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From the 26th to the 30th of November 2008, 7000 young people from different regions of Kenya as well as from other African countries and other continents met together in Nairobi. It was the second international meeting organized in Africa by the Taizé Community, after one in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1995. This stage in the “pilgrimage of trust on earth” was hosted by more than eighty parishes of the different Churches of Nairobi. Its aim was to help create more fraternal relationships, and to move beyond the mistaken views of others perpetuated by the lack of contact between peoples and by the wounds of history. The Taizé Community has been present for 55 years on the African continent by small groups of brothers sharing the lives of the very poor. Over the years, brothers have lived in Algeria, Ivory Coast, Niger, Rwanda and Kenya. For sixteen years now, some brothers have been living in Senegal, in a predominantly Muslim district of Dakar. Desmond Tutu, the Anglican archbishop emeritus of Cape Town (South Africa), writes: “Africa is a place where crucifixion and resurrection find their deepest meaning, and where building trust and reconciliation is an ongoing daily reality… We are all children of God and in Christ there is no Rwandese or Congolese, there is no Burundian or Kenyan, no Nigerian or South African: we are all one in Christ Jesus. I know that this is the message that the Taizé Community also proclaims and that they are in solidarity with us as we press this message home in South Africa, across the whole continent of Africa and in the rest of the world where ‘fear of the stranger’ still needs to be turned into friendship and reconciliation and trust.” In Africa, trials do not take away that sense of dignity which is so often evident among the very poor. The difficulties of life do not banish joy; a serious outlook does not exclude dancing. Many are those who refuse to give in to despair. Women are often in the forefront; with inventiveness and perseverance they take on a great many tasks in family and society. In the face of the divisions that are tearing the continent apart, many people continue to strive courageously for reconciliation and pacification. Christians are called to hold on firmly to this hope: the bond of baptism in Christ is stronger than divisions. There are African Christians who have paid for that conviction of faith with their lives. This “Letter from Kenya,” written by Brother Alois for the year 2009, was made public during the young adult European meeting that brought together 40,000 young adults in Brussels at the end of December 2008. All over the world, society and the ways people behave are changing rapidly. While unprecedented possibilities of development are multiplying, instability is growing too and worries about the future are becoming more pronounced. For technical and economic progress to go hand in hand with greater humanity, it is indispensable to search for a deeper meaning to existence. In the face of the weariness and helplessness that many people feel, the question arises: what is the source from which we draw life? Already centuries before Christ, the prophet Isaiah indicated a source when he wrote: “Those who hope in the Lord renew their strength; they run and are not exhausted; they walk and do not grow weary.” Many more people than in the past are unable to find this source. Even the name of God is fraught with misunderstandings or else is completely forgotten. Could there be a link between the disappearance of faith and the loss of a zest for life? How can we clear away whatever it is that obstructs the source? Surely by being attentive to the presence of God. There we can draw hope and joy. Then the source begins to flow once more and our life becomes meaningful. We become able to take responsibility for our life—to receive it as a gift and to give it in our turn for those entrusted to us. Even if we have very little faith, a reversal takes place whereby we no longer live centered on ourselves. By opening the gates of our own heart to God, we prepare the way for God to come for many others as well. Taking responsibility for our life Yes, God is present in every person, whether they are believers or not. From its very first page, the Bible describes in a beautiful and poetic way the gift that God makes of his breath of life to every human being. By his life on earth, Jesus revealed God’s infinite love for each person. In giving himself to the very end, he allowed God’s yes to pervade the depths of our human condition. [4] Ever since the resurrection of Christ, we can no longer despair of the world or of ourselves. From that time on, God’s breath, the Holy Spirit, has been given to us for ever. [5] By his Spirit who dwells in our hearts, God says yes to what we are. We never tire of hearing these words of the prophet Isaiah: “The Lord will take pleasure in you, and your land will be married.” So let us consent to what we are or what we are not; let us even take responsibility for all we have not chosen but which makes us who we are. [7] Let us dare to be creative even with what is not perfect. And we will find freedom. Even when overburdened, we will receive our life as a gift and each day as God’s today. Led beyond ourselves If God is in us, he also goes ahead of us. [9] He takes us as we are, but he also draws us beyond ourselves. At times he comes to unsettle our life, overturning our plans and our projects. [10] Jesus’ life helps us to enter into this way of looking at things. Jesus let the Holy Spirit lead him onward. He never stopped referring to the invisible presence of God his Father. That was the basis of his freedom, which led him to give his life for love. In Jesus, a relationship with God and freedom were not mutually exclusive but rather reinforced one another. In all of us there is the desire for an absolute; we aspire to it with our whole being—body, soul and mind. A thirst for love burns in each person, from infants to the elderly. Even the greatest human intimacy cannot completely satisfy it. We often experience these aspirations as a lack or as emptiness. They can sometimes cause us to lose focus. But far from being an anomaly, they are part of our being. They are a gift; already they contain within them God’s call to open ourselves. So each person is invited to ask themselves: what steps forward am I asked to take now? It is not necessarily a matter of “doing more”. What we are called to is to love more. And since love requires our entire being to express itself, it is up to us to find ways of being attentive to our neighbor, and to do so without waiting a moment longer. What little we can do, we must do Helping one another to deepen our faith Too many young people feel alone on their inner journey. Two or three persons can already assist one another, sharing and praying together, even with those who affirm that they are closer to doubt than to faith. This type of sharing is greatly reinforced when it is integrated into the local Church. [13] It is the community of communities, where all the generations gather and where people do not choose one another. The Church is God’s family, that communion which draws us out of isolation. There we are welcomed; there God’s yes to our existence becomes a reality; there we find God’s indispensable consolation. If parishes and youth groups were first of all places of heartfelt kindness and of trust, places of hospitality where we are attentive to the weakest! Going beyond the compartmentalization of our societies If we are to take part in building a more united human family, is not one of the urgent tasks to look at the world “from below”? [15] That way of looking entails a great simplicity of life. Communication is becoming easier and easier and yet at the same time societies remain highly compartmentalized. The risk of mutual indifference continues to grow. Let us move beyond all that keeps us apart! Let us go towards those who suffer! Let us visit those who are neglected and mistreated! Let us think of the immigrants, so close to us and yet often so far away! [16] Where suffering intensifies, practical projects, which are all signs of hope, are frequently seen to be on the increase. To struggle against injustice and the threat of conflicts, and to encourage a sharing of material goods, it is essential to acquire skills. Persevering in one’s studies or in professional training can also be a service rendered to others. If there are scandalous forms of poverty and injustice that are plain to see, there are other kinds of poverty that are less visible. Loneliness is one of them. Prejudices and misunderstandings are sometimes passed on from one generation to the next and can lead to acts of violence. There are also forms of violence that seem harmless, but which in fact do great damage and which humiliate others. Mockery is one of these. Wherever we are, and whether we are alone or with a few others, let us search for practical things we can do in situations of distress. In this way we will discover the presence of Christ even in places where we would not have expected to find him. Risen from the dead, he is present in the midst of human beings. He goes before us along the roads of compassion. And already now, through the Holy Spirit, he is renewing the face of the earth. [1] In many countries, despite the growth of the world economy and hopes for development, slums are becoming larger instead of smaller and unemployment is devastating for many people, particularly the young. In Africa, rapid technical progress threatens to stifle the sense of gradual maturation so fruitful in traditional life. Moreover, solidarity among members of families and ethnic groups is growing weaker. How can this value be brought to life again and be extended beyond the limits of families and ethnic groups? That would help to limit the departure of so many young people attracted by countries with a higher standard of living without always being able to weigh the consequences of such a decision. When these words were spoken, weariness was already a reality. “I said: I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all” (Isaiah 49:4). And again: “Even youths grow tired and weary; young men stumble and fall” (Isaiah 40:30). But the prophet reawakens hope: “The Lord is the everlasting God. He gives strength to the weary” (Isaiah 40:28-29). [3] It is true that many obstacles risk stifling life: injustice in all its forms, violence around us and in us, the spirit of competition, our mistakes, fear of—or becoming closed to—what is different, lack of self-esteem…. [4] In vast regions of Africa, for example among the Masai Christians, Christ is seen as the elder brother. That corresponds to the expression of the early Christians: Christ is “the eldest of many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29). By his death and resurrection, Jesus goes beyond family and ethnic solidarities (see Colossians 1:18-20). [5] In the biblical languages, “breath” and “spirit” are the same word. The prophets announced that, through the Holy Spirit, God would dwell within human beings himself (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Through the coming of Christ, by his death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit is given “without measure” (John 3:34). From then on God’s Breath has been constantly at work within humanity, so that one day it may form a single Body in Christ. [7] Taking responsibility for present realities does not mean accepting everything or submitting passively to events. We may be led to resist an unjust situation or to denounce it. [8] One of Brother Roger’s earliest books bore the title Living in God’s Today (1958). Brother Roger was convinced of the importance of believers being fully present to contemporary society rather than taking refuge in nostalgia for the past or fleeing towards an illusory future. It is only in the present moment that we can encounter God and root our lives in him. [9] An African Christian, Saint Augustine, wrote this prayer in the fourth century: “You were more inward to me than my most inward part; and higher than my highest” (Confessions, Book III, 6, 11). [10] “My ways are not your ways”, says the Lord (Isaiah 55:8). The Virgin Mary also consented to looking beyond present events, even the incomprehensible death of her son, while still believing that God was faithful to his promise of life. [11] During the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2008, Cardinal Danneels, the archbishop of Malines-Brussels, declared, “The force of the Word implies the freedom of the hearer’s response. This is precisely the power proper to the Word of God. It does not eliminate the freedom of the hearer, but is the foundation of it.” [12] Jesus said, “When two or three meet together in my name, I am in their midst” (Matthew 18:20). [13] The first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). In Africa, as in Latin America and in some Asian countries, Christians meet not only in parishes but also by district, by village, in small church communities. They pray together and offer each other mutual support. There is human warmth and a personal commitment by each individual that helps make the Church an authentic place of communion. [14] In Africa, the Church is often seen as God’s family and God as a mother who comforts. Already the prophet Isaiah had written: “God says: As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13). See also Isaiah 49:13-15. Looking at the Church in this way compels us to strive for its unity. We cannot resign ourselves passively to God’s family remaining split into a host of different denominations. [15] The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer belonged to a rather privileged social class but, during the Second World War, his involvement in the resistance cast him into a precarious situation, and then led him to prison and to death. In 1943 he wrote: “An experience of incomparable value remains, that we have learnt to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the excluded, those under suspicion, the mistreated, the powerless, the oppressed and despised, in short, of those who suffer.” [16] Although efforts are fortunately being made today to keep alive cultures threatened with extinction, it is true that no culture develops in a vacuum. In the age of globalization, the mixing of cultures is not only inevitable; it is an advantage for our societies. [17] A Kenyan proverb reminds us of this: “There is no man who cannot become an orphan.” [18] In the Rule of Taizé (1954), Brother Roger wrote, “Mockery, that poison of a common life, is treacherous because under its cover are flung the so-called truths one dares not say face to face. It is cowardly, because it ruins the character of a brother before the others.”
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brat Alois za 2009. Od 26. do 30.studenoga 2008., 7000 mladih iz različitih područja Kenije, kao i iz drugih afričkih zemalja te s drugih kontinenata okupilo se u Nairobiju. Bio je to - nakon Johannesburga (Južna Afrika) 1995. godine - drugi međunarodni susret mladih koji je Zajednica iz Taizéa pripremala u Africi. Domaćin ove postaje Hodočašća povjerenja na Zemlji bilo je 80 župa različitih Crkava u Nairobiju. Cilj susreta bio je pridonijeti stvaranju bratskijih odnosa i nadilaženju pogrešnih stavova prema drugima, utemeljenih na nedostatku kontakata među narodima i ranama iz prošlosti. Zajednica iz Taizéa 55 je godina prisutna na afričkom kontinentu tako što male skupine braće dijele život s najsiromašnijima. Tijekom godina braća su živjela u Alžiru, Obali Bjelokosti, Nigeru, Ruandi i Keniji. Već šesnaest godina braća žive u Senegalu, u pretežito muslimanskoj siromašnoj četvrti Dakara. Desmond Tutu, umirovljeni anglikanski nadbiskup Cape Towna (Južna Afrika), piše: «Afrika je mjesto gdje raspeće i uskrsnuće nalaze svoj najdublji smisao i gdje je izgradnja povjerenja i pomirenja stalna svakodnevna stvarnost. Svi smo djeca Božja i u Kristu nema Ruandanaca ili Kongoanaca, nema Burundijaca ili Kenijaca, niti Nigerijaca ili Južnoafrikanaca: svi smo mi jedno u Isusu Kristu. Znam da je to poruka koju prenosi i Zajednica iz Taizéa i da je solidarna s nama dok objavljujemo ovu poruku u Južnoj Africi, širom cijeloga afričkog kontinenta i ostatka svijeta gdje je ’strah od stranaca’ još uvijek potrebno preobražavati u prijateljstvo, pomirenje i povjerenje». U Africi kušnje ne oduzimaju taj osjećaj dostojanstva koji je tako često očigledan među najsiromašnijima. Teškoće život ne lišavaju radosti; ozbiljnost situacije ne isključuje ples. Mnogo je onih koji se odbijaju predati očaju. Žene su često u prvim redovima; s domišljatošću i izdržljivošću preuzimaju mnogobrojne zadatke u obitelji i društvu. Suočeni s podjelama koje razdiru kontinent, mnogi ljudi nastavljaju hrabro stremiti ka pomirenju i izgradnji mira. Kršćani su pozvani ustrajati u toj nadi: veza krštenja u Kristu jača je od podjela. Ima afričkih kršćana koji su ovo vjersko uvjerenje platili svojim životima. Ovo je «Pismo iz Kenije», koje je brat Alois napisao za 2009. godinu, objavljeno tijekom Europskog susreta koji je okupio 40.000 mladih u Bruxellesu krajem prosinca 2008. Širom svijeta, društvo i ljudsko ponašanje brzo se mijenjaju. Dok se množe čudesne mogućnosti razvoja, javlja se i nestabilnost, a brige za budućnost se pojačavaju. Da bi tehnički i ekonomski napredak išao ruku pod ruku s većom humanošću, nužno je tragati za dubljim smislom postojanja. Suočivši se s bezvoljnošću i bespomoćnošću koju mnogi osjećaju, postavlja se pitanje: iz kojeg izvora crpimo život? Već stoljećima prije Krista, prorok Izaija ukazao je na izvor napisavši: «Onima što se u Gospodina uzdaju snaga se obnavlja, trče i ne sustaju: hode i ne more se.» [2] Sve je više ljudi koji ne mogu pronaći taj izvor. Čak je i Božje ime opterećeno nerazumijevanjem ili je pak posve zaboravljeno. Postoji li, možda, veza između nestanka vjere i gubitka životnog poleta? Kako možemo otkloniti ono što u nama zaklanja izvor? Tako da budemo osjetljivi na Božju prisutnost, zar ne? Iz nje možemo crpiti nadu i radost. Tada izvor iznova počinje izvirati, a naš život dobiva smisao. Postajemo sposobni prihvaćati svoj život: primiti ga kao dar i dati ga zauzvrat onima koji su nam povjereni. Čak i ako imamo sasvim malu vjeru, događa se preokret: više ne živimo usredotočeni na sebe. Otvarajući vrata našega srca Bogu, pripremamo put kojim će on doći i mnogim drugima. Prihvaćati svoj život Da, Bog je prisutan u svakoj osobi, bila ona vjernik ili ne. Od svoje prve stranice, Biblija na prekrasan i poetičan način opisuje kako Bog svakom čovjeku daruje svoj dah života. Svojim životom na zemlji Isus je otkrio beskonačnu Božju ljubav prema svakome. Dajući se do samoga kraja, dopustio je Božjem «da» prodrijeti u dubine naše ljudskosti. [4] Od trenutka Kristovog uskrsnuća, više ne možemo očajavati nad svijetom ili nama samima. Od tada nam je Božji dah, Duh Sveti, dan zauvijek. [5] Po svome Duhu koji prebiva u našim srcima, Bog kaže «da» onome što jesmo. Nikada se ne možemo umoriti slušajući ove riječi proroka Izaije: «Jer ti si milje Gospodnje, i zemlja će tvoja imat supruga.» [6] Pristanimo, dakle, na ono što jesmo ili što nismo: prihvatimo i sve ono što nismo izabrali, ali što nas čini onim što jesmo. [7]Usudimo se stvarati i s onim nesavršenim. I naći ćemo slobodu. Čak i preopterećeni, primit ćemo svoj život i svaki dan kao Božje danas. Nadilaziti sebe Bog je u nama, ali i ispred nas. [9] Uzima nas takve kakvi jesmo, ali nas i izdiže izvan nas. Ponekad dolazi uzburkati naš život, prevrnuti naše planove i projekte. [10] Isusov nas život potiče da dokučimo ovakav pogled na stvarnost. Isus je dao Duhu Svetome da ga vodi. Nikada se nije prestao obazirati na nevidljivu prisutnost Boga, svoga Oca. Bio je to temelj njegove slobode koja ga je vodila do davanja svoga života za ljubav. U Isusu, odnos s Bogom i sloboda nisu se nikad suprotstavljali, već uzajamno jačali. U svima nama postoji želja za apsolutnim, za kojim težimo cijelim svojim bićem – tijelom, dušom i umom. Žeđ za ljubavlju gori u svakoj osobi, od novorođenčadi do starijih osoba. Čak i najveća ljudska intimnost ne može je posve utažiti. Često te težnje osjećamo kao manjak ili prazninu. Ponekad bi nas one mogle dovesti do gubitka fokusa. No, one nisu nikakva nepravilnost, nego dio našega bića. One su dar; u sebi već sadrže Božji poziv da se otvorimo. Tako je svatko pozvan zapitati se: u čemu se od mene traži da nadiđem sebe? To ne znači nužno «učiniti više». Pozvani smo više ljubiti. I budući da ljubav traži cijelo naše biće kako bi se izrazila, na nama je otkrivati kako biti osjetljiv prema svome bližnjemu i to bez trenutka oklijevanja. Ono malo što možemo, moramo učiniti Pomoći jedni drugima u produbljivanju vjere Previše se mladih osjeća usamljeno na svojem unutarnjem putu. Dvije ili tri osobe već mogu pomoći jedna drugoj, dijeleći i moleći zajedno, čak i s onima koji kažu kako su bliži sumnji nego vjeri. Ovaj način dijeljenja nalazi veliku podršku kada je uklopljen u lokalnu Crkvu. [13] Ona je zajedništvo zajednica, gdje se okupljaju sve generacije i gdje ljudi ne izabiru jedni druge. Crkva je Božja obitelj, zajedništvo koje nas izvlači iz izolacije. Ondje smo dobrodošli; ondje Božje «da» našem postojanju postaje stvarnost, ondje pronalazimo neophodnu Božju utjehu. Neka župe i skupine mladih prije svega budu mjesta srdačne ljubaznosti i povjerenja, mjesta gostoprimstva gdje smo osjetljivi prema najslabijima! Prebroditi rascjepkanost naših društava Da bismo sudjelovati u izgradnji jedinstvenije ljudske obitelji, nije li jedan od najhitnijih zadataka gledati na svijet «odozdo» [15]? Takav pogled zahtijeva veliku jednostavnost života. Komunikacija postaje sve lakša, pa ipak, društva istovremeno ostaju vrlo rascjepkana. Stalno raste rizik od međusobne ravnodušnosti. Prebrodimo rascjepkanost naših društava! Krenimo prema onima koji pate! Posjetimo one koji su zanemareni i zlostavljani! Pomislimo na useljenike, koji su nam tako blizu, a ipak često tako daleko! [16] Gdje je patnja u porastu, često se množe i konkretni projekti koji su znakovi nade. Za borbu protiv nepravde i prijetećih sukoba, i za promicanje dijeljenja materijalnih dobara, nužno je steći vještine. Upornost u učenju ili u profesionalnom usavršavanju također može biti služenje drugima. Ima šokantnih oblika siromaštva i nepravde koji upadaju u oči, a ima i drugih, manje vidljivih oblika siromaštva. Jedan od njih je samoća. Predrasude i nesporazumi ponekad se prenose s jedne generacije na sljedeću i mogu dovesti do nasilnih činova. Postoje i oblici nasilja koji se čine bezazlenima, ali koji zapravo uzrokuju razaranje i poniženje. Jedan od njih je ruganje. Gdje god bili, bilo da smo sami ili s nekolicinom drugih, potražimo konkretne stvari koje možemo učiniti u teškim situacijama. Tako ćemo otkriti Kristovu prisutnost čak i gdje je ne bismo očekivali. Ustavši iz mrtvih, on je tu među ljudima. Ide ispred nas putovima suosjećanja. I već sada, po Duhu Svetom, obnavlja lice Zemlje. [1] U mnogim zemljama, usprkos napretku svjetske ekonomije i polaganju nade u razvoj, siromašne četvrti rastu umjesto da se smanjuju, a nezaposlenost teško pogađa mnoge ljude, osobito mlade. U Africi brz tehnički razvoj prijeti gušenjem osjećaja za postupno sazrijevanje koje je tako plodonosno u tradicionalnom životu. Uz to, solidarnost unutar obitelji i etničkih skupina slabi. Kako se ova vrijednost može ponovo oživjeti i kako se može proširiti preko granica obitelji i etničkih skupina? To bi pomoglo ograničiti iseljavanje tolikih mladih ljudi koje privlače zemlje s višim standardom života, a da nisu uvijek razmislili i o posljedicama takve odluke. Kada su ove riječi izrečene, umor je već bio stvarnost: «Zaludu sam se mučio, nizašto naprezao snagu» (Izaija 49,4). I ponovo: «Mladići se more i malakšu, iznemogli, momci posrću.» (Izaija 40,30). No, prorok ponovo budi nadu: «Gospodin je Bog vječni. Umornome nadu vraća» (Izaija 40,28-29). [3] Istina je da mnoge prepreke prijete gušenjem života: nepravde, nasilje oko nas i u nama, natjecateljski duh, naše greške, strah ili zatvaranje prema različitom, manjak samopouzdanja… [4] U nekim područjima Afrike, primjerice među Masai kršćanima, Krist je viđen kao stariji brat. To je u skladu s izrazom ranih kršćana: Krist je «prvorođenac među mnogom braćom» (Rimljanima 8,29). Svojom je smrću i uskrsnućem Isus nadišao obiteljske i etničke solidarnosti (vidi Kološanima 1,18-20). [5] U biblijskim jezicima, «dah» i «duh» su ista riječ. Proroci su objavili da će, po Duhu Svetome, sam Bog prebivati u ljudima (Ezekiel 36,26-27). Kristovim dolaskom, njegovom smrću i uskrsnućem, Duh Sveti je dan «bez mjere» (Ivan 3,34). Od tada je Božji Dah stalno na djelu u čovječanstvu, kako bi ono jednom postalo jedno Tijelo u Kristu. [7] Prihvaćanje trenutnih stvarnosti ne znači pristajanje na sve niti pasivno predavanje okolnostima. Ono može voditi opiranju nepravednoj situaciji ili njezinoj osudi. [8] Jedna od prvih knjiga brata Rogera naslovljena je Živjeti Božje danas (1958). Brat Roger bio je uvjeren kako je važno da vjernici budu u potpunosti prisutni u suvremenom društvu, radije nego da uživaju u nostalgiji za prošlošću ili bijegu prema iluzornoj budućnosti. Samo u sadašnjem trenutku možemo susresti Boga i ukorijeniti svoje živote u njemu. [9] Afrički kršćanin, sveti Augustin, napisao je ovu molitvu u četvrtom stoljeću: «Bio si dublje od moje najdublje dubine, više od moje najviše visine» (Ispovijedi, knjiga III, 6,11) [10] «Puti moji nisu vaši puti», kaže Gospodin (Izaija 55,8). Djevica Marija također je pristala nadići sebe, čak i u času neshvatljive smrti svojega sina, vjerujući kako je Bog vjeran svojem obećanju života. [11] Tijekom Biskupske sinode u Rimu u listopadu 2008., kardinal Danneels, nadbiskup Malines-Bruxellesa izjavio je: «Snaga riječi pretpostavlja slobodu slušateljevog odgovora. To je upravo posebna snaga Riječi Božje. Ona ne ukida slobodu slušatelja, nego je njezin temelj.» [12] Isus je rekao: «Gdje su dvojica ili trojica sabrana radi mene, tu sam ja među njima» (Matej 18,20) [13] Prvi kršćani «bijahu postojani u nauku apostolskom, u zajedništvu, lomljenju kruha i molitvama» (Djela apostolska 2,42). U Africi, kao i u Latinskoj Americi i nekim azijskim zemljama, kršćani se ne sastaju samo u župama, nego i po četvrtima, selima, u malim crkvenim zajednicama. Zajedno mole i jedni drugima daju podršku. Ondje ljudska toplina i osobna predanost svakoga pojedinca pomažu učiniti Crkvu autentičnim mjestom zajedništva. [14] U Africi se Crkva često promatra kao Božja obitelj, a Bog kao majka koja tješi. Već je prorok Izaija napisao: «Bog kaže: kao što mati tješi sina, tako ću i ja vas utješiti» (Izaija 66,13). Vidi i Izaija 49,13-15. Ovakvo nas gledanje na Crkvu potiče da stremimo prema njezinom jedinstvu. Ne možemo se pomiriti s tim da Božja obitelj ostane razasuta u mnoštvu različitih denominacija. [15] Njemački teolog Dietrich Bonhoeffer pripadao je prilično povlaštenom društvenom sloju, no tijekom Drugog svjetskog rata njegova uključenost u pokret otpora dovela ga je u opasnost, a kasnije i u zatvor i u smrt. 1943. godine je napisao: «Ostaje nam iskustvo neusporedive vrijednosti što smo jednom naučili promatrati velike događaje svjetske povijesti odozdo, iz perspektive isključenih, osumnjičenih, zlostavljanih, nemoćnih, potlačenih i prezrenih, ukratko, onih koji pate.» [16] Iako se danas, srećom, nastoji podržati kulture kojima prijeti izumiranje, istina je da se nijedna kultura ne razvija u vakuumu. U doba globalizacije, miješanje kultura nije samo neizbježno, ono je prednost za naša društva. [17] Kenijska nas poslovica podsjeća na ovo: «Nema čovjeka koji ne može postati siroče.» [18] U Pravilu Taizéa (1954), brat Roger je napisao: «Podrugljivost, taj otrov zajedničkog života, podmukla je jer se pod njenim plaštem kriju takozvane istine koje se netko ne usuđuje reći drugome u lice. To je kukavički jer uništava ugled brata pred ostalima.»