Thought for the Week: Looking afresh
With current events in mind Michael Wright looks afresh at the time of the birth of Quakerism in the 'Thought for the Week'
The current slaughter by militant Islamists of fellow religionists of a different tradition has parallels in the way in which Christians behaved in the aftermath of the Reformation, and at the time of the birth of Quakerism.
The ‘thirty years war’ (1618-1648) was one of the longest and most destructive wars in European history. Huge numbers were killed. Protestants and Catholics began it and the conflict ended with state against state.
The war of the three British kingdoms between monarch and parliament, Armenians and Calvinists, set families and communities at war with each other. There was dreadful slaughter. The focus on a zealous application of dogma, entirely divorced from the love that is central to the Christian gospel, meant that those with different beliefs were not treated as children of God.
Recent demolitions at Palmyra, in Syria, have echoes of the destruction of shrines, statutes and murals in churches throughout Europe by Protestant zealots. When peace came in 1660 the peaceable followers of George Fox were persecuted, despised, imprisoned and shamefully mistreated for having different beliefs and practices from those authorised by people in power. Quakers moved forward in quiet ways, good works and different businesses.
I am not sure what Friends can do to make a positive difference today. I wonder if one small contribution we can make is to seek to develop respectful relationships of mutual understanding with followers of Islam. Those who follow the teachings of the Qur’an focus on the discipline of reading and reflecting on their scriptures, prayer, loyalty to their community and a concern for those in need. They are not given to abstract theological speculation, but emphasise loyal observance and practical compassion. The Qur’an gives greater respect and rights to women than many Muslim men often do in practice.
We condemn those who commit atrocities and we may be tempted to regard these now as typical examples of Muslim practice. Yet, just as many Christians do not faithfully follow the teachings of Jesus, so many Muslims do not practice the teaching of the prophet Muhammad. We both fall short. If we come to know one another, we can encourage each other to be more true to the essentials of our different religious traditions. I hope we can find we have much in common if we take a fresh look at, and do something about, loving our Muslim neighbours.
Jews, Christians and Muslims are people of the book. The Qur’an contains many references to Jesus, and more to Mary than there are in the New Testament. It is not always clear, but the central messages of the Old Testament focus around love, loyalty, community and social justice. George Fox and early Friends built on this rich tradition. Exploring our different scriptures is where we can hope to find some common ground.
Some of our Muslim neighbours sense that we are critical of them because, currently, Christians do not seem to be slaughtering Christians. I wonder if, as we consider the current slaughter, we will help them if we acknowledge the historical responsibility of our fellow religionists – both in religious wars and in colonial domination?
At the same time, can we consider looking afresh at our own scriptural inheritance, perhaps exploring with them the scriptural traditions of the Jews and Christians that inspired the Prophet, and learn something ourselves of the Quranic tradition?
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