Imagine a Church... (Welcome - EMYP in Canterbury - April 9-2012 - English Version)

Version française ici

 

The sky is totally grey ! But it suites me fine. As a little water drop in this wet wheather, I am glad to join this group of young French, driving on the left in a large coach. The widscreen wipers are dancing in round trips to chase me away. But I always come back ! English or French, there's no difference : I make you wet ! Heads under hoods, raincoats out of bags : it may be Easter Monday, but as planned, even though I was not invited, I am omnipresent.

At 9am, our group of 44 young persons, adults and families, from the North of France, arrived in Chartham. We gather around the little church. A couple of leader pop with the idea to hide eggs in the walls and trees. The youngest ones run to catch as many chocolate eggs as they can. It's Easter after all, and bells went that way.

10 am : groups of young persons and families are now ready to walk : about 100 to 150 people (plus dogs) in total. Although it's still wet, Englishmen even wear t-shirts : they are surely used to it. The group first goes along a river. Among our group, not all understand English, but they keep walking, smiling. Even if a few stomachs already ask for lunch time !

Later in the day, a high-school student in our group admited it was walking that he liked the most. On the way, we meet a "fat tree" : "I think he ate too much Big Macs..." says Sarah, sure that it is the basic english meal. A few streets away, and the group finally arrives at Canterbury Cathedral. The 10 centuries old Cathedral rises in the deep-grey sky. The archbishop welcomes us, just as he did for Kate and William a few months ago.

 As we enter the Cathedral, Tim is already playing the guitar and singing "Blessed be your name". 

Nathan Wilson welcomes us in a fast and hardly understandable english. Some smile stupidly when finally picking up a word ! Audrey explains to the microphone what Easter means for her. Following a deadly coach accident a few months ago, she couldn't find the words to explain death to her 4year-old daughter. On Holy Friday, on the way back from church, her daughter said :"They are dead, but they will come back !" That was the meaning of Easter for her... Mélanie thanks everybody for welcoming us, and Tim sings again while banner holders are coming in, some disguised in Luigi and Mario. Clément wonders : "It's strange the way they mix exhibition and religion, I don't really understand why".

Achbishop Rowan speak : Chist is risen ! Alleluia ! Then it's Murray Wilkinson's turn to make us go for lunch with 4 questions : How Christ risen from the dead, helps us in our relationships with others, in the way we serve others, in our daily life, and how it can change the world ? We leave thinking... about our lunch ! We gather in Chapter House, a large room which makes us think of Poudlard.

After lunch, Murray Wilkinson speaks again. He preaches, beginning with an add to illustrate selfishness.

Pub 7up humour par geoffreydu82

Murray was a really selfish boy. Bad luck for him, his father was a minister in South Africa : he wanted his house to be always open, friendly and welcoming. It's hard to live up with so much people around, although you first think about yourself,.

He then introduces us "Ubuntu". No, not the software, but an african philosophy meaning "People are People through other People". And Desmond Tutu tells us through Murray's voice : "We need other humans to be ourselves humans. I'm because others are". That is to say that humanity can't exist by itself, people can't exist by themselves. Living with others, opening our doors, behind each one is Jesus, it's the same as opening our door to God. We welcome each member of the body, just like Paul told us to do in his letter (1.Cor 12,12-27). Should one of us suffer, everybody suffers, if one of us is joyful, everybody rejoyces.

But... Are we able to welcom Christ as he welcomed us ?

Add breack...

Pub - Aréna - Requin aprivoisé par cavapanon

This time, it's about our prejudices : so often, we judge without knowing. Without seven earching to know. Who is it hard for us to welcome ? Ones who are differents, who don't agree with us ? "But we are not alone in welcoming", Murray says, "we don't have to try to be a perfect Christian by ourselves". We are all a part of the body of Christ !

Imagine a Church... where if you come and don't know how to pray, we will be here to pray with you and for you. Where if you have doubts, we go through those ones to help you... Imagine a Church...

Indeed, it's hard to over our selfishnesses, to go and see those ones who seems to be strangers, though it could be easier to count on each other. 

The pilgrimage is about to end. We all receive a bracelet, made by South-African women. Each bracelet has 5 wood pearls, 5 Rs :

• Reflect : be conscient of our prejudices,
• Rejoice : be glad of our differences,
• Repect : Respect everybody,
• Reaffirm : Reaffirm each one's humanity,
• Rebuild : Rebuild a world, to make it the Kingdom of God.

We offer the bracelet to one another, and leave the cathedral with this simple souvenir. 

After a last goodbye, we walk back to the coach, driving us back to the boat. Today, we discovered that Christian Church is rich of its differences : we don't have all the same rites, but the same Words. And some bridges are possible ! And if our Catholic Church can look dull to us, compared to such a spectacular Anglican Church, maybe it is to us, not only to imagine a Church, but to become a Church and to bring our little fresh water drop to it...