November 2003: Poland, Czech Republic, Sachsen

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