• >
  • At the Wellspring of Faith >
  • Meditations and Reflections >
  • Towards a new solidarity >
  • Themes >
  • Solidarity with All Creation
  English
  • Community
  • At the Wellspring of Faith
  • Coming to Taizé
  • Around the World


 
  • Prayer
    • Prayers by Brother Alois
      • Daily Prayers by Brother Alois
      • Prayers by brother Alois 2015-2016
      • Easter 2017: Prayer by Brother Alois
    • Bible readings for each day
    • Prayer for Each Day
    • Prayer intentions
    • Podcasts
    • Young adults and prayer at Taizé
    • The value of silence
    • How to prepare a prayer service
      • Preparing a time of prayer
      • Prayer Vigil for the Care of Creation
      • Preparing a welcoming space for a meditative prayer
      • Icons in worship
  • Songs
    • Meditative singing
    • Learning the songs
  • Meditations and Reflections
    • A Way of the Gospel at St Stephen’s Source
    • “A very simple reality”
    • Feeling that we are not alone can strengthen our hope
    • Brotherhood begins by listening to others
    • Short meditation of the day
    • Commented Bible Passages
    • Questions on the Bible and the Christian Faith
      • Baptism
      • Children: What does it mean to “welcome God’s kingdom like a child”?
      • The Mystery of Christmas
      • The Church
      • Church and State: What does the Bible tell us about the attitude of believers towards the wider society?
      • The commandments
      • The Cosmos: The Cosmos: What is the place of human beings in the universe?
      • The Cross
      • Death: What enables us to say that Jesus died “for us”?
      • Dialogue: Religions and The Gospel
      • Eucharist
      • The Eucharist Seen by a Christian of the Second Century
      • What does it mean to evangelize?
      • Faith
      • Faith: How does the New Testament speak about faith?
      • Faith: What Is Distinctive About the Christian Faith?
      • Fear of the Lord
      • Forgiveness: If Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him, why did he keep him in the circle of his close companions until the end?
      • Forgiveness: Does forgiving mean forgetting?
      • Freedom: Am I still free if I obey a call from Christ?
      • Freedom: Is everything that happens decided by God in advance?
      • Happiness: Do we have the right to be happy when others are suffering?
      • Hell: Must a Christian believe in the existence of hell?
      • Christian hope
      • Judgment: Why did Jesus tell his disciples not to judge?
      • Love of enemies
      • Mercy
      • Mercy: If God is merciful, why does the Bible contain threats?
      • God’s presence: If God is present in everyone, what does faith add?
      • Reconciliation: What are the presuppositions for a true dialogue between Christians of different confessions?
      • Reconciliation: How can we bring together diversity and reconciliation?
      • Sin: Should we regret our sins?
      • The suffering of the innocent
      • Are the differences between Christians a problem or an asset?
      • The world : Can we really make the world better?
    • Portraits of witnesses to Christ
      • Saint Irenaeus of Lyons
      • Mother Teresa
      • Saint John Chrysostom (344 – 407): an astonishing modernity
      • Saint Augustine (354-430)
      • The Relevance of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
      • A Path of Reconciliation : Brother Roger
      • Jeremiah
      • Dorotheus of Gaza (Sixth Century) Humility and Communion
      • Franz Stock (1904-1948), a Life Given for Reconciliation
      • Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955): Taking the World Seriously
      • A prophet who comforts (Isaiah 40–55)
    • Short Writings from Taizé
      • 1. I Believe; Help My Unbelief
      • 2. Saved by the Cross of Christ?
      • 3. What Is Distinctive About the Christian Faith?
      • 4. Dialogue and Sharing with Believers of Other Religions
      • 5. Thrice Holy God
      • 6. Do We Need the Church?
      • 7. The Eucharist and the Early Christians
      • 8. It Is the Word That Is the Bread of Silence
      • 9. The Two Faces of the Cross
      • 10. Brother Roger, Founder of Taizé
      • 11. Blessed in Our Human Frailty
      • 12. Easter Voices
      • 13. Is Christ Divided?
      • 14. Pleasure, Happiness, Joy
      • 15. “Rooted and Built Up in Christ”
      • 16. Icons
      • 17. “Make the Unity of Christ’s Body Your Passionate Concern”
      • 18. “I Have Come That They May Have Life”
      • 19. The Rainbow After The Flood
      • 20. Does the Book of Revelation have something to say to us today?
      • 21. Toward God, in God
      • 22. Voices from the Beginning
      • 23. Should We Fear God?
      • 24. Unfailing Faith
      • 25. “Go, I am with you”
    • Weekly Meditations by Brother Alois
      • The Church of Reconciliation at 50
      • Christ brings us together beyond all borders
      • The Risen Christ Makes Us Passionate Seekers of Communion
      • The Wellspring of Hope
      • Visits to Keep Alive a Flame of Hope
      • Prayer with the Lakota in South Dakota
      • God’s Love, Source of Human Solidarity
      • The Courage to Be Peacemakers
      • In Memory of Brother Roger
      • In Communion with Eastern Christians
      • Christ is our hope, he is alive
      • When we share God gives us the joy of living
      • Close to Wounded Humanity
      • Promoting Universal Friendship
      • Committing Your Entire Life
      • Let us be peacemakers wherever we live
      • All of us can plant seeds of unity
      • A little parable of this universality of God’s love
      • By welcoming refugees, we receive more than we give
      • Looking towards the Light of Christ
      • Trust in God’s love was at the heart of Brother Roger’s life
      • The goodness of God will have the last word
      • Easter 2017 / Meditation by Brother Alois: Witnesses to the Risen Christ
      • Ascension 2017 / Meditation by Brother Alois: Let us set off toward new horizons
      • Find a source of hope
      • Stand firm in hope
      • Looking towards the light of the transfigured Christ
      • Simplify our lives in order to share
      • The friendship of Christ for each and every one of us
      • Allow friendship to grow in order to prepare peace
      • The Bible is the story of God’s faithfulness
      • Christ calls us to be, together, a sign of his peace among humans
      • Widening Our Friendship
      • Going together to the wellsprings of joy
      • Lent: Singing the Joy of Forgiveness
      • Easter 2019: Let the Joy of the Resurrection Spring Up!
      • Pentecost 2019: Make sure that Taizé remains a place of trust
      • The Joyful Radicalism of Saint Francis of Assisi
      • The Earth Is a Precious Gift of God
      • Christ Is Our Peace
      • Responsible for our wonderful planet
      • To Bring Everything to Light
    • Letter for the year
      • Brother Alois 2019: Let us not forget hospitality!
      • Brother Alois 2018: Inexhaustible Joy
      • Brother Alois 2017: Together, Opening Paths of Hope
      • Brother Alois 2017: A Call to Church Leaders for 2017
      • Brother Alois 2017: Towards the Unity of the European Continent
      • Brother Alois 2016: The Courage of Mercy
      • Taizé 2015
      • Brother Alois 2012-2015: Towards a New Solidarity
      • Brother Alois 2015: Four proposals in order to be “salt of the earth”.
      • Brother Alois 2014: Four Proposals for “seeking visible communion among all who love Christ”
      • Brother Alois 2013: Four Proposals to Uncover the Wellsprings of Trust in God
      • Brother Alois 2011: Letter from Chile
      • Brother Alois 2010: Letter from China
      • Brother Alois 2009: Letter from Kenya
      • For an open Europe, a land of solidarity
      • Brother Alois 2008: Letter from Cochabamba
      • Brother Alois: Letter to those who want to follow Christ
      • Brother Alois: A call for the reconciliation of Christians
      • Brother Alois 2007: Letter from Kolkata
      • 2006: Brother Roger’s unfinished letter
      • Brother Roger 2005: A future of peace
    • Letter from Taizé: Testimonies
      • Sharing what we have
      • What are you doing with your freedom?
      • For a Fraternal World
      • Opting for Joy
      • Unlimited Compassion
      • Desire for Forgiveness
    • Towards a new solidarity
      • "Towards a new solidarity": 2012-2015: Three Years of Searching
      • Reflection Group "Towards a New Solidarity": In Taizé, reflecting more deeply with young people
      • Themes
        • Leaping Over Walls of Separation
        • Solidarity with All Creation
        • Indignation, Passivity or Commitment
        • Peace to Those Who Are Near
      • Listening to young people...
        • Listening to the Young People of Asia
        • Listening to the Young People of Europe
        • Towards a new solidarity: Listening to the Youth of America
        • Listening to young people from Oceania
 

Solidarity with All Creation

The Letter from Taizé is published quarterly. On this page, we are presenting some texts on the theme of the last issue, Solidarity with All Creation. Each of the texts are a commentary on an excerpt from the Letter 2012: Towards a New Solidarity.
Aware of the perils and the suffering that weigh upon humanity and the planet, we do not want to give in to fear and resignation.
And yet a fine human hope is constantly threatened by disenchantment. Economic difficulties which are increasingly burdensome, the sometimes overwhelming complexity of societies, and helplessness in the face of natural disasters all tend to stifle the fresh shoots of hope.
(Brother Alois, Letter 2012 – Towards a New Solidarity)
Friedemann (Germany)

With Jesus Christ, the Son of God comes into our world and, in many ways, overturns our image of God. By his life, his Passion and Resurrection, in his Gospel, he fulfilled the First Testament, which finds in him its full meaning. Where we would expect to see a Son of God in glory, he comes to earth as a child in a manger; he stands at the Jordan to be baptized, among those who await salvation; he eats with sinners and even on the Cross he is able to love and forgive.

In the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, this spirit is present: "Blessed are you, the poor: the Kingdom of God is yours" (Luke 6:20). And he tells us: "Truly I say to you, whenever you did it to one of these least, who are my brothers and sisters, you did it for me!" (Matthew 25:40).

The world is filled with many uncertainties today. It can be harrowing for many people especially our young brothers and sisters. Will I have a job after school? Will there be stability where I live? What will the climate changes imply? Will this violence ever stop? These are questions commonly asked by many in our world. Situations and circumstances may be difficult but if we stand together and stand strong in the knowledge that nothing can ever come between us and the love of Christ, this will empower us to face these uncertainties head on.
(Rev. Dr Olav Fykse-Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, message for the European meeting in Berlin)
Abigail (Malta)

When I take a look of what is happening around us (economic crises, natural disasters, etc.), I feel distressed. I want to help but I cannot do so. Then I remember what God assured: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11). So let me have patience. God isn’t finished yet. He knows what is going on. He knows what’s best. I have to let go and put my hope and trust in God. He will take care of everything: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19) He loves each one of us. All I can do is simply pray for them and trust in him!

Solidarity must not only be the slogan of some political parties, but a promise that engages the whole person both on the level of action as well as that of prayer, feeling, and compassion. This is, indeed, the basis of the Gospel message that links the believer, not only with his or her Creator, but also with all creation.
(Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, message for the European meeting in Berlin)
Emilja (Lithuania)

I always felt that I belong to nature. I am the observer and admirer, the lucky one to experience so much beauty in this world. I believe that everything that exists on this planet Earth comes from the same source, the source of Love. That’s where I am coming from too. There is this secret connection uniting us all, the loving energy flowing through all humans, animals, plants. It binds us together so there is no escape. Unfortunately we are too confident that we’re the kings of this world, but no human being would exist without Mother Nature’s help. I believe that the earth does not depend on me as much as I depend on it. And the only thing I can do for this world is not to hurt it more than I already did. I want to be in peace with it, be more aware, take more steps to protect the environment, no matter how small they are. Earth is beautiful and it is a present given for us to take care of.

The upheavals of the world economy pose questions for us. The geopolitical balance of power is changing. Inequalities are growing. The securities of yesterday have proven they no longer hold today. Could this be a reason to reflect more on the choices we make for our lives?
(Brother Alois, Letter 2012, note 3)
Kate (USA)

Food is an essential topic and one of the biggest issues in the United States right now: Where does it come from? How is it grown? Who gets to eat it?

I have always kept a little vegetable garden. My family and especially my grandfather taught me most of everything I know about gardening, e. g. how to grow tomatoes. For me, it is a form of meditation, the fascination of seeing life slowly coming up out of nothing. I see a link to Jesus’ parables that often come from farming.

And moreover, I do it for very practical reasons: I can choose a little bit what to eat, I do not pollute the earth through transportation or pesticides, and last but not least, I am of course fairly paid for my own labor. I know that some churches support community gardens in many cities: special places where people can grow food sustainably.

Last updated: 15 April 2012

In this document, you will find the articles by young people published in the Letter from Taizé, without the layout.

PDF - 58.6 kb

Daily Bible Reading

SUN, 8 December
John the Baptist said to Jesus, “It is I who need baptism from you, and yet you come to me!” But Jesus replied, “Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.”
Matthew 3:13-17
more...

For the Diary

 Search events

Podcasts

2019-12-05 : Espère en Dieu + Psalms 80 / Eph 2:19-22 / Wait for the Lord / Notre père / Prayer by Brother Alois / Nimm alles von mir
IMG/mp3/podcast_2019-12-05.mp3
5 December 2019
2019-11-28 : Alleluia 16 + Ps. 66 / Mt 26,36-46 / Aber du weißt den Weg für mich / Prayer by Brother Alois / Bénissez le Seigneur
IMG/mp3/podcast_2019-11-28.mp3
28 November 2019
more...

New CD: «LAUDAMUS TE»


Community

  • Some Recent News
  • Visit of Patriarch Bartholomew to Taizé
  • Vocation and History
  • Brother Roger, Founder of Taizé
  • Other people on Taizé
  • Brothers living in other places
  • The Brothers’ Work
  • Solidarity: Operation Hope
  • Anniversaries 2015: Towards a new solidarity

At the Wellspring of Faith

  • Prayer
  • Songs
  • Meditations and Reflections

Coming to Taizé

  • Youth Meetings
  • Specific information for 2019
  • Specific information for 2020
  • Travel to Taizé
  • UK School & College Weeks
  • UK University Weeks
  • Testimonies by young adults
  • Multimedia
  • Some Recent News

Around the World

  • Small Provisional Communities
  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Europe
  • Middle East

Copyright © Ateliers et Presses de Taizé

This website

[ top | Sitemap | Home]

  • Contact
  • Times of prayers at Taizé
  • News by email