The Urgent Call: Finding Common Ground

by Sheree Cammer
Albany Meeting

I was fortunate to be able to participate on September 28 in the first national Zoom on the July 2023 revision of the Urgent Call to Quakers everywhere (available at quakercall.net). Parker Palmer spoke to us of how to respond with profound love, while acknowledging the lesser angels of our nature. He quoted Mary Tempest Williams, “Democracy began in the human heart. The heart is where we wrestle with how to preserve democracy.” In the days following the national Zoom, focused by the Spark Peace Testimony theme, some afterthoughts have crystallized. I offer them in attempted service to the Peace Testimony.

The Urgent Call could be revised to align more closely with the Quaker Peace Testimony. To quote what is considered the seminal statement of the Quaker peace testimony, A Declaration to King Charles II 1660: “…we do earnestly desire and wait, that by the Word of God's power and its effectual operation in the hearts of men, the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ, that he may rule and reign in men by his spirit and truth, that thereby all people, out of all different judgements and professions may be brought into love and unity with God, and one with another…”

Might we revisit the language of the Urgent Call to welcome all people, rather than appealing only to allies? Our use of the language of prejudice is not conducive to all people being brought to the love and unity of God, and one with another.

Rather than addressing Quakers, only, we could address the Urgent Call to “all people, out of all different judgements.” We could refrain from polarizing language so that those holding very different world views could engage with a Call that seeks common ground. Seeking common ground might begin to be possible with a query such as: What constitutes a fair election? Without consensus in this regard, the United States of America are not United.

We could extend our profound love beyond those who we recognize as victims of oppression. We could extend our profound love to all, no exceptions.