Letters - 19 January 2024

From ‘Double belonging’ to Antisemitism awareness

‘Double belonging’

Dana Smith’s article (‘Words of prayer’, 5 January) interested me very much, and, in principle, I agreed with it. So thank you, Dana.

However, she and other Quakers may be interested in my experience of such matters.

I’m a relatively active member of a Local Quaker Meeting, also of a Zen Buddhist Sangha, and a ‘Centring Prayer’ group.

Several other Quakers I know belong to at least two of these groups. Our Sangha includes, also, a Church of England (CofE) priest, as well as several Quakers.

We find all these gatherings quite compatible with our values.

We also have Roman Catholics and CofE members who regularly come to our Meetings for Worship. I wonder if this ‘double belonging’ is rare.

It pleases me to have learned that the ‘Holy Spirit’ appears in different forms at different times, so tight boundaries seem unnecessary.

Kate Allen

Rights with responsibility

All rights come with responsibilities. All needs have to be balanced against other needs. There is no hierarchy of needs.

I rely heavily on lip reading. I walk into a room and ‘case the joint’. Ideally I need: to sit with my back to the window to maximise face contrast for lip reading; to sit in a circle so all are visible; and people to not be unnecessarily spread out, so sound is maximised. At a rectangular table, the shorter side is best for me.

But what happens if, say, there is a wheelchair user and the only place is at that short end of the table, or in front of the window? If I see that is the only way for the wheelchair user to be included, I accept a need – at that point – that is greater than mine.

That choice to recognise balance of needs is with everyone at each specific point of time when we are being true to inclusiveness.

‘Give me the courage to change what can be changed, the humility to accept that which can’t be changed and the wisdom to know the difference.’

In the current exchanges about women’s rights and trans rights I am failing to hear about responsibilities – and that means looking at specific situations and acknowledging where total inclusion in every situation is not possible or desirable.

I value the advice in Quaker faith & practice 20.71 about handling conflict through the three steps of naming, listening, and letting go.

Pamela Brunt