In the forest opposite Taizé, the forester reconstructed the meanders of the stream that used to flow through the woods, but which had been converted into a drainage channel. Even during the extreme heat we experienced, in the thick of the forest, the meanders held back some water, allowing flora and fauna to flourish. It is a beautiful example of how life can take hold where before it struggled, when we care for creation.

We are also thirsting, striving to understand our deepest desires, as we listen to the question of Jesus, “What are you seeking?”. We want to drink from the source of Christ’s presence in our lives.

To do that, we need to learn to meander, to take time, to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit, through prayer, reflecting on the Scriptures and the everyday meetings as we encounter people who are different from us but who are also seeking meaning in their lives.

Beneath many of our desires is the question of who we are. But can I answer on my own the question “Who am I?” Are we not defined more by our relationship to others? And, for people seeking faith, by our relationship with God?

The story of God’s people starts with a complex identity. In the Bible, we often hear the question “Who are you?” It is a question asked to others. When Isaac asks this to his son Jacob, Jacob answers “Esau”, the name of his twin. Later, whilst wrestling with a mysterious being, Jacob will ask “What is your name?” but Jacob, himself wounded by this encounter, receives not an answer, but a new name, a new identity that reflects something of what he has lived through.

Jesus is also asked “Who are you?” by the religious authorities in John’s Gospel and answers that he has never stopped saying who he is. But when his friends meet him after the resurrection in the same Gospel, they no longer ask him “Who are you?” because they know that it is the Lord.

When I hear this question “Who are you?”, how do you react? Who asks it to you? And when we reply, do we understand our identity as something that we construct by ourselves, or something that emerges through relationship? “Who am I?” cannot really be separated from the question: “Who is my neighbour?”

Perhaps identity is not something we arrive at by defining ourselves once and for all, but something that we discover in relationship – with God, with others and with the creation. Even if we want to know where we are going, let us allow the stream of life to take the longer route, so that the meanders of time, silence, prayer, encounters and even uncertainties can fashion us.

Then we can become who we are in our heart of hearts: each one of us unique, with our gifts and our wounds, but first of all, loved by God.

Throughout the summer, our volunteers have given so much of themselves to welcome all of you who came to take part in the meetings. I would like to thank them warmly for their support and express the hope that they were also able to take time to understand more about their life in God in relation to others.

Laura is from Colombia and will share some thoughts with us:

For me, the question “Who are you?” is more difficult than what it seems. I can say my name, where I come from, or what I do. But these things don’t really answer the question: Who am I?

When I heard the Gospel on Sunday, I thought about Jesus asking his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” And I started to think: maybe God is also asking me: “Who are you?”

Many times, I think about myself through what I do or what other people think about me. But my faith helps me see that, before all these things, I am a person loved by God.

I think Taizé helps me remember this. Here, in silence and prayer, I can forget for a moment all the things that usually tell me who I am. I can simply be here, with God. I don’t have a full answer yet. But I can say that I am a person on a journey, looking for God and learning who I am with Him.

And I am also Colombian. I come from Latin America, from a place where I learned to live faith with other people, with joy, hope, music, and an open heart. I learned that we can make family with the people we meet, welcome them, and share life with them.

That is also part of who I am. Maybe the question “Who am I?” does not need a perfect answer. Maybe what matters is letting Jesus change the way I live and the way I see other people. So, for now, I can say: I am a person loved by God. I am still learning to believe it and to live with that love.