Týden pro broumovské kostely 2000-2001
OTEVRENY DOPIS VIKARI NORBERTU JOSEFU ZEMANOVI Z BROUMOVA
Vazeny pane vikari,
se zajmem jsem si precetla Vas clanek uverejneny 2. listopadu ve vychodoceske priloze Mlade Fronte Dnes.
Jsem Americanka vdana za Cecho-americana. Mam dva syny ve veku 7 a 9 let, kteri mluvi plynne cesky. V lete jsem stravila nekolik tydnu na Broumovsku. Zucastnila jsem se nekolika programu Tydne pro broumovske kostely a rada bych se podelila s Vami I se ctenari novin o sve dojmy, ktere se tykaji teto akce.
I kdyz mluvim cesky, neumim cesky tak dobre, abych mohla cist noviny a psat dopisy. Vyse zmineny clanek mi prelozil muj muz, ktery rovnez tak prelozil muj dopis z anglictiny. Prikladam proto tedy i svuj anglicky original.
Moji synove se ucastnili letos a vloni letniho tabora v Adrspachu, usporadaneho Yvou Pinosovou pod zastitou Domu Deti Ulita v Broumove. Po tabore jsme s nimi ja a jejich dve babicky, jedna americka a jedna ceska, zijici v Anglii, stravili dva tydny prazdnin na Broumovsku. Zucastnili jsme se nekolika predstaveni a udalosti Tydne pro broumovske kostely. Byl to pro nas pro vsechny povznasejici, inspirujici zazitek.
Mym detem je v Americe doprano hodne moznosti. Nicmene Adrspassky tabor je pro ne nejhezcim zazitkem roku. Jsou v tabore vedeni k nezavislosti a samostatnosti, ziji v souladu s prirodou a v kolektivu, kde si deti navzajem pomahaji. Vraceji se z tabora jako lepsi deti: stastni a spokojeni, zdvorili, ochotni pomoci a naplneni sebeduverou.
Po ukonceni tabora jsme meli moznost navstivit nektere z broumovskych neziskovych organizaci a ucastnit se pul tuctu programu oragnizovanych v ramci Tydne pro broumovske kostely. Zive si pamatuji, jak jsem sedela stestnana mezi lidmi na tvrde lavici stareho vesnickeho kostela, a vse vnimala: pro mne nezvyklou, zchatralou barokni architekturu, malby na stenach, vuni stareho dreva a lidi, laskavy pohled starenky sedici blizko me, prosta slova maleho ditete, snaziciho se mi pomoci s moji omezenou cestinou, hudbu, ktera me zanesla do starych casu a historickych dob, pro me v me vlastni zemi zcela nedostupnych. Kdyz jsem vstrebavala vsechny tyto dojmy, prochazela mi hlavou jedina myslenka: zde dli Buh. V teto obnove prace a zivota, v tomto potu techto usilujicich lidi vytvarejicich neco noveho a krasneho, v tomto dli Buh.
Projevy byli samozrejeme v cestine a ja jsem rozumela pouze tomu, co mne bylo prelozeno, ale myslim, ze jsem pochopila to podstatne.
Velice me zajima postoj Cechu k nabozenstvi, protoze se snazim vyrovnat se s tim, jak pusobi na muj rodinny zivot. Jako vetsina Americanu jsem vyrostla ve vire v Boha (v katolicke cirkvi, v Americe jedne z mnohych nabozenskych denominaci), a povazuji se za vericiho cloveka. Muj muz, jako vetsina Cechu, ktere znam, se nabozenskymi otazkami prilis nezabyva. Proto bylo pro me opravdu krasnym zazitkem videt, jak se broumovske kostely otviraji a vitaji davy lidi, lidi s ruznym smyslenim a ruznymi virami. Bylo to pro me uskutecneni snu a vize. Otevrenost nabozenske obce, ktera umoznila uskutecneni teto udalosti, si zasluhuje pochvalu a diky.
Nesetkala jsem se s necim tak krasnym zde ve Statech. Mame zde pred sebou velky kus prace na obnove, chceme-li se vyporadat s problemy nasi spolecnosti. To, co jsem si s sebou privezla do Ameriky z Broumova, zije nadale ve mne a inspiruje me k cinnosti v mem vlastnim okoli. To, jak stedre me obdarovali lide v Cechach, me ponouka davat vic ze sebe sve vlastni spolecnosti nez jsem byla ochotna davat drive. Zrno z Broumova se ujima na pude premedsti Washingtonu. Jsem za to lidem na Broumovsku vdecna.
S uctou,
Susan Klein
NA VEDOMI:
BISKUP KRALOVEHRADECKY DOMINIK DUKA
PREVOR BENEDIKTINSKEHO RADU PROKOP PETR SIOSTRZONEK
November 13th, 2001
Dear Father Zeman,
I read with interest your November 2nd article in Mlada Fronta Dnes. I am writing to give my perceptions of two recent visits to the Broumov region and the enlivening events happening in that region. I am an American woman with a Czech-American husband and two sons (ages nine and seven) who are fluent in Czech. As I myself have not mastered your language, my husband, who translated your article for me, will translate this letter.
For the second summer in a row, my sons attended the camp held in Aderspach and run by Yva Pinos. In the summer of ’00, I was welcomed into the camp as a guest for nearly the full session; this past year, the boys attended on their own. Two grandmothers, one American and one Czech, and I joined them afterwards for an exploration of the region, and we attended several events in the Week of Broumov Churches as well. The whole experience was, for all of us, nothing but uplifting and inspiring.
Let me first say that my children have many privileged opportunities in this country, but the Aderspach camp experience is THE experience of the year for them. They return from camp, quite simply, as better people. They are happy, polite, eager to help, and tremendously self-assured. At Czech Aderspach camp, they have the opportunity to live in relative self-reliance, something which they can never do in the states, where nearly every move the child makes is monitored (because of fear of a child getting hurt, lawsuits…). Also, the leaders of the camp, Eva Pinos, Dasa Daskova, and others, are geniuses with children. As a teacher myself, I pay close attention to methods of leading children, and I must admit that Eva’s style has become a model for my own work with children. Her enthusiasm, creative initiative, and joyful energy are amazing. The other children at the camp accepted my boys like ones of their own, and so my children gain the invaluable experience of living completely immersed in another culture. For these reasons alone, I am tremendously grateful.
But the treats do not end there. Witnessing the work of the non-profits in this region is also a tremendous inspiration. As I sat squashed onto a hard bench of an old church, taking in all that was around me--the strange and cracked baroque architecture, the paintings, the smells of the old wood, of the people close to me, the kind gaze of the older woman near me, the simple words of the child who helped me to practice my limited Czech, the music which brought me back to a time in history I can never experience in my own country--as I took all of this in, my one thought was: THIS is where God is. This renewing work and life, this sweat from all of these earnest people making something new and beautiful happen, THIS is where God is.
Of course, speeches were made in Czech, and I only understood what limited bits were translated to me, but I believe that I understood the essence.
The Czech people’s attitude toward religion is fascinating to me because I have had to grapple with its influence in my own family life. I, like most Americans I know, was brought up in some religious denomination, and I consider myself to be a religious person. My husband, like most Czech people I know, simple does not concern himself too much with religious matters. So to see the Broumov churches actually opening and welcoming in masses of people, all with their own independent beliefs, can only be described as wonderful. For me, it is a vision in a dream come to reality. The openness of the church community can only be commended for allowing this to happen.
I have not seen such a wonderful thing as this in the United States. Obviously, we have much renewing work to do to address the problems in our own culture. What I have taken home from Broumov has continued to live within me and inspired me to give in new ways to my own community. And I must admit that because so many Czech people have given so freely to me and to my family, I am freely giving to my community in a way which I did not do earlier. Good seeds from Broumov are being planted around my Washington DC suburb, and I am very grateful.
Sincerely yours,
Susan Klein
9 Watchwater Way
Rockville, MD 20850
Kleins@peoplepc.com
