A Great Cloud of Witnesses

It has been a long time since I have written reflective essays in my blog. For the past few years I have mainly posted talks I've given, or announcements, but not anything personal. I have been feeling that something is missing from my life as well as from this blog so I started reviewing my early blog entries with the help of my friend Cody Lowry.

I first encountered Cody when I was a youth coordinator for the Quakers in the 1990s. Cody was twelve and an indefatigable talker with ideas about everything, much as I was at his age. He was also so unconventional he didn't thrive in school. Instead he devoted his life to music and spirituality and making people happy. He also struggled with addiction, but now is sober and wiser, thanks be to God. Cody is a true Friend who is more in tune with the Spirit than most Quakers I know, including myself. Quirky,  kind, unconventionally brilliant, and extremely creative, he plays the ukelele and loves to regale people with songs, most of which he has composed  himself. He has a fabulous voice and can sing Mozart arias (Papagena being his favorite role) as well as folk tunes. I find him an utter joy to be around. That's why I hired him to transcribe my blog. I eagerly look forward to weekly encounters with him. 

As I worked in the garden this morning, I was reflecting on the challenges of being 77. My body is no longer as limber as it used to be. I can work in the garden only for an hour or two before my lower back begins to protest. I walk with Jill for half an hour in the evening, and need to seat on a bench halfway through my walk. One of the reasons I love my electric bike is that I don't experience any pain and can ride as much as I like. I feel as if I am in the 20s, not my 70s, when I am coasting uphill at 20 mph on my bike!

Another challenge of aging is the loss of dear friends and loved ones. I have placed pictures of some of them on my desk and feel grateful and wistful as I look up at them and they look down at me. 

Before me is a picture of dear Kathleen of blessed memory. We are standing together surrounded by beautiful young Togvan girls from the Methodist youth group. When I turned 55, Kathleen asked me what I wanted. After pausing to think about it, I  said, "Actually, what I'd like is for the Togvan youth group to come and dance at my birthday party." Knowing me well, Kathleen just smiled and said, "Fine." And she made it happen!

I'd seen these youth dance at a Methodist retreat on Catalina Island and will never forget how beautifully they sang and danced as we lined up on the beach and Pastor Kathleen renewed our baptism by sprinkling us with holy sea water  When these lovely girls danced my my birthday party, I felt as if I were transported to heaven. I later joked that Muslims believe that if you live a righteous life and are faithful to God, beautiful virgins will surround you in Paradise, but if you are married to a Methodist pastor, you can have that experience while you're still alive!

Kathleen and I were married 20 years and hardly a day goes by that I don't think of her with deep gratitude. She was my wife and soulmate and encouraged me to be my best self. She still does. She is one of the "great cloud of witnesses" mentioned in Hebrews 12:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Another witness is Father Chris Ponnet, smiling radiantly at me in a photo attached to a painting of a statue of John Greenleaf Whittier in front of the Methodist Church in Whittier, where Kathleen and I lived for seven blissful years. Whittier is one of my favorite Quakers since he was both a poet and an activist. This painting is right above my desk and a fit place for Father Chris' uplifting photo.

Father Chris passed away last year. He was a beloved member of ICUJP whom we honored this year with the George Regas Courageous Peacemaker Award. What a honor and a joy it was to have known him! He invited Jill and me to speak about affordable housing at the church he served and was incredibly kind and gracious. He often hosted ICUJP retreats at the St Camillus Center.  And I cherish memories of being at demonstrations with him and getting arrested. He lived his faith with integrity and joy. May God's peace be upon him!

Here's summary of his remarkable life:

Father Chris Ponnet (1957–2025) was a Roman Catholic priest, hospital chaplain, and social justice advocate whose four decades of ministry in Los Angeles blended pastoral care with a deep commitment to human dignity. Ordained in 1983 after studying at St. John’s Seminary, he became known for compassionate service to the sick, the dying, and the marginalized. For nearly 30 years he led the St. Camillus Center for Spiritual Care and directed Spiritual Care at LAC+USC Medical Center, guiding an interfaith chaplaincy team serving one of California’s largest public hospitals. His ministry included frontline care during the HIV/AIDS crisis, steadfast support during COVID‑19, outreach to immigrants and LGBTQ Catholics, and vocal advocacy against the death penalty, racism, and violence. Active in Pax Christi, Death Penalty Focus, and interfaith community rituals, Ponnet was widely respected as a bridge‑builder committed to justice, mercy, and compassionate presence.

Another picture that looks down on me is that of Joseph Prabhu, a dear friend I got to know through the Parliament of the World's Religions. We had very different backgrounds but somehow felt a deep spiritual connection. We worked together to promote interfaith understanding--he took a philosophical/theological approach and I was an activist. We complimented each in profound ways and had rich, deep conversations about politics and philosophy as we went on walks in the Huntington Gardens. 

When Joseph was dying of a brain tumor, he asked me to be accompany him during his final days. I would come to his home and he would tell me anecdotes about his life. He'd hoped to write a memoir about his amazing career but sadly his condition didn't allow him to do so. When he was confined to bed, I would sit by him and sometimes hold his hand and read him psalms. I felt blessed to be with him during his final days. When he asked me to give his eulogy, I felt it was an incredible honor to be singled out among all his distinguished friends and colleagues. Here is what I shared at the Holy Family Catholic Church in South Pasadena on October 24, 2021.  

Born and raised in India and educated in Germany, Britain as well as in the United States, Joseph was an internationally known scholar, professor, and activist. He took his work but not himself seriously. He had a great sense of humor and loved to tease so I’d like to share an anecdote he told me during his final days. Joseph was giving a lecture in Belgium and decided to visit his high school principal, a Jesuit priest named Father Hincq , who was living in Brussels.

 Father Hincq was gracious and showed Joseph his year books and talked about Joseph’s classmates. As Joseph was about to leave, he decided to tease his former teacher by saying, "Do you remember how you once spanked me?" Father Hincq replied with a smile, "Not once, Joseph, twice."

Joseph also like to tell irreverent stories about being Mother Teresa's altar boy. It gets blazingly hot in Calcutta and Joseph fainted during a worship service.  As he regained consciousness, he felt a slap on the face and heard Mother Teresa say, “What are you doing, boy. Wake up!”  

Despite these awkward moments, Joseph remained committed to Catholicism all his life, although for many years he attended All Saints Episcopal Church because of its work around social justice and peace.  Joseph was profoundly influenced by Raimon Panikkar, a theologian who distilled the best of Christian and Hindu religious ideas. Like Panikkar, Joseph remained deeply Catholic while finding inspiration and value in all faiths.

Joseph was a brilliant lecturer who taught at more than seventy universities either as visiting professor or as guest lecturer in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and the United States, including at the universities of California, Berkeley and Chicago. For fun, I looked up what students at Cal State LA said about him, and I think he would appreciate this telling comment by one of his students: “I must say I found some of Prof. Prabhu’s lectures slanted. Do not take everything he says as fact. He is crazy liberal, and it shows. Considering that I am conservative, we clashed. I still got an A.”

Another student warned: “Do not take his class of you don’t like to think for yourself... Prof. Prabhu really makes you think about what you think you already know.”

I can’t imagine a better recommendation for someone who taught in the Socratic mode. When Joseph retired, his colleagues gave him a gift he was proud to show off: a mug with the French painter David’s famous depiction of Socrates discussing the immortality of the soul with his students after he had drunk the hemlock. Only instead of Socrates’ face, the mug had Joseph’s!

Joseph’s colleagues honored him in another way, by creating the Joseph Prabhu Memorial Lectures for Peace and Justice. This was appropriate since Joseph was passionately committed to human rights, Gandhian nonviolence, and what John Cobb called “eco-civilization.”   In an article published in Today’s American Catholic in April 2021, Joseph wrote: “The interconnected challenges posed by climate change, economic inequality, racism, sexism, and militarism—to mention just the most pressing problems—demand our intelligent and thoughtful consideration and action.” In this essay, one of his last published works, Joseph lifted up two of his heroes: the German theologian Hans Kung and Pope Francis. https://www.todaysamericancatholic.org/2021/04/dreaming-with-hans-kung/

Besides being an activist, teacher and public intellectual, Joseph was deeply devoted to his family and to his wife Betty. I was very moved to see the tenderness between Joseph and Betty when he was recovering from brain surgery. During this time, he often spoke with pride and affection about his daughter Tara. Joseph raised her as a single father, and it wasn’t easy. But Betty confided to me with great feeling, “Tara was God’s gift to Joseph.” I’m sure Joseph would agree. And I’m sure that you all would agree that Joseph was God’s gift to us and to the world. He has left behind a legacy and an example that will inspire and challenge us  and generations to come.

Dear Joseph, I miss you terribly. I always think of you when I go for walks in the Huntington Garden, the ideal haven for philosophers, poets and peacemakers to "commingle irradiances" (to use a phrase from Milton's Paradise Lost). I know you'd be pleased that I have agreed to be chair of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, an organization you were involved with and loved. 

Another friend who looks down on me is David Hartsough. He is smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers--a fitting symbol for his life. He was one of the greatest Quaker peace activist of our time, and I had the honor of being his friend. Jill and I would often visit and stay at his home when we went to San Francisco. I will always cherish the great conversations we had about peace and justice work while eating his wife Jan's delicious cookies.

I'll talk more about David in another blog entry. Suffice to say for now, he continues to inspire me. In fact, his name came up this week when I was considering joining a delegation to go to Iran. Ann Wright reminded me that David traveled to Iran in early 2019 as part of a Code Pink peace delegation of 28 Americans. How awesome it would be to walk in the footsteps of my dear friend on a peacemaking journey to Iran next spring!

It's been a joy to spend time reflecting on these beloved friends who have finished their race and are looking down on me, cheering me on, as I approach my finish line. Who are the friends and loved ones who have finished their race and are cheering you on? I hope you can spend time as I have cherishing them in your heart. Let me close with one of my favorite quotes of William Penn: 

“Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still.”

― William Penn, More Fruits of Solitude,

People's Independence Day

 

Our People's Independence Day event is happening on Saturday, July 4th, from 10 am to noon at my Quaker meetinghouse, I'll be the emcee and I'm really excited about our program. We have awesome speakers who will read passages from Frederick Douglas ("What to a slave is July 4?"), Susan B. Anthony, Ida Wells, Dr. King, James Baldwin, etc. Quakers did not celebrate violent revolutionaries, but we do celebrate nonviolent ones!

Acceptance Speech for ICUJP

I want to thank Steve Rohde and the ICUJP Board for electing me chair of this wonderful organization. This is a great honor and a humbling one. I feel as though I am standing on the shoulders of giants for justice—people like James Lawson, George Regas, Lydia Lopez, Grace Dyrness, and Steve Rohde, to name only a few. I have been active with ICUJP almost from its beginning 25 years ago, attending faithfully on Fridays. One of the highpoints of my involvement with ICUJP was joining George Regas and other “good troublemakers” in protesting the war in Iraq, when we were arrested. I will never forget my fellow peace activists singing protest songs as we were placed in a patrol car and taken to jail. I have participated in Close Guantanamo events, wearing an orange jumpsuit and a hood over my head. Another high point. With a nun and a rabbi from ICUJP, I visited and befriended a Muslim man imprisoned on trumped-up charges at a detention facility on Terminal Island and later celebrated his release at an interfaith event. What a joy that was! I have helped organize lobby visits with our senators, and I hope we can continue doing so. Our elected officials need to hear from the faith community! Over the years, I have learned so much from peace and justice advocates from many faith traditions, whose work has inspired and challenged me as a Quaker. I am grateful ICUJP is still here after 25 years, because our message and activism are needed now more than ever.

But I also have to be honest: we are not getting younger. If ICUJP is to continue, we need to attract new—and hopefully younger—members. Meeting by Zoom is not enough. I believe we need more in-person gatherings, such as the one planned for July 4 at the Quaker meetinghouse. We should also explore hybrid meetings so we can gather in person, strengthen friendships, and remain accessible to those who cannot attend physically. We once held justice luncheons at various churches, which brought more people into our organization, and we should consider doing that again. We also need to be clear about our purpose and goals as well as our capacity. What I am suggesting is a large task, and our capacity and resources are limited. Still, I take to heart the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” If we have faith in the power of goodness, love, and truth, together we can do more than we imagine. I want to give a shout of appreciation to our Board and also to our amazing communication and program coordinator Rick Banales. We can’t do this work without you, Rick! I look forward to working with all of you to do our part In building a just, equitable and peaceful world.  

Turning Our Treasures into the Channel of Universal Love

A Reflection for ICUJP by Anthony Manousos

 

How we spend our money is an indicator of our moral and spiritual values. That’s why Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be” (Mathew 6:28). 

Abrahamic faiths require us to set aside a portion of our wealth to help the poor. Christians call it a “tithe.” Muslim call is “zakat.” The Jewish term is Tzedakah. I found a great explanation of Tzedakah on Jewish website.

“Tsedakah is a central tenet of Judaism and a pillar upon which the world stands. The word tzedakah actually means “justice” or “righteousness.” There is an important nuance here. In Jewish thought, giving to people in need is not something extra; it’s just the correct, honest thing to do. Our money is not ours. It belongs to G‑d, who has graciously entrusted it to us. It is only right for us to distribute it as He wishes, sharing it with His needy children.

This understanding that giving is a moral imperative is shared by all the Abrahamic faiths.

Early Christians took very seriously the idea that everything belongs to God and we should do all we can to end poverty. When Christians first gathered to worship in Jerusalem, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and the first thing they did was sell their homes and possessions and create a fund to aid the poor and eliminate poverty.

This Christian ideal inspired the 18^th century Quaker abolitionist John Woolman. Seeing that a lot of his fellow Quakers had become wealthy and successful in business, Woolman said, “To turn all our treasures into the channel of Universal Love is the business of our lives.”

This moral imperative to help the poor applies not only to individuals but also to society. How our tax dollars are allocated testify to our nation’s moral values. Dr. King famously said,  

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift, is approaching spiritual death. I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor.”

During the Vietnam war period, a powerful video was made about how our tax dollars are being misspent on war rather than on human needs:

Check out this video:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1491223775864163

Today the situation is worse than ever, as you know. Donald Trump began his reign of error by slashing foreign aid, potentially causing millions of deaths. Then he started cutting aid for Americans in need. He is now asking Congress to boost defense spending to $1.5 trillion, a 50% increase. He is also asking Congress to cut non-military spending by 10%. Trump explained: “We’re fighting wars…. It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare — all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal.”

 

This is the opposite of what Jesus stood for. Jesus came to proclaim “good news to the poor.” Trump, the anti-Christ, is proclaiming good news to the plutocrats and militarists.

 

I’d like to close with the famous speech about the arms race that President Eisenhower gave in 1953 that is still relevant today:

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.

This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities.  It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people.

…. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. These plain and cruel truths define the peril and point the hope that come with this spring of 1953.

 

Eisenhower’s words ring truer today than ever before. As Dr. King said, we need a revolution of values and that revolution starts with us. Tomorrow (May 9th) is my birthday, and I’d like to encourage you to give as generously as you can to your favorite charity or cause: ICUJP, Making Housing and Community Happen, or whatever you feel led to support. Give as much as you can and then urge your elected officials to use your tax dollars for peace not war. Let’s turn our treasures into the channel of Universal Love

The First Palm Sunday Peace Parade: A Sermon Delivered at the First United Methodist Church of Pasadena

 

The First Palm Sunday Peace Parade

A Sermon by Anthony Manousos
Delivered at First United Methodist Church of Pasadena

Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026

(To watch the recorded livestream please click here and go to minute 37)

 

I am so grateful that Pastor Amy invited me to speak about Palm Sunday. This is not only a very special time for the church—the beginning of Holy Week—it’s also a very special holiday for Jill and me since we met at the Palm Sunday Peace Parade here in Pasadena 15 years ago. This parade was organized by our dear friend Bert Newton, a Mennonite pastor. Three weeks after Jill and I met at this parade, I proposed marriage, Jill accepted and the rest (as they say) is history. Our wedding vows affirmed that "the Prince of Peace brought us together for a purpose beyond what we can imagine."

I believe that the Prince of Peace brought all of us here together today for a purpose beyond what we can imagine. I believe that the Prince of Peace calls all of us to be peacemakers! Can I hear an AMEN?

First, let me tell you briefly about the Palm Sunday Peace Parade. It was started in 2004 here in Pasadena to protest the Iraq war and to honor Jesus as the Prince of Peace. The parade recognized Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the fulfillment of Zachariah's prophecy that a king would enter the city on a donkey to "bring peace to all nations" (Zachariah 9:9-10).

Between 120-150 people from dozens of different congregations showed up each year for our parade. We marched from the Lutheran Church on Orange Grove Blvd down to the Paseo on Colorado Boulevard. We held palm branches in one hand and peace signs in the other. We practiced what is called sacred resistance.

The day which Christians celebrate as Palm Sunday is the first day of the Jewish festival of Passover. In his book The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem, Marcus Borg points out that two processions entered Jerusalem on that day. One was Jesus’ riding on a donkey with his motley crew of disciples cheering him on, welcomed by a throng of Jews hoping he would save them from Roman oppression. The second was a well-armed procession of Roman legionnaires who marched into Jerusalem under the command of Pontius Pilate to show Roman power and to quell any unrest. One parade was about the power of empire, the other about the power of love.

 

Only during important Jewish festivals, like Passover, did Pilate reluctantly leave his plush governor’s mansion in Caesarea, a lovely coastal city built by the Romans 70 miles from Jerusalem. He always took a contingent of well-armed soldiers to march to Jerusalem for security reasons. During high holy days, Jews were especially hostile to the Roman empire. Most Jews were angry with Roman occupation of their country and riots sometimes occurred. Pilate’s army came to ensure stability and to let the Jews know who was in charge.

The Jewish common people had good reason to be hostile to the Roman Empire. Both the Romans, and their wealthy Jewish collaborators, taxed the common people almost to death. To pay these exorbitant taxes, many poor people had to sell their lands and become day laborers. That’s why Jesus told parables about workers without land. The workers in Judea/Palestine lived as precariously as day laborers, homeless folk, and migrant workers do today.

These landless workers resented their Roman overlords. They were like the insurgents in today’s Middle East. Groups of angry Jews, called the Zealots, formed “cells” and engaged in acts of terrorism against the occupying imperial army.

Pilate did not see himself as an oppressor, but as a bringer of peace. Peace was the official policy of the Roman empire. They called it Pax Romana, the peace of Rome. Whether people wanted it or not, the Pax Romana brought the advantages of civilization—beautiful buildings, roads, trade, and prosperity. Of course, these perks were only for those who were smart or powerful enough to seize advantage of the opportunities Rome provided. Pilate, like most Romans, felt that he represented a superior civilization, just as many Americans do today. Pilate looked down on religious Jews as ignorant and superstitious. Why couldn’t they be just like other nations and accept imperial rule?

Because Pilate was concerned about security and peace, he would not have been pleased with Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Pilate had no doubt heard about this upstart prophet/troublemaker from Galilee. His spies would have told him that everywhere Jesus went, crowds of poor people hailed them as a great prophet. Some even called him the Messiah, the King of the Jews. Jesus was a dangerous man who needed to be kept under surveillance. He might even be a terrorist, or someone giving material support to terrorism. Pilate’s parade was to show that resistance was futile.

Now, what about Jesus? What kind of parade was he sponsoring?

We know from the Gospels that Jesus planned his arrival in Jerusalem very carefully. As Marcus Borg notes, what Jesus did had the earmarks of a planned political demonstration.

Take, for instance, the fact that he rode into the city on a donkey. This was political symbolism which every Jew in Jerusalem would immediately have understood.

For a Jewish religious leader to ride a donkey into Jerusalem was the fulfillment a well-known prophesy of Zechariah (9:9-11). Those who shouted “hosannah” to Jesus expected him to act like King David and drive out the Roman Goliaths and restore Jewish independence.

No one knew how Jesus would do this. But Jesus had a reputation as a miracle worker. So many people were willing to believe that somehow he might be able to bring about the social transformation they yearned for.

During the rest of this Passover week, Jesus’ dramatic actions suggested that he was, in fact, about to bring about a powerful transformation of society. He challenged the religious authorities at the Temple. He challenged Roman tax collection policy. When he said, “Give to Caesar what he Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s” this could be interpreted to mean, “Give God everything, and give Caesar nothing.” After all, the book of Job tells us that the whole world and its riches belong to God (Job 41;11) . Jesus’ radical words made him very popular with the common people but very unpopular with the ruling authorities.

By the end of the week, Jesus was arrested, tried, tortured, and sentenced to be executed in a humiliating way. From a worldly point of view, Jesus’ plan failed. He didn’t have sufficient power or clout to be a worldly king of the Jews. From a worldly standpoint, what Jesus did was very foolish.

That’s why the common people and many of his followers turned on him. Clearly this Jesus guy was no miracle worker. He was just another foolish would-be Messiah.

Jesus’ death should have been the end of the story. Many charismatic leaders had come to Jerusalem just as Jesus did, and they were killed by the Roman authorities and then forgotten. But Jesus’ death was different. What made it different is the resurrection. The resurrection transformed his followers and the world. The resurrection showed that love triumphs over hate, that God’s grace trumps imperial violence. As Paul said in his letter to the Romans: “I am convinced that neither life nor death, nor powers nor principalities, nor things present or things to come, nor heights nor depths nor any created thing, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.”

 

This, to me, is the message of Holy Week. Nothing, not even death, can separate us from God’s love.

 

I’d like to conclude by talking about what Palm Sunday means to us today.

I gained new insight into Palm Sunday in March 1992 when I went to the test site in Nevada to protest nuclear weapons. I went during Holy Week and the theme for that year was taken from the Gospel of Luke. In that Gospel, the religious authorities complain about how the crowds are cheering Jesus when he enters Jerusalem. And Jesus answered them, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." (Luke 19:37-40, ESV).

Those of us who went to this protest refused to be silent about the dangers of nuclear weapons. We felt we had to cry out.

By the world’s standards, we were being very foolish. But we were in good company. Many religious people, of every faith tradition, were arrested at this test site, including many Methodists, and our then bishop, Mary Ann Swenson. We haven’t yet persuaded our nation to end its addiction to violence, but as Christians we would be foolish not to try.

The rulers of our country believe that they are wise, and those of us who oppose them are foolish and naive. They spend billions on the military, and mere peanuts on what is called “soft power”—the power of diplomacy and negotiation. Their violent approach has been costly and ineffective, yet they call us foolish and naïve for pointing that war is not the answer.

 

Looking back, we see parallels with what happened to the Roman Empire. As Rome grew increasingly rich and powerful, it grew more and more corrupt. When the empire was teetering on the brink of disaster, the Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity as a lifeline. Sad to say, he missed the whole point of Jesus’ message – the power of compassion. Instead, Constantine put crosses on the banners of the Roman army and sent them out to conquer the world in the name of Christ. This was a sick perversion of Jesus’ message. Today, many people still believe that you can fight wars for Christ. What’s worse, many believe that the US is engaged in a holy war to bring Christ to the Middle East. That’s the view of our current secretary of war, a self-avowed Christian nationalist who has written a book called The American Crusade and prays for violence against those who “deserve no mercy,” namely, Muslims.  

What is Jesus’ real message? It’s so simple that every child knows it and can recite it. Love God. Love your enemy. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.

“Loving your enemy” means talking with them, listening to them, trying to figure out why they are angry with you, and trying to find ways to make peace. As a nation, loving your enemy does not mean letting them walk all over you. It means diplomacy. It means giving food to the poor instead of selling arms that are used to kill the poor. It means supporting international law, democratic values, and treating every nation with respect.

Imagine how things would improve if we applied these Christian principles to our foreign policy!

Foolish as it may seem to those who are fans of Caesar and the empire, Jesus’ wisdom of compassion can actually work in the real world. We know from the example of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. These men were able to transform India and the US without resorting to violence.

But to make compassion work, you need to be willing to take risks, to put your life on the line, if necessary, for what you believe. Sixty years ago Martin Luther King stood in the pulpit at Riverside Church in New York City and announced that he opposed the Vietnam War. Among other things, King called for a revolution of values. He said, and I quote:

 

A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, "This way of settling differences is not just."…. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

 

In the face of this spiritual death and destruction, King challenged the religious community to speak out. He said, “Silence is betrayal. We can’t be silent any longer about the evils of war and economic exploitation.”

These prophetic words aroused the anger of many in power who had supported King’s Civil Rights work. A year after King gave this message at Riverside Church, on April 4, 1968, he was shot down in a motel in Memphis, TN. United Methodist pastor Rev Jim Lawson and others saw King’s death not only as a political assassination, but also as a kind of crucifixion.

Like King, Jesus also did not mince words when he went to Jerusalem and confronted the worldly powers. When he went to the Temple and overturned the tables of the money changers, he said: “My house was supposed to be house of prayer for the nations. You’ve turned it into a den of thieves.”

These prophetic words infuriated the religious authorities who profited from their collaboration with the Romans. That’s why they went to Pontius Pilate and told him that this troublemaker had to be stopped.

The Romans killed Jesus’ body, but they could not kill his spirit. His unquenchable spirit of love and truth lives today among those of us who boldly say, “Religious communities must not bless war and violence.” He lives in those of us who say, “Let’s give peace a chance.”

Peace is possible, but we need to work to make it happen. Like Martin Luther King and Gandhi, Jesus knew that peacemaking comes with a price, and he was willing to pay that price to show us the power of love.

The question facing all of us today is: Whose parade will you join, Caesar’s or Christ’s?

I hope that as we lift up our palm branches today and celebrate the Prince of Peace, we will say “No” to the power of empire and “Yes” to the power of God. [Raise your palm and say: Hosanah!]

"Let us see what love can do": prophetic activism and quietism among Quakers

 

I have come to realize that that there are at least two very different approaches to Quakerism: prophetic activism and quietism. By prophetic activism, I mean activism and social engagement that is rooted in contemplative worship and guided by the Inward Light of Christ, otherwise known as the Holy Spirit. By quietism, I mean the view that one should focus on the inner life and avoid social engagement. Quietists sometimes describe themselves as mystics—a term that George Fox would not have understood or accepted as a valid description of Quakerism. Rufus Jones was the first to describe Quakers as mystics, but he also recognized that Quakerism is a prophetic religion—hence, the term “activist mystics.” Jones was one of the founders of the American Friends Service Committee, a prophetic organization committed to ending war.

Quakerism began as a prophetic movement committed to transforming society as well as individuals. Early Quakers met with Oliver Cromwell and King Charles, petition Parliament, challenged judges, and engaged in various forms of civil disobedience.  They were considered dangerous radicals and over 15,000 Quakers were jailed for challenging the status quo.

Despite this history, some Friends today say that Quakers shouldn’t be involved in politics. They should only be concerned with “spiritual matters.” This is a view that William Penn rejected when he said, “True godliness [we would probably say, “spirituality”] does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it.”

Quakers were led to form a colony of Pennsylvania where Quakers tried to put their faith into practice free from persecution. Over time, Quakers in Pennsylvania prospered, and some prominent Quakers became wealthy merchants and enslavers. In the 18^th century American Quakers gradually withdrew from political life and became quietists. Quakers like Benjamin Lay and John Woolman kept alive the radical prophetic spirit of early Friends and faced resistance from the Quaker establishment. Nonetheless, they were successful in convincing Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to declare that you couldn’t be a Quaker and hold slaves.

In the 19^th century many Quakers, such as Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Frye, and John Greenleaf Whittier, became involved in social causes, including abolitionism and women’s rights. They all faced resistance from quietist Quakers and formed Quaker-inspired organizations to advance what they felt was their calling to pursue peace and justice.

In the 20^th century, the Society of Friends realized that it wasn’t enough just to avoid becoming involved in war, they needed to do something to prevent it. The American Friends Service Committee (of which Rufus Jones was a founder) was formed during WW I and the Friends Committee on National Legislation was formed during WW II to put Quaker faith into practice in the political arena. The mission of FCNL is one that I resonate with:

·       We seek a world free of war and the threat of war.

·       We seek a society with equity and justice for all.

·       We seek a community where every person’s potential may be fulfilled.

·       We seek an earth restored.

This big, bold vision is what drew me to Quakerism and what keeps me a Quaker today: the belief that we are called to practice our prophetic faith collectively and transform the world.

I have spent most of my years as a Quaker serving on peace committees.  I have served on the peace committee of Orange Grove Meeting for 14 years. I served as clerk of the Peace Committee of Claremont Meeting for 6 years and of the Peace Committee in Santa Monica Meeting for 9 years. I also clerked the Peace and Social Order Committee of Pacific Yearly Meeting for 6 years and served on that committee for at least a dozen years. I have made many mistakes and learned a lot about peacemaking and conflict resolution during my years of clerking. I am extremely grateful I don’t have to clerk any more since Nina is clerking Orange Grove’s Peace and Social Concerns Committee and is doing an excellent job. 

I served on the General Board of FCNL for many years and attended many meetings of this important Quaker lobby on Capitol Hill. For me, this has been a profoundly spiritual experience. I recommend a pamphlet called “A Quaker Perspective on Quaker Lobbying” written by my friend Marge Abbott (who served as clerk of FCNL). Marge Abbot shows that lobbying has been an essential part of Quakerism since the days of George Fox and is deeply biblical. Lobbying is part of the prophetic tradition since prophets were called to speak truth to those in power, whether they be kings or religious leaders.

For this reason, I was disappointed when Pacific Yearly Meeting decided to stop considering minutes of social concern when Trump was first elected nine years ago. There was a lot of controversy and conflict about minutes of social concern when I was serving as clerk so my committee worked with Steve Smith, then clerk of Yearly Meeting, and came up with procedures and a statement explaining why minutes of social concern were important. But Ministry and Oversight didn’t agree with our recommendations. They felt that minutes of social concern stirred up too much conflict, were a waste of time (mere words, not meaningful action), and didn’t represent all Friends. I disagreed strongly but my term as clerk was ending and the new clerk agreed with Ministry & Oversight. She was essentially a quietist.

For the next eight years Pacific Yearly Meeting did not approve any public statements on social justice. Even when George Floyd was murdered by police and people from around the nation and the world rose up in protest. Pacific Yearly Meeting decided not to approve a request by Friends Committee on Legislation of California to support “Black Lives Matters.” Carl Magruder, a birthright African American Quaker with a profoundly prophetic heart, spoke words I’ll never forget. He said, “My motorcycle magazine supports Black Lives Matter, but my Yearly Meeting doesn’t.” Those words should go down in the annals of Quaker history!

(Sadly, Carl later suffered a serious brain injury due to a motorcycle accident and went through a long and painful recovery. While his mental abilities have not fully recovered, he fortunately still has his prophetic edge,)

For many years I was practically a lone voice calling for Yearly Meeting to regain its prophetic voice. This was a very painful time for me, and I felt frustrated, alienated and sometimes so sad I was moved to tears. My persistence made some Friends uncomfortable, and some very angry. At one point, a Friend became so enraged with me I feared for my physical safety. Nonetheless, I felt led to speak my truth no matter whom it offended.

I feel I must commend Diego Navarro, who was clerk of PacYM during much of this time. He was always willing to meet and dialogue with me, even when we disagreed. That, to me, is the sign of a good clerk.

I never gave up on Yearly Meeting despite my feelings of alienation. When Israelis attacked Gaza, killing tens of thousands of people, half of them women and children, I issued an invitation to Yearly Meeting Friends concerned about the genocide in Gaza to meet for lunch at Whittier College where our gathering was taking place. Around twenty Friends showed up, including Vickie Carrol and Lawrence Alderson (clerks of Peace and Social Order), and it was clear  that Spirit was leading us to take action. We met in the evening to draft a minute of social concern like the one approved by Orange Grove Meeting. It called for:

 

1. A permanent ceasefire.

2. End[ing] complicity in human rights violations and war crimes by the United States and other countries, and impos[ing] a universal arms embargo.

3. Release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian political prisoners.

4. Expedited humanitarian aid and protection of aid workers, including American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) staff.

5. A lasting peace that guarantees safety and justice for Israelis and Palestinians.

 

When this minute was presented to the Yearly Meeting, there was a lot of passionate discussion, as one would expect. We were moved by the personal testimony of Joyce Adjouny, a Palestinian Quaker who is currently the General Secretary of the AFSC and suffered under Israeli occupation. She helped us to understand the conflict from her perspective and from the AFSC’s perspective. After much prayerful deliberation, the minute was approved. For me, this was a cause for rejoicing. We were faithful to our prophetic calling.

Today our nation and the world are facing an existential crisis. The United States has a mentally deranged President who has no respect for the Constitution or international law. He aspires to be a monarch and has ensnared us in endless violence both at home and abroad. 

During this perilous time, Quakers are faced with a choice: we can be quietists or we can be prophetic activists. If we are silent, we are acquiescing in what the Trump regime is doing and history (and the God of history) will judge us accordingly. If we speak out and take action, we will be joining the millions of others who are standing up for democracy and justice. Let us by guided by the Spirit that inspired Jesus and early Friends and see what love can do. 

Why Quaker "Minutes of Social Concern" Are Important

 I was thrilled that Pacific Yearly Meeting adopted a strong statement explaining the importance of "minutes of social concern," statements about peace and social judgment issues. Here’s what it says about minutes of social concern on the Pacific Yearly Meeting website:

Minutes of Social Concern

Social Concern Minutes are one way our voice of conscience can be made public. They are also a way in which we can express our ideals, witness and narrate the struggles of our time, and can hold ourselves more accountable. Providing hope and moral vision is never to be underestimated.

A Minute of Social Concern expresses the unity of a Meeting around an issue of social justice, usually with a call to action. Meetings are encouraged to share their Minutes of Social Concern so that others may also consider them.

Nonetheless, some Friends do not feel that we should consider minutes of social concern. Here is my response to their objections. My hope is that Friends will speak out and act boldly and collectively to defend democracy and support those who are working for peace and justice. 

1.     “Minutes of social concern are controversial and divisive.” This implies that Friends should refrain from discussing anything when there might be disagreement or conflict. Such an attitude suggests a profound lack of trust in Quaker process and in the commitment that Friends have for one another. Even the most loving couples have conflicts, and their bonds of love grow stronger when they figure out how to resolve their conflicts lovingly and honestly. The same is true of groups. There will always be conflicts in a group. In fact, when Pacific Yearly Meeting decided not to consider minutes of social concern, a dispute arose about the name of Worship and Oversight Committee. Some Friends were uncomfortable with the word “oversight” since it sounded like overseers from the slavery period. The discussion over the name of this committee became heated and lasted at least as long as any discussion regarding minutes of social concern. Budget items and even nominations can be controversial, yet we don’t refrain from considering these matters during meeting for worship on the occasion of business.

2.     “Minutes of social concern are a waste of time, mere words, not action.” As the Pacific Yearly Meeting statement on minutes of social concern makes clear (see below), authentic minutes require accountability and action. Evidence shows that public statements on peace and justice issues can have an impact, especially when many different groups join together in a common cause. Alex Hopkins observes:  “Civil society is a key deterrent to an authoritarian power grab. Civil society is made up of universities, non-profits, and churches. These are the institutions that we hoped would stand up to Trump. Instead, some of them caved with alacrity. Even if they didn't give something to Trump, many are silent. We need to be among the institutions that stand up.”

3.     Minutes of concern aren’t “spiritual” and don’t matter. As an activist, I can testify that when I have the support of my Meeting or of Quaker institutions like FCNL and AFSC, it matters. I can feel it in my heart. It can be lonely to stand on the front line of the peace and justice movement. Because minutes of social concern are approved during a meeting for worship on the occasion of business, they have a spiritual and moral power that should not be underestimated, as PYM statement makes clear.

Here's what PacYM’s Faith and Practice says about the process of approving Minutes of Social Concern. Note that when we gather for meeting for worship on the occasion of business, we are engaging in a corporate, not an individual, search for moral clarity and truth:

The Meeting’s work of discernment is a corporate search. The Clerk does not direct the communication toward certain predetermined goals, but keeps dialogue open, promoting free and full exploration of the matter under consideration, while fostering a sense of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Clerk is responsible for discerning and stating the sense of the Meeting and presenting a minute when unity has been reached. Members of the Meeting may sometimes assist the Clerk in this. If a member believes that the Clerk has incorrectly discerned the sense of the Meeting, it is appropriate to speak up. Similarly, someone may propose that unity actually has been reached and suggest that a minute should be recorded.

When the wording appears satisfactory, the Clerk asks Friends if they approve the minute. If Friends approve the minute without objection, it is recorded as an action of the Meeting. If, after careful consideration, minor editorial changes appear to be needed, the Clerk should have authority to make them. Those changes should be noted at the next Business Meeting, when the minutes of the previous session are read.

If the business before the Meeting is difficult, anyone may request a pause for silent worship. This can often lead to finding a way forward. Sometimes a member with doubts about a minute favored by most of those present will voice his or her reservations but release the Meeting to move forward.† This will be recorded in the minutes as “one Friend standing aside.” In rare cases a member may ask to be recorded as standing aside; however this practice is best limited to occasions when that member’s professional or legal status might be jeopardized by implied consent to a minute.

Another way of avoiding a deadlock is for the Clerk or another member to suggest that a matter be held over for consideration at a later time. It may be helpful for the Clerk to ask a small committee, including Friends of diverse leadings, to revise the proposal in the light of the concerns and objections, and report to the next Meeting. If the matter is urgent, the committee may retire from a given session to return to it with a revised proposal