June 2002 Quaker Thought FRIENDS and Life OURNAL Today What Can Love Do? A~aker at Ground Zero Ruach, Chutzpah, and Creativity An Among Friends independent magazine serving the Let Suffering Stop Here Religious Society of 've recently read an article in the New York Times detailing the Bush Friends administration's plans to launch an attack on Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people ("U.S. Envisions Blueprint on Iraq Including Big Invasion Next Year," Editorial I Susan Corson-Finnerty (Publisher and Executive April 28, 2002, pp. 1 and 18). Perhaps emboldened by the dancing citizens in the Editor), Roben Dockhorn (Senior Editor), Lisa streets of Kabul after our military removed the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, Rand (Assistant Editor), Judith Brown (Poetry Editor), Ellen Michaud (Book Review Editor), our current administration seems to view itself as a liberating force bearing down on J. Brent Bill (Assistant Book Review Editor), Joan Iraq, one that will be welcomed once the devastation we are planning has been Overman (Book Review Assistant), Christine Rusch (Milestones Editor), Julie Gochenour, Roben Marks, finished. Given our appalling record of sanctions and prevention of humanitarian aid Cameron McWhiner (News Editors), Kara Newell from reaching even Iraqi children, it seems likely that more suffering can only harden (Columnist) , Marjorie Schier (Copyeditor) hearts against the U.S. It's unlikely that Iraqis, not long ago one of the most educated Production Barbara Benton (Art Director), Alia Podolsky and culturally advanced nations in the region, would regard their suffering as (Assistant Art Director), Marcin Kelley (Web emanating solely from the acts of their belligerent leader, whom many may admire for Manager) his willingness to defY the unbridled hubris of the United States. Advertising, Circulation, Development Nagendran Gulendran (Advertising Manager), In Afghanistan we neither eliminated the enemy leader nor have we ended the Nicole Hackel (Circulation Assistant}, Pamela resistance of enraged and determined fighters who are driven by their own particular Nelson (Development Assistant), Kay Bacon, Ruth Peterson, Roben Sutton (Volunteers) vision of justice and freedom, antithetical to our own as that may be. It may be that Administration before our administration is done with its self-proclaimed mission, backed by approval Marianne De Lange (Office Manager), Tom McPeak ratings born out of deep mourning, anger, and fear, the entire Muslim world­ (Accounting Services), Tom Hanmann (Volunteer) Board of Trustees embracing many of the world's ancient cultures-will be mobilized to view the U.S. Barbara Andrews, Lucinda Antrim, TylaAnn as its spiritual and worldly demonic enemy. It is very sobering to hear seasoned Burger (Treasurer), Katharine Clark, Linda Coffin, John Darnell, William Deutsch, Mary Ann Quaker peace workers expressing deep concern that we've never been in a more Downey, Walter Evans, Marsha Green (Recording , dangerous situation. Clerk), Dan Hewitt, Linda Lyman, Larry Miller, Julian O'Reilley, Ruth Peterson, David Runkel, As I reflect upon this troubling prospect, two articles in this issue offer some Jonathan Tamez, Wilmer T)vssem, Elizabeth insights. In "Reclaiming Baptism" (p. 12) Paul Buckley reminds us that originally Years (Clerk), Anne-Marie Zilliacus baptism was the symbolic recognition of a preexisting transformation in an individual: FRIENDSJ ouRNAL (ISSN 00 16-1322) was established in 1955 as rhe successor ro The Friend (1827-1955) "Baptism was an act of symbolic purification, and the person being baptized and Friends lnteUigencer (1844-1955). acknowledged the need for cleansing and purification." In facing the days to come, I • FRIENDSj OURNAL is published monthly by believe that just such an inner conversion and turning from our personal and Friends Publishing Corporation, 1216 Arch Street, 2A, Philadelphia, PA 19 107-2835. T elephone collective destructive practices will be necessary. Few will be exempt from the need for (215) 563-8629. E-mail [email protected]. this conversion. Some may not find this transformation in the context of religious Periodicals postage paid ar Philadelphia, Pa., and additional mailing offices. faith, but until our hearts are purified, and our motives become generous and loving • Subscriptions: one year $29, two years $54. Add towards our neighbors at home and abroad, a world without real fear of monstrous $6 per year for postage ro countries outside the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Individual copies $3 each. harm will not be possible. • Advertising information and assistance is available H ector Black, in "What Can Love Do?" (p.6), movingly writes directly from such on request. Appearance of any advertisement does a transformed heart in response to the fate of the man who viciously raped and nor imply endorsement by FRIENDS JouRNAL. murdered his daughter. Amanda Hoffman, who sent Hector's remarkable words to • Postmaster: send address changes ro FRIENDS JouRNAL, 1216 Arch Street, 2A, Philadelphia, PA us, wrote, "I share with you the heartbreaking and inspiring story .. to give testimony 19107-2835. that all things do work together for good for those who love God. Let this be a story • Copyright© 2002 by Friends Publishing Corporation. Permission should be received before we tell to our children, that they may know that heroes are living people who struggle." reprinting excerpts longer than 200 words. In a world that long has grappled with the evil, pain, and suffering that humans Available on microfilm from Bell and Howell Information and Learning. can inflict on each other, we are called to nothing less than an inner transformation PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER and conversion to radical love. Without transformed hearts, our political strategies Min. 20% post-consumer will falter and our courage may fail. If we hope to offer something oflasting value to our suffering world, we must follow the example of Hector Black and refuse to return hatred for hatred, refuse the impulse to retaliate, bur extend forgiveness even when to Moving? Let us update your subscription and address. do so is excruciatingly painful. When we are able to let the pain stop on our FRIENDS j OURNAL, 1216 Arch St., 2A doorstep--and to let others see that this is our choice--then genuine transformation Philadelphia, PA 19107-2835 • (215) 563-8629 becomes possible. Fax: (215) 568-1377 • [email protected] Web: www.friendsjournal.org 2 june 2002 FRIENDS JoURNAL June 2002 FRIENDS Volume 48, No. 6 JOURNAL Features Departments 8 What Can Love Do? 2 Among Friends Amanda Hoffman Two e-mails from the father ofa murder victim give courage. 4 Forum 11 A Quaker at Ground Zero 5 Viewpoint John Blum FinanciaL resources for medicaL care Accompanying relatives ofvictims to the site was a healing 21 Reports and Epistles experience. Phikulelphia Yearly Meeting 14 Reclaiming Baptism Quaker-jewish dialogue Paul Buckley Children s expression ofconscience Underlying the issues ofbaptism and membership is the reality of Quaker Peace Roundtable spiritual transformation. 24 Witness 16 Ruach, Chutzpah, and Creativity Quaker Service in Cape Town, South Susan Hubbard Africa During a women s retreat, an agnostic gained insight into her 26 Reflection beliefi. To tell or not to tell 18 Benjamin Lundy, Pioneer Quaker 27 Quaker History Abolitionist Manasquan (NJ) Meetings 300th Suzanne R Wicks anniversary Troubled by conscience, Benjamin Lundy organized antislavery societies tirelessly. 28 Ufe in the Meeting Clerking 20 Rainbow Sign Amy Gomez 29 Books What is our sign to God? 34 News 38 Bulletin Board 40 Milestones 43 Classified 46 Meetings Poetry 17 Direction Dennis O'Donnell Cover photo: "Mud Balls and Mouse Bones, " by john Greenkr, <www.zephyrform.com> FruENDS]OURNAL]une2002 3 Forum Our sense·of An untested faith is no faith God exists within individual separateness is at all Marty Paxson Grundy's article, "Words illusory Beyond the "peace summit" at Arch and the Word" (F]Feb.) is a most welcome statement of how one may see Friends' Stre~t !Vfeecing in Philadelphia in May I~ response to your January 2002 issue, (Building Peace in the 21st Century: New experience of the Inner Light. I am sure she here IS a quote from Albert Einstein that Responses to New Forms ofWar, May 3-5, speaks to the condition of many Friends, as may help those people who are immersed 2001, sponsored by Pendle Hill), all who've well as ~o my o~. It is in this spirit that I ~n their own sexuality: "A human being borne the label "Quaker" lightly will reflect would hke to ratse a question based on my IS a part of the whole that we call the own Quaker approach. on the co~t of ide~tification with a religious universe, _a part li~ited in time and space. communtty at vanance with the redefined For me, the citation in capital letters of He _expenences h1rnself, his thoughts and "God" and then "The Divine," terms that valu~s of the U .S.-the imperial permanent feelings, as something separated from garnson state. A strategic reformulation of the.writer ~es in ~dvancing her argument the rest-a kind of optical illusion of his agatnst the 1dolatnes of name definitions, ~e Peace Testimony scill should be centered conscio~s~ess. This illusion is a prison for creates a problem of just the kind that the ill the Gospel beatitudes inherent in the us, restncttng us to our personal desires 1660 Declaration of Friends. Without a writer seems to be confronting. Is there a and to affection for only the few people God who, a priori, exists and makes possible re~ommitment to the message of the nearest us. Our task must be to free Kingdom of]esus, the Peace Testimony hearkenings to that God? For Marty ourse~ves from this prison by widening becot?es a tangential expression of a Grundy, the answer seems to be in the our c1rde of compassion to embrace all faltermg, postrnodern, humanist ideal.