The family where my daughter Krista and I stayed was the home of Gunter and Krista Sperk and their teenage son, Florian. They had hosted two Taize guests five years previously when the conference had also been held in Vienna. By the second night we were six guests, including a Ukrainian mother-daughter pair, Titiana and Anastasia. The host family was most gracious. Frau Sperk, a wonderful, warm Austrian hostess served the New Year's Day pork dinner in their lovely Viennese dining room, and never even set a place for herself at the table.
Diverse cultures have many differences, as well as a host of things to share in common.
We sang together, ate together, laughed together, celebrated 12-year old Anastasia's birthday together, and worshiped together. As we all know, music touches us in ways far beyond the spoken word. Music can be the vehicle for the spoken word. It is often through the musical texts that our faith is articulated. Music as liturgy helps us experience the faith through worship.