A Week in Taize #7 - Meal in Silence

Friday, 5 August 2011

Today we had midday meal on the field in silence to remember our brothers and sisters who died and suffer in Somalia. Imagine, 2700 young people on the field, having meal in total silence! And it worked very very well! It's really beautiful to be part of this phenomenon. Queued up in the line, receiving the simple meal, looking for a place to sit while looking around at Point 5, all just in silence!

I've heard that this silence meal on the field already happens the week before I came. Last week they had it to remember the victims of the attack in Norway. I don't know about the week before that, but I feel like this silence meal on the field can continue on weekly basis.

Well, silence is already the main part of life in Taize. Not only on every prayers, but the brothers (and those who stay longer) always have meal in silence every day. There's also a program for those who want to spend their week in Taize in silence. For those who stay longer, this week in silence (or a couple of days in silence) is  common thing for them to take part.

For my self, silence itself is beautiful and such a rare thing to find in this modern world. Especially silence in context of spirituality. I found a really good analogy by one of the brother to describe it. In two-way communication between two people, one of them have to be in silence in order to listen the other one. Between us and God, if we're keep talking on and on, then how we can listen what God want to tell us?

It's really connected in a way with the evening prayer, because the end of the prayer, the cross of Taize will lied down on the floor. First, the brothers will pray around the cross, then they will invite people to pray around the cross as well. Most of the people put their forehead on the top of the cross. This way of pray symbolizes how we can give our burdens and weary to Jesus, and pray for it. Sometimes if I feel too much or overwhelmed with all the problems that I have and I don't know what to say, I just keep my self in silence and surrender my self.