Love alone
On Quakers and peace
I read with a swelling heart Symon Hill’s comment ‘Farewell, pacifist Quakers’. He spoke for me.
I love our openness and share with others those doubts and questions about the source of the inspiration that we experience
You need to login to view the rest of this article and comment on it
If you don't have an account you can register here
Comments
.png)
Subscribe to The Friend
Many reasons to subscribe:
- Get The Friend first every week
- Become a part of the Quaker community
- Prices start from just £48 per year
- Get a FREE trial of the new website
Religion without belief is what The Society of Friends provides for me. The peace testimony is witnessed in our Gloucestershire meetings. The meetings provide spiritual and social friendship, and continue to make me question my daily conduct.
At the heart of Quakerism, from the time of George Fox, has been mysticism: the direct experience of ‘God’ by an individual. Many Quakers have had or have this experience. They are the Finders. The rest are Seekers, and may well have this experience in the future.
Sadly, the Finders are not encouraged to speak up!
If I minister, sometimes it is not me ministering, it is The Spirit. I have to minister, don’t know why or what, the words come, and I tremble when I resume my seat. I know many others who experience this also. Quakerism has always been an experiential religion.
A mystic with direct experience of god, not a ‘Finder’ but found, I don’t have the words. Is silent ministry not enough?