Walk the walk
Leo Vincent challenges Friends not just to ‘talk the talk’
Are Quakers all talk and no actual action? In the past week I have seen two statements from Quakers that have both fallen way short of anything concrete and constructive.
The first was the letter to the UK prime minister about the situation in Libya. The letter serves as a reminder that Quakers ‘see war as intrinsically wrong’, which, if nothing else, shows that Quakers have at least been consistent in their viewpoint for the last 350 years – something which I am sure David Cameron is grateful to be reminded of. However, despite reading the letter a number of times, I struggle to find any actual constructive positions for decision makers to consider in this difficult time. American Friends wrote four action points to governments clearly stating what their discernment and faith demands to happen. Where was ours?
The second statement was that Meeting for Sufferings has decided to agree to a boycott of settlement goods in the Occupied Territories of Palestine. Whilst I am not sure that I agree with the statement nor that it is fully representative of all Quakers in Britain, MfS should be congratulated for feeling moved enough to make this statement in unity. However, again, this statement falls short with its lack of actual tangible action points. Where is the part that says Quakers will work at all levels to make sure Friends are informed about settlement goods? Where is the bit that says Quakers will engage at a European level, supported by BYM, to lobby for governments in Europe to follow EU law and make sure that goods are correctly labelled?
If Quakers are moved strongly enough to stand up and make a statement surely they must do so with some sense of strategy to live out the statement? Without that approach Quakers look woolly and impotent. Surely our faith demands of us to stand up and put our heads above the parapet, taking affirmative, concrete action as our discernment leads us and be willing to accept the criticisms and praise that comes with it? Quakers, though small in number, have throughout history demonstrated their power – when acting from a point of faith, but that involves moving beyond our emotional and idealistic desires to being pragmatic, realistic and constructive. Only then can we actually influence change.
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