Stewardship is the testimony to which the other Quaker testimonies point. To the extent we live simply, we will avoid the wastefulness endangering the earth’s ability to adequately sustain life for future generations. When we make an honest effort to live in peace with each other, we will, in the words of John Woolman, “lessen the distresses of the afflicted and increase the happiness of the creation”. If we seek to live with integrity, we will develop, in the words of Paul, “a…

Quakers have the same struggles as the rest of society and that includes a time of realizing we may have feelings contrary to what we know is true of all people. It is never acceptable to allow such feelings to influence us into actively denying the inherent equality of another person because of his or her race, gender or sexual orientation. However, at such a time, rather than being ashamed, it is better to honestly acknowledge our negative feelings and consider if they have…

We long for connections to others. We want to belong to something greater than ourselves. At the same time, we demand autonomy and freedom from constraints imposed by virtue of belonging to a group. These opposing pulls cause stress on both institutions and individuals as we try to meet the requirements of our outer and inner worlds. How do we genuinely balance our need to be self-determining persons and, at the same time, contributing members of society?

The answer…

The Quaker testimony of integrity has its foundation in the belief that there is the light of God within each of us. The human heart, at its very core, is God’s dwelling place. The measure of “light” we each possess is who we are at our deepest level, therefore, being true to ourselves means, at the same time, being true to God.

Being true to God is not a matter of adhering to custom, creed or ritual, but rather of choosing to live in such a way as to make…

The world often views people who advocate for peace as being weak and vacillating. However, in reality, bringing about peace requires strength and conviction. Peace makes demands on us that are not easily met. If it were otherwise, lasting peace would not be so elusive.

One element of bringing about peace is to know what the word means to us. Peace requires a clear definition that is open to frequent examination. This is not merely an academic…

The expression, “Keep it simple, stupid” does not fit with the Quaker testimony of simplicity. Simplicity is not arrived at by taking the path of least resistance. Nor is simplicity a matter of ignoring what is inconvenient or avoiding a careful analysis of the different aspects that make up a situation. We don’t start from simplicity, simplicity is what we arrive at, or at least get closer to, after going…