“Live your life in such a way that others ask you about your beliefs.” This is what Miriam Rudolph from Hanover in Germany would like, both personally and professionally. And that is what she stands for on thousands of posters.
For a month, Miriam Rudolph smiled at passers-by from the display cases outside our churches in Europe. The statement underneath read: “Here I am just at the right place to make a good start into the new year.” For Miriam this is an expression of confidence that the challenges that lie ahead will be much easier to handle together with God and the congregation.
Miriam Rudolph likes to talk about her beliefs and follows her own personal principles: “Don’t force your beliefs on others, but live them in such a way that people ask you about your beliefs.” She says that she has made good experiences with this especially at work.
Working in intensive care
Miriam has been working in the intensive care unit for neurosurgery and anaesthesia for nearly six years. “It is a job that means a lot to me”, the 26-year-old woman says, “and is both stressful and demanding.”
When caring for patients and helping their relatives her faith helps her to be able to respond to their needs. “When caring for the dying and their families, for example, I don’t talk about my beliefs without being asked,” she explains, “but spirituality certainly does play an important role for many in the dying process so that I can respond to it.” For Miriam it means a lot to be able to live her beliefs in her profession.
Showing your faith
Discussions about your beliefs are guaranteed if you model for the showcase campaign, she says. “It’s nice to show those outside our church that the people inside are quite normal human beings, who are unbiased and accept everyone—no matter how old you are, where you come from, or what you look like.”
By helping along in her congregation, Hannover-Herrenhausen, she wants to underline this openness. “Our congregation is celebrating its centenary this year,” she says with a smile. “That is an excellent occasion and start to organise ecumenical activities and common devotions in our church.”
Here I am visible
This year’s motto for the showcase campaign “Here I am” looks back at the year 2019, specifically the International Youth Convention in Düsseldorf. “The experience of this huge fellowship made me shiver with excitement,” Miriam remembers. What really touched her was the pop oratorio I AM, in which she participated as a chorister. “It was the most unique sensation to be able to sing about your beliefs with more than 3,500 other people.”
Miriam also practises the “Here I am” motto in her district. “My passion is the youth choir, which I have been involved with for 13 years now. ‘Here I am’ for me means to make my faith visible and tangible for others. Music is one way to do this.”
Making our faith tangible
Looking ahead she sees further possibilities to make her beliefs concrete and tangible especially for young Christians. “The Church can help that our beliefs can be integrated into the life-world and the everyday life of young people.” She would like to see a connection between our beliefs and such topical issues as cyberbullying or the environment.
At the same time, she feels it is important to create networks for young members and to promote joint activities in order to create a very close-knit community. “Young people need to know that there is someone in the congregation who is there for them.”
A year of important events ahead
At the moment, Miriam is mainly thinking about her husband and some upcoming events. “In terms of getting the year off to a good start we have already succeeded,” she says. “On New Year’s Day I organised a surprise party for my husband and his closest friends. He hadn’t suspected a thing.”
But the really important things are still to come. “In spring we are expecting our first child. We can hardly wait to look into our child’s eyes for the first time and see that it feels: “Here I am! I am in the right place to get a good start into life.”