So many of you have come from different parts of Germany to be with us during this week when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. There are also young people with us from other countries.

A special greeting to those who have come from Åland, the archipelago of islands between Finland and Sweden and also to the young people who arrived recently from further afield: from Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Kenya, Indonesia, India and Thailand. And we say goodbye to the Malaysians who have been with us the past month.

You will have read in the letter “Hoping beyond all hope” how important it was for me to listen to young people from Ukraine, Lebanon, the West Bank and Myanmar, living in situations of war to understand what hope meant faced with the enormous challenges around them.

It was very striking to hear how faith in the Resurrection of Jesus played a central role for them. To believe in the Resurrection of Jesus takes a lot of courage and daring. It means striving not to be paralysed by the presence of death and destruction that are around us today.

I remember a young woman from Myanmar telling me that she knew that God would never abandon them and that by living one day at a time, the Holy Spirit consoled her and took away unnecessary worries.

She continued: “I can say everything in prayer and that allows me to fight for hope”. I was very struck by this idea of “fighting for hope”. When we see what is happening in certain parts of the world today, are we ready to take on that fight?

Last week, a French Bible scholar [1] gave a course to our brothers. She spoke about what she called “being in the resistance of hope”. Is not hope an act of resistance, of rebellion even, which makes us capable of seeing the good that is there in the midst of all the contradictions?

Paul writes to the Romans: “Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Rm 5.4). The Holy Spirit enables us to hope, reminding us that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love shown to us in Jesus.

You will be returning home in a few days. What will you take with you from your stay in Taizé? What have you learnt about prayer, community life and listening to the word of God?

The path ahead might not be easy, but if you can continue to journey together, then your hope will be renewed. Look in your schools, parishes and student groups to see what is possible

Tomorrow evening please join us at 8pm already here in the church as we pray in silence for peace in our world . This prayer can be a sign of solidarity with people in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, whom we must not forget. We remember also the people of Sudan, Haiti and Nicaragua.

Please continue to pray for peace as you return hope. May the Spirit of peace blow in this Pentecost season giving courage and strength to those in war zones and inspiring bold and creative decisions by those in power for just and lasting solutions.

We have been invited for our annual European meeting from 28 December to 1 January by the Archbishop of Paris and the bishops of Île-de-France region, as well as Protestant and Orthodox leaders. This meeting will be a sign of our desire for peace and fraternity in the human family, yes, for hope beyond all hope. Join us in Paris!

A final point: On Saturday, a young man from Germany, whose name is Manuel, will receive the prayer robe of our community during evening prayer. After spending a time here as a volunteer and also having prepared the European meeting in Rostock some years ago, he returned home to finish his studies. In February of this year, he asked to come back to Taizé in order to reflect on becoming a brother in our community.

On Saturday, Manuel will make that first step on the path to committing his whole life to following Christ. We welcome him with joy! Please pray for him.