L'Abri Revisited

(Huemoz -location of the Swiss L'Abri)

My coworker brought me the March 2008 issue of Christianity Today. It has an article in there on the Swiss L'Abri, and it was honestly so wonderful to see pictures of the staff who we (and so many others) love and respect so much. I seriously got all giddy inside, because I want the article to bring more exposure to L'Abri for folks like Pierre and I who need a safe place to discuss questions, personal and philosophical, in community without being banned from Christian society.

I did appreciate the article because it showed the transformation of L'Abri over the years. People who went earlier, when Francis Schaeffer was there, had a very different experience than those of the past two decades. I think L'Abri was, and still is, crucial in many lives. The article said that the students have changed, but in my opinion, with the role of our culture moving from modernism to postmodernism, there will be change in the make-up of questions as well as the students. I'm not sure exactly what lies ahead of postmodernism, but that will again change the participants of this community. The root of humanity's questions will always be the same, but how you approach them needs an awareness of the culture and context of the times. Maybe there will not always be a need for L'Abri. But, from my experience there, I find it very doubtful. It's not for everyone, but for me, it showed hope when I desperately needed it.

The article, which I felt was overall fair, left me with a small impression that the writer was not as impressed as I was. Then again, if one does not have the need or desire to ask thoughtful and honest questions, and experience the L'Abri community for a period of time, it would be hard to impress.