B