Thank God For Taize!
The world had gone absolutely out of its mind. It was in the midst of World War II. Jews, Intellectuals, Gypsies, and Homosexuals were all being persecuted by the Nazis. Somebody needed the raw courage to stand up to the violence and fear embedded inside the human personality.
Thus Brother Roger came to the scene in a little town in France by the name of Taize. He and his patrons provided a place of refuge for the persecuted. Over time they developed a worship style too that had a certain staying power. The practice of silence, contemporary and simple chant, a semi-darkened room with a great deal of candlelight, some incense, icons, and some light instrumentation provided a multi-media experience that help to quell and still the anxiety, dread, suspicion and fear that pervaded the time.
Peace was restored within the human heart, even while the rest of the world had gone mad.
It seems a timely thing too for us to practice the Presence of God in this and other ways. The world still likes to persecute people. In fact, much of the so called "Christian World" likes to persecute people. Truth be told much of the "Religious" world likes to persecute people.
But Jesus will not go away.
Simple, peaceful and hopeful love remains among those who gather at Taize now by the tens of thousands each year. And now churches around the world gather the faithful few often in mid-week services to continue the effort in restoring sanity in a world still gone mad. This article in the Washington Post tells the story well.
Come Lord Jesus.
Peace,
Fr. Paul
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