Status: 10.11.2023, 17:48 PM
By: Michaela Schubert
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On Sunday, November 12, at 13 p.m., Pastor Johannes Schwarz will report on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the Tölzer Kursaal. © Wonder Falcon
Bad Tölz – On Sunday, November 12, at 13 p.m., Pastor Johannes Schwarz will give a live lecture at the Wunderfalke Festival in the Tölzer Kurhaus about his journey on foot to Jerusalem.
Before Pastor Johannes Schwarz shares his incredible journey with the audience at the Wunderfalke Festival, he gave the Rundschau a little insight into his experiences and insights in three questions in advance.
14,000 kilometers, 26 countries, 15 months and 25,000 euros distributed to the needy and Catholic aid projects, what an achievement! There must have been a lot of moments of solitude and silence, right?
Pastor Schwarz: "Since my route was intentionally laid out through many deserted areas and via detours, there were indeed many moments of silence. There was hardly any loneliness. Quite the opposite. Especially when crossing the deserts, I discovered that the silence there can be filled with a presence. You were alone and yet never alone."
When you look back on your trip, what moment impressed you the most?
"Certainly, the Negev desert in southern Israel – where the horrific images of Hamas' terrorist attack on October 7 are now coming from – was a special place. Why, has already been hinted at: silence, which was not an oppressive loneliness. Deep joy was given to me on many a wonderfully starry night. As a country, Armenia was perhaps the most beautiful of the whole trip for me: great landscapes, an ancient Christian culture and legendary friendliness of the people."
What message do you want to share with other people?
"I've been through a lot of crisis areas; I have crossed many frontiers of hostile peoples. What message do we need? What message will also benefit us? Forgiveness. There can be no other way forward. What is forgiveness? Why is it so heavy? And what do we do with our neighbor who prefers to mow the lawn after 20 p.m.? The pilgrimage has given me an answer and I would like to share it in the evening in Bad Tölz – after we have laughed a lot about my stupidities and stories."
Interview with Michaela Schubert
Tickets
If you want to experience the incredible pilgrimage of Pastor Johannes Schwarz live, you can still secure tickets online here.