FINAL PAPER OF WORLD HISTORY

HISTORY OF PEACE IN TAIZE

Created By :
VIKA ANALICA
20140510304
Lecture :
Prof. Dr. Christoph Behrens
DEPARTEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM OF
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF YOGYAKARTA
 A. INTRODUCTION
Peace is a stress free state of security and calmness that comes when theres no
fighting or war, everything coexisting in perfect harmony and freedom1. And then, a
history is a chronicle of events, like the history of the United States mission to put a
man on the moon, or the world history class that you have to memorize all those dates
for. So, History of peace is a chronicle of peace events in one of country, group, ethnic
etc. And than history of peace divided become two. The first, natural peace is a peace
that has been created since the first or without war. And then second is peace after
war. The opposite of the previous, peace after war is a peace that is done through
agreements between the two countries, groups, and others who were war.
And in this paper, I would like to discuss about History of Peace In Taize. Because,
I think Taize is unique village. Taize is a small village in the Saone-et-Loire, in the
center Burgundy city, France is the village known as a place of spiritual tourism or
spiritual oasis for individual and global peace lovers community, togetherness life,
tolerance of faith, an inner peace, and religious pluralism2. In this place there are
many religions, mainly Protestant and Catholic. And even though they live in different
religions, they still live in peace and mutual respect for differences and diversity.
Taize is also known as one imbued with the spirit of community life simple,
compassion and joy. This community was originally a community of Christian monks
were established on the basis of love regardless of the background of its members.
This causes the waiters Taize monks are called bruder (brother). Inspiration came after
World War II, in which the impact of World War II it was a schism among the nations
of Europe, including its own divisions in Christianity (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox,
Anglican, and so on). It causes Brother Roger Louis Schutz was concerned and
empathy with it. So he was with the monks at the time, started running intensive
lifestyle as Saint Paul says in the letter to the Ephesians.
Finally divisions within Christianity can be overcome by Brother Ronger
Louis Schutz and his friars. No more division among religions. So that it causes inter-
religious harmony and peace in Taize.

B. HISTORY OF PEACE IN TAIZE

1 http://www.vocabulary.com

2 Al Qurtuby, S. (2011). Pluralisme, Dialog, dan Peacebuilding Berbasis Agama di Indonesia.

MERAYAKAN KEBEBASAN BERAGAMA.
 Taize community was founded by Roger Louis Schutz-Marsauche popularly
known as Brother Roger (1915-2005) in the early 1940s, Taize was originally
designed as a sort of reconciliation between the Protestant and Catholic communities.
We know, two followers of Jesus religious groups have for years and even centuries of
life in hostilities since Martin Luther (1483-1546) declared the 95 Theses Reform
attached to the Wittenberg church in the late 15th century as a sign of war against the
Catholic port.
In addition, Taize is also created as shelter civilians seeking asylum due to
World War II is touted as the greatest war in human history. The largest since the war
began in September 1939 when Germany, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler (1889-
1945), invaded Poland that followed the declaration of war on Nazi Germany by
France, the United Kingdom and the countries under British control that involves
more than 100 million soldiers.
In the case that more than 70 million people, mostly civilians, reportedly killed
in the war almighty. Germany on Poland's annexation worrying the French and British
who had previously been defeated by the German army. Moreover, Hitler's policies
were racist and anti-democratic making these two countries more inflamed. French
and English and Italian who feel threatened by the strength of its territorial
domination Hitler coalition to storm Germany. As one of the opponents of Germany,
France, during World War II broke out (1939-1945), became one of the areas worst
affected by the war. The buildings are falling apart and bodies lying strewn
everywhere. This is one reason why Brother Roger chose France rather than
Switzerland, the country where he was born, as well as war victims shelter to create a
new community-based faith that he had the vision.
On1941, Brother Roger wrote:
the defeat of France awoke powerful sympathy. If a house could be found there, of
the kind we had dreamed of, it would offer a possible way of assisting some of those
most discouraged, those deprived of a livelihood; and it could be a place of silence
and work3

Itulah salah satu impian Brother Roger yang pengikut Katolik. Dan tak lama
kemudian dia berhasil mendapatkan sebuah rumah tak berpenghuni dan sebidang
tanah kosong di desa Taize di kawasan Burgundy, salah satu daerah termiskin dan
terpuruk akibat perang di Prancis. Di sinilah Brother Roger yang pernah bertahun-

3 Burke 1990; cf. http://taize.fr

 tahun menderita sakit tuberculosis itu merajut karir barunya. Bekerja di ladang seraya
menawarkan pertolongoan dan penam pungan kepada para pengungsi perang
termasuk kaum agnostik dan warga Yahudi yang dikejar-kejar Hitler.
Taize pada tahun 1940-an adalah desa kecil yang gersang dan terisolir. Tidak
ada sanitasi, system pengairan modern, apalagi toko-toko penjual makanan. Satu-
satunya sumber air minum adalah mata air atau telaga di hutan dekat kampung Taize.
Untuk memenuhi kebutuhan makan para pengungsi, Brother Roger membeli tepung
jagung yang dijual murah di sebuah pabrik penggilingan. Brother Roger dan
Genevieve (saudara perempuanya),mengubah tepung itu menjadi sup kemudian
menjadi makanan utama mereka.
Di luar rutinitas pelayanan kemanusiaan itu, Brother Roger yang pernah
belajar teologi di Lausanne University ini selalu menyempatkan diri untuk berdoa dan
menyanyikan lagu-lagu rohani seorang diri bukan di rumah melainkan di tempat
terpencil, bahkan sering kali doa dan proses ibadahnya dilakukan di tengah hutan.
Alasan Brother Roger adalah toleransi, yakni dia tidak ingin menganggu keimanan
dan agama para pengungsi yang kebetulan bukan Kristen. Meski begitu dia
menyarankan para pengungsi untuk tidak sungkan-sungkan memanjatkan doa
menurut keimanan dan kepercayaan mereka tentunya. Sikap toleran dan semangat
membantu orang lain yang dipraktekkan Brother Roger itu diinspirasi oleh ibunya
yang juga menjadi pelayan kemanusiaan saat Perang Dunia I meletus.
C. Watak melayani umat yang menjadi karakter komunitas Taize inilah yang
membuat Patrick Burke (1990) menyebutnya sebagai mikrokosmos Gereja tentu saja
bukan gereja dalam Pengertian gedung tempat ibadah yang eksklusif buat kaum
Kristen melainkan gereja sebagai simbol komunitas lintas budaya dan kemanusiaan.
Untuk menghormati para pengikut agama lain, aturan atau semacam code of
conduct itu tidak dibuat dengan merujuk secara eksplisit pada dogma atau doktrin
agama tertentu termasuk agama Katolik yang dipeluknya meskipun di sana-sini
bertaburan kutipan dari kitab suci. Tata-aturan atau kode etik itu kemudian
dipublikasikan dengan judul The Parable of Community.