Quaker Thought and Today
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July 2002 Quaker Thought and Life Today A BIG EVENT IN A SMALL MEETING WITH A SMALL SCHOOL "UNDER ITS CARE" CAN LOVE REALLY OVERCOME VIOLENCE AND HATE? ROBERT PURVIS: FRIEND OF THE FRIENDS An Among Friends independent magazine serving the Religious Tune to Mind the Light Society of Friends ecently I've had ample opportunity to reflect on the difference one person can make. My daughter has just undergone necessary elective surgery and her Editorial recovery has been a painful and complicated one. During her days of Susan Corson-Finnerty (Publishi!T' and Ex~cutiv~ R Editor), Robert Dockhorn (Senior Editor), Lisa Rand hospitalization and recuperation at home, I've been keenly aware that my {Amstant Editor}, Judith Brown {Poetry Editor), Ellen interventions on her behalf have made a tremendous difference in how much pain Michaud (Book Review Editor),). Brent Bill (Arsistant Book Review Editor}, Joan Overman (Book Review she's had to bear and how quickly her complications have been addressed. There Arsistant}, Christine Rusch (MilLstones Editor}, Julie hasn't been a roadmap in finding our way, as is true for so much in life. While she Gochenour, Robert Marks, Cameron McWhirter (News Editors), Kara Newell (Columnist), Marjorie was in the hospital, I passed by many rooms where individuals lay sick and alone, and Schier (Copyditor), Amber Graven, Elizabeth I wondered how many of them were getting the support and advocacy they needed. Markham, Nicole Perry, Molly Wilson {Interns} My daughter is now on the road to recovery, but I'm still reflecting on the impact of Production Barbara Benron (An Director), Alia Podolsky just one determined person. {Arsistant Art Dir«tor), Marrin Kelley ( W~b Managi!T) Many of the articles in this issue similarly highlight the difference individuals can Advertising, Circulation, Development make, even when the circumstances we face are ovetwhelming and our efforts seem Nagendran Gulendran {Advmising Managi!T), Nicole Hackel {Cirr:ulation Arsistant}, Melissa far too small to be anything but futile. Robert Purvis in the 19th century struggled Heyman (Administrativ~ Arsistant}, Pamela Nelson with racism, women's and human rights, protesting injustices throughout his adult (Droewpment Arsistant), Grerra Srone {Droewpment Coordinator), Kay Bacon, Ruth Peterson, Robert life, as Margaret Bacon tells us in "Robert Purvis, Friend of the Friends" (p. 20). The Surton (Volunturs) seeds that Purvis and others planted in the 19th century bore much fruit in the 20th, Administration although that work is by no means finished. In "Family" (p. 18), Helen Weaver Marianne De Lange (Office Managi!T), Tom McPeak (Accounting S!!T'Vices}, Tom Harrmann ( Voluntei!T) Horn shares a beautiful description of her response to an isolated elderly man and an Board of Trustees orphaned fawn-both offered an opportunity to thrive through caring attention Barbara Andrews, TylaAnn Burger {Treasurer}, Katharine Clark, Linda Coffin, John Darnell, freely given. JoAnn Seaver, in "A Big Event in a Small Meeting with a Small School William Deutsch (Assistant C!Lrk), Mary Ann 'Under its Care"' (p. 16), describes a process carefully worked out by members of her Downey, Walter Evans, Marsha Green {Recording to C!Lrk), Dan Hewirt, Linda Lyman, Larry Miller, meeting and members of its school community-a "visioning meeting"-that led Julian O'Reilley, Ruth Peterson, Jonathan Tamez, "renewed commitment and an enormous amount of energy" being released for the Wilmer Tjossem, Elizabeth Years (C!Lrk), Anne Marie Zilliacus good of all. Without the careful attention of many individuals, this positive outcome FRJENDS jOURNAL (ISSN 0016-1322) was esrablished surely would not have been possible. in 1955 as the successor roTh~ Friend (1827-1955) In "Can Love Really Overcome Violence and Hate?" (p.6), Mary Lord asks, "How and Frimds lnuUigenm (1844-1955). shall we as Quakers sustain ourselves as people of peace in the midst of worldwide • FRJENDS jOURNAL is published monthly by Friends Publishing Corporation, 1216 Arch Srreer, war? By living in that covenant of peace which was before wars and strife were... It 2A, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835. Telephone is not our Quakerism, or our pacifism, or our knowledge, or skill, or emotion that (215) 563-8629. E-mail [email protected]. Periodicals posrage paid ar Philadelphia, Pa., and overcomes hate and violence. We shall surely fail if we become proud of our virtue additional mailing offices. and traditions and become vain in our witness. We shall fail if we think the power • Subscriptions: one year $29, rwo years $54. Add $6 per year for postage ro countries ourside the U.S., that may move through us is our own. The power is not ours, it is God's." Canada, and Mexico. Individual copies $3 each. As I reflect on the difference one individual can make, I'm keenly aware that that • Advertising information and assisrance is available difference can be enormous and far-reaching if we act in obedience to Divine leading. on request. Appearance of any advertisement does nor imply endorsement by FRJENDS JoURNAL. Our task is to discern that leading and to employ our talents as fully as possible in • Postmaster: send address changes ro FRIENDS following that guidance. We can never know all of the results, but I know they can jOURNAL, 1216 Arch Street, 2A, Philadelphia, PA be quite astonishing. What better time than now, Friends, for us to mind the Light 19107-2835. • Copyright© 2002 by Friends Publishing and to take action? Corporation. Permission should be received before reprinting ex:cerprs longer than 200 words. Available on microfilm from Bell and Howell Informacion and Learning. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Min. 20% post-consumer Moving? Let us update your subscription and address. FRJENDS JouRNAL, 1216 Arch Sr., 2A Philadelphia, PA 19107-2.835 • (215) 563-8629 Fax: (215) 568-1377 • [email protected] Web: www.friendsjournal.org 2 july 2002 FRIENDS J OURNAL July 2002 FRIENDS Volume 48, No.7 JOURNAL Features Departments 6 Can Love Really Overcome VIOlence and 2 Among Friends Hate? Reflections on the Friends Peace 4 Forum Testimony Mary Lord 5 Viewpoint As the world is propelled towards war, we must resist the ideologies Friends and modern culture ofprivilege andforce. 23 Quaker History 14 Compassion Personified The winds ofchange Arthur Rifkin 24 Memoir The miracles that jesus worked were less-and more--than they Fighting pacifism seem. 26 Witness 16 A Big Event in a Small Meeting with a Going for the gold Small School "Under its Care" JoAnn Seaver 28 Life in the Meeting A "visioning meeting" helped heal differences between Greene Street A gift ofa Saturday morning Friends School and its parent meeting. 30 Children's Corner 18 Family Crossword puzzle HelenWeaver Horn 31 Reflection An elderly friend and a fawn iUuminate the forces ofkinship. Bicycling in a state ofgrace 20 Robert Purvis: Friend of the Friends 32 Books Margaret Hope Bacon A Young Friends ' summer bookshelf The life ofa leading Philadelphian reflects the stresses ofrace relations in the 19th century. 35 News 37 Bulletin Board Cover photo ofGreene Street Friends School (Philadelphia, Pa.) by Robert Dockhorn 39 Milestones 45 Classified Poetry 13 My Grandma Knew What She Was Doing Helen Weaver Horn Tokyo T.v. Wiley FRIENDS j OURNAL july 2002 3 Forum Coverage is biased viewed by peers in general society as being with one another in a humble and loving progressives but who are too often . spirit, each giving to others credit for purity I am sorry to say that I don't want you to categorized by their fellow Quakers as bemg of motive, notwithstanding differences of send me FRIENDS JouRNAL anymore. I am reactionaries or conservatives. opinion." embarrassed to have it on my table at home Jack makes a serious point that it seems Nelson Babb or the office. I don't mean this to be the time has passed when U.S. Friends West Suffield, Conn. offensive; it's just true. sincerely welcomed a wide array of Quaker The publications for the last year have beliefs, including Republicans and other less Do we need a new religion? been very anti-Israeli. I am afraid someone than-liberal believers. Those people who who doesn't know about Quakers will pick have studied economics and make a living in Jack Powelson said it well (FJ April). up a copy of the JouRNAL and assume that I business are too often regarded with 'That of God in every person, silent am also anti-Israeli. Many of us in my suspicion and perhaps seen as not being worship, and decisions by sense of the meeting are also very concerned about the QC--"Quakerly Correct." meeting." Maybe he and I should start. a unrelenting bias shown in FRIENDS JOURNAL. Some 160 years ago the traumatic Great new religion. But what should we calltt? I don't think you speak for Friends Separation took place. H . Larry Ingle's Quakerism? Or? anymore. The publication has become too Quakers in Conflict is an excellent account of Stanley C Marshall close to hate-mongering. the so-called Hicksite Reformation. One Pittsburgh, Pa. Katherine Kessler view of what happened then was that rural Harrisonburg, Va. Quakers chafed at how the Philadelphia An open letter to Jack urbanites were accommodating the trends of Powelson Losing an encouraging the day and insisting that their views override those held by their country conservatives. I was sorry to see that you are leaving example One may argue that there is a parallel Quakers (F] April). You speak my mind on happening today. However, in some ways the general matter of Eastern liberal How sad is Jack Powelson's resolve to there is clearly a greater and more present leave Quakers! (F] April) As another one unprogrammed Friends moving incr~~ingly dilemma.