09 June 2019
Amis letter 22 (05/03)
Dear Amis
On arriving at Taizé in April this year, I was not very much impressed when hearing the theme for the week: “Hospitality”. Perhaps I felt it was not “spiritual” enough. How wrong I was! Not only was the week a blessing beyond expectation – it also opened my eyes to see the profound depth of this theme for our lives. It can be a window through which we could see our entire life and the world around us.
Hospitality…
Last week I said I would like to share my “testimony” about the day we discussed the third proposal: Welcome our gifts and our limitations too.
There are actually two stories - the one for today and the other for next week.
The first story:
On the evening before we discussed proposal 3, I walked up to one of the Brothers after the evening prayer. (They usually stand around in the church after prayer being available for conversation.) I shared with him my feeling of “wind still” and that I felt I needed some wisdom – which I had also shared with the group on the Monday. He listened intently and then responded by saying “Just wait… God will move.” That’s it!
So the next day, brother Jean Marie led us in the Bible introduction reflecting on the Matt 11:25-26 passage: At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
One of the group members, Martin, then looked at me and said: Did you hear that God had hidden “these things” from the wise? Why are you seeking wisdom???
This came to me as a revelation. A hammer-blow.
God’s presence and his loving acceptance of everything in us (not only that which is acceptable to ourselves) is a deep and welcoming mystery – something we can and should always remember. I realised my search was missing the point. It was born from my own perceived emptiness while God rejoices in everything of me.
That is the nature of His hospitality. It is a live-giving mystery and reality.
Well… that was the beginning. And the first “episode” in the story. Next week I would like to share the second story.
May I leave you with this thought: God loves everything in us.
His hospitality is all embracing.
With kind regards
Jan