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Canterbury Colorado |
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Love one another as I have loved you. John 13:34 |
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Reflections on TaizÉ Sarah Beetch |
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On the whole, the pilgrimage was simply incredible. Traveling around the world with twenty five other people about your same age is quite an experience. In and of itself, these experiences teach you a lot about yourself, and you find ways to test your patience and kindness in slightly tense situations such as trying to find your hotel. This trip also taught me a lot about the power of first impressions. It was beneficial for me to be able to make these first impressions in order to deconstruct the assumptions that were made to create them. It is just one more reminder of the need to “love thy neighbor as thyself”. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and experiences, and he/she has his/her own story to share with the world. In the end, I formed some wonderful friendships and I was really able to connect with, learn, and grow from a lot of other members of our group.
Aside from all of the learning that occurred simply while traveling, the greatest learning and growing for me happened while in the Taizé community. The simplicity and intense focus on God that are central tenets of this community creates an environment that is very conducive to introspection and reflection. While there, I felt, in a way I never have before, that God was with me and listening to me each and every day. In that one week I learned and understood things that I had been struggling with for many years. Not only did this strengthen my relationship with God, but it also strengthened my relationships with my family and friends. As I have come to better understand myself with all of my strengths and weaknesses, I have developed a better appreciation and love for myself.
There is something so very wonderful in being able to take a break from a life of business where multi-tasking is not a talent but a way of life, to go to Taizé and find incredible simplicity. I loved the lifestyle and found that this simplicity is what I have missed the most after coming back to the United States: to pray three times a day, to live on a schedule of bells, to eat chocolate for breakfast! It was such an amazing way to live. I felt so alive while I was there, so in tune with myself and with the world around me - it was an amazing feeling.
The people at Taizé are also what strengthened the experience. To be surrounded by people from all over the world, speaking many different languages, sharing many different experiences, and holding many different beliefs is truly indescribable. It’s such a great reminder that our God is an amazing God that demonstrates His love and compassion all over this world that He has created. I met people from Slovakia, Germany, Estonia, Switzerland, Austria, and France, which was wonderful and eye-opening. Hearing stories and struggling to understand through a language barrier, we always kept coming back to a shared love – the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In my Bible Introductory group there were three women from France, one woman from Germany, and four women from the United States (two who were not in our travel group). The beliefs of the people in this group varied from searching, to early-stages of belief, to very devout and strong believers. The varieties of belief made for interesting discussions, as we would all contribute from our own unique set of beliefs and experiences. It helped me to take a look at my own faith journey and see what experiences have brought me to where I am today. It strengthened my ability to speak about what I believe and how I got these beliefs. This was especially important to me, because it was one of my hopes for the trip: to be better able to convey my faith journey with those around me.
This truly was an absolutely incredible life changing experience. It is one that I will remember for the rest of my life, and I am so gracious to God and to the many people who made this experience happen. This love and generosity will never be forgotten. |
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Reflection—Beetch
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