Journal

The Big Stretch

Mama, I no reach Roly Poly. You help me?‍ In Aristotelian ethics, a virtue sits at the golden mean between two vices. Take courage, for example. We tend to think of courage as the end goal, evaluating ourselves on how more or less courageous we are. Aristotle, on the other hand, sees a spectrum from cowardice to recklessness with courage balanced in the middle. The goal is not to max out the virtue but rather to have the proper amount of forward drive: not shying away from hard and scary things, and also not taking unnecessary risks. The same is true of mercy. Too much and too little are both bad. Too little is hard-heartedness, which I find hard to imagine. I hope my heart is always a soft place for Gardenia to land.

The Quaker Novice, Part 2

Earlham School of Religion student Francoise Dutil writes about finding Quakerism, and then seminary, through the leading of the Spirit. Part 2.

The Quaker Novice, Part 1

Earlham School of Religion student Francoise Dutil writes about finding Quakerism, and then seminary, through the leading of the Spirit. Part 1.

A Missionary Adventure from Kisumu to Southern Tanzania

Friends from Kenya, Uganda and other places travelled to Tanzania to support Friends Church Tanzania at their Annual Conference in late October.

That Life and Power

In a crisis, in the face of adversity, in a pivotal moment of action, how do you respond? What do you see yourself doing when the stakes are at their highest? It is difficult to know whether our answers to those questions reflect the reality of our actual responses, because when conceptualizing our responses we aren’t in the actual moments and places of crisis or confrontation. Nonetheless, we can attempt to put our hearts, minds, souls, and strength into a place where loving God and our neighbor is our intention.

Come to me, all you who are weary...

Many caregivers, healers, and pastors have given sacrificially of themselves, their hearts, their energy, their time, and their bodies. These people carry so much of their community with them. Even when given a respite and not responsible for all aspects of the worship, hands are still so full we are often unable to receive the blessing laid out before us.