Calendar for October 2006

The Humorous – Clovis

‘I think oysters are more beautiful than any religion,’ he resumed presently. ‘They not only forgive our unkindness to them; they justify it, they incite us to go on being perfectly horrid to them. Once they arrive at the dinner table they seem to enter thoroughly into the spirit of the thing. There’s nothing in Christianity or Buddhism that quite matches the sympathetic unselfishness of an oyster. Do you like my new waistcoat? I’m wearing it for the first time tonight.’”

The Real – Tom Fox

How are we to understand the nature of people who could be in the presence of someone like Tom, witness his magnanimous personality, hear clearly from the Muslim world that he and the CPTers were on a peaceful mission in opposition to the Iraq invasion, and not only resist what must have been Tom’s attempts at appealing to “that of God in them,” but, in the end, murder him in a vicious and callous way? It challenges the very core of Christian faith in love overcoming hate, good overcoming evil, and the Quaker testimony to the presence of the inward Light in all people. . .

Wrestling with clear evidence that Tom was unable to “answer that of God” in his captors is also tough, and Quaker lore ill equips us for such failure. Our typical stories are of Quakers’ “leaving the latchstring out” and having Indians pass by their frontier homes on raiding parties; of John Woolman’s appealing successfully to slaveowners’ sense of right; of Elizabeth Fry’s moving unmolested among the “howling crowd” of prisoners in Newgate Gaol; of Rufus Jones convincing the Nazis to let Friends help Jews get out of Europe.

We are well advised to enter into work such as Tom’s with a healthy respect for the possibility of failure. Quaker theology teaches that the inward Light can flicker, dim, and be extinguished. . . I am perfectly comfortable in saying that Tom’s captors were not under the influence of good when they killed him. Tom, however, was under the influence of good in offering his life as a living sacrifice for a truth that transcends his own life. . .

Tom’s life and death is a light that continues to shine in the darkness, and the darkness cannot put it out. And I must also not give up the hope that perhaps, in some way, Tom was able to reach that of God in others — if not in his captors, then certainly in the many thousands around the world who were moved by his witness.

Contemplating Tom’s death, I have been reminded of the story of Fr. Maximillian Kolbe, who volunteered to take the place of a prisoner condemned to the starvation bunker in one of Germany’s concentration camps. Reflecting on Kolbe’s sacrifice, a fellow prisoner later wrote:

“It was an enormous shock to the whole camp. We became aware someone among us in this spiritual dark night of the soul was raising the standard of love on high. Someone unknown, like everyone else, tortured and bereft of name and social standing, went to a horrible death for the sake of someone not even related to him. Therefore it is not true, we cried, that humanity is cast down and trampled in the mud, overcome by oppressors, and overwhelmed by hopelessness. Thousands of prisoners were convinced the true world continued to exist and that our torturers would not be able to destroy it. More than one individual began to look within himself for this real world, found it, and shared it with his camp companion, strengthening both in this encounter with evil. To say that Father Kolbe died for one of us or for that person’s family is too great a simplification. His death was the salvation of thousands. And on this, I would say, rests the greatness of that death. That’s how we felt about it. And as long as we live, we who were at Auschwitz will bow our heads in memory of it as at that time we bowed our heads before the bunker of death by starvation. That was shock full of optimism, regenerating and giving strength; we were stunned by his act, which became for us a mighty explosion of light in the dark camp night….” (A Man for Others, 178)

From a friend of the Friends

The Americans say, 'let George do it'. Well, George Fox first did it by not doing it, becoming the world's first CO, refusing to fight wars that history has proved should have been left unfought. He not only disobeyed. He went one step further, talking of the right, indeed the duty to disobey. To nobody is given the authority to take life - hence refuse to do so.

But there was more to it. There was the rejection of all authority, King or non-King, based on force, not on any Inner Light, including the God as constructed by the churches. The authority rests with our soul, inside us, and its ability to transcend itself, go beyond, reach others, making bonds of equity based on mutual respect.

Making friends with the 'savages in the wilderness', and paying the price. There was a firm faith in equality across gender and race and status.

And yet there is still more to it. Friends served as a medium to bring friend and foe together, listening patiently, finding words for the sense of the encounter, speaking God to power. Sometimes it works, sometimes not yet. But the seeds have been sown. And nobody, not even the most 'realist' diplomat is left untouched by the communion the Friends move them into.

And then a final point: communion through silence. Not the silence of lonely meditation, but silence in togetherness, with unspoken words and eyes searching each other, for peace. Great.

Thank you, Friends - and continue, continue – forever.

Johan Galtung, Founder, Transcend: A Peace Network

Johan Galtung is Norwegian, a sociologist, the doyen of conflict studies for decades. This letter appeared in the British The Friend. But let’s remember, when he says “you” he doesn’t really mean me. He means them, those heroic Friends.

DIALOGUE WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT

“He welcomed opportunity for continuing dialogue with faith leaders that would focus on a religious basis for peace and justice,” McNish explains. “In the United States, our viewpoint is shaped by the Iran hostage situation of the 80s,” McNish explains. “We fail to see that a flashpoint for the Iranian people is the oppression they suffered under the then-U.S. supported Shah of Iran. Following the Shah’s fall, the U.S. then supported Saddam Hussein and Iraq’s aggression against their country.”

“I was encouraged by the president’s spirituality,” McNish concludes. “Expounding from his own faith tradition he spoke of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad as prophets and spiritual guides.”

Cal Thomas will burst a blood vessel.

Faith & Form Magazine:
The Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art and Architecture

Faith & Form is the only interfaith journal in America devoted to religious art and architecture. It is dedicated to improving the quality of art and architecture for places of worship of all faiths. Faith & Form has included articles on religious facilities for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, the Hispanic Church, and African-American religious architecture and experience.

Faith & Form seeks to illustrate that buildings of excellence exist because those who had a part in the design strive for a divine quality. The Annual Awards program is co-sponsored by Faith & Form Magazine and the American Institute of Architects. The program offers three primary categories for awards: Religious Architecture, Liturgical/Interior Design, Sacred Landscape, and Religious Arts.

Meeting for Business, September

Minutes for three past business meetings were approved due to problems in approving them previously. Bill Wilkinson, Treasurer, reported that expenses for water, Relief Fund, and Special Programs were ahead of budget but a gift of $2000 meant that Meeting is not in the red. He gave a suggested disposition of the $83,000 gift received earlier:

$50,000 paydown of mortgage

$10,000 seeding of sinking fund

$5,000 assistive listening system

$6,000 investigate right of first refusal for purchase of the neighboring salon

$12,000 new or unanticipated projects

These suggestions are for seasoning.

Janet Southwood reported for Ministry and Oversight that, because of low attendance, midweek meetings will be discontinued until requested again. If Chi Kung/Tai Chi classes are held here, Gary Whiting has suggested that they should close with a meeting for worship. The next book to be considered at the first monthly forum will be Wilmer Cooper’s A Living Faith. In October this forum will consider James Nayler’s classical statement, “There is a Spirit.”

To affirm Val Liveoak’s Quaker work elsewhere, which takes her out of state, meetings for business will be held on other thanany third Sunday when she is away. In October meeting for business will be on the second Sunday and Nayler will be read on the third.

It was noted that, among lots of other things, Marian Carter collects and distributes Meeting mail, “come rain, come shine, or gloom of night.”

Ken Southwood, for Outreach, said that an Arts and Crafts evening is being planned for Friday, November 3 (see below). Preparations are being made to go ahead with teaching English to adult Somali Bantus, feeling our way and hoping to learn more as we go.

FGC provides small “Friends Meeting” signs for streetcorners but code here would require them to be removed during the week. Pointing out to the City administrator that this did not seem to be observed, he suggested that we would presumably wish to be “above reproach.” Agreeing, the committee agreed not to pursue this. A temporary sign at the lot corner presents no problems, but is limited to 90 days, so we will go ahead with this. It was agreed to place a sign outside the meetingroom welcoming visitors for worship.

For the stone wall sign at the lot corner the following was suggested:

Quaker Meetinghouse 7052 N. Vandiver 945-8456 Worship: Sunday, 10 a.m.

It was suggested that the zip code might be added.

A chart showing the residences of members and attenders had been prepared and Meeting agreed that the Committee should group them in eights. It is suggested, as an experiment, that each group should consider meeting once a month for an informal supper – Friendly Eights. The committee will prepare this.

Meeting approved purchase of a projector and other equipment capable, with computer, etc., of showing films, powerpoint, business meeting agenda, etc., at a cost of perhaps $3,000. Julia Eyer demonstrated its use, light from windows not being a hindrance. Carol Redfield offered to help.

The committee recommends that the library should be furnished comfortably so as to invite people to go in to browse.

The Furnishing committee produced a list of recommendations. Meeting approved purchase of 15 “eight-foot imperial pews” without end-caps, similar to the specimen displayed in the meetingroom. Removable cushions will be colored beige-heather.The cost will total $11,450. Existing benches will be sold. The recommendation on purchase of 20 chairs ($4,386) was referred back to the committee as members have physical differences which may require individual “fitting.” They may need chairs different from the rest.

Meeting agreed to purchase an Induction Loop assistive listening system for Friends who are partly deaf. This will have a cost of a little over $4,000. The ad hoc committee investigating this will conduct a trial before confirming the order.

Meeting agreed to appoint Janet and Ken Southwood as representatives to the San Antonio Interfaith Darfur Coalition, the goals of which are substantially the same as those of FCNL.

Personal

I was in South Africa for about a month. I ran a workshop through the nonprofit I founded a few years back. This year we targeted youth as participants, and had 21 US students (from five cities) and 20 South African students. I'm still trying to frame an overview of the experience for people who weren't there -- but it was really fulfilling to watch students from different nations -- particularly now -- have exchange on a variety of issues of importance in their communities and communities in other parts of the world. For me, while 40 students is rather small in comparison to all of the other distractions of the world right now, my hope is that at least in this small part, I can have some influence over what hopefully will be a much better reality than much of what the world is experiencing.”

“Hi Ken and Janet,
Sounds like things are going well there. I am settling into life in S. Korea. Have started seeing patients, have an apartment, car, and cell phone. Some initial culture shock which is getting better.

Enjoying the food (although communicating that I am vegetarian is at times a challenge). And hoping to get up to the meeting in Seoul at some point. Best to you both,
Benjamin Lederer.”

Vivian Rule says, “I attended a conference today and am now a certified senior strength trainer (a pretty pumped-up title to be given after only 12 hours of study, I think). So if you want any strength-training tips, you know where to come.”

Ruth Lofgren has gone to spend the week-end with family in Salt Lake City, then “to Portland, Oregon, for a night in RiverPlace Hotel and a tour of the city before I board a ship to cruise the Columbia and Snake Rivers ‘In the wake of Lewis and Clark’ with a Sigma Xi group from Oct. 3 to 9.”

Late-breaking (as they say) – Francesca Barreh says that all the documentation for Idriss’s return is complete and has been sent to the U.S. consulate in Djibouti for action there. He has to be interviewed and then may, may, return here in December. She receives photos of Idriss, so important for the boys to be able to recognize him, particularly the young ones. The process is so slow!

We’re happy that Susan Farrish and her three children, Rese (RT), Cathrine (Caila), and Jessica, have moved back to San Antonio! Rese is now working in Washington and will only be able to visit occasionally. He visited first in the middle of September. And Deborah Wilson has returned to Meeting with her four children, Tyler, Sam, Jack, and Elizabeth. She also brought foster children who stay with her. Deborah home-schools her children. And our First-day school has almost doubled in size.

Boyce Rummel this month, with some other hands, designed, built, installed, and painted, frames which will prevent further theft of our A/C condensers but allow access to them for repairs.

Sal DiGiacomo is now working as an attendant/security guard at the McNay Art Museum. This will prevent him coming to meeting so we shall miss him and his delicious cookies.

Quaker Arts and Crafts Evening

And on Saturday, October 7, 2006, Joe and Carol Redfield will be showing Global Warming – “An Inconvenient Truth” at their house, 609 Ridge View Dr. 6.30 - bring fingerfood and mingle; 7.00 - watch, then discuss..

Janet Wenholz

The Martin Luther King march this year provided her with an opportunity to connect with her past at a new depth. If they hadn't had a conflict over the fly-over and whether MLK would have liked the fighter planes she probably would have marched in a different way and never dug up the past.

As a young child growing up in St. Joseph, Missouri----a northern city with a southern mentality, she had a traumatic experience. Her family was returning from Kansas after attending her cousin's school play. Their car ran out of gas at the top of the hill by the county court house and jail. The Klan was lynching a black man that had supposedly raped a white girl. Those people weren't in white sheets – they looked like everybody she knew. She has come to believe that this affected the rest of her life.

She grew up during the depression but her family didn't suffer as many families did. She went off to the University of Nebraska and had the opportunity to live in an International house that wasn't very international but consisted of blacks, whites, and orientals from the US. She majored in Sociology and became a social worker. She had heard the stories of the blacks and orientals at the hands of white society. This probably accounts for what she is today.

It was during this time that she met Bill. After the war they married and lived a few years in Chicago, then moved to Indianapolis for twenty years. They were active in the Civil Rights movement, lived in an integrated neighborhood and took part in what was happening in those days, when lives were being threatened and property damaged.

And then along came Vietnam. Their son Stephen attended an AFSC work camp while she was one of the directors of an AFSC program. He announced that he wouldn't kill people he didn't know, and wasn't mad at, just because the government told him to do so, and he wouldn't register.

They discussed their alternatives. They concluded that they were in the US because they came from people who were runners, some from Germany and others from Ireland. They thought maybe it might be their turn to go. They were not quite ready to decide but when Martin Luther King spoke in January l968 they were convinced they should go if they could afford it. The first person that bid on their insurance business, bought it and the first person that looked at their house, bought it. In April, Martin Luther King was killed and in May, Bobby Kennedy.

In June they moved to Colombia where they lived for nine years. She found that she never missed the United States once. It wasn't because they had an easy life there but it was good. She has no regrets for leaving the United States, but with the rebel movement (they didn't like US people), combined with the cocaine problem, it seemed wise to return.

In 1977 she returned to the United States with Bill and Stephen. Mark, their youngest son, was studying in Honduras at this time and as an agronomist has traveled the world. He met his wife from Connecticut on a banana plantation in Panama — they have two children. Their daughter married a Colombian, also has two children and teaches in the University of Cauca in Popayan, Colombia. Stephen, with some additional education, worked with the University of Texas Health Science Center for 18 years and retired as Data Process Manager at 44 after having his first heart attack at 40. Thanks to AFSC and the information that they shared, Stephen remained legal and went on to live his life. He lives with his wife in Galveston, Texas “My claim to fame is that I have four perfectly bilingual grandchildren --- my contribution to the global world. I am thankful for the adventure.”

Spirituality Through Creativity

“Then be good enough to fulfil my dying wish,” said Buddha, “Cut off the branch of that tree.”

One slash of the sword and it was done! “What now?’ asked the bandit.

“Put it back again,” said Buddha.

The bandit laughed. “You must be crazy to think that anyone can do that.”

“On the contrary, it is you that is crazy to think that you are mighty because you can wound and destroy. That is the task of children. The mighty know how to create and heal.”

--Anthony De Mello, The Heart of the Enlightened. Sent us by Edith Speert.

Somali Bantus

Reading the notes and articles Tom left us tells us both of the Bantus’ agonies, and of San Antonians’ hearts: Laura Gunn, Lee HS’s ESL teacher; Catholic Charities, which found an interpreter of a rare language; “Danny”, who, with abundant difficulties, drove the families to the “Christmas Special”; Rodney and Catherine Gillespie, who drove men to work and taught some to drive; Pam Riles, who formed the “Somali Bantu Girl Scouts,” and took them on a “field trip” to Crossroads Mall; Dr. Don Johnson, who organized a fence-building at his ranch (which fell through, like so many things); Dr. Dave Player, who turned over his estate for use for conferences, where the women went to prepare the ground; Edith Speert, who got the library to donate books; Rosalyn Robinson of the Good Samaritans, who gave TLC to GED candidates; and, of course, Tom, who captured the Bantus’ hearts by being there for them and, often, making them laugh.

A group of Bantu men and children came to Forum to tell us of their experiences, the children, when invited, happily scattering to sit among us. Five young girls came to our September potluck. Deborah Wilson is arranging for them to be taken to New Braunfels for learning some German dances there! They needed to know more about it to take back to their mothers. They were charming, and afterwards two of them bustled around the kitchen sink helping with the cleanup.

The Furnace

Lee HS Celebration

We spoke to Cruz Ortiz, art teacher, in charge of Utopia Station. He's there because he feels called. Here are what the students hoped for in Utopia, what, Tom said, was "missing in their lives"

Love
A date with Manu
Chicken BBQ
Mercy
Love is Missing Everywhere
Time, Money
Nurturing/Discipline/Care/Being Around/ Guidance/Love
Knowledge
A Million Things I Thought I'd Never see Before
Paz
Cat. Shirt. Flip flops. Father.
Love/Hate Relations. I love pop tarts. I hate feet.
Peace All Over the World.
A Car. [Twice]
Peace
My brother who is in Iraq
Private School uniforms are cool
I love Rice-a-roni. I hate Romance novels
Extreme Cookies
Money Monkey Peace
Put Money in my loka. Then go eat B-Feast on Friday*
Dragonforce
Real Trees
Music
Friday Eat!
Love Hate
Friday Be There or be Fried Egg
A detailed drawing of a school library.

* As we were writing down this one a teenager came up and asked what we were doing. We told him it was for our newsletter. “Write down that one,” he said, pointing to this one.

Music Video Features "EWO" Boots

The video stars Aidan Delgado, a 23-year-old Iraq-war veteran who served in Nasiriyah and at Abu Ghraib prison, before securing conscientious objector status and returning to the U.S.

The Crays heard about the Eyes Wide Open exhibit and contacted the Chicago AFSC office to feature the exhibit in the production. The rolling hills behind the New Hampshire farmhouse of Todd and Kristin Adelman were offered and chosen. Jonathon Millman shot the video and other local actors and crew donated their time.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Cray’s album, also named “Twenty” has been nominated for a Grammy as Best Contemporary Blues Album.

AFSC is also engaged in work for economic justice in the United States, good public benefits and services, helping communities organize for social change. a fairer economy, increasing the minimum wage, supporting the rights and dignity of all people regardless of legal status, building a diverse and vocal constituency to end the war in Iraq, promoting a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis, recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender rights, moral and spiritual principles issues raised by international trade and investment, and breaking the chains of debt and oil addiction in Africa:

Award for Margret Hoffman

She has led a life of participation in local, state and federal politics. She was elected to the Austin City Council in 1975. One of her early concerns was the need for sidewalks, so children could walk to school more safely. Under her guidance, one year the children of Austin raised $10,000 in the Trick or Treat for UNICEF campaign. Her efforts to protect Austin's beautiful trees will bear fruit for many years to come. She was the staff person of the Texas Conference of Churches charged with persuading congregations throughout the state to sponsor refugees from various foreign countries. She is still the convener for the gatherings of the Fellowship of Reconciliation of Central Texas each month. Members value her for her willingness to pass along her wisdom, perspective, and insight.

This award includes a gift of $1,000 which will be passed on to the charities of my choice. She is dividing it between two Austin organizations primarily addressing women's needs and concerns:

The Austin area program of the AFSC, primarily supporting grassroots initiatives among workers and migrants on both sides of the border.

"Noah's Ark", a fund administered by Austin Meeting, providing necessities and services directly to the people of Colombia, many refugees in their own country, suffering indescribable poverty and living in constant fear for their lives.

The presentation of the award will take place on Friday, October 6, at 9:30 a.m., in St. Peter's United Methodist Church, 4509 Springdale Road, Austin.

Margret says, “I have no idea how I deserve this award, but then again, if Kissinger could get the Nobel Prize... “

QUAKERS IN THE ARTS

Found on Google

Disorder in the Court

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh? ______________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Gaza and Lebanon: Connecting the Dots

Since David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel's creation as an independent state in 1948, the United States has invariably supported Israel's right to defend itself. The occasional U.S. criticism focuses on Israel's need to take “proportionate responses” to armed attacks by others. But, as Israeli novelist David Grossman has observed, the modern state of Israel has yet to come to grips with the reality of its overwhelming military power. Its response to any provocation is the application of maximum force, a practice that has never brought it the one thing it craves: peace and security.

The “Bush Doctrine” of preventive war is the expansive, superpower corollary to Grossman's observation about Israel's misuse of military might. And like Israel, the Bush doctrine has failed to make the United States more secure in the world just as it has made the world more insecure from the United States. The greater irony finds the United States proclaiming it is creating democracy in the Middle East while its surrogate, Israel, is attacking nascent democracies in Lebanon and Palestine. Perhaps the United States and Israel should try something that neither country is very good at: examining policy from the viewpoint of those who do not have overwhelming military firepower. Looking at the world “upside down” can bring not only a different perspective but a different result as well. It might be too much to expect long-term peace and security right away, but is it too much to ask that the fires be extinguished? “

Mother Jones, July 24 2006

Dan Smith is a military affairs analyst for Foreign Policy In Focus, a retired U.S. Army colonel, and a senior fellow on military affairs at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Email at dan@fcnl.org or blog http://quakerscolonel.blogspot.com/

Bric-a-Brac

NYT, 8/4/06

A neighbor will use our parking lot on the evening of Friday November 6 for a fundraising party for Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital Foundation. Her son had vital surgery there this year and this is her way of saying thankyou And our way of being helpful.

Colby Glass says, “our website has been down several times in the last three weeks. First, OLM told me that they had loaded it incorrectly. Then they told me it was a server problem.” We shall see. Thank you, Colby.

Men Friends – a question to ask your wives – “When we married, would you say you were being much more choosy than I was?” This follows from the evolutionary and biological theory that the ”sex that invests more in offspring [women] tends to be more choosy in the qualities they select in a mate.” (Express-News, 9/19/06) Men, see if your wife agrees.

Your Sermon Online!

A few items recently uploaded:

Here is where you can do it:

http://www.google.com/basepages/sermons.html

But we doubt that George Fox ever considered googling, let alone anything base.

Marching to Zion

. “...whoever sits in Washington and suggests to the people of Israel that they have to give up more land in exchange for peace, that is an obscenity,” said Gary Bauer, president of American Values at a rally that year. When President Bush urged Sharon to withdraw from the West Bank city of Jenin, the pro-Israel lobby, with the Christian right, mobilized 100,000 e-mail messages against this.

Wagner calls the movement “Christian Zionists,” saying it grew out of a theology called “premillennial dispensationalism,” which emphasized the fulfillment of “the Rapture, the rise of the Antichrist, the battle of Armageddon, and the central role that a revived state of Israel would play during the end days.” They believe that all of historic Palestine, including Jerusalem, must be controlled by Israel and that God’s covenant with the Christian church will be superseded in the end days by that with the Jewish people.

Yet “Jews ultimately have two options: either convert to Christianity or be incinerated at Armageddon.” Anti-semitism lurks beneath these beliefs – Jerry Falwell, who claimed at that time to represent 100 million Americans, said that God had told him that the Antichrist was a Jew living in Romania, a statement for which he later apologized. But it is difficult for pro-Israeli Jews to reject the considerable financial and political help that Christian Zionists provide.

“In it, justification of Israel’s illegal program of land confiscation, demolition of homes, targeted assassinations and continued transfer of Palestinians from their homeland, the Christian right and revisionist Zionist ideology encourage the breaking of the Ten Commandments and the Levitical codes. Christian Zionists have traded the mantle of the biblical prophets for an idolatry of militarism and the nation state.”

Extracted from Wagner’s article.

An Old Place of Rest

“This is a little odd for Quakers, because there’s a certain sense among Quakers that worrying too much about the meetinghouse and burial grounds is giving too much concern to worldly affairs. . . You need to take care of the facilities and resources given to you and practice good stewardship, but you don’t want to go over the edge.”

New York Times, 29-Jul-06

Query for October