Meeting for Sufferings
The role of Meeting for Sufferings was discussed in one of three preparation meetings
The introduction of Saturday’s preparation group on Meeting for Sufferings focused on four specific questions. In the event, more than half the comments and questions focused on our role with the Occupied Settlements. This is a concern of many Friends. Some Friends discerned a leading for Sufferings to reconsider our work in the light of the available funding and other calls on our concern.
One Friend called for us to balance our overseas concerns with concerns on how we live in Britain. These matters are accessible to us. Individually we can make an immediate difference.
Another Friend asked about Sufferings’ visionary role. Ministry in Session picked up the concern and widened it to include Agenda Committee as well as Sufferings.
There was a clear call, from a Friend, for us, perhaps through Sufferings, to develop a Quaker voice that speaks to our wider society with clarity and coherence.
It was suggested that we need to avoid, while contributing constructively to current affairs, snappy knee-jerk reactions to every issue.
