In July, a group of young adults from Bath and Wells, together with Bishop Michael and Bishop Ruth, made a pilgrimage to Taizé in France. They spent a week with other young people from around the world in prayer, Bible study and discussion. Some of those who undertook the pilgrimage have been sharing their reflections of their time with the Taizé community.
Revd Kieron Rowley is Assistant Curate in the Benefice of Glastonbury St John and St Benedict with Meare.
"I recently returned from the Diocesan pilgrimage to Taizé in France, it was a time of prayer, silence, reflection, and refreshment. For those who know little about Taizé, it is an ecumenical Christian community of monks that live together in a small village in Burgundy, and every year, thousands of young people come from across the world join them for a week of prayer, community living, and sharing.
The average day consists of gathering three times a day for prayer using the familiar chants from Taizé that many will know, and a work duty, either preparing and serving food, cleaning, gardening, or any other task necessary for the life of the community for that week. With up to 2000 people living together on the hill there was plenty to do, we eat together, and we gather daily to read the Bible and share our experiences together with people from across the world. Taizé provides people a place to stop, take stock, and ask themselves, who am I, what am I about, where is my life heading, what does it mean to be the body of Christ, how might I live my life in service to others, how might I sow solidarity and reconciliation in an ever more fractured world.
I am inspired by the life at Taizé, how for one week thousands of people can be gathered in community in the face of cultural, religious, theological, and social differences. The feeling in Taizé is wonderful, everyone is open and friendly and seeking to make new connections. What I have taken away most from this week has been the community’s mission for Christian solidarity with one another. Close to Brother Roger’s heart (the founder of Taizé) was the unity of different Christian communities of the world, he was very concerned that we had allowed ourselves to be divided by traditions, theology, and cultural points of view. He wrote in July 1941, ‘Our complacency in thinking that the current situation of divided Christians is normal will lead us to ruin’. Hence Taizé is a place where reformed, protestant, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic Christians have been able to live together. The community is not formally affiliated to any one church but is simply living a life of unity and prayer.
The invitation to simply pray together is a wonderful part of the life at Taizé, the whole week is grounded on the common prayer life. The prayer is simple, beautiful, and accessible for all, you are given lots of time in silence to be still and reflect. Overall, the experience was one of deep refreshment and joy.
I cannot stress enough if you are given the opportunity to go then take it, especially young people. Taizé is truly a transformational place as well as a great week of fun and making new friends. Some of the people I met in Taizé from years gone by have remained firm friends to this day and the lessons I learnt there have helped and guided me in my life and vocation. One person on this year’s trip said that it had been a life changing experience for him, and he hopes to return. Taizé truly is a special place and I really encourage our young people from across the diocese to find out more about how to be involved."
Revd Rich Miles, Missional Priest for Youth and Young Adults and Revd Edward Day, Assistant Curate - St Thomas's Wells with Horrington, spoke to BBC Radio Somerset about their time in Taizé.