I went to a church service for Christmas eve and Christmas. I’ve only done it once before, last year (and then only the Christmas eve one, not Christmas). Last year, I didn’t know that much German, actually, that’s a lie, I did, but I was still in that phase where I didn’t try a lot to try to listen or incorporate it. This year was different for a bunch of reasons. Firstly, I am more invested in trying to understand German and also learning it. Secondly, I felt more resigned to try to take the most I could from it and enjoy it as much as I could. So this time, I thought a lot about what it meant to me and about trying to understand what was being said. I got a lot from the church this time and I enjoyed it a lot more than last year.
I felt very involved in something larger than myself and I felt, to a degree, included. It was a really lovely experience and I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much. But perhaps it was one of the first experiences since I got here, that I didn’t go into it with resignation or a sense of just doing something, but with an open heart and kind spirit.