Taizè

Friday 7th December 2012

Tonight I was at a special service for Advent, organized by the Taizè group I sing with.
Taizé is an ecumenical monastic order in Taizé Saône-et-Loire, Burgandy, France.
It was founded by Frère Roger in 1940 and there are now many Taizè groups in various Christian  parishes  all over the world.  Brother Roger did a lot to promote Christian unity and was such an exemplary figure.  He was a Lutheran monk, a man of great holiness and prayer and deeply loved by many.


Like many holy people of love and peace he encountered its opposite in the manner in which his life was ended rather brutally when he was stabbed to death during the evening prayer service in Taizè on August 16th, 2005 by a young Romanian woman named Ruxandra Solcan who was later deemed mentally ill.
As I write this I also think of another exemplary figure and man of God, Mahatma Gandhi  who also died a violent death, and I reflect on the mystery of evil and why it is that the very gentle and very good are so often targeted for such a violent death.


The Taizè service consists of beautiful harmonious chants, almost like meditation to music you might say.  There are then periods of silent reflection, two readings from scripture and a reflection from Brother Alois the current head of the Taizè community.  There is a space where the cross is placed on the floor and candles are lit around the altar.  There is generally an atmosphere of profound peace at these services,  and it is a very welcome experience to see both Protestants from various denominations, and Catholics coming together to unite in prayer in this sacred space.  Taizè also traditionally appeals to young people and it is heartening to see many young people being drawn to these services.