‘Hopefully this delightful reporting will happen again.’ Photo: Aberdeen Meeting House
Right as rain: Kate Arnot from General Meeting for Scotland
‘We are no longer a rather obscure community in Scotland.’
On 19 November, Friends met at Aberdeen Meeting House, and on Zoom. Unfortunately a month’s worth of rain was falling on Aberdeenshire, and flooding prevented some from travelling.
We had a very productive Meeting nonetheless. Apart from the regular items for business, we accepted the budget and agreed donations and affiliations, with one addition: we agreed the priorities for the Parliamentary Engagement Working Group. These are broadly unchanged, as we remain so far from a world of peace and justice. They include peacebuilding, the climate emergency, and economic justice and land reform. We also approved the priorities for our local development worker: expanding networks of role holders, supporting Quaker community building, and enabling information about resources, etc.
The Church of Scotland has received funding to consider Christian perspectives on Scotland’s constitutional future, and to facilitate informed and respectful dialogue on this issue. (Too often during the 2014 referendum there was too little of this, as well as not much creativity and engagement.) We agreed to take part in this, and asked nominations to bring forward the name of a representative. We further agreed that any event we organised would be interfaith.
Also on an ecumenical note, Christian Aid Scotland is asking member churches to consider if there needs to be more focus on Israel/ Palestine. We would welcome an increased focus on this from churches and other faiths.
A highlight of the day was a video of young people at the Summer Shindig 2022. Hopefully this delightful reporting will happen again in 2023.
We had a written report on peace witness, focussing on three organisations with which we have representatives. The report had some dispiriting information as well as much encouragement: the fortieth anniversary of the Faslane Peace Camp; the second Carnall Peace Award and the second Carnall Peace Lecture; and Peace and Justice Scotland now has new premises.
There was a verbal and written report from the Gender-based Violence group, a concern of West Scotland Area Meeting. For Quakers, all forms of gender-based violence are rooted in a denial of ‘that of God in everyone’, and are a negation of human rights. There is a direct connection to our testimonies to equality and peace. The group is now seeking to broaden its discernment to increase links with other forms of violence and abuse: economic, of the earth, and war.
I truly felt that the Spirit prospers among us. We are no longer a rather obscure community in Scotland. We may still be small, but we are building on almost four centuries of presence, witness and faith in action in Scotland.
