When a War Begins, the Peace Witness Does not End

The following is taken largely from an article called "When War Begins, the Peace Witness Does not End" by peace activist and Friend Chuck Fager.

What do the crises in the Middle East mean for Quakers? Consider here an analogy: most fire departments work hard at fire prevention, and an actual building fire means a setback for this goal. Yet the blaze does not put the firefighters out of action. To the contrary, they redouble their efforts, take risks, and absorb casualties, all in a struggle to contain the fire, roll it back and ultimately put it out. Once this is done, they catch their breath and return to their prevention campaign.

Friends are in a parallel situation. The outbreak of war surely marks a setback for activities of marching, vigiling, and writing to head it off. But it does not spell defeat, and much less a reason for withdrawal into disappointment, indifference or escape. There is still much To Do. And even more, there is still much To Be. Here I'll pass by what To Do; there are many possibilities and opportunities for action, and they are widely advertised. Rather, let me focus briefly on what, for Quakers, there is To Be.

At bottom it is straightforward and simple, so much so that it can be easily overlooked: It is, in George Fox's phrase, to "keep to our meetings," that is, to maintain and deepen our life as a worshiping community. This cultivation of a deep center will not only help sustain us as individuals in a dark time (which it will). It also, and perhaps more importantly, has a public aspect: it can maintain our meeting as a place of refuge from the spirit of war.

We know that, in the last six months, our meetings were at times filled up with pilgrims. They were seeking a similar respite from the war-spirit, and somehow figured that among Friends they would find it; and they were not mistaken. By "simply" being who we were, the meeting sustained a public witness, ministering to many who did not know where else to turn. From a worldly perspective, the meetings do not "accomplish" much. Our public protests are largely ignored or ridiculed. Yet we did achieve something, which I am convinced is more lasting than many a noisy protest: the meeting's presence and character helped sustain the hope of many. By the time the tide of that war receded, I was convinced this was one of our most important tasks during wartime: the task of being, rather than, or better yet, undergirding all our doing. As we continue to rush about doing all that we can to stem the tide of yet another war, let us not forget that much of our most potent peace witness will grow out of our being, as a worshiping community, rather than our doing.