Young Christians explore the meaning of joy at Taize international meeting

Publish Date: 24-Aug-2018

The Taize Community organized for the first time in Hong Kong its international Pilgrimage of Trust and Reconciliation meeting between 8 August and 12 August. Among some 2,500 participants, seven hundred came from over forty countries across the world. Five hundred Hong Kong households acted as host families to welcome the pilgrims from afar. Each day, participants attended morning service in a church in Kowloon or on Hong Kong Island assigned to each of them while the midday and evening prayers were held in St John’s Cathedral and Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Through different workshops, the young people explored the history and society of Hong Kong and the many facets of their faith. They went to Tao Fong Shan to learn how Chinese culture and Christianity could intermingle; studied how to prepare and animate a prayer with songs from Taize; watched a film on the life of Brother Roger, founder of Taize; joined in singing with a Catholic and a Baptist youth bands; met with migrant workers and refugees; attended a guided tour at the Hong Kong Museum of History; went on a walking tour in the central district of Hong Kong to learn about the religions in the life of the city; seek ways to live one’s faith ecologically; and on 11 August, the participants attended the Festival of Nations at Caritas Hall where young Asians from different countries shared their culture and faith through song and dance.

Themed Inexhaustible Joy, the international meeting was an opportunity for participants to examine the meaning of joy. Brother Alois, prior of Taize, was in Sudan and South Sudan last October to gain a better understanding of the situations of these two countries. He visited a camp for displaced persons and met with many children who were lost by their parents in the course of tragic events. He was particularly impressed by the women who remained committed to life albeit having suffered greatly. This experience inspired Brother Alois to contemplate on how to respond to the voices of those undergoing grievous trials, and he came up with four proposals for this international meeting: dig deeper into the wellsprings of joy; hear the cry of the most vulnerable; share trials and joys; and among Christians, rejoice in the gifts of others.

During a press conference, held on 9 August in the company of Brother Han-yol, Brother Alois said that the gap between the wealthy and the poor was vast in Hong Kong as well as in Europe. He reminded the participants of the importance of building bridges to close that gap. In addition to discussing how to connecting the two ends, they should pay visits to the vulnerable, not only during the international meeting but as a habit in their daily lives.