Learning in the Stillness - Part 2
A neighbour recently said she couldn’t imagine sitting in silence for an hour because of all her worries about the state of the world. In my experience, the stillness can give me peace away from worries and over time, it can change or even transform them. I start by acknowledging pressing thoughts and concerns with kindness and empathy. The circle of Friends supports me and the grey cloud of general turmoil and uncertainty lifts. There is space now to see life in the round and to acknowledge it all. I feel my way to inner wisdom, which is deeper than our conscience because it is more universal and long-lasting. I am aware of resilience and potential, as well as generosity and determination. I feel calmer and clearer. Even on the days when I do not quite get there, I always have the memory behind me.
Loving acceptance is one of the keys. Meditation practice encourages people to let their thoughts drift past like clouds however many times they return. I usually find that a persistent thought is asking for my attention and, in the stillness, I listen to it, softly with generosity and care. Compassionate listening teaches me to understand more deeply. I see more clearly that everyone is at heart a ‘child of God’ and know that this is where all life begins.
This is one of many ways to describe the core belief at the centre of the Quaker way. How it is expressed in practice can be seen in the Quaker testimonies to Peace, Simplicity, Equality, Truth and Sustainability. In Part 1, I wrote about the Peace testimony, which is the one Quakers are most known for and is often the hardest to understand. At its heart is the belief in the intrinsic goodness and potential for growth in all of us; where that belief leads each of us may be along different paths.
Sustainability is the most recent testimony, though maybe we have not found the best name for it yet. As we see multiple environmental catastrophes accelerating before our eyes, many people have come to understand not only what is happening but why. Like the Peace testimony, the Quaker perspective on sustainability flows from our experience in the stillness. We now see the planet as an interrelated web of all that is. Humans are neither separate from nature nor from one another. We know with our mind, body and spirit that we are part of one whole earth.
In the stillness I reflect on what has brought us all to this point and what my role might be. The human urge to expand, explore, create and grow has too often led to exploitation and domination. We have lost sight of the earth as home, at the expense of so much and so many. Slow down, look around and see how we have broken the web of life. As we search for solutions that will save us, the testimony to sustainability calls us to restore those vital threads of life, wherever we can. Being an ex-geography teacher, it is clear to me that the earth and the majority of its inhabitants have become commodities in the interests of increasing GNP. I have joined with other Quakers to campaign for a ‘circular’ economics and for climate justice in solidarity with the people in the Global South because the treadmill of economic growth as we know it, will only perpetuate suffering and hasten our decline. Others will take different actions towards restoring the web, knowing that all our contributions are important, not knowing for certain what will unfold. No one individual can do everything; we all have our own experience and wisdom to bring to this movement for change.
Living with uncertainty and fear of the future is one of the challenges of our age. Margaret Fell, who was one of the founding Quakers, writes about ‘living hope’. I think she is saying that hope is not wishful thinking, but a way of being that comes alive through action. The more we live with the web of life in mind, the more we nurture and energise it, the more we will see the change and join in. Being in the Thames Valley, I know that the pollution of the river is waking up more and more people. However uncertain the future looks, it is in this greater awareness and togetherness, where my hope lies.
Ruth Tod - Henley Quaker Meeting