Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

The Admin Council received an open letter to PYM from six former clerks of the yearly meeting. The letter is shared below. The Council read it and has great appreciation for our clerks’ care for our spiritual community. We hope that it will be circulated broadly within the Yearly Meeting and that it is received in a spirit of loving reflection.

April 2019
A Letter to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends from the Former Clerks

Dear Friends,

As the six living former Clerks of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, we offer this letter of loving encouragement to our Yearly Meeting. Over the course of our Yearly Meeting’s three hundred and thirty-eight year history, we have experienced times when Friends were troubled and exercised about public actions and weighty concerns in Annual Sessions. Nevertheless, we endured and continued with our faith, vision, and love for one another. We have a robust and proven spiritual tradition and we are called to understand and practice it today, even in the face of discord.

It is our experience that our community has been in a state of contentiousness and unfriendliness that has separated us in what seem to be secular ways. Several factors have contributed to this condition: tensions regarding a vision for undoing racism; adjustment to new structures; abuse of social media; the unfamiliarity that many Friends seem to have with Quaker decision-making practices in large groups; and hurtful behavior that has gone unaddressed. Some Friends stay away either out of frustration or because our public conflict is uncomfortable.

It can be hot and messy when we do not manage conflict well. When we are challenged, it is essential that we stay in relationship with one another while seeking the way forward and resolving individual differences. Love still abides in and with us. We can, in all humility, love one another even when there are painful differences.

We unite in encouraging each of us to stay in relationship, to hear one another, and to move forward with love and respect. Our Yearly Meeting is a spiritual community; with God’s help, we can transform these struggles into something new—strong, penetrating and effective to address all matters before us, including our concerns with racism.

Our decision-making is a spiritual process that calls us to hold our meetings for business in a spirit of worship, seeking and being open to the leadings of the Spirit. We know that together in waiting worship and with Divine assistance many things are possible; we will be astonished at what unfolds. It takes all of us: we who pray, we who listen, we who heal, we who witness for peace and justice, and we who have voice and vision are needed now. Now is a time for us to join together, humbly finding our way, sharing kindness, and uniting as a community in Spirit-led witness. On the following page, we suggest some of the shared practices that can be useful to us as we travel with one another for Truth.

In tenderness and love,

Arthur M. Larrabee (1991 – 1995)   Gretchen Castle (2002 – 2005)
Martha B. Bryans (1995 – 1999)      Thomas Swain (2005 – 2012)
Arlene Kelly (1999 – 2002)               Jada Jackson (2012 – 2015)

Reminders of Good Business Meeting Practices

When we as a spiritual, deliberative body understand and adhere to our shared practices and discipline, Friends decision-making processes work well.

1. Be present in a spirit of worship, holding the meeting, each speaker and the clerks in the Light.
2. Seek the good of the meeting as a whole and God’s truth for it; be prepared to change your mind and to let go of personal preferences and ego.
3. Listen carefully to the person speaking, particularly holding in the Light those people and ideas with which you disagree. Consider an attitude of curiosity rather than an attitude of judgment.
4. Challenge yourself to trust the Light that is given to others; be open to new truth, revelation and insight; be teachable.
5. Seek and wait for the clerk’s recognition before speaking; address the clerk or the meeting as a whole, not individual Friends. Not everyone who wishes to speak will be recognized.
6. Speak in the hope of serving the meeting’s search for Truth. Your personal opinion, or your feelings on an issue, are relevant only to the extent that they help in that search.
7. Share the truth that is given to you. After you have spoken, release what you’ve said to the meeting. Releasing is as important as what you have to say.
8. Let your speaking be simple and concise. Debate and appeal to emotion are out of place in a meeting for business.
9. When tensions arise, consider how they might be used creatively in the search for Truth. While we belong to a community committed to loving fellowship and unity, we know experientially that the “third way” we seek often emerges from engaging tensions.
10. Participate with clerking consciousness, thinking about the meeting and the process through the eyes of the clerk.
11. Respect the authority of the clerk and the elders. We have given them special responsibility to guide us in supporting the meeting and our decision-making. When the clerk is standing or speaking, deference to the clerk is expected.
12. Acknowledge, with gratitude, the opportunities we have to do the work of the Spirit in community.

On Saturday March 23, 117 people from 50 PYM Monthly Meeting communities convened for Spring Continuing Sessions near Reading PA. A summary of the day’s events follows. Approved Minutes from the afternoon’s 1:00 PM-4:00 PM Meeting for Business are posted on PYM’s website under Continuing Sessions.

Read the Minutes

OUTDOOR MEETING FOR WORSHIP

The chilly and brilliantly sunny day began with a meaningful, peaceful, 10 am to 12 noon worship activity outside of the Berks County Residential Center.

Young Adult Friends (YAF) were supported in their participation through grant funding from the D’Olier Foundation, which provided transportation and meals for all YAF participants. Older Friends and families traveled by car, and Middle School and Young Friends participated with their program leaders and parents nearby.

Friends arrived with their blankets, folding lawn chairs, bilingual signs calling for  ‘No Cages No Wall,’ and mugs of hot coffee. After several opening songs, the group settled into worship,  surrounded by blue sky and groves of trees just across the street from the Berks County Residential Center.

There was no sound for a time except the wind blowing steadily and a few birds announcing spring.

Worship was held bilingually, with seamless translation provided by Marian Dalke, (Radnor Meeting) who worships with YAFs at West Philadelphia Meeting. Migrant refugee families in detention at Berks are primarily from Central America, but there are European and Middle Eastern refugees as well.

Many have noted that imprisoning asylum seekers feels wrong in the first place, but Berks is known for its record of unusually poor conditions. It is the first immigrant residential center to have an employee, Daniel Sharkey, admit to rape and multiple instances of sexual assault (some of them witnessed by a seven year-old child). He has been convicted, but will likely serve less time in prison than the woman he abused will spend in detention.

Governor Wolf has found fault with the residential center, described by some as a modern recreation of WW II Japanese Detention centers.

Experts believe that mental health conditions among refugee families–who are already destabilized by trauma in their home countries–are worsened by detention. It is believed their lives would improve if they were living in normal communities, housed by the American host families who have volunteered to support them.

Planning for the day was sparked by work the YAF community did at last summer’s Annual Sessions. A range of migrant justice experts were invited to join the worship. These were: Juntos (a leadership development/advocacy organization that helps Latinx populations), the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia (which builds fellowship across diverse Faith, ethnicity and class communities), and the Free Migration Project (which provides legal and technical support to grassroots groups). They were present to inform the PYM community about ongoing refugee work at the rise of meeting, and identify advocacy steps Quaker families can take to support refugee release.

The 96 bed Berks County Residential Center was created in 2001. Local media report it is unusual for being one of just three such centers in the United States (the other two are in Texas).

Governor Wolf has previously attempted to revoke the center’s licence and has asked federal authorities to release all asylum seeking families while their immigration cases are processed, but activists believe more can be done to ensure closure of the facility.

At worship’s conclusion the group sang Bring on the Lucie, by John Lennon, and community leaders spoke. Together Friends shared action steps and the hope that detained families’ refugee status would no longer be criminalized. Those interested in contacting Governor Wolf and Lt. Governor Fetterman were provided with these numbers for Governor Wolf (717-787-2500) and Lt. Governor Fetterman (717-787-3300).

It was acknowledged that detention disproportionately affects people of color from Latin American and other countries in upheaval, and Friends may need to walk a long road before equity will be the norm.

Many Friends characterized it as a peaceful morning, notable for the feeling of love centered in worship, and the deeply felt need to create a fairer process for refugees.

BRIDGE CONTACTS MEET FOR LUNCH

During lunch at the Miller Art Center a group of newly identified Bridge Contacts talked about how they could work together to better inform and connect each other’s meetings with Quaker tools and ideas.

Convened by PYM staff member Wendy Kane, the group of bridge contacts enjoyed having some time together to discuss their roles within their meetings, and their relationships with PYM.  They agreed that connecting via Zoom calls before Spring, Fall and Summer Sessions could help them better prepare their home meetings for Yearly Meeting in Session. Wendy noted that Zoom call programming could easily be launched.

Many also said that regular emails from Wendy would help them stay in touch with all that is happening within the Quaker community and PYM. Not everyone knew how to sign up for PYM’s weekly online news and events emails (sent each Thursday or Friday), so Wendy agreed to make sure they got on the list.

Though different from Interim Meeting Reps, Bridge Contacts have an important role in ensuring their monthly meetings have access to PYM resources and programming, understand key PYM initiatives, and are known by peer meetings for all the gifts they have to share with one another. 19 out of 103 meetings have identified bridge contacts; a meeting may add a bridge contact to the list by signing up.

CHILDREN AND WORSHIP AT READING MEETING

Children and youth participated in programs hosted at Reading Friends Meeting, while adults worshiped in the Reading Meeting room — an alternative to being outdoors in the elements at the Berks County Residential Center prayer vigil.

Two communities of Friends worshiping 7 miles apart at the same time felt quite moving. It focused our Friends community on on the possibilities inherit in any worship that is centered in trust and love. The message was; “we are here to live out an expansive notion of nonviolence, not with opposition to war, but with justice and safety for every single family. ”

Much thought and preparation went into the worship that defined the day. Once older Friends went on to Meeting for Business, youth programs went to work on a mural “dedicated to a vision of radical welcome for all people.”

At about 12:50 Friends transitioned to convene in Meeting for  Business in the Miller Art Center’s theater. Friends were briefed on the new deadline (June 1st) for the One Quilt, One Yearly Meeting project and encouraged to pick up a quilt square if they had not already.

Melissa Rycroft, Clerk of Nominating, was present with joy to recommend the appointment of Chris Lucca as Clerk, commending him for his lengthy service to the community in the roles of Alternate Clerk and Acting Presiding Clerk.

A wide range of thoughts, perspectives, hopes, and reservations were shared throughout Meeting for Business. One Friend closed her remarks with this thought: “Truly coming under the weight of moving forward to become a more aware and inclusive body…(that is what we need to do)…Namaste, that is what this process needs to be about.”

Namaste is a Hindu phrase of greeting and leave taking that carries with it a complex set of meanings centered in recognizing the divine in one’s self as witnessing the divine in someone else.

At the end of the day, the Mural created by our Quaker youth was brought into the theater at the Miller Art Center and held up after the close of Meeting for Business. It’s message–“no cages no wall,” speaks to all of us.

On Saturday March 23, 117 people from 50 PYM Monthly Meeting communities convened for Spring Continuing Sessions near Reading PA. A summary of the day’s events follows. Approved Minutes from the afternoon’s 1:00 PM-4:00 PM Meeting for Business are posted on PYM’s website under Continuing Sessions.

Read the Minutes

OUTDOOR MEETING FOR WORSHIP

The chilly and brilliantly sunny day began with a meaningful, peaceful, 10 am to 12 noon worship activity outside of the Berks County Residential Center.

Young Adult Friends (YAF) were supported in their participation through grant funding from the D’Olier Foundation, which provided transportation and meals for all YAF participants. Older Friends and families traveled by car, and Middle School and Young Friends participated with their program leaders and parents nearby.

Friends arrived with their blankets, folding lawn chairs, bilingual signs calling for  ‘No Cages No Wall,’ and mugs of hot coffee. After several opening songs, the group settled into worship,  surrounded by blue sky and groves of trees just across the street from the Berks County Residential Center.

There was no sound for a time except the wind blowing steadily and a few birds announcing spring.

Worship was held bilingually, with seamless translation provided by Marian Dalke, (Radnor Meeting) who worships with YAFs at West Philadelphia Meeting. Migrant refugee families in detention at Berks are primarily from Central America, but there are European and Middle Eastern refugees as well.

Many have noted that imprisoning asylum seekers feels wrong in the first place, but Berks is known for its record of unusually poor conditions. It is the first immigrant residential center to have an employee, Daniel Sharkey, admit to rape and multiple instances of sexual assault (some of them witnessed by a seven year-old child). He has been convicted, but will likely serve less time in prison than the woman he abused will spend in detention.

Governor Wolf has found fault with the residential center, described by some as a modern recreation of WW II Japanese Detention centers.

Experts believe that mental health conditions among refugee families–who are already destabilized by trauma in their home countries–are worsened by detention. It is believed their lives would improve if they were living in normal communities, housed by the American host families who have volunteered to support them.

Planning for the day was sparked by work the YAF community did at last summer’s Annual Sessions. A range of migrant justice experts were invited to join the worship. These were: Juntos (a leadership development/advocacy organization that helps Latinx populations), the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia (which builds fellowship across diverse Faith, ethnicity and class communities), and the Free Migration Project (which provides legal and technical support to grassroots groups). They were present to inform the PYM community about ongoing refugee work at the rise of meeting, and identify advocacy steps Quaker families can take to support refugee release.

The 96 bed Berks County Residential Center was created in 2001. Local media report it is unusual for being one of just three such centers in the United States (the other two are in Texas).

Governor Wolf has previously attempted to revoke the center’s licence and has asked federal authorities to release all asylum seeking families while their immigration cases are processed, but activists believe more can be done to ensure closure of the facility.

At worship’s conclusion the group sang Bring on the Lucie, by John Lennon, and community leaders spoke. Together Friends shared action steps and the hope that detained families’ refugee status would no longer be criminalized. Those interested in contacting Governor Wolf and Lt. Governor Fetterman were provided with these numbers for Governor Wolf (717-787-2500) and Lt. Governor Fetterman (717-787-3300).

It was acknowledged that detention disproportionately affects people of color from Latin American and other countries in upheaval, and Friends may need to walk a long road before equity will be the norm.

Many Friends characterized it as a peaceful morning, notable for the feeling of love centered in worship, and the deeply felt need to create a fairer process for refugees.

BRIDGE CONTACTS MEET FOR LUNCH

During lunch at the Miller Art Center a group of newly identified Bridge Contacts talked about how they could work together to better inform and connect each other’s meetings with Quaker tools and ideas.

Convened by PYM staff member Wendy Kane, the group of bridge contacts enjoyed having some time together to discuss their roles within their meetings, and their relationships with PYM.  They agreed that connecting via Zoom calls before Spring, Fall and Summer Sessions could help them better prepare their home meetings for Yearly Meeting in Session. Wendy noted that Zoom call programming could easily be launched.

Many also said that regular emails from Wendy would help them stay in touch with all that is happening within the Quaker community and PYM. Not everyone knew how to sign up for PYM’s weekly online news and events emails (sent each Thursday or Friday), so Wendy agreed to make sure they got on the list.

Though different from Interim Meeting Reps, Bridge Contacts have an important role in ensuring their monthly meetings have access to PYM resources and programming, understand key PYM initiatives, and are known by peer meetings for all the gifts they have to share with one another. 19 out of 103 meetings have identified bridge contacts; a meeting may add a bridge contact to the list by signing up.

CHILDREN AND WORSHIP AT READING MEETING

Children and youth participated in programs hosted at Reading Friends Meeting, while adults worshiped in the Reading Meeting room — an alternative to being outdoors in the elements at the Berks County Residential Center prayer vigil.

Two communities of Friends worshiping 7 miles apart at the same time felt quite moving. It focused our Friends community on on the possibilities inherit in any worship that is centered in trust and love. The message was; “we are here to live out an expansive notion of nonviolence, not with opposition to war, but with justice and safety for every single family. ”

Much thought and preparation went into the worship that defined the day. Once older Friends went on to Meeting for Business, youth programs went to work on a mural “dedicated to a vision of radical welcome for all people.”

At about 12:50 Friends transitioned to convene in Meeting for  Business in the Miller Art Center’s theater. Friends were briefed on the new deadline (June 1st) for the One Quilt, One Yearly Meeting project and encouraged to pick up a quilt square if they had not already.

Melissa Rycroft, Clerk of Nominating, was present with joy to recommend the appointment of Chris Lucca as Clerk, commending him for his lengthy service to the community in the roles of Alternate Clerk and Acting Presiding Clerk.

A wide range of thoughts, perspectives, hopes, and reservations were shared throughout Meeting for Business. One Friend closed her remarks with this thought: “Truly coming under the weight of moving forward to become a more aware and inclusive body…(that is what we need to do)…Namaste, that is what this process needs to be about.”

Namaste is a Hindu phrase of greeting and leave taking that carries with it a complex set of meanings centered in recognizing the divine in one’s self as witnessing the divine in someone else.

At the end of the day, the Mural created by our Quaker youth was brought into the theater at the Miller Art Center and held up after the close of Meeting for Business. It’s message–“no cages no wall,” speaks to all of us.

Kirk Norris was a man gifted with a strong ambition to do what is right for communities that are overlooked, left behind, or under-served. His wife, Judith, recalled that just about on their very first date, he told her he planned to work at improving education, and this was a fire that burned ceaselessly in him until January 24, 2019 when his life was cut short by a brain hemorrhage.

It is for this reason that his friend, John Spears, stepped forward to honor him with the founding gift to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s newly inaugurated Legacy Fund.

Through his Legacy Fund gift, John wished to raise up the work a Quaker of Kirk’s character and gifts will do in a lifetime and mark the grace and joy with which Kirk tackled literacy in Trenton. He wanted others to be inspired, as he was, by Kirk’s extraordinary leadership and vision.

The Legacy Fund is a restricted PYM fund that is invested to create annual fund income in perpetuity. At the close of each year, with their permission, an alphabetical listing of Legacy donors will be printed in PYM’s annual report, and donors or honorees will have their biographical summaries posted on the PYM website and linked to each donor or honoree’s name.

John felt there would be something special about opening this Legacy Fund with an inaugural gift to honor Kirk Norris. Kirk’s relentless passion to improve educational outcomes swept other into action—and he motivated others to do good.

Kirk exemplified an engaged and committed Quaker, first as a member at Newtown Friends Meeting, and later at Solebury Friends Meeting. His great love for community led him into committee and board work at Mercer Street Friends (a Quaker affiliated/funded anti-poverty charitable social service organization), for 44 years, even as he worked on behalf of three separate charter schools in Trenton. A believer in democracy, and a registered Democrat, he volunteered during each election. As a Quaker he let his life speak by working on local civic associations long before retiring from full-time work, tirelessly promoting literacy throughout his career.

Born Frank Newkirk Norris, on June 23,1934, Kirk was educated at the Wilkinsburg Public School before attending college at Pennsylvania State University. From there he turned to a global career in design, construction, and engineering, working in America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. An avid fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, and the arts and crafts design movement, he planned vacations with his wife Judith around visits to Wright’s buildings.

He is considered one of the founders of the Trenton Literacy Movement. Foundation Academy’s CEO, Graig Weiss, recalls that Kirk “felt there was no better place to start than in the public schools, which outraged him with their low expectations for students in the Trenton area. But it was more than just about the schools, Kirk understood that families standing behind these under-served students also needed more support.”

John Spears notes that “the first words that come to mind when I think of my friend, Kirk Norris, are ‘Education is the way out of poverty’ and ‘Education is the civil rights issue of our time.’ I have such admiration for Kirk: He was a tireless, determined and quiet and friendly volunteer/activist, constantly seeking – with others – to improve the lives of students and their families in Trenton.”

John felt that Kirk was a partner in addressing educational shortfalls in Trenton, and “although Kirk might have thought of our partnership as 50/50, I think of it as 90/10: Kirk 90, me 10: Kirk just worked and worked away at it: Board service at Foundation (Academy), NAACP and School Board meetings, meetings with the Mayors of Trenton, with school principals, with providers of online education products, with student tutors. I bet he put in thousands of hours of service over the years. He loved the Trenton students. His moral compass was always pointed toward what was best for the students: ‘No excuses.’  A better deal for all of God’s children.”

Kirk and John first met some 20 years ago on the Mercer Street Friends board. John recalls that “in addition to having a shared God-driven interest in trying to lend a hand to people in Trenton, as Quakers, we enjoyed many conversations about our religion and our religious society.” They’d discuss politics, always without animosity, despite the fact that John is a politically active Republican and Kirk was a politically active Democrat. “We had many lunches together – with much laughter – over the years. Kirk was a very good man. I feel blessed to have known him. I miss him.”

There are other who miss Kirk, too. Here is what they had to say in their own words about Kirk and his legacy as a Friend and supporter of humankind:

 “Every time I saw him, he would gently (sometimes not so gently) nudge me that we need to do more for the families in our community.” Graig Weiss, Foundation Academy

“Kirk never stopped going to college. All of life was a college for him and he wanted to keep learning and to enable everyone else to have an equal opportunity to go to college. Given our country’s horrific history of racial injustice, he was especially committed to pursuing equal educational and economic opportunities for African-Americans children in Trenton; hence his years spent supporting the NAACP, Mercer Street Friends, the Trenton Literacy Movement, and (especially and wholeheartedly these last few years) Foundation Academy … I admired Kirk’s lifelong commitment to racial justice in Trenton and beyond.  That commitment was most evident in his belief that educational excellence for minorities is the civil rights issue of our times and his passionate support for the scholars attending Foundation Academy.” Bob Anderson

“What I remember most about Kirk was his tenacity and his generosity of spirit.  He asked me to serve on the Mercer Street Friends Board 25 years ago.  I considered that a great honor and a turning point in my life towards service …  He was always available for service, staffing the Mercer Street Friends table at the Peace Fair in the hot sun, inviting Board members to speak at Solebury Meeting, making important connections for us, and supporting the Trenton Community.  His relationships with other people and other organizations in Trenton created synergy with the mission of Mercer Street Friends.  Kirk loved people in a way that was both personal and universal.  Even when he was relentlessly pushing us to achieve his vision, he was such a sweet man…” Lisa Ogletree

“Kirk Norris was my idea of the perfect Quaker and volunteer.  He cared, he listened, he showed up and he let people know quietly and respectfully if he had any concerns. He focused on getting things done. He had a wonderful smile and twinkle in his eye. I was lucky to have worked with him on a number of projects for Mercer Street Friends. His presence in the world really meant something” Ann Vaurio

On Thursday, March 21st, the Friends in Business Steering Committee, Joe Evans, Norval Reece,  Mark Myers, and Lauren Hastings, met with Governor Tom Wolf  to thank him for speaking at a Friends in Business dinner with Quakers last December.

They brought with them a print of Edward Hicks’ painting, The Peaceable Kingdom, presented as a framed gift of thanks and a reminder of Friends’ hope for peace and unity in governance.

A coach and sign painter now recognized as one of America’s great primitive painters, Hicks was also a founding member at Newtown Meeting. Hicks painted some 100 different versions of The Peaceable Kingdom because he loved the biblical story from the book of Isaiah.

Norval Reece noted that the wood for the frame was harvested from a 300+ year-old oak tree grown on the Bucks County land of the Quaker farmer, Sam Snipes. The frame was then hand-made by Newtown member and wood worker, Hugh Harr.

Governor Wolf, who ran a hardware and building supply business for decades, credits William Penn for his Quaker concern with integrity, education, and religious freedom. The Governor based his own business on similar tenets. As he accepted the gift of Hicks’ artwork, he talked with the group about William Penn’s Commonwealth, and the changes brought to Penn’s Holy Experiment by history, revolution, and leaders like Benjamin Franklin.

Norval Reece, Joe Evans, and Governor Wolf traded stories on how Pennsylvania’s Constitution (its fifth) is still based on William’s Penn’s revolutionary 1682 “Frame of Government of Pennsylvania” and the 1701 “Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges.” The Charter and the Constitution set forth many of the individual rights adopted nearly 100 years later in the US Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Mark Myers noted how  docents at Independence Park occasionally overlook Penn’s contributions in favor of highlighting Benjamin Franklin’s larger than life persona and impact on the city.

The Governor then received a surprise visit from “Flat Stanley”, a hand colored paper character introduced to him by West Chester Friends’ students Emmett and Fiona Hastings. Flat Stanley, a book written by Jeff Brown, tells the story of a little boy who got flattened in a bulletin board accident, but discovers his special flatness allows him to travel to many interesting places in the world. Emmett and his sister, Fiona, were brought along on the visit by their mother, West Chester Meeting Member, Lauren Hastings.

Some 10,000 Quakers continue to have a strong presence in the region through 100+ monthly meetings. Friends serve their communities and local institutions as elected representatives, medical professionals, human rights lawyers, financial advisers, environmentalists, educators, social workers and volunteers, making many professional and private contributions for the common good.  Friends in Business’ Steering Committee seeks to network these Friends through their twice annual dinners, convening discussions on topics of interest as led.

This statement was shared with the community of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, drafted by its clerk, Dana Reinhold. Monthly and quarterly meetings can share their statements about this tragedy and other issues on the PYM website; go to www.pym.org, scroll down and click on, “Add a New Story.”

…

Dear CPMM community,

We have felt hurt, sad and angry to learn of the hatred and religious-based violence targeted at Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand this week. As Quakers we denounce these acts of hatred and violence. We offer our support and love to all those affected by the violence, and to the Muslim faith community in Philadelphia. Our hearts grieve with you and for you.

And we cannot offer only prayers. This expression of hatred and violence reflects unhealed wounds that cloud the vision, preventing the recognition of that of God in each person. We each have wounds that may lead us to wish harm against others. We are challenged to search ourselves and our own lives. Against whom do I harbor any anger or hatred? Whose life and well-being do I not value, or treat with disregard? How can I seek to heal that within myself? Do I need to examine how I live to see how this promotes the conditions of inequality, racism, and prejudice that can lead some to feel fear and hatred toward others? What can I do to build loving community around the world?

As we meet in worship this First Day, let us hold our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world in our hearts and our prayers. Let us hold those who have killed out of fear and hatred in our hearts and our prayers. Let us also move forward into the work Spirit calls us to do in the world, building relationships.

We are invited to participate in an Interfaith vigil to mourn victims of the New Zealand mosque attacks, sponsored by Committee on American-Islamic Relations, tonight, March 16, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m., at JFK Plaza, and encouraged to bring candles.

Dana Reinhold, Clerk

Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting