The Jura

My sabbatical is drawing to a close. I will be in Anchorage Thursday night after about 26 hours of travelling, and I'll be preaching once more on Sunday. I have two days left here at Bienenberg and I'm still about four weeks behind on my travelogue.

Oct. 25: After returning from Spain, I spent one night in Basel before riding four different trains into the Jura mountains. It was dark when I arrived in the village of Tramelan. I was visiting Margrit and Michel, who is one of the pastors of Evangelische Mennonitegemeinde Sonnenberg. No, not the Sonnenberg Mennonite Church in Ohio, the REAL one. Sonnenberg actually has four meeting places. Two are German-speaking and two are French-speaking. Every Sunday, there is a service at one of the French locations and one of the German locations. The Jura is a French region, but many of the Mennonites living there still prefer German, although that is changing.

Sunday morning, we attended the French service. I was invited to share a few words, translated by Michel, and bring greetings from Prince of Peace. Sonnenberg is the largest Mennonite church in Switzerland with over 300 members, but since they are spread out over multiple meeting places, there were about 50 people in attendance that morning. The meeting room was not large and had windows that looked out onto the mountains. In that respect, it reminded me of POPMC. They meet in a building with two floors of apartments above.

After lunch, Margrit drove me to two places of historical Anabaptist significance. The Geisskirchlein (Chapel of the Goats) and the Pont des Anabaptistes (Bridge of the Anabaptists). For nearly two centuries, Anabaptists were persecuted in Switzerland and throughout Europe. They were arrested, tortured, and executed. Or they could have their property and lands confiscated and themselves exiled. So it was necessary to meet in secret for prayer, worship and study of the scriptures. The Chapel of the Goats is a small cave where Anabaptists used to meet. It took Margrit and me about 30 minutes to hike back to it. It's not so hidden now, with a nearby trail and signs pointing the way. There is now a plaque in the rear of the cave and some benches installed at the entrance. Every other summer, the Sonnenberg church has a church service here, alternating with a service at the Bridge.

After hiking back to the car, we drove to the Anabaptist Bridge. This was another meeting place for my spiritual ancestors. The Mennonite met in the ravine below the bridge, probably at night, to avoid discovery by the authorities. The bridge is gone now. Only some stones on either end of the ravine are still visible. It encourages me to think that these Christians had the faith to persevere despite persecution. The church even grew despite the threat of death and torture. In all, it's estimated that some 6,000 Anabaptists were martyred in the 16th-17th centuries in Europe. Hans Landis was the last Anabaptist to be executed. He was beheaded in Zurich in 1614. Their stories (with many illustrations of their grisly deaths) were printed in The Martyr's Mirror, first published in Dutch in 1660. There's a joke in Mennonite circles: "You know you're a Mennonite when you think that a 1300-page book detailing 6000 grisly executions would make a nice wedding gift."

That evening, Michel took me to the Swiss Mennonite Archives. They have several old Bibles and copies of The Martyr's Mirror as well as official proclamations denouncing the Anabaptists. 2007 was officially proclaimed the Täuferjahr (Anabaptist Year) in Switzerland. During the year, there were many significant acts of remembrance and reconciliation. The Reformed Church apologized for the centuries of persecution and asked forgiveness. Many plaques and historical markers were erected (such as at the Geisskirchlein) and there were public events and exhibitions

I also visited a small cheese factory owned by the family of Margrit's sister. They were pleased to hear that Gruyère is available (and eaten by me) in Alaska. I also sat in on my second birthday party in Europe. Michel's teenaged son had a birthday and we celebrated with a "Chinese" fondue. Thin slices of meat are cooked in a fondue pot with boiling broth. Still no cheese fondue, but I did have a standing invitation.

On Monday morning, I walked to the nearby train station and took the first train that came by. These were regional trains that stop at every village, so travel is not very fast. Eventually I found myself in Biel (home of Swatch) and spent a few hours walking around before travelling back to Bienenberg. Stay tuned for the next episode where I meet an old friend in France, visit another castle and tour the capital of Switzerland.

Photo Gallery
Martyr's Mirror Encyclopedia Entry
Martyr's Mirror Illustrations
Täuferjahr