Vincent Unrath – Jumps of Joy

“A special Easter message this year comes from Flensburg’s northern city: On the occasion of Jesus’ resurrection, BMX riders perform Easter” jumps of joy “in the St. Petrikirche in Flensburg.

It all started with the idea of ​​putting a crib game on BMX bikes. “Actually, I had a vision of how Maria and Josef Christmas Eve roll through the middle aisle of the church and like a crowd of angels with their weightless stunts praising God in the air,” said city pastor Johannes Ahrens. He was inspired by the work of the Flensburg sports pirates. At that time the project was not feasible because many children and young people were not on site during the Christmas holidays.

Now the idea found an unexpected resumption by Dirk Dillmann’s suggestion. In a short messenger message, the managing director of the sports pirates reminded the clergyman of the project at the time: “Isn’t this the right time for our BMX church campaign?” He said with regard to the consequences of the corona crisis. Both the churches and the BMX and skater park “Schlachthof” are currently not open to the public. What could be more obvious than preparing a common Easter message? “Don’t lose your will and belief – that’s what Easter stands for,” says Dillmann. “We are sending this message out to everyone who currently particularly misses their freedom.”

Pastor Birgit Lunde from the parish of St. Petri is immediately enthusiastic: “It was immediately clear to me that this was the right place for this. Many of our children’s church service children are positively influenced by sports pirates. Together we are there for the people in the neighborhood. ”And their parish council also unanimously approved the project. “The apparently weightless BMX rider is for me an Easter answer to our altarpiece with the sinking Petrus
Director and cameraman Mattis Hansen from Capt´n Capture has been involved in sports pirates since childhood and is a passionate BMX rider. An invaluable head start in the search for ideal perspectives and when building ramps inside the church. After a site visit, the story of a young BMX rider, who visits a church at Easter and performs a different kind of service there, was created in dialogue with the two theologians and driver Vincent Unrath. “Of course the attraction for me is in this special place,” says he with a sly grin. “I have never seen anything like this in a church and it was a special pleasure and challenge for me to be able to develop and shoot it here.”

There is also a special melange musically: Church musician Sven Rösch recorded the almost 1000 year old Easter chorus “Christ has come” on the organ, which Klaus Krych from the St. Johannis Youth Center then backed up with modern beats for the video.

City pastor Johannes Ahrens is thrilled with the result, not only because of the breathtaking images and the unusual combination of spirituality and acrobatics. “My mission as city pastor is to talk to people about what makes life good. To explore what hopes we have in common. And to share what we love with each other. So for me the first planned nativity play became an Easter sermon for the eyes. Thank God!””