from the Rheinische Merkur MEETING
"I am a Jesus Freak!"
Anba Damian, the spiritual leader of Egypt's Copts in Germany, hosted the largest Christian festival in Europe an alternative to his monastery grounds.
OF JONAS VOGT
"I love these colorful pile easy." Maggie pushes her bike past a group of young people with impressive mohawk. You, a veteran of the self-proclaimed Jesus Freaks, claims to "Generation 50 plus", is in her element. "It is a magical place. You feel that God touches all people. "It is the fourth day of the" Freak Stock ", the largest Christian music festivals in Europe. For the first time the nearly 3,500 visitors take on a former military site in Borgentreich near Paderborn. Owner of the land is the Coptic Orthodox Church in Germany, there has also founded a monastery.
At first glance, the atmosphere on the premises is not distinguished from the other festivals. Many visitors have come with a guitar. In order to collect and singing groups. The smell of barbecue fills the air. You play Frisbee, football or is relaxed in the grass. The voices all the dialects of the German language area, but also English, English and Italian can be identified. The terrain in
Borgentreich with the gray-beige, long building has the charm barracks never can take all. This weekend, which interferes not here. The camp is hopelessly overcrowded, so that the tents to squeeze into every available site between the buildings. The average age of visitors is felt in the mid 20, but he is mistaken: are compared with other events like this many children and older people there. The atmosphere is like a big family reunion.
"We Jesus-freaks are actually a large family," Vanessa said from Berlin. For the 22-year-old it is, like others, do not freak the first floor. Her friend Anna from Dusseldorf uses the festival even a cross-generational meeting with her family. "I see not only my sister but my mother comes forth for years."
addition to prayers, sermons and theological workshops mainly plays the music at a great Freakstock Role. About 80 bands and DJs from the Christian spectrum provide the four days for PA. From rock to hip-hop to metal, everything is represented. One of the musicians is the 26-year-old Ruben. The drummer of the band Maskil sits on the afternoon before the pub "Golgotha" in the sun and preparing for the evening performance. And says: "Freak floor is simply a super chill's meeting." Christian bands as they could be really good because its message to the electorate.
"Music is my old man a bit loud. But the lyrics! Very touching. "Bishop Anba Damian sits at a table in front of a plate of falafel beer. Respite for the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Germany. "I'm so excited. The curiosity, the encounters, the open heart -. Everything is so wonderful, "The eyes of the man with the gray beard and the imposing stature of a child light up as when he talks about the festival.
Bishop Damian can speak with enthusiasm in ecstasy. Here, the monk laughed a lot, to the Office Cross vibrates on his belly in the black robe. "I am shall deem that the young people are not afraid of my old church." The bishop hopes that arises from the days of an ecumenical movement large. "What we sow seeds of love today as harvest, even our children." Get
Copts no culture shock when they see and hear Jesus freaks groups such as the Croatian ska-rockers of "October Light"? Bishop Damian goes over the Kalaswa how the hood is called the Coptic bishops, as he tells the story of approach. A group of freaks booked some time ago a very traditional monastery holiday. He came to talk with them, and everything else evolved. Nevertheless, it
was still a long way, could be realized until the Freakstock in Borgentreich. The authorities came with conditions. "But the vision we have mastered together." The bishop wanted it. "For us, this is a golden opportunity our church to make known. A few years ago covered most of them, we were a cult. "
The Coptic Church in Germany ekes out over the other Orthodox churches in the shadows. Bishop Damian is facing some 6,000 faithful. Coptic church services are celebrated in two convents, and nine churches. On the site Borgentreich live together in some Egyptian families, priests and deacons. Only Orthodox monks as Anba Damian live in celibacy.
Who are the Jesus freaks? Studded belt, piety, and T-shirts saying "Shut up and pray" - the variety makes the response might not be easy. The 29-year-old Bettina from Berlin is Editor in Chief the "sick messenger", a magazine by and for Jesus freaks. She makes herself comfortable on a tattered chair, shrugging his shoulders. "You can not define what a Jesus freak. It's just a feeling. "Being a freak is a personal decision.
The Jesus Freaks founded in 1991 in a Hamburg living room. The initiator Martin Dreyer is now living in Cologne, and organized the translation of the web "Volxbibel," a Bible edition in the language of the scene. As a book it appears in the shell hole Verlag. The geeks won the Hamburg Schanzenviertel fast friends, and their "Jesus-dependency evenings" got more and more participants. Meanwhile are available in many cities and towns communities that differ significantly, however: sometimes there is a church, sometimes a loose accuracy. And the members are not counted. Who is here is here.
some places, the Jesus Freaks are working with the Evangelical Alliance. The mainstream churches are against the movement but often divided. The piety of the young people make an impression. But some community anxiety, young people have to lose to the freaks.
"The relationship with the churches, sometimes with, sometimes side by side. That's pretty much on the local people, "said Bettina. She sees the movement as an alternative freaks.
Although are the Jesus freaks certainly members with theological training, care academic merits, most little. "We can preach all, men, women, pastors, and punks. As long as he has to say something and it moves within the biblical truth. "The theological spectrum is broad, it is an official doctrine. In principle, any direction of movement and religion is welcome.
According to the religion scholar Sebastian students predominate in the Jesus Freaks, however, conservative and anti-modern views. "The Jesus freaks see the devil as just as real as the return of Jesus and the imminent end of the world," said student at the University of Münster Pentecostal-evangelical movements studied. "They put the Bible literally, fighting for the salvation of all souls through Jesus Christ and see themselves as heralds of his word, as Jesus warrior in the fight against evil." The theological beliefs would be in contrast to her appearance, which is particularly directed at youth turn from the left spectrum.
As the sun goes down over Borgentreich, Maskil Bühne.Harte is on the guitar riffs are pressed into the ears of the crowd in front of the stage. Later, the club will open on the site. Bishop Damian's "new friends" as he calls them celebrate, then to the sounds of hard bass Jesus and a bit of himself "Usually far too long," moans Vanessa and proves that she is not very different from their peers.
Bishop Damian drink the last sip of tea and see the religious left to drift. replaced fear, one day by a preacher in baggy pants to be, he obviously has none. "We are not competing - I see myself but even as Jesus Freak"
From the field to the barracks
's largest Christian-alternative festival on the continent, which this year's 15th Birthday celebrated, has a checkered past with several moves behind. After the early years in Hamburg Freakstock found in his today's combination of seminars, sermons and concerts for the first time 1995 in a hall in Wiesbaden. After a brief stopover on a farm in Bavaria Kulmbach / Neudrossenfeld it moved to the Boxberg, a horse racing track in Gotha. From 1997 to 2008 Freakstock there found a home. During this time the festival grew in the meantime to a size of about 8,000 participants. The noise regulations of the town of Gotha, a decline in visitor numbers in 2007 and 2008, the growing number of families within the Jesus Freaks movement and the reorientation of the festival in 2009 led to the relocation of the Freak Stocks in the old barracks Borgentreich in Höxter. In the buildings can be more seminars, but also offer accommodation for families with the rising age of visitors. The symposium will be Freakstock of the existing club since 1994 Jesus Freaks International, based in Darmstadt. The followers of Jesus Freaks with groups in many major cities in Germany is estimated to 2000. ©
Rheinischer Merkur No. 32, 06.08.2009
