Letters - 05 February 2016

From ex-offenders and Meetings to tercentenary memories needed

Ex-offenders and Meetings

If our Meetings are open to all, but then we say ‘… except ex-offenders’, I wonder what our testimony to equality really means? When we assert that ‘Every human being is unique, precious, a child of God’, in honesty should we be adding ‘but some are more human than others’?

A Friend recently (18 & 25 December 2015) wrote of a bad experience with one individual ex-offender who was, quite rightly, debarred from attending that Meeting. But I know of a number of Meetings that have experienced disruptive, even destructive, behaviour by individuals – not one of whom had a criminal record as far as I know. To say that because of one problematic person we should debar all ex-offenders seems to me akin to saying all Muslims should be refused entry to the country because some are terrorists.

As always, Jesus had things to say that might guide us. He reminded his followers that loving your friends is easy – he challenged them – and us – to love those who are difficult to love. He warned: ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged.’ And what about: ‘Let him who is without sin cast the first stone’? Jesus insisted on befriending lowlifes and undesirables, to the dismay of his associates. Perhaps he was just naive.

All over the world communities are being torn apart by prejudice and fear. Is love something we can preach to others without practising it in our own Quaker communities? Or are we now going to start asking: ‘What does fear require of us?’

Stevie Krayer

On balance

Gillian Metheringham’s thoughts (8 January) were beautifully put and echo my ongoing journey to greater spiritual understanding – plus a desire to avoid black and white automatic responses to the challenges of life.

The quote from Advices & queries, however, did not seem quite to fit.

I thought that my ‘bottom line’ was to say that I am happy to live a simple lifestyle. But I felt that my current level of ‘simplicity’ is not ‘freely chosen’ as it results from a reduced income and, consequently, reduces, as I see it, my ability to help redress the huge imbalances that exist in our world today.

Then, after more pondering, I realised that my circumstances are gently pushing me to use my resources in a very considered way (to live simply!) and to make sure that they are well used in my community and for my family.

And then I remembered why I became a Quaker by convincement!

Tissie Roberts

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