On entering this site I noticed the word 'officially' used about gossip. Who are these 'officials'? Are we all not equals or do some like officialdom to hold sway? All we have are equals who are the servants of Meeting. If they take themselves to be official should they consider themselves not appropriate to that role?

let them love.
To those who can't fully understand let them wait until the light shines through.
In Life
Love
and
Peace
Peter

...to look at the opening paragraph of Quakerism 101 and not explode at the poor quality of the understanding shown. By analogy the mid 17th century was nothing like the 60's in America but if that's where you are coming from it's easy to understand where confusion lies.
Sorry
Peter

Many times I hold back from writing because sometimes I am inspired by what may seem to be a joke or something similar. I often delete - hard to believe I know - because my tone may be taking away from others but I do feel that while many a true word may be spoken in jests many jests may be spoken in true words.

I do not wish to offend but sometimes - like Lear's Fool- is truth often spoken in apparent foolishness. Most of the Friends I know are not dour but that is how we may come across… Continue

That is entirely it.
Peter

I came across the following e e cummings' poem today



i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody… Continue