It’s Whittier’s birthday. John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) is now mostly thought of as a very old-fashioned conventional poet, who can be dispensed with in light of modern notions of verse and literary values. But I think such a dismissal misses a big point which should give us pause today: Whittier was also a very public … Continue reading Whittier’s 214th Birthday: The Peace-loving Quaker War Poet
Not to ban the slogan. But to close it like a book, and put it on the shelf with others that have been read, which delivered value, and have become part of a reference collection. In the almost sixty years since I was drawn into racial justice work, many such slogans have come and gone: … Continue reading To Promote Racial Justice, It’s Time to Move On from “Anti-Racism”
I’ve said that when I was Director of Quaker House (2001-2012) I had the best Quaker job there is. But I didn’t always feel that way. In fact, my initial stance was emphatically the opposite. Now that the job is open again, it’s worth describing how and why that changed for me. This is a … Continue reading Quaker House, 9-11 and Me: Arguing With God
Help Us Fill The Best Quaker Job There Is Are you worrying this week about Russia invading Ukraine and starting a European/NATO war? What about China vs. Taiwan (& the U. S.)? And/or the Uighurs? Then there’s the rise of authoritarianism in country after country that used to be at least sort of democratic? (Like … Continue reading Now — A Great Quaker Job Is Open
Christian Peacemakers Kidnapped in Baghdad When I saw that headline, John Stephens had already called me with the news: Quaker Tom Fox and three other members of the Christian peacemaker Teams’ group (CPT) in Baghdad had been kidnapped. John’s call came just after Thanksgiving, late November, 2005. I was driving south from New York City, … Continue reading Tom Fox & Thanksgiving Past: 2005