Issue 19-01-2024
Featured story
Thought for the week: Bob Johnson’s fighting talk
Does the Peace Testimony apply in prison? Or, since Gaza, anywhere? Or is it merely a religious relic, with as little relevance as Stonehenge?
Top stories
A big ask: Elizabeth Coleman thinks Friends should have their own understanding of the crucifixion
The Hebrew Bible is made up of a number of different books, giving different messages. But there is one theme to which I would like to draw your attention.
Watching brief: Mike Nellis says Quakers should be concerned about the surveillance state
British Quakers have a longstanding commitment to civil liberties, human rights, and democratic accountability. This is grounded in our testimonies to peace, truth and integrity. In 2020 Quakers in Britain co-signed an open letter to Boris Johnson, then prime minister, expressing concern about: the deteriorating rights of migrants and minorities; threats...
Kenyan Quakers seek to expand Friends School
Local Quakers in Kenya want to build another classroom at Friends School Mfangano (FSM) and reforest their island. The plans are aimed at creating ‘a beacon of hope for our world’, they said.
A Friday morning in November
They lay buried in white dust for two hours A table flying from the blast settled Across their bodies as they drifted just As in a normal bed time calling them To sleep. The city burned an orange glow Warm in the night; occasional rumbles Marked the distance as in...
Law abiding: Jacqui Poole finds an Anglican mystic
William Law (1686-1761) was a priest who lost his position when he found himself unable to swear allegiance to the first Hanoverian monarch. He turned to private teaching, and to writing, influencing authors from Samuel Johnson to John Wesley. Recently, I found a quotation from Aldous Huxley (author of The...
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Friends brief politicians on the right to boycott
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) briefed parliamentarians on a bill dealing with boycotts of foreign states before its third reading in the House of Commons last week.
Call for films to celebrate George Fox
Quaker groups and Children’s Meetings are being invited to make a short film to celebrate the 400th anniversary of George Fox’s birth.
Quakers ask politicians to take urgent action on poverty
Quakers have joined calls for political leaders to set out clear plans to eradicate extreme poverty and halve overall poverty by 2030 in the UK and globally.
Quakers consider links between meditation and worship
Friends have been sharing thoughts on the links between Quaker worship and meditation.
Enlarging the Tent by Jonathan Doering and Nim Njuguna
Enlarging the Tent: Two Quakers in conversation about racial justice offers an insightful approach for individual and group consideration of racial justice issues. In eight tender and thoughtful conversations, Jonathan Doering and Nim Njuguna raise important questions about anti-racism and how to respond to it. Each conversation deserves time for...
Eye - 19 January 2024
A poem for an autumn day Eye thanks Veronica Grant, of Llanidloes Meeting, for sending in some delightful sunshine to share with Friends. She writes: ‘In response to your invitation to lighten our darkness with a smile, I’m attaching a poem composed during Meeting for Worship on a windy...
Letters - 19 January 2024
‘Double belonging’ Dana Smith’s article (‘Words of prayer’, 5 January) interested me very much, and, in principle, I agreed with it. So thank you, Dana. However, she and other Quakers may be interested in my experience of such matters. I’m a relatively active member of a Local Quaker Meeting,...