Daniel Clark

What Sayest Thou? Daniel Clark

Quakers have a tradition of commitment to peace, justice, and tolerance-a wedding of non-dogmatic, individual spirituality with effective but non-violent social action, in times of war and peace, internationally and domestically. Quaker worship is designed to assure that forms such as rituals, books, symbols, and words not coming out of the present experience of the Spirit are not substituted for that experience. In addition to time spent individually in cultivating the Inner Presence, Friends gather regularly for worship in what they call silent "waiting", bringing nothing but an open heart and mind, and a trust that in the silence, beyond the din of words, thoughts, and external clamor, a deeper reality awaits us which has the power to unite us both internally and with our fellows. From that experience, many Friends have become deeply involved in issues of peace, justice and respect for all people. The Friends' simple lifestyles are also an effective demonstration of the satisfaction of a non-materialistic way of living. Both their simplicity and their active concern for social justice throughout the world are born of their openness to individual spiritual guidance through their silent meetings and their reliance for inspiration on all attending their meetings, rather than on formal ministers. Quakers serve as agents of social change and as peacemakers when violence and intolerance threaten to divide people. On Easter Sunday in 1980 the Walla Walla Friends Meeting was born, and has since been a vital part of the lives of its members and attenders, as well as the larger community. This history is an account of the extraordinary activism coming out of a small group of Friends, rooted in the silence of their meeting.