Quakers


This semester I am studying in Washington, DC with the Washington Community Scholars Center out of Eastern Mennonite University. 
 
We don’t just live in DC, or just work in DC, we study being there. Part of the purpose of the WCSC program is to combine the lens of learning with that of urban living and service. We are encouraged to look around at the city and our experience with a critical, curious eye – to ask questions and to delve into the complexity of their non-answers. 

For one of our classes we are encouraged to explore the dynamic of faith in an urban setting. Each of us chose a local faith community to visit with and research. The goal was to see how their world view interacts with the community in which they live.
 
And so a few Sundays this semester I found myself gathering in silence at a Quaker meeting across town. Always inspired by the way in which the Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, are politically and socially engaged, I wanted to explore the way in which their faith tradition inspired or complemented their outward activism. What I came away from Quaker Meetings with was a greater respect for intentional periods of reflection, for a consistent commitment to living as a testimony to faith, and for a community that integrates faith tradition and action, including the way in which they worship, with such integrity.  

Core to the Quaker tradition is the belief that there is “that of God in every one.” This belief informs their extremely non-hierarchical organizational structure, their commitment to political and social activism, and the rituals involved in their Sunday morning meetings for worship. Exploring this doctrine of the Friends has informed, inspired, and challenged me as I live, work, and build relationships in DC this semester.

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