Thought for the week: Daniel Clarke Flynn has a learning challenge
‘Learning from others means going beyond our clan, tribe, nation, gender, language, culture, ethnicity, and religion.’
One of the most striking statements for me in Quaker faith & practice is in the introduction to Advices & queries: ‘Our diversity invites us, both to speak what we know to be true in our lives and to learn from others.’ Every time I read it, it says something new, particularly when I apply the opening and closing words not only to Quakers, but also to all of humanity.
We Quakers do the second part well, both out loud and in silence. Of the three parts, the third is the greatest challenge to practice, but when I do, it changes the two other parts, especially the second part. The last part asks me: Am I truly listening to others and letting what thoughts come as may? Or do I continue to filter new thoughts through the myths I was raised in and subconsciously retain?
Learning from others means going beyond our clan, tribe, nation, gender, language, culture, ethnicity, religion, and whatever other myths we were indoctrinated in, intentionally or unintentionally, as we ostensibly ‘grew up’. I was raised in a religion that said we believed in the only true religion and that everyone else was going either to hell, purgatory or limbo. The ten commandments were tribal survival rules, but I was taught them as personal ethics rules. Here is the version of the tenth commandment I was taught: ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house: neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his.’
As Lebanese-born Christian Arab Amin Maalouf has written, all conflict arises when we put any of our identities before our humanity. One definition of humility is admitting and understanding that we don’t have all the answers. No one person does, but everyone has a unique part of truth. We each have a spark of the Divine within, Quaker tradition teaches me. That is good news because it opens the door to learning by being present and listening to others. ‘The teacher will come when the student is ready,’ age-old wisdom tells us.
We are each a unique, temporary and necessary part of creation, German Benedictine monk and Zen Buddhist master Willigis Jäger has written. We are rightly proud of our Quaker heritage and want to communicate our values to others. But are we open to what ethically-based practices from successful businesses can teach us?
Today I believe that all spiritual progress I have made in life has come through relaxed repetitive practice of positive action. I like to start my day by waking up, showing up and turning towards inner Light to overcome my inner Darkness. I ask myself daily: ‘Who am I and how can I be of service in thanks for this free gift of Life that has been given to me by Power greater than me?’ The answers come when I am ready to learn from others.
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