Letters - 10 November 2023
From Prayers for peace to Sacred gifts
Prayers for peace
Like Gordon Matthews (27 October) I have been thinking about the Monday prayers for peace in St Nicholas Church in Leipzig. I was there on Monday 16 October this year, exactly to the day when a great crowd of people carried candles from the church into Augustus Square in 1989. None of the soldiers opened fire and many joined the demonstration. When you are holding a candle in one hand and shielding it from the wind with the other, your whole attention is on that tiny light and all the other lights around you. It must have been deeply compelling to witness.
I believe there is power in silent, collective prayer for peace. When people come together in this way with the intention of being part of a movement, we feel our energy multiplies. There may be some singing and spoken prayer acknowledging why we are gathered together. There may be candles. Prior to the Iraq war in 2003, our Meeting held Meetings for Peace once a week and from there came the idea to hold vigils for Friends in Britain, which was not an easy thing to organise before the internet took off. The energy in those vigils was strong, calm and compassionate, very different from the marches.
International facilitator and trauma healer, Thomas Hübl, leads silent online gatherings and has responded to the conflict in the Middle East by holding silent global peace meditations on the first and third Tuesdays. On his website he explains why he believes in their power to transform. Does this sound familiar?
I wonder whether Friends feel as I do about simultaneous, collective prayerful presence and whether there is any way we can join together in this way. It could be on Zoom or we could just simply chose a time to come together and/or we could agree to hold outdoor vigils at the same time. Perhaps some of us are already doing this.
Ruth Tod
The Pity of War
I would like to share an update with the readers of the Friend.
The Pity of War project group has written a couple of articles for the Friend (see ‘Art of the Possible, 8 July, 2022). We would now like to let everyone know that the sculpture which is dedicated to all of the nameless, voiceless and forgotten civilians who have died or have been affected by war and conflict is about to be erected at the National Memorial Arboretum. It has been a long and difficult journey to get it there but the stone plinth, which is right now having the inscription engraved, should be put up in a few weeks’ time. The sculpture will then be placed on that.
Southern Marches Area Meeting has to thank sculptor Peter Walker and his wife Katie, for everything they have done and for their patience and commitment to the project. Once up, the group will focus on the educational side with workshops for adults and school packs. We have already done one primary school pack.
We would love some new Friends on our committee. We need a treasurer and someone who can manage our website. We will also be looking for another trustee soon.
Please contact admin@pityofwar.org or me through Ludlow Quaker Meeting.
Barbara Mark
Australian Quaker position
I congratulate Tony D’Souza on his article on the ‘Voice’ referendum in Australia (27 October). He has obviously studied the legislation on Aboriginal relations much more than many who voted.
From my experience, however, the title ‘Splitting the vote’ did not apply to any Quaker groups I was familiar with. All, as far as I was able to judge, voted substantially if not unanimously ‘Yes’.
The Australian Quaker position was expressed in the statement signed by the presiding clerk that can be read at https://www.quakersaustralia.info/news/quakers-support-statement-heart-and-voice-parliament.
David Swain
Armistice day
My idea for Armistice day: ‘The day of reconciliation and peace-making.’ Hang a large white poppy on your front door. Try crepe to make one.
Judith Wright
Held accountable
I note in the reports of settler violence in the West Bank (usually compounded by Israel Defence Forces) that the villages which are attacked are named, but not the settlements from which the attackers come.
Close to Nablus are two particularly aggressive settlements, Bracha and Yitzhar, known for their extreme views and their violence. It would be good to see them named so that some day perhaps they could be held accountable.
I’d like to add that I have personal experience of an attack from Yitzhar while picking olives with a Palestinian family.
Caroline Pickard
Latin and Greek
I read the letter from Keith Denerley (6 October) with interest, but scratched my head remembering my long-forgotten schoolboy Latin.
I’m sure I won’t be the only Friend reader writing in about this, and am sure that many will have much greater Bible study knowledge than me.
‘Peccatum’ is neuter, the plural is ‘peccata’. So I have always thought of it (and sung in choir many times) as Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi – Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Why in the King James Bible it is singular ‘sin’ rather than plural ‘sins’ (John 1:29) I have no idea. (The next day, John seeth Jesus comming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lambe of God, which taketh away the sinne of the world.)
I’m sure others can enlighten me. (It’s all Greek to me… is it perhaps due to a difference between Greek and Latin?)
Charles Hadfield
Online/in the room
Following on from Kate Gulliver’s plea (13 October) to rethink use of the term ‘in person’, I’d like to ask the clerks at Yearly Meeting (YM) to reconsider their wording when calling for ministry from someone who is attending online.
At present, for ministry from someone in the room, the clerk will say something like ‘Please take the microphone to the person in blue at the back’.
For ministry from someone who is online, however, they are much more abrupt saying ‘Please unmute [Friend’s name]’.
I ask the YM clerks to consider saying ‘Please enable the microphone for [Friend’s name]’ or some other suitable phrase.
Moyra Carlyle
Find common ground
Ol Rappaport, from Ealing Meeting, where I worship, has shared his concern that Israel is spoken about unfairly (28 September). The dismissive response he has had to his concern, in the letters pages of the Friend, is likely to only reinforce his concern.
Many people of different backgrounds and faiths are in pain and are fearful as a result of the situation in Palestine and Israel. We should listen to all those who want to speak and seek to find common ground. If we discourage the sharing of honest opinion, then we are not working for peace.
James Priestman
Sacred gifts
I am glad that you published the letter from Ruth Wilkinson (13 October). That Friend speaks my mind.
It is really important that Friends House staff understand they are not Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) in session and they may not make statements such as ‘Quakers believe…’ without BYM discernment.
I hope Paul Parker will correct this or else there is a risk of enquirers or visitors turning up at a Local Meeting, expecting a ‘party line’, only to be disappointed – or even disillusioned – to find a disparity of views.
I also hope that action can be taken to prevent such misinformation in future.
Margaret Everitt
Comments
Friends not deep in the rabbit-holes of the “gender critical” movement within BYM might not understand Margaret Everitt’s letter. They might not want to look up Ruth Wilkinson’s. However Margaret Everitt’s allegation of “misinformation” and Ruth Wilkinson’s allegation “not true” should be rebutted.
The statement on the Quakers.org.uk website begins, “Quakers believe that all people are equal, and that gender and sexuality are sacred gifts.”
I don’t think they would challenge “Quakers believe all people are equal”. We might discuss what “equality” means, but we agree with that part. We also agree sexuality is a sacred gift: as ministry at 2009 YM said, whom God joins we will not separate. Gay people are equal.
Did we discern that gender is a sacred gift? Here is the minute:
“Minute 31: Acknowledging and Welcoming Gender Diverse People
“Our testimony of equality stems from the religious conviction that all people are of equal spiritual worth, that each one of us is unique, precious, a child of God.
“In 2003, Meeting for Sufferings responded to the Gender Recognition Bill, based on our testimony of equality, and encouraged Quaker Life Central Committee to promote the pastoral care of transgender people, their families, spouses and children, their friends and meetings. In 2015 the Tabular Statement started to record “Other” as well as men and women as one step to acknowledging the diversity among us. More recently, following consideration of trans and non-binary inclusion in a number of meetings, Quaker Life drafted an initial statement in 2018, inviting all Quakers in Britain to discuss and reflect together on gender diversity.
“These discussions and reflections have not always been easy. Our consideration has coincided with wider consideration of legislation reform in Britain, and the associated conflict has been reflected among Friends in our yearly meeting. We recognise that we need to keep listening and searching together.
“In an atmosphere of trust, we need to listen, to share our journeys, in silent worship, and in prayer. We all have human gifts and friendship to offer. We need to rejoice in the things that make us different, not be ashamed or excluded. Our differences are a blessing, and we must all work to ensure that the support is there in each meeting to allow this blessing to bear fruit. We seek to provide places of worship and community that are welcoming and supportive to trans and non-binary people who want to be among us. Belonging is more than fitting in.
“With glad hearts we acknowledge and affirm the trans and gender diverse Friends in our Quaker communities, and express appreciation for the contribution and gifts that they bring to our meetings, which are communities made up of people with a diverse range of gender expressions. The end of our travelling is for differences not to divide us. We rejoice in recognising God’s creation in one another. This is what love requires of us.”
The Friends House statement on Charity so Straight quotes that minute, and its date, 2021. There is no excuse for not being clear on the minute before making such allegations.
Margaret Everitt’s accusation of “misinformation” and of Friends House staff saying what Quakers believe without the authority of the YM is based on an unduly restrictive interpretation of that minute. When trans people express our true gender, that is a sacred gift, to ourselves and the world.
By Abigail Maxwell on 9th November 2023 - 11:17
Gender, that is the social role attached to biological sex, is not a sacred gift. It is often harmful. There are still millions of women who are prevented from education, health and employment because of their gender. We must not forget those women.
It is reasonable for us to talk about sex based rights and I’m sure friends will continue to do so in an atmosphere of respect and care for one another.
By RebeccaVaughan on 9th November 2023 - 19:43
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