Folded boats gently swim against the stream

As people streamed to the Bürgerweide for one of the Kirchentag's opening services some of the boats pictured here were being carried out from the service into the different parts of Bremen. Each carried by two people (a bit little like a pantomime horse) they moved as if they were bobbing on a sea of people and very gently making progress against the stream of people coming in the opposite direction. It was a powerful and beautiful image.
The special hymn which has been written for the Kirchentag "Mensch wo bist du?" also takes up the theme of the ship on the sea, knowing or not knowing where it's going. As we fold boats at the evening of encounters I shall think about small boats making gentle progress against the stream. More for my reflections on a spirituality of resistance - I always knew that origami was a deeply theological activity.

Origami openings for the Kirchentag's first Kirchentag of ships

Not sure I shall have time to blog much today we have meetings of the international committee this morning and afternoon. At some point I hope to meet up with other WCC colleagues arriving on the night train, we'll see what we manage. Meanwhile, I still cannot read my own blog from the hotel but hope to get to the press centre and go online in a less censored atmosphere once there. Perhaps I'm trying to do a bit to much and should go with the flow more!

Anyway tonight at the evening of encounter there will be about 50 huge origami boats which will be part of the carnival-style procession throught the streets. Visitors to the evening of encounter will also be able to fold their own smaller boats which will have Bible verses on them and then attach them to their rucksacks etc. I'm looking forward to doing a bit of origami at the Kirchentag.
Bremen has wonderful old port area and several large ships have come here especially for the Kirchentag - I think I'm due to interpret in one on Friday. The Kirchentag's youth centre is based in the harbour area away from the exhibition grounds. Perhaps some of the flotilla of paper ships which actually get to float.
Colleagues from the WCC have been busy setting up our stand so come and visit us there in the market of possibilities.
Edit: Found one of the bigger folded boats outside our meeting today and can finally post photos because I'm in the press room and not dependant on the hotel blog-banning internet!