the issue of communion in the services that were offered in ecumenical-setting. Big words were exchanged and
eventually canon-law forced the services to stop. Frits van der Ven said at his retirement that if anything, the conlict
lead to creativity and ways for the chaplaincy to bring its mission, to tell and live the story of the Bible, better to
Maastricht students.
Over the years, that didn't change. Tafelstraat is not a
place where conflict and new ideas aren't welcome. When
former-students wrote to congratulate Tafelstraat on it's
25-year anniversary, they wrote that 'Tafelstraat wasn't
what is was back in the days'. Adding 'good: we're
growing in change'. Students at Tafelstraat discuss the
meaning of things, challenge their world-views and shape
their opinion. That takes space for disagreement and
thus potential conflict. However, it also takes an
environment where people and opinions are respected;
because, where you are not free to express yourself or
where opinions are marginalised or suppressed from the
start, no-one can grow.
Tafelstraat's history and future are one and the same
thing: it's mission and purpose. Not it's location, not any
conflict that might give rise to national headlines.
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