At the gates of the Queyras Regional Natural Park, where a few perched hamlets dot the glacial valleys, ” contacts have always existed between Protestants and Catholics.says Claude Ribard, retired engineer and member of the presbyteral council of the United Protestant Church of Freissinières-Briançon-Queyras.
“The idea of creating an ecumenical session combining knowledge of the Bible and mountain hikes germinated naturally”, continues the retiree. Since 2012, about thirty participants (Christian or not) meet every summer to deepen their knowledge of the Bible while traveling the paths of Queyras.
The Bible as Territory
” This proposal to read the Bible while walking really pleased me: it puts us in the position of an apostle”, testifies Jean-Paul Bourguet, retired electronics teacher and early participant. This year, he is in charge of facilitating a mountain-themed Bible knowledge game. Because, beyond the hikes around Vars and up to the top of the ridges for the most seasoned, the participants alternate convivial and festive times, ecumenical prayers and conferences provided by a Catholic and Protestant speaker on a given theme.
After “Beauty in the Bible” or “Humour in the Bible”, the choice fell this year on the very heart of the session: “The mountain in the Bible”. “It is one of the subjects that I had proposed”rejoices Jean-Paul Bourguet, who is also a lay preacher in the Protestant parish of Aix-en-Provence. “From the Tower of Babel to New Jerusalem, the mountain is present throughout the Bible: it is a place of life, of death, it is above all a place where we meet God”he analyzes.
But beyond the theological contributions, the interest, for Jean-Paul, lies above all in the exchanges between participants: “ The way in which one appropriates the Bible corresponds to the way in which one appropriates the territory. There are lots of things we don’t pay attention to, that’s where others can give us a complementary look. » And to mention the 2015 session, “Women in the Bible”: “Initially, Catholics and Protestants had very different perceptions on this subject. Thanks to a tale made during the session on several biblical female figures, we had a lot of dialogue and we helped each other progress »analyzes the preacher.
Open to young people
“ The ecumenical aspect clearly brings an openness », continues Claude Ribard. ” Sometimes people who are less religious or unfamiliar with Protestantism enroll: they leave well-fed, even coming back the following years. »
The organizing team, made up of a majority of retirees, also wants to attract more young people: “ We are looking for the successor! » says Claude Ribard. But until then, everyone intends to take advantage of this new opportunity to walk together, physically and spiritually. “Even in full effort, we find the breath to exchange”, summarizes Jean-Paul. ” It is a breath that comes from elsewhere. »
From Sunday 26 June to Friday 1er July, at the ecumenical center of Vars-Sainte-Marie (Hautes-Alpes). Contact: claude.ribard@orange.fr