Some 30,000 young adults have gathered in Berlin from 28 December to 1 January for the 34th stage of the “pilgrimage of trust” led by the Taizé Community.
Welcomed by the churches and the people of Berlin, young people from all over Europe and other continents will also seek an impetus towards a new solidarity.
Prayer together as well as reflection and discussion on various spiritual, social, artistic, political and economic topics will mark this meeting, held for the first time in the German capital.
Upon their arrival, participants received a letter from Brother Alois, prior of the Taizé Community, entitled Towards a New Solidarity. “Although human solidarity has always been necessary, it needs to be constantly renewed and rejuvenated by being expressed in new ways,” writes Brother Alois in this letter, which will be translated into more than 50 languages.
Faced with the upheavals in the global economy, changes in the geopolitical balance of power, and increasing inequality, the prior of Taizé asks a question: “Could this be a reason to reflect more on the choices we make for our lives?”
Every morning, young people are gathering in 160 parishes and reflecting with the Berliners who welcome them on the different themes of this letter from Taizé for 2012: trust between people, trust in God, the “Christ of communion”, trying to be “salt of the earth”.
On the afternoons of December 29 and 30, the program of the meeting proposes a list of 15 themes to choose from. In one of these workshops, two brothers of the community will discuss the life and vision of Brother Roger, the founder of Taizé (1915-2005). In another, participants will be able to meet witnesses from the time of the Berlin Wall and visit the site of the wall with Berliners.
Learning about a service to support refugees, visiting the “Bode Museum,” listening to a concert or sharing about the place of youth in today’s society will be other opportunities available.
The words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945): “Before God and with God we live without God” is the theme for a workshop with those who want to talk about faith in a world where God apparently has no longer any role to play.
On the afternoon of December 31 there will be meetings by country or region of origin.
These meetings, led by the brothers of Taizé, will continue to investigate how to continue a “pilgrimage of trust” back home and how to go forward together towards a new solidarity.