The Peace Testimony and Alternatives to Violence

by Mary Eagleson
Scarsdale Meeting

The “George Fox” song includes words that capture the essence of Fox’s peace testimony: “If we give you a pistol will you fight for the Lord? But you can’t kill the Devil with a gun or a sword.” 

Fox’s refusal to fight with what he called “outward weapons” was based on his understanding that Jesus’ command to love our enemies was valid for all times and places. Fox spoke of the “Inward Christ” who is available to everyone who can quiet their own mind to become aware of the guidance this “Inward Christ” offers on how to confront our adversaries while still loving them.

Some three centuries later, the founders of the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) came up with a non-religious term for a similar concept: Transforming Power. There is no simple definition for Transforming Power, just as there is no definition of the “Inward Christ,” or “Light Within,” or any of the other words we use to refer to an ineffable inner guide to our actions. AVP facilitators speak of using, or being used by, Transforming Power because, subjectively, people may experience an impulse to counter a threat nonviolently which seems to come from outside themselves. 

Even though an inspired nonviolent response to an aggressive act may seem to come from a power greater than the individual, there are habits of mind and behavior which make it more likely that a person will respond peacefully to a provocation. The first of these is to avoid reflexive use of a violent verbal, psychological or physical reaction, and to think of alternatives before reacting.

When we Quakers talk about “The Peace Testimony,” we are often thinking about political, international peace and how to achieve it. We think about people who have refused conscription and have been jailed in consequence, about others who have refused to pay that portion of their income taxes which supports the military expenditures of their country. These heroes, though, have so far had little influence on our society. If our country were ever to become truly peaceful, it would be essential for most or all individuals to understand how to resolve conflicts nonviolently. We would need to stop the cycle of violence leading to more violence in our everyday lives, as well as internationally. We would need to rise above that ocean of darkness into the ocean of light that Fox saw in his vision centuries ago. 

When people adopt the concepts presented in AVP workshops as tools, they can be more effective in resolving conflicts peacefully, and this is clearly a benefit. However, AVP as a secular organization cannot overtly communicate the spiritual basis of peace, which is an inward condition. I submit that our true peace testimony is to develop an inward relationship with that mysterious Light and allow It to guide all our interactions with others, including our adversaries.