Llno WORDS" -From the Weblog Oftom Fox
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May 2006 • $5 Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today llNO WORDS" -from the weblog ofTom Fox "Those who love their country in the light oftheir love ofGod, express that love ofcountry by endeavoring to make it respected rather than feared, loved rather than hated " - KENNETH BOULDING An AMONG FRIENDS independent • magazine serving Reflections on the Witness of the Religious Society Tom Fox of friends It seems ettsier somehow to confront anger within my heart than it is to confront ftar. But if Editorial Susan Corson-Finnerry (Publisher and Executive jesus and Gandhi are right, then I am not to give in to either. I am to stand firm against the Editor), Roberr Dockhorn (Senior Editor}, Rebecca kidnapper tts I am to stand firm against the soldier. ... Ifjesus and Gandhi are right, then I Howe (Assislllnt Editor}, Judith Brown (Poetry Editor}, am ttsked to risk my and Lose it to be tts forgiving tts they were when murdered by the Ellen Michaud (Book Review Editor), J. Brent Bill Life ifI (Assistant Book Review Editor), Joan Overman (Book forces of Satan. I struggle to stand firm, but I'm willing to keep working at it. -Tom Fox, Review Assistant), Christine Rusch (Milestones Ediwr), 2/22/04 Robert Marks, George Rubin (News Editors), Kara Newell (Columnist), Marjorie Schier (Copyeditor), Parry Quinn (Volumur) do not remember a time when my heart was quite so heavy in writing this column Production nor when I felt so humbled by the quiet and clear decisions taken by a Quaker Barbara Benton (An Director}, Alia Podolsky contemporary. Friend Tom Fox has left behind a legacyofwordsand actions for the (Assistallt Art Dirmor), Peter Deitz (Web Manager) I world, and certainly for us, his fellow Quakers. Motivated as he was to render service to Advertising, Circulation, Development Nagendran Gulendran (Advertising Manager), the suffering people of Iraq, it seems very clear that Tom Fox sought to stand in Nicole Hackel (Circulation Assistant), Gabriel Ehri solidarity, first with Jesus and his understanding ofJ esus' teachings, and then with the (Director ofM arketing, Circulation, and Special victims of violence perpetrated by our own government. He sought to overcome his Projects), Patricia Boyle (Database Manager), Margie Garrett (Devewpment Coordinator), Kay Baco n, Rurh own anger, fear, and emotional numbing to see what Love might do. He was willing to Peterson (Vo!umem) live in a state of"queasiness" in "the middle of nowhere" as part ofa spiritual discipline Administration that called him to let go of self and align his actions with the wisdom of his spiritual Marianne De L:mge (Office Manager), Tom McPeak teachers. The Sufis say that we are God's hands and eyes in this world. Tom Fox was (Accounting Services) living that reality on a daily basis in one of the most challenging circumstances possible. Board ofTrustees Barbata Andrews, Michael Baldwin, Jon Berry, Paul H is life was a quiet witness, touching many here and abroad. His kidnapping and death Buckley, Kathari ne Clark, Karen Cromley, John have drawn attention from around the world to his beliefs and his personal sacrifice and Darnell, William Deutsch {Assistant Clerk), Mary Ann their meaning. Downey, Walter Evans (Treasurer), Linda Houser, Paul Landskroener (Recording Clerk}, Pat La Viscount, Li nda Shortly after his murder in early March was reported in the news, I began looking for Lyman, Jay Wade Marshall, Ellen Massey, Ron more information on the Internet. There were many, many expressions of grief and McDonald, Larry Miller, Nancy Moore, Petra Perkins, Claire Reddy, Janet Ross, Susanna Thomas, Lynn sorrow at his loss, and many statements of admiration for his courage and bravery in Waddington, Margery Walker, Catherine Bell Werteroth, Pamela Williams, Elizabeth Years (Clerk) putting his trust in God while seeking to build bridges of peace. Bur I was stunned to FRIE:-IDS j OURNAL (!SSN 0016-1322) was established find angry bloggers coldly commenting that Tom Fox was naive, out of rouch with in 1955 as thesuccessorro Th,Frimd(l827-1955) and Fritnds /nttlligmm ( 1844-1955). political reality, and that he "got what he deserved." Even on Tom's own weblog, there • FRilNOS jOURNAL is published monthly by are rude comments that, ro my mind, totally miss the point of what his life and witness Friends Publishing Corporation, 1216 Arch Srret:r, 2A, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835. Telephone were about. I find myself wondering what these same individuals would say about the (2 15) 563-8629. E-mail [email protected]. life and sacrifice of]esus-was he naive, too? Periodicals posrage paid ar Philadelphia, Pa., and addi tio nal mailing offices. In the end, the image ofTom Fox that strikes me most clearly is the one on our cover • Subscriptions: one year $35. rwo years $65. Add $8 per this month. His quiet courage and faith in God comes through very plainly for me in year for postage to countries outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Individual copies $5 each. that photograph. Tom Fox had questions and doubts about right action, as many of us • Advertising information and assiscance is available on do. H e showed great humility in posting those doubts and questions on his web log. His request. Appearance of any advertisement does not imply endorsement by FRtENDS JouRNAL. circumstances, and his character by all accounts, were not conducive to hubris. His • Postmasrer: send address changes ro FRJENDS JouRNAl., struggle to live his faith in very difficult circumstances while experiencing very human 1216Arch Street, 2A, Philadelphia, PA 19 107-2835. • tC 2006 Friends Publishing Corporation. Permission emotions is deeply inspiring. Some of his reflections can be found on pages 6-9 of this should b< received !><fore reprinting excerpts longer than issue. Tom Fox had a vision-one of candles burning in the dark, and of new lights 200 words. Available on microfilm from Bell and Howell Information replacing those that had burned to their end or been snuffed our. His remarks were and Learning. prescient of his own future and the light his words and his work have shed for us to see. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Min. 20% post-consumer In doing that work, he has opened the very real possibility that his words will live on to inspire others to follow their Guide with utter integrity. Moving? Let us update your subscription and address. FRIENDS j OURNAL, 1216 Arch St., 2A Philadelphia, PA 19107·2835 • (215) 563-8629 Fax: (2 t5) 568-1377 • [email protected] Web: www.friendsjournal.org 2 May 2 oo6FRIENDS Jo uRNAL I FRIENDS MAY 2006 JOURNAL VOLUME 52, NO. 5 • FEATURES • DEPARTMENTS 6 "No Words" 2 Among Friends Tom Fox, who died in Iraq in March while being held hostage, continued entries in his web log until his 4 Forum kidnapping. Here is a selection ofhis writings. 5 Viewpoint 10 Remembering Agnes: A Lesson in Survival and resistance: a message from Nonviolence Quaker House Margaret Hope Bacon 27 Witness An early experience working as an attendant in a mental hospital reinforced her faith in nonviolence. Offaith and boots 14 Friends Neighborhood Guild: A Quaker 28 Reflections Presence in Philadelphia I was blind, but now I see How do you recognize a divine revelation? Pamela Haines This evolving service organization dates back to 1879. 30 Analysis 18 The Three Gems Quaker truth-seeking and the "unitary presidency" Bob Burnett He has reworded a Buddhist prayer as he reflects on his 31 Books relation to the Spirit, to the meeting, and to democracy. 37 News 21 The Cross and the Cuckoo's Egg 40 Bulletin Board I Risa Stephanie Bear She modernizes a parable to illustrate discrimination on the 43 Milestones basis ofsexual preference or gender identity. 53 Classified Cover photo: 24 The Lord's Prayer Revisited Tom Fox in Iraq. Photo courtesy Alicia Parks ofC hristian She is making this prayer her own. • POETRY Peacemaker Teams 13 Birdsong Lisa Lister 20 Afghani Schoolgirls Luise van Keuren 23 Despite the Rain Lynn Martin 26 Entering the Kingdom Charles A. Waugaman F RIBNDS jOURNAL May 2006 3 • FORUM Exchange at a copy center oil supplies could plummet. Blackouts and collective aggression by the early ethologists handicapped distribution lines of food and was to put in an enclosed small area two For a few days beginning September 11, medicine will follow. God has been sending different clans of brown rats, without which the American Friends Service Comminee's us the messages for decades, maybe centuries much of our understanding of the Pittsburgh Program hosted the "Bring Them since Malthus, and plagues and wars before, psychology of our own collective aggression Home Now" tour at Pittsburgh etc., since the beginnings ofhominids. In would be remiss. Humans are animals, and Meetinghouse. I interviewed several bones in hominid collections around the until we respect those drives that have members of the tour, one of whom gave me world like at the Cleveland Museum of shaped our culture for its existence, and two 8-by-1 0-inch color photographs to be Natural History there is evidence of respect our relationships with biodiversity, copied. One picture was a collage pneumonia-like epidemics that wiped out we will continue until we learn the hard snapshots of a young man in various stages entire populations in Africa. Also, something way-probably too late. of growing up. The other was of the cargo (or some things) completely wiped out the Culture, science, mathematics, and hold of a C-130 aircraft. conspecific Homo erectus. SARS and AIDS language, etc., may be the signs of I handed the pictures to a young woman are nothing new to human history as intelligence, or simply advanced use of at a copy center.