Quaker Wisdom

I have written before about attending North Valley Friends Meeting when in Oregon. Brendon had a book on his table titled "A Quaker Book of Wisdom" written by Robert Lawrence Smith who was head of the Washington DC Friends School for years starting in the 60s. When we got back home I bought it and finished reading it this weekend (amidst the snow and football). I want to write down some things so I remember them better.

Other than our Aunt Phyllis being a Quaker and my having worshiped at an unprogrammed Friends Meeting in Pittsburgh once, I knew little about Quakerism. But visiting Newberg over and over you begin to get a flavor of Friends. First George Fox, the founder, began it all in the middle 1600s...so the idea has been around for a long time. Fox spent years looking for faith and found it in silence, in service, in non-violence, in equality, and in the fact that God is in each of us and will reveal the truth if we but listen. They use the term "as way opens" to describe Providence working in our lives. Herbert Hoover, who was born in Newberg, was raised Quaker as was Nixon. Hoover was a practicing Friend, Nixon was not.

I was concerned about the non-violence part in this expression of Christianity, not that I believe in violence, but I am a Navy guy and have both positive and negative thoughts about it. During Vietnam the Quakers experienced a growth in their ranks as they protested the war. What Smith says is that all Quakers are free to take whatever position they want on issues and persue them without concern. Smith was in WWII and was in fact in the Battle of the Bulge...but the principles of non-violence is more in the model of Dr. Martin Luther King. My concern was that if an intruder threatens violence or immenent death what would a Quaker do? This applies to countries as well as individuals....and a Quaker would do what they felt lead to do. Quakers are the conscience of society...not reactionaries. They are both Democrats and Republicans. First and foremost Quakers seek truth.

The interesting part is (1) they were the first to repudiate slavery in the New World...amen. There were not enough of these folks; (2) they speak thee and thou to other Quakers but not to the outside world; (3) they really are plain, but not in the sense that Amish are plain; (4) they believe in service to others; on it goes.

Smith takes a little shot at big churches that produce worship like theatre because Friends' worship is so internal...silence, meditation, unprogrammed services really speak to me...see my blog on North Valley Friends. Equality is the essence of their faith. I like that because it supports my employee relations philosophy that employers should treat their workers as equals.

Quakers got their name from the fact that they were outlawed in England and when they were asked if they were part of the Society of Friends they would shake or quake...thus the name. They are not related to Quaker Oats in any manner. The food giant co-opted their plain image as their logo. Also, William Penn was a big Quaker...and I question the stories of how he cheated Indians by claming his western boundry was a three day journey west, by having relay runners establish the line... Penn was the son of an aristocrat Brit (Navy Admiral) which allowed him to get the land in the first place. So, who knows...he is reveared in Philadelphia.

That's enough for now on Quakerism. I just wanted to know how my Korean born grandsons will be reared in a Quaker home...and it suits me just fine...thanks, Aunt Tottie...for setting in motion the concept of "as way opens" to our generation. I really think Meemie's philosophy of life had lots to do with Quaker beliefs.