In recent weeks, I have been sharing reflections about the recent FUM-sponsored pastoral care trip to Ramallah Friends School. During our week there, we had the privilege of visiting classrooms, engaging with teachers, and connecting with the students. Amidst the ongoing conflict and its inherent stresses, our students are a ray of light. Their brilliance and kindness, in my opinion, truly represent the world's hope for a more peaceful and stable Middle East and beyond. It's inspiring to note that nearly all Ramallah Friends School graduates—an impressive 98%—go on to pursue higher education, both within Palestine and at universities across Europe, Canada, and the United States.
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Have you heard or read this quote from Howard Thurman? “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Thurman’s quote came to mind on a recent Wednesday evening, listening to Colin Saxton deliver his message for the Perkins Family Lecture hosted by Earlham School of Religion. Colin repeatedly invited us to think about the question George Fox raised: Friends all everywhere, in the life and power of God live and dwell, and spread the truth abroad. Quench not the spirit, but live in love and unity one with another; that with the wisdom of God ye may all be ordered to God's glory... And live all as the family of God in love, in life, in truth, in power…George Fox, Epistle 150 Saxton wrote in his essay: “Do I live in the Life and Power? Do you? Do we, as the Religious Society of Friends? I want this reality to become radically true in my experience. Even more, I long to belong to a community that hungers and thirsts for this same reality, as we proclaim and demonstrate the peaceable kingdom.”
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Pastors, their spouses, and children, from New Association of Friends, Wilmington, Western, and New York Yearly Meetings, met for food, fun, and fellowship April 22-24 at Hueston Woods State Park in Ohio. This marked the second visit, as a group, to this particular location, and the fourth joint pastors’ retreat. In a world which is often marked by hustle and bustle, these retreats are an invitation for pastors to rest and relax, serving as an important reminder to the pastors that they aren’t machines. Whatever we are doing and wherever we are, it can be tempting to feel as if we are isolated and alone in our cares and concerns. Gatherings like these provide a timely reminder of the shared call and purpose in ministry.
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Turkana Friends Mission recently held a youth conference at the Kakuma Friends Church in the Kakuma 2 Refugee Camp. The Mission gathered young people from across Turkana to explore the theme “Youth and Social Media.” The camp was held from 16–20 April, and between 250 to 350 people attended. Heavy rains received during that period posed some challenges to the program, but overall Turkana Friends Mission assesses the conference to have been a success.
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During our time in the West Bank, we had the opportunity to visit with three pastors: two who spiritually support Christian congregations and one who leads a university in Bethlehem. With ongoing military strikes on Gaza, persistent IDF operations, and settler violence in the West Bank, the faith leaders spoke about the pervasive trauma and grief that engulfed their society. This trauma manifests in various ways. Directly, families face the anguish of lost loved ones in Gaza, witness the destruction of homes, and experience the ever-present threat of violence and displacement in the West Bank. One faith leader said, “We are not suffering from PTSD, but OTSD (Ongoing Traumatic Stress Disorder). ”Our students and staff at Ramallah Friends School are not immune from these stresses. We learned that one of our teachers lost eighteen members of her family in Gaza. Another teacher’s husband and children are stuck in Gaza. Witnessing or hearing about such intense violence and instability, and persistent exposure to news of suffering, leads to a profound sense of helplessness and anxiety.
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At the FUM office in Richmond, Indiana, we recently received this report from our friend Alfred Wasike, former General Secretary of Uganda Friends Church, and currently a pastor in Uganda. He describes a visit he recently made to the Friends Church in the Nakivale Refugee Camp, and the effects that changes in American policies are having on residents of the camp, including those who are members of the Quaker congregation.
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