Brother Roger of Taizé (1915-2005) is the founder of the Taizé Community, where thousands of young people from every continent and Christian denomination gather in a monastic and ecumenical spirit. In his book, God is Love Alone, he wrote seven reflections that left a mark on him. Here are some of these reflections.
God can only love
“Perhaps Christ did not come into the world so that everyone would know that they are loved?” says Brother Roger. Because “God is love” (1 John 4:8), so if we ask: “What is God doing now? God is loving” (St. George Preca).
Christ is not the accuser
Brother Roger says: “Even when he was being treated badly, Christ never accused anyone.” Sometimes we teach children that God is a kind of tyrant or policeman, in fact, he writes: “Where does this feeling of error come from, sometimes even in childhood?” We need to learn that God’s commandments are not a means of making our lives miserable but a guide for humans to live contentedly, because after all, whoever wants to live in a world of murder, theft, and rampant adultery?
Brother Roger says: “It was not that parents or teachers ever used their authority to make them grow out of goodness towards a child”, because “in a child’s heart, which knows it is loved tenderly, which is also forgiven, it knows to be a source of peace throughout its life.
“Whoever lives for God chooses to love…a decisive heart that loves can spread goodness around it without realizing it. A heart like this often wants to alleviate the suffering of those who are near and far.” Understand the word “unconsciously”. So the love we give is for everyone (unconditionally) and offered in any situation we find ourselves in.
Carl Zahra
SDC Candidate
