By Mary Linda McKinney:
I think a lot about the faithfulness of the earliest generation or two of Friends. They were arrested and imprisoned for their beliefs on the regular. Their homes, farms, and businesses were taken by the authorities to pay their fines because they didn’t doff their hats or they preached in public or held meeting for worship together or wouldn’t tithe to the church. They were thrown in dungeons. They believed and trusted that God was with them, guiding them, and so when they were imprisoned, they understood themselves to be where God could use them to care for the poor folks beside them. They taught their fellow prisoners to read, and shared skills like sewing that would allow better employment. They allowed themselves to be used in the most horrific circumstances.
I am not a brave person. I don’t have the courage to be thrown into a dungeon for my beliefs. I’m like a cat and always seek out the most comfy place to rest. I’m kind of a scaredy cat, too. I would never choose to put myself into a dangerous or miserable situation. But when I put my trust in God, I don’t have to choose to act courageously. I just follow as I am guided. I know experientially that when we are doing the work that God gives us to do, everything we need becomes available to us…including courage.
When we stepped into life in the Spirit, we did it not because we are seeking comfort or ease or success but because we know this material world is only a part of reality. God’s world is eternal. It has existed from the beginning and is the foundation that underlies our mundane, daily world. Remember George Fox talking about the infinite ocean of light over the ocean of darkness? God’s world is the ocean of light. God’s world is present all the time during all things–times of prosperity and times of need and sorrow. Realizing God’s world is not contingent on how easy or hopeful things are around us, but in responding in Love to everything around us. I think Jesus’ message was that God’s world is most likely experienced by those who are suffering, those who are marginalized, those who have little power or comfort. We can be a conduit for folks to experience God’s world. That is what we are always called to be.
Every moment is an invitation to live into God’s world, to see the Eternal in the now, to embody Love. Early Friends did this. We Friends are called to do this. We were called to this in the moment when we first become aware of our relationship with the Spirit or goodness or the Light or whatever you may name it. I pray that we can give ourselves over to the Love that is eternal so we can be it for one another and for our siblings and neighbors and strangers who need it.
Let us see what Love can do.
“For I had been brought through the very ocean of darkness and death, and through and over the power of Satan, by the eternal, glorious power of Christ; even through that darkness was I brought, which covered over all the world, and which chained down all and shut up all in death. The same eternal power of God, which brought me through these things, was that which afterwards shook the nations, priests, professors and people.
Then could I say I had been in spiritual Babylon, Sodom, Egypt, and the grave; but by the eternal power of God I was come out of it, and was brought over it, and the power of it, into the power of Christ.” GF
The Nature and Functions of the Light
in the Thought of George Fox
T. CANBY JONES (1974 QRT)
Contrary to the convictions of many modern men George
Fox believes that Truth and Light are one and bring men
into unity. He is also convinced that Light and Truth are not
relative but are embodied in the spiritual presence of Christ
which is experienced and known in the hearts of all men.
This one, universal, saving Light functions to discover and
expose sin and evil to every man. Man thereby senses his true
predicament and discovers his true self in the process. The
Light functions in the second way to turn men to see the Light,
which is Christ. Repentance and forgiveness result, followed
by walking in the Light and loving it and hearing the voice of
the inward Teacher directing in right paths. By its third
function the Light brings men into an experience of power:
power over sin, power to become and assist others to become
children of God, power to stand against the Evil One, power
over temptation, power to bind unruly wills, and power to wit
ness to and answer the Light in every man, thereby discipling
them to Christ. Fourth, the Light functions as an electric arc
torch to cut out, cut down, and burn up all evil and corruption — both within the hearts of men and in human society. Having
completed its work of power and judgment, the Light functions finally to bring men and nations into the unity of the
children of God, by which they become free men of Truth and
share directly in the establishment of Christ’s kingdom of light
and glory among men.
DEFINITION
Incessantly, inevitably, and unalterably George Fox identifies and defines the Light as Christ.
If we leave all this out, all we have is some sort of “self-help spirituality” which I have found ineffective in dealing with real darkness! I knew Sonny Cronk very well. She was my mentor during my time as a student at Pendle Hill. She and I attended the same Meeting for many years. She knew (from experience) that listening to Jesus within and following His voice and His Light could lead us through and over the darkness. Left to ourself and our own abilities we are surely lost! I/we need Jesus to show me/us the way.
Tom Paxson, whom at least some of you know, has suffered a bad head injury. It had been healing but has taken a sudden dangerous turn. Please hold Tom and his wife Judi in God’s loving Light.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Marty. I’ll let everyone know.
Mary Linda
I think we are currently being called to be our highest selves. Let’s dig deep for our ever present connection to divine Spirit and move forward tethered to our Inward Light.
Amen, Laura.
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