Talk of the town: Matthew Callow’s Thought for the week
‘People rightly assumed we were good listeners.’
Reading Meeting’s outreach committee was determined to have a good year. Coming out of the pandemic, we felt the need for something vibrant. As it turned out, it wasn’t just good, it was fun and it was heartwarming.
We took a strategic approach and searched for opportunities locally: Heritage Open Days, LGBT+ Pride, community fellowship groups, and Ride ‘n’ Stride. It was simple: we turned up or opened our doors, sometimes having paid a fee and advertised on the web. For some events we hung posters and a banner, and simply talked to people.
British Friends sometimes have a problem talking to people about our faith. Struggling with this is maybe one reason we are declining numerically. When people ask questions like, ‘What do you believe? Are you Christian?’, we can get tongue-tied. Another challenge that can feel daunting is the riskiness of talking to strangers, who may be challenging, hostile, provocative, or wildly eccentric.
But we were not asked complex theological or philosophical questions. Those who approached us were happy hearing descriptions of Meeting for Worship, how we make decisions, and what do together socially. When we spoke about our concerns, such as equality or sustainability, we went armed with facts and experiences. Many people wanted to talk to us, and to be listened to, about the trials and tribulations in their journeys of faith and life. People rightly assumed we were good listeners with a calm, pastoral presence.
Quakers have a wonderful collection of ‘stock phrases’ that accurately and succinctly describe our theological positions: ‘rooted in Christianity, open to new light’ or ‘that of God in everyone’. Brief elaboration and directions to further reading were generally sufficient. We experienced no hostility and few people irritably declined interest. Even disagreements had an amenable edge.
The introverted nature of some Friends may be a barrier to outreach. We must be realistic: outreach should not be torturous, and stepping too far from our comfort zones is not nice. But we can use our personality types as a strength. Introverts may feel happier with silent witness. During Quaker Week, we found the simplest activity was one of the most successful: quietly standing with our sustainability banner.
We must be weary of excessive and introspective discussions about the nature and substance of outreach; these may be a symptom of our anxiety. This anxiety may bear similarity to that of our Quietist ancestors-in-faith. Procrastinating and waiting for things to happen may lead to nothing happening, as in the eighteenth century. Let’s go out into the world and bear witness, quietly if we want to, to be seen and to be receptive. I have heard during outreach that people appreciate the Light we shine.
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