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Quaker Thought and Today

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Quaker Thought and Today December1997 Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today WHAT IS A BLESSING?· ANATOMY OF A LEADING BLESSED ARE THEY WHO SHOUT An Among Friends Independent magazine serving the Seeds of Life Religious Society of uring the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, many of us think ofspecial Friends ways we may involve ourselves in service to the community- volunteering to D work, perhaps, in a local soup kitchen or raising funds to support a valuable Editorial project here or abroad. A letter we received this month from Costa Rica suggests one Vinton Deming(Editor-Manager), Kenneth Surron way many of us might feel led to respond. (Awciau Editor}, Claudia Wair (Amstant Editor}, Aaronjavsicas (Intern), Judith Brown Friend Mary Stuckey Newswanger wrote to describe how Monteverde Meeting (Pomy Editor) and children at the Friends School there came under the weight of a particular Production concern and decided to do something about it. One of the meeting's older members, Barbara Benton (Art Director}, Alia Podolsky Mary said, had been to Bosnia. "She returned with the sense that although their (ProductionAJSistant}, John D. Gummere (Special Projects} suffering and need is so great, what they are most afflicted by were the countless land Circulation and Advertising mines littering their country." In discussing how the meeting could respond to this Nagendran Gulendran (Marketing andA dvertising need, one member, Benigno Sanchez-Eppler, asked a question that was vivid and Manager), Nicole Hackel (CirculationAmstant} haunting: "If land mines are seeds, what kind ofseeds are we planting?" The answer Administration seemed dear: monstrous seeds of death and destruction ... not life. Marianne De Lange (AdministratitK Secretary}, Lucinda Hudson (Bookuper), Henry Freeman Monteverde Friends decided to make a contribution to an agency working (!Hvelopmmt Consultant}, Pamela Nelson internationally against land mines and to consider other ways action might be taken. (!RvelopmmtAssistant}, Roben Sutton (Volunuer) The third and fourth graders at Monteverde Friends School decided to write a letter, Board of Managers which they mailed to other children and schools. In part, the letter reads as follows: Irwin Abrams (Clerk), Lucinda Antrim, Paul Buckley, Susan Carnahan, Sue Carnell "We are a Quaker school and the students in our class are a combination of Costa (Treasurer}, Elizabeth Cazden, HelenFields, Rican, German, and American children. We are proud that Costa Rica has banned Deborah Fisch, Ingrid Holcomb, Robert Kunkel, land mines and does not have a military. We are a country that lives in peace. Mary Mangclsdorf, Rachel Mcssenger,Judy Monroe, Caroline Balderston Parry(&cording Clerk), However, we feel very close to the threat of land mines because they are present on Ruth Peterson, Lisa ~s Raymer, Margery Rubin, the Costa Rica/Nicaragua border. They were planted there during the Sandinistal David Runkel, Larry C. Spears, Larry D. Spears, Contra fighting in the 1980s. Carolyn Sprogell (Amstant Ckrk}, Wilmer Tjossem "Landmines hun and kill many people and disrupt people's daily lives in one-third fRIENDSj OURNAL (!SSN 0016-1322) was established in 1955 as the successor to The Frimd (1827-1955) of the world's developing countries. Many children cannot play outside because of and Frimds lnulligmcer(1844-1955). the fear of land mines. Many farmers cannot farm their land because their fields are • FRIENDSj OURNAL is published monthly byFriends mined. Therefore, many people cannot work. ... Men, women, and children have Publishing Corporation, 1216 Arch Street, 2A, lost limbs or died because ofland mines. One of the worst things is that the U.S. is a Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835. Telephone (2 15) major producer of these land mines. 563-8629. E-mail [email protected]. Periodicals postage paid at Philadelphia, Pa., and additional "We would like to ask you to please write to President Clinton asking him to sign mailing offices. the treaty in Ottawa, Canada, [in December] to ban land mines worldwide. If • Subscriptions: one year $25, two years $45. Add Clinton signs the treaty, it will be more likely that other countries that have not $6 per year for postage toco untries outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Individual copies $2.25 each. banned land mines will feel pressure to do so . .. A lot of people around the world • Advertising information and assistance is available are depending on these letters. If you write to Clinton, please send us a letter, we on request. Appearance of any advenisemenr does would like to hear from you." nor implyen dorsement by FRIENDSjo URNAL. The children included a number of addresses, including this one of a group doing • Postmaster: send address changes to fRI ENDS good work and deserving suppon: U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines, Vietnam jOURNAL, 1216 Arch Street, 2A, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835. Veterans of America Foundation, 2001 S Street N.W., Suite 740, Washington, DC • Copyright © 1997 by Friends Publishing 20009. For those wanting to write to the Monteverde children, their address is: Corporation. Permission should be received before Monteverde Friends School, do )en Lindstrom, Apartado 5655, Monteverde, reprintingexcerpts longer than 200 words. Available on microfilm fromUniversity Microfilms Puntarenas, Costa Rica, America Central. International. We at the j oURNAL join together to wish each of you both joy and good health at PRJNTED ON RECYCLED PAPER this coming Christmas season. May we all find ways in the new year to work for a world free from violence, where the seeds we plant are seeds of nourishment and life. Moving? let us update your subscription and address. FRJENDS jOURNAL, 1216 Arch St., 2A Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835 Next month In Friends Journal: (2 15) 563-8629, Fax (215) 568-1377 Coffee Diplomacy E-mail [email protected] Elizabeth Gurney Fry, Friend of Prisoners Quaker Voluntary Service for the Future 2 December 1997 FRIENDS j OURNAL December 1997 FRIENDS Volume 43, No. 12 JOURNAL Features 6 Blessed Are They Who Shout ... For They Are Kingdom Believers Jodi Weisz Children are our guides to the Kingchm of God 8 Peace through Play Elizabeth Stutz Toys that promote violence must be countered by encouraging creativity. 1D What Is a Blessing? Yvonne Boeger A blessing may be many things, but above aU, it needs to be communicated. Departments ll. Anatomy of a Leading: How Way Is Opening Connie McPeak 2 Among Friends A leading may arise from unexpected and subtle openings. 4 Forum 13 On the Role of Ministers C hristopher Densmore 18 FCNL Notes While many meetings no longer have recorded ministers, the ministry 22 Reports continues. 25 News of Friends 15 Who Deserves the Nobel Peace Prize? 27 Bulletin Board Irwin Abrams As a Nobel Laureate, the American Friends Service Committee is 28 Books entitled to make an annual nomination. 29 Milestones 31 Classified 34 Meetings Poetry 12 Setting Out Edward A Dougheny 17 Three Peacemakers Mike Heller Front cover art by Irving Amen FRIENDS jOURNAL December 1997 3 Forum Chronologically gifted Friends; the dichotomy is false, and the using the words "Mafia," ~ traditional Quaker view is that both ideas go "crippled," "circulating," At age 81, I feel mighty lucky to be hand in hand. and "gay." If we're trying to blessed with a loving wife, good health, a Quaker pacifism is based not only on the make everyone happy, should friendly neighborhood, and a monthly teachings of Jesus, but on his life-the we stop singing "Amazing Grace?" It is meeting often providing a gathered meeting. supreme moment being his crucifixion. insensitive to the "visually impaired," after The frequency with which I have gratitude There, all the evil and hostility of the world all. for my good luck, jubilation about the confronted the infmite divine love, and love I know some of these forms of experience of peace that passeth . won. When Jesus said, "Father, forgive fellowship and education and worship seem understanding, and absence of desire to them," the victory was assured. That image destructive to some of us. I don't doubt manipulate the lives of others, differs of the cross inspires me more than any anyone's sincerity. But I'd like to ask us to significantly from what were my patterns at other image to tty to live a loving life and to keep trying hard to understand the age 18. persevere despite my abundant failures. meaning and the purpose behind each Many deteriorations, such as the growth The Old and New Testaments still have other's words, not just the form. I'd like to of a cataract or the growing deafness of my much value in helping us live in the Light. see us avoid over-sensitivity the way we right ear, are so gradual that my visits to I also recognize the value and authenticity avoid insensitivity. doctors bring me surprises. Having learned of many non-Christian scriptures. My life And I'd like to join Ruth Ringenbach to accept an abundance of past failures, I can and thought have been influenced by many and Ruth Winifred Dahlke in thanking enjoy projects today because they reflect in other faiths (e.g., Gandhi, Martin Buber, FRIENDS JOURNAL for bringing us fresh, what I deem important for humanity, AJ. Hesche!, the Dalai Lama); I would uncensored an and worship. without worrying about what might be the describe them as reflecting the mind of Lincoln Sheets small probability ofsuccess during my Christ better than most of us Christians! Springfield, Mo. lifetime. I am not unduly distressed that However,' I believe from my experience some dangerous types of violence are that the cross of Christ is indeed the central IfJohn Calvi's choice of words is to be increasing nearby. point in history (as did Wtlliam Penn), and criticized as insensitive, offensive, and In seeking to lovingly accept whatever it is reflected in various ways in our own simply injurious, then what of William comes my way, I have a tranquility that can lives as we tty to recognize that of God in Rosenbaum's suggestion that John Calvi's cope with the external turmoil.
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