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Miraculously, God can still work through our blocked minds, deficient vision, and dulled
spiritual hearing. Once in a while, when we are
experiencing a bit of humility and feeling less protective of
our egos, wonderful things can happen. It is then
that God lets us know the peace of a worry-free
moment. It is then that insoluble problems seem to
work themselves out, without our attention. We must
hold fast to the memory of these experiences of
faith because they hold the promise of more faith
and encourage us to surrender to God's Wisdom.
--Virginia W. Apsey,
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TRUTHFULNESS, INTEGRITY, AND COMMUNICATION
We are called to a genuineness of life and speech that leaves no room for deceit or artificiality. Early Friends took very seriously the advice of Jesus: "All you need say is 'Yes' if you mean yes, 'No' if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one" (Matthew 5.37), and throughout our history we have borne witness against judicial oaths as suggesting a double standard of truth. Devotion to what is true and eternal requires openness, honesty, and careful speech in social, business, and family relationships. As early Friends took care to avoid honorific titles and phrases, modern Friends need to discourage insincerities and extravagances. Flattery, public expressions of gratitude, and eulogies draw attention to individuals rather than to the Spirit that speaks through each of us. We must speak the truth with cordiality, kindness, and love.
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All of us ... are diminished and dishonoured
when we do not meet each other half way. How can
we in truth and lovingly help one another in this?
Because we must remember that truth without love
is violence. And love without truth is
sentimentality. We do need both.
--Muriel Bishop, "Integrity," 1990 |
It is a difficult task to live according to our faith that God's