France

 Taizé

During April this year we spent a week at Taizé, a village and commune in the Saône-et-Loire département, Bourgogne région, in east-central France, near Mâcon. In Taizé lives the Taizé Community, a monastic, ecumenical, international community founded in 1940 by Frère Roger, which has today just over 100 brothers from many different countries and from different Christian traditions.

Taizé is also known as a place of pilgrimage and coming apart primarily for young adults: every week, hundreds and thousands of visitors, generally between the ages of 17 and 30, visit Taizé for an experience of prayer and community life.

During our time spent at Taize we experienced a profound sense of God’s peace and an easy lifestyle of simplicity and no clutter. We also met believers from various different countries and it was amazing to see how unity is possible even though you do not speak another’s language; our group for sharing represented believers from Switzerland, France, Sweden, Denmark and South Africa. We were surprised to find that nearly 50% of the young people visiting Taizé are not Christians – however, our loving Daddy has a way of touching them where they need it most. Many people return to Taizé again and again to regain their sense of purpose and to experience the God’s peace and serenity in a non-threatening simple way.  

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