Posted: July 13, 2023   •   Posted in: Action, Journey to Quakers, Peace

Peace, Quakers and me – Jenny’s personal journey

The reason I was first drawn to Quakers in the 1980s, was because of their commitment to peace, and their reputation as one of the Peace Churches.

When I was at University, I got very involved in the United Nations Student Association, and in the Anti-Apartheid group. Trevor Huddleston came to speak to us, and I was deeply impressed by his words and his quiet determination and commitment to work for the abolishment of the Apartheid system in South Africa, which violated the rights of all black South Africans.

When I started teaching, I became part of the Teachers for Peace group in Devon, and started an Amnesty group in the school I was in. Later as the mother of three, I became very active in The Woodcraft Folk, whose logo was ‘Span the World with Friendship.’ This led me finally to find Friends in the Religious Society of Friends, which I joined as a member in 1997.

Someone once said I was a mystic AND an activist, and I think that is what Quakerism demands of us. In the 1990s I was searching for a home where I could be both of these, and I found it with Quakers. ‘God’ – whatever we mean by that three lettered word – ‘has no hands but ours, so don’t sit on them’ sits well with our first Advice: ‘Take heed, dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth in your hearts. Trust them as the leadings of God whose Light shows us our darkness…’ (Quaker faith & practice)

For me, Quakerism is a mixture of activism and mysticism, and I am called not only to understand and challenge the inequality and injustice around, but also to act on that understanding to try to bring about change – joining protest demonstration against nuclear weapons at Faslane, marching in London against the Iraq war, being part of silent vigils in support of peace – Alone I can do very little, together perhaps we can change the world.

Since the 1650s ordinary Quakers have stood up against the tyranny of injustice, and inequality, facing imprisonment and even death, in an attempt to create God’s peaceable kingdom on earth. This means challenging the status quo, but doing so non-violently, in love, because that is the Way to Peace. As Gandhi said: ’violence only begets violence’, and although it may seem to solve problems short-term, it only leads to greater problems long-term.

In the 17^th century, Margaret Fell, one of the great early Quakers, went to speak to Charles II, to assure him that Quakers were law-abiding and had no intention of undermining the state:

‘Our principle is, and our practices have always been, to seek peace and to follow after righteousness and the knowledge of God, seeking the good and  welfare, and doing that which tends to the peace of all. All bloody principles and practices do we utterly deny…’ (Quaker faith & practice)

There are some ways of acting that Quakers cannot follow, their conscience will not allow it, their experience and understanding of ‘God’ will not allow it. This applies to life today.

Not only do I oppose all wars, I also oppose all social injustice, economic injustice, and climate injustice. Societies hate change, especially those who are in possession of power and privilege, but the world has to find another way – and I suggest the only way is peace.