Q is for Quaker

        (My A to Z Blog Challenge theme this year is Bittersweetness & Light, my new collection of short stories, poems, and art.  Also, be sure to check out my fellow A to Z bloggers at the Master List.)

        As a Quaker, threads of Quakerism are inevitably woven subtly into just about everything I write, yet I almost never mention Quakerism explicitly.  There are a few reasons for this.  Sometimes it’s wholly irrelevant, of course.  Sometimes I’m writing about fictional worlds in which there’s no such things as Earth religions.  Sometimes I’m trying to depict an average-ish relatable sort of setting in which Quakerism would seem conspicuously unusual.  Even when I’m quite consciously trying to get people to think about issues that are tied to my faith, I want to express them in ways that are as inclusive as possible, without causing anyone’s defenses to shoot up.  I’m always trying to keep a delicate balance between being forthright about my own beliefs, without being one of those people who try to force their beliefs on others.  So I almost never actually mention Quakerism explicitly.

        In Bittersweetness & Light, however, “The Conduits” is a story set in a Quaker meeting.

        The first time Maggie saw the conduits she must have been about six years old.  She was sitting in meeting for worship, bored by the stillness and the silence, as always, and idly counting the little flowers printed on her mother’s skirt, when Vera Penny stood up.

        “Dear Friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God,” the old woman said, her thin hand making a little gesture in the air as if she were tossing a frisbee or scattering a handful of birdseed.  “Dear Friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and God’s love is made complete in us.”

        Maggie blinked at the glowing ripple that spread through the air where Vera’s fingers had traced their arc.  She rubbed her eyes and stared as the conduits came into focus: glowing lines spreading out from Vera’s hands and face and powder-blue cardigan toward everyone else in the meeting room.

        The story may be a fantasy with its magic rooted explicitly in Quakerism, but like all fantasy, I hope it will invite people to imagine some new possibilities.  In the End Notes I encourage anyone who dislikes all this “God” talk to try substituting a different word, such as “love,” and considering whether you can still imagine the impact of actually seeing the connections between us.  It’s very easy to throw up barriers, and sometimes takes real courage to listen to the truth someone may be trying to express, even if they use different words.  Real connections come when we try to hear where words come from.  Practice it, and tell me how it goes.

        The first image here is one of the illustrations that goes with the story, but it’s small, so I also include one from another poem, but which also alludes to the threads that connect us all.  By the way, this story (in a slightly abridged version) was first published by Friends Journal, and you can read it on their web site here.

        Marketing Moral: Recommend me as a speaker or workshop leader.  I don’t generally travel far to present, but I am available for virtual events, which opens up the whole world.  You can see some of the talks and workshops I’ve given here on my web site.  I’d love to connect with you!

        Proper Moral: Practice makes perfect.  (Or at least, practice makes permanent.)  You can’t expect to improve at anything without putting in the time to work on it - and that includes being able to find the good in challenging people, and being able to express the good in yourself.

        Did you know that Quaker Oats has nothing to do with Quakers?  Do you know the difference between Quakers and Shakers?  Have you ever been to a Quaker meeting?  (At the very least, Quakerism is always good for trivia knowledge!)

[Pictures: The Conduits, digital art by AEGNydam;

Magic Wands and Warm Wishes, rubber block prints by AEGNydam, 2023, 2024 (Image from Bittersweetness & Light, but originals are still available at NydamPrints.com).]