November 2003: Poland, Czech Republic, Sachsen
Dear Friends,
Since our last open letter was sent, we have crossed Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany, and now find ourselves in Switzerland. Much happened in these few months. In Poland, we cycled across wide open plains, through big cities like Warsaw and Krakow, on peaceful country roads and (occasionally) rather hazardous roads with deep ruts and fast trucks. We bathed in some of the many lakes for which Poland is famous and enjoyed the warm weather (it was not as extreme as in central Europe) and the warm hospitality. Virtually everywhere, people invited us to eat, to spend the night, to shower or to wash clothes. They listened with interest as we told of our pilgrimage and sang songs from the different countries we have visited. People shared their experiences of life in Poland, and the history of this country with its joys and suffering came alive for us.
One high point among many was our trip to Cestakowa. As we approached the city on 14 August, we passed group after group of pilgrims walking there. Those who walked from Warsaw were on the road for ten days, others for longer or shorter times. Some were old, some young, some rode in or pushed wheelchairs. They sang, prayed, chanted or played guitar...boomed out with battery-powered amplifiers and hand-held loudspeakers. By 15 August (the feast of the assumption of the Virgin Mary) an estimated 120,000 pilgrims had converged on the sanctuary, to pray before the icon of the "Black Madonna" and to take part in the many religious rituals. Their pride in their church, in their country and...above all...in their Polish Pope filled the air, and the mood was alternatively pious and festive. It was a moving mixture of religious piety, the simplicity and comradery of Woodstock and the simple fun of carnival with colored flags, banners kerchiefs, etc..
Some time afterwards, we found ourselves in Auschwitz, with a completely different atmosphere. The brutality, degradation and hatred of the human spirit which came to expression there during the Nazi occupation are still palpable. We could not help but consider that this was not an isolated occurrence. The Nazi concentration camps, the Soviet Gulags, the communist Chinese re-education camps, the prisons of dictators in South America, Africa and Asia, etc. reveal that the last century was a time of great trials and widespread moral failures. Hopefully we have learned something from the errors of the past, and the dangers of totalitarian control and the abolition of civil rights. For some people, the visit there was part of a pleasant group-tour and a photo-opportunity. For others, it was an excuse to perpetuate racism and ethnic hatred on the earth, with the Germans as the objects of this hatred. But for many...indeed, for the majority of people to whom we spoke ...it was a chance to reflect on the dignity of the human being, on the fragility of morality in our souls and our societies, on forgiveness--as individuals and as nations--and the difficult but necessary task of transforming evil into good.
Our time in the Czech Republic also left us with deep impressions. The people we met were much less outwardly religious than in Poland, where the churches seemed always to be full. Yet we met no less goodness, kindness and moral striving in the Czech Republic. It was also very interesting to be among people who combine eastern and central European elements so harmoniously in themselves. Their language is Slavic, but written with the Roman alphabet. They have the warmth and emotional depth and concern for others of the east, but are at the same time practical, individual, and skilled and inventive with mechanical things (including bicycles!). As in Poland and the Baltic countries, there is still an air of joy and optimism there, after fourteen years of freedom from Bolshevism.
We climbed Radhost, the mountain in Moravia where the "Apostles to the Slavs" Cyril and Methodius erected a church. On the next peak stands a statue of Radogast, an important deity in pre-Christian times. As school had started, we were able to sing for and speak to many children of different ages. We also had the great privilege and joy of being able to listen to Moravian folk music during our stay in Frenstad. In Olomouc and Prague, we experienced something of the culture and architecture of earlier times, then we cycled along the Labe (Elbe) to Dresden.
In Dresden, the "Florence on the Elbe", we were extremely busy, meeting old friends, making new acquaintances and singing and talking with people in churches, schools, old-age homes, etc. It is a city with many open and interested people and much potential. We were especially blessed to be able to meet and sing for the inmates in a prison there. When people reach a crisis--such as in prisons, drug rehab centers or hospitals--they are often more ready to change and to take a positive step forward. There were some deep conversations in the prison, and when we left the women's block, there was scarcely a dry eye in the room.
As we traveled, many people from many different walks of life expressed their concerns over some large problems facing the world today: the rapid concentration of economic and political power in the hands of a few individuals; the exploitation of the environment and the crushing of sustainable agriculture between the jaws of legal restrictions and economic pressure; the unreliability and mendacity of the mass media; and the difficulty in finding meaningful employment are a few examples. The American wanderer, "Peace Pilgrim" was once asked if she had any problems. She answered that yes, she has what other people call problems, but she called them "opportunities". We may also see these global problems as opportunities: as opportunities to grow and evolve individually, in groups and as the whole of mankind. They are opportunities to wake up, to develop discernment and objectivity. They are opportunities to become clear in ourselves where our values and priorities lie: in comfort, economic security and the pursuit of mammon, or in selfless striving to serve God, help our fellowman and transform and elevate nature. They are opportunities to act, in love, for the sake of love.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all who have helped us in so many ways and our prayers are with all our readers!
William and Alexandra
11 November, 2003
Monday, November 24, 2003
Monday, March 24, 2003
March 2003: Norway, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland
March 2003
Dear Friends,
Our last "open letter" was sent from Norway. Thememories of our experiencesthere--the friendliness of the people, the newbrothers and sisters wemet,the mountains, the sea, the color-filled sky--arestill in our heartsandremain a source of strength. After a brief butunexpectedly beautifuland insight-filled visit to the capital city, Oslo, wesailed to northernGermany, then went down to the Dusseldorf area.We were able to re-visit the Drueggelte Kappelle inSoest, which combinespre-Christian and Christian architecture andspirituality. Then came avisit to the Eckstern Steine in Horn by Paderborn.These magnificent cathedrals of naturally occuringrock were the center point of the oldinitiation-religion of the Germanicand Nordic peoples in ancient times. Later, theybecame a place of Christianspiritual endeavor, and today bear a touching reliefof Christ!s bodybeingremoved from the cross.
In both cases, we werereminded of how the pre-Christian"heathen" spiritual streams were, in their essence,not anti-Christian,but rather a preparation forunderstanding and experiencing the incarnationof God the Word and the mighty events which took placein Palestine twomillenia ago. As the time for the physical coming ofChrist approached,these ancient mysteries began to lose theirsignificanceand many fell into decadence.Yet the essential truths they contained and borewitness to are a reminderof what a contemporary orthodox theologian once said:Christ is presentin every culture, waiting to be discovered.From Germany, we went south to Belgium and had thegreat priviledge ofbeingable to attend a five-day seminar where Leanne Paynewas the main speaker.She is the head of a group from Wheaton, Illinoiscalled Pastoral CareMinistries.They have brought about an amazing synthesis ofphilosophy and spiritualpsychology (resting heavily on George MacDonald, C.S.Lewis, Charles Williamsand Joseph Piper), pentecostal/charismatic song andprayer and Christianspiritual healing. The sessions consisited ofthoughtful lectures followedby an "invokation of the spirit of God", whereby theparticipants couldsee their past hurts or misdeeds, and give them over,into the hands orinto the light of Christ, for forgiveness and healing.
It would be toomuch to write about this in detail here, and we canonly recommend readingher books.One of the central teachings was on the power ofimagination. Used rightly,the imagination is a power for artistic creativity,deeds of charity andthe translation of our moral ideals into acts oftransforming love. Whenmisused (and this happens so often today), imaginationbecomes the meansby which egotism, (inordinate self-love), uncleanthoughts and perversesexualityand violence take demonic form in our world andseparate us from the loveof God, from one another, and from our own true,higher selves.Another central teaching had to do with gender. In thehigher spiritualself, we have both masculine and feminine aspects.Each person must findthe receptive, feminine element and the creative,masculine will-elementwithin him- or her-self. Yet in the realm of the bodyand the personality,we are either man or woman. Psychological health andspiritual growthare dependent on our finding our identity as man orwoman, and seeking tocomplementthis through selfless love of one`s partner of theopposite sex. Spirituallove--agape--is, of course, the highest form of love,and knows no distinctionsof gender. But romance--the loving union (orre-union!)--of man and womanalso has its necessary and rightful place in thisworld. Moreover, itwouldbe a terrible day for humanity if--as in Huxley`s"Brave New World"--thegenerationof children were to be torn out of the sphere of loveand affection andmade mechanical. Could a human soul truly incarnateinto a body formedin a test tube or conceived through the narcisisticact of cloning?
Leaving that question and returning to our pilgrimage,we now find ourselvesin Switzerland. Here, as elsewhere, the worldpolitical situation is highon most people`s minds. An American film called"Bowling for Columbine"has made a huge hit here. It is a documentaryexploring the causes ofviolencein the USA and demonstrating that it cannot beexplained by poverty, wide-spreadgun ownership or racial tensions. Rather, the filmsuggests that a cultureof fear--both of domestic and foreign "enemies"--isbeing deliberatelycultivated,and that the violence is the result of a climate offear.The movie contained some interesting statistics (whichI have not verified).For example, during a certain period in the US, theincidence of reportedviolent crimes dropped by twenty percent, but thecoverage ofviolent crime on TV rose by six hundredpercent. Another shocker was this: Osama bin Ladin(accused of being behindthe terrorist attacks of 11 Sept. 2001) was an agent of the CIA,and received four billion dollars from the USgovernment, ostensibly tofight the Soviets in Afghanistan.So what can be done?
Perhaps the two virtues whichneed most to be cultivatedtoday are wakefulness and courage. In the wholewestern world, there isa systematic attack on civil liberties and thedemocratic rights of citizensto know what their governments are doing and toinfluence important decisionsaffecting their countries and the world. People needto be aware of whatis happening and awake to the moral, spiritualsignificance of these events.But even more importantly, we must never forget thetremendous good inthe world. Only that will give us the courage and hopeto go forward.Christ is in our midst. He is in our hearts, callingus. He calls us toovercome fear by waking up to our eternal, spiritualnature; to find thetask in our heart and to energetically set aboutfulfilling it. He callsus to love one another, to go between the poles ofpity and selfishnessand to help one another. This may be as simple asgiving some one a loafof bread. It may be as far-reaching as finding new andappropriate waysof educating children, treating and preventingillness, or reforming ourpolitical and governmental institutions. He calls usto protect and ennoblethe earth--His body--and its life. He calls us to theadventure of self-knowledgeand self-transformation. And He calls us to know andto love God withall our heart, soul, intelligence and strength. Thisis spiritual chastity,a word despised, misused or ignored in modern culture,yet both essentialand wonderful to experience.
This love can be pure andfocused. We canchastely renounce spiritual fornication with the godsof mammon, sensualdepravity and exploitative power. Then wealth becomesa tool to help others.The senses become a revelation of the spirit whichcreates and formsmatter.And we find the real power to be our true, creativeselves. Thus beginsthe divine romance--terrible for the old, fallen,habit and comfort-lovingelements in us; and full of promise, liberation andjoy for our true selves.You, too, are called to this divine romance. How willyou answer?Our hearts, prayers and thanks are with all of you!
William and Alexandra14 March 2003
Dear Friends,
Our last "open letter" was sent from Norway. Thememories of our experiencesthere--the friendliness of the people, the newbrothers and sisters wemet,the mountains, the sea, the color-filled sky--arestill in our heartsandremain a source of strength. After a brief butunexpectedly beautifuland insight-filled visit to the capital city, Oslo, wesailed to northernGermany, then went down to the Dusseldorf area.We were able to re-visit the Drueggelte Kappelle inSoest, which combinespre-Christian and Christian architecture andspirituality. Then came avisit to the Eckstern Steine in Horn by Paderborn.These magnificent cathedrals of naturally occuringrock were the center point of the oldinitiation-religion of the Germanicand Nordic peoples in ancient times. Later, theybecame a place of Christianspiritual endeavor, and today bear a touching reliefof Christ!s bodybeingremoved from the cross.
In both cases, we werereminded of how the pre-Christian"heathen" spiritual streams were, in their essence,not anti-Christian,but rather a preparation forunderstanding and experiencing the incarnationof God the Word and the mighty events which took placein Palestine twomillenia ago. As the time for the physical coming ofChrist approached,these ancient mysteries began to lose theirsignificanceand many fell into decadence.Yet the essential truths they contained and borewitness to are a reminderof what a contemporary orthodox theologian once said:Christ is presentin every culture, waiting to be discovered.From Germany, we went south to Belgium and had thegreat priviledge ofbeingable to attend a five-day seminar where Leanne Paynewas the main speaker.She is the head of a group from Wheaton, Illinoiscalled Pastoral CareMinistries.They have brought about an amazing synthesis ofphilosophy and spiritualpsychology (resting heavily on George MacDonald, C.S.Lewis, Charles Williamsand Joseph Piper), pentecostal/charismatic song andprayer and Christianspiritual healing. The sessions consisited ofthoughtful lectures followedby an "invokation of the spirit of God", whereby theparticipants couldsee their past hurts or misdeeds, and give them over,into the hands orinto the light of Christ, for forgiveness and healing.
It would be toomuch to write about this in detail here, and we canonly recommend readingher books.One of the central teachings was on the power ofimagination. Used rightly,the imagination is a power for artistic creativity,deeds of charity andthe translation of our moral ideals into acts oftransforming love. Whenmisused (and this happens so often today), imaginationbecomes the meansby which egotism, (inordinate self-love), uncleanthoughts and perversesexualityand violence take demonic form in our world andseparate us from the loveof God, from one another, and from our own true,higher selves.Another central teaching had to do with gender. In thehigher spiritualself, we have both masculine and feminine aspects.Each person must findthe receptive, feminine element and the creative,masculine will-elementwithin him- or her-self. Yet in the realm of the bodyand the personality,we are either man or woman. Psychological health andspiritual growthare dependent on our finding our identity as man orwoman, and seeking tocomplementthis through selfless love of one`s partner of theopposite sex. Spirituallove--agape--is, of course, the highest form of love,and knows no distinctionsof gender. But romance--the loving union (orre-union!)--of man and womanalso has its necessary and rightful place in thisworld. Moreover, itwouldbe a terrible day for humanity if--as in Huxley`s"Brave New World"--thegenerationof children were to be torn out of the sphere of loveand affection andmade mechanical. Could a human soul truly incarnateinto a body formedin a test tube or conceived through the narcisisticact of cloning?
Leaving that question and returning to our pilgrimage,we now find ourselvesin Switzerland. Here, as elsewhere, the worldpolitical situation is highon most people`s minds. An American film called"Bowling for Columbine"has made a huge hit here. It is a documentaryexploring the causes ofviolencein the USA and demonstrating that it cannot beexplained by poverty, wide-spreadgun ownership or racial tensions. Rather, the filmsuggests that a cultureof fear--both of domestic and foreign "enemies"--isbeing deliberatelycultivated,and that the violence is the result of a climate offear.The movie contained some interesting statistics (whichI have not verified).For example, during a certain period in the US, theincidence of reportedviolent crimes dropped by twenty percent, but thecoverage ofviolent crime on TV rose by six hundredpercent. Another shocker was this: Osama bin Ladin(accused of being behindthe terrorist attacks of 11 Sept. 2001) was an agent of the CIA,and received four billion dollars from the USgovernment, ostensibly tofight the Soviets in Afghanistan.So what can be done?
Perhaps the two virtues whichneed most to be cultivatedtoday are wakefulness and courage. In the wholewestern world, there isa systematic attack on civil liberties and thedemocratic rights of citizensto know what their governments are doing and toinfluence important decisionsaffecting their countries and the world. People needto be aware of whatis happening and awake to the moral, spiritualsignificance of these events.But even more importantly, we must never forget thetremendous good inthe world. Only that will give us the courage and hopeto go forward.Christ is in our midst. He is in our hearts, callingus. He calls us toovercome fear by waking up to our eternal, spiritualnature; to find thetask in our heart and to energetically set aboutfulfilling it. He callsus to love one another, to go between the poles ofpity and selfishnessand to help one another. This may be as simple asgiving some one a loafof bread. It may be as far-reaching as finding new andappropriate waysof educating children, treating and preventingillness, or reforming ourpolitical and governmental institutions. He calls usto protect and ennoblethe earth--His body--and its life. He calls us to theadventure of self-knowledgeand self-transformation. And He calls us to know andto love God withall our heart, soul, intelligence and strength. Thisis spiritual chastity,a word despised, misused or ignored in modern culture,yet both essentialand wonderful to experience.
This love can be pure andfocused. We canchastely renounce spiritual fornication with the godsof mammon, sensualdepravity and exploitative power. Then wealth becomesa tool to help others.The senses become a revelation of the spirit whichcreates and formsmatter.And we find the real power to be our true, creativeselves. Thus beginsthe divine romance--terrible for the old, fallen,habit and comfort-lovingelements in us; and full of promise, liberation andjoy for our true selves.You, too, are called to this divine romance. How willyou answer?Our hearts, prayers and thanks are with all of you!
William and Alexandra14 March 2003
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