Overview
From the beginning, Quaker faith and practice has been countercultural. This legacy has left us many beautiful gifts that can support our quest for grounded and connected lives. The direct experience of Truth invites us to “keep within” and “let the Light show you,” rather than being swayed by external forces. We can look for guidance in the lives of many early and contemporary Friends who sought and found wholeness, often through countercultural ways of being. Our Quaker practices of discernment encourage faithfulness and authenticity and our meetings can offer community, mentorship, mutuality, and encouragement.
Watch this QuakerSpeak video, The Courage to Be a Quaker (4 min)
To listen to the still, small voice does feel very countercultural. It feels like a radical step against what the world—capital-W World—is telling us to do.
Or listen to this Quaker chant from Paulette Meier:
“Neither activities nor possessions will ever be able to satisfy the spiritual longing radiating from our souls.” —Catherine Whitmire, from Practicing Peace. Catherine Whitmire is a contemporary Quaker author who has published two books of inspiring Quaker quotations, embellished with her own insightful commentary.
Or watch this QuakerSpeak video, How Quakers Can Transform the World (3 min)
Noah Merrill talks about the prophetic possibility of Quaker faith and practice to move us beyond our limited experience of the world: I think one of the gifts for me of my journey as a Friend is that I find tools for what has been called “sacramental living” — for recognizing that in every moment there’s the possibility for the in-breaking of something beyond us.
Queries for Reflection and Connection
- What have you found to be the barriers that most get in the way of your meaningful and connected life?
- What would it look like for your life to be “whole”?
- What support have you found from a Quaker meeting or spiritual community?