Exploring the edges of something new: the Quaker Earthcare Gathering seeks ways forward on climate
Spending time with their differences and finding the creative tensions, this Quaker community reflected on the reality of the climate crisis and our spiritually informed responses.
Within the Quaker community, there is agreement on the significance of the climate crisis, and a range of views about what we should do. Over 100 Quakers came together to explore what they, individually and collectively, might be called to do next.
There is a difference between consensus decision making and Quaker unity – I've heard the Quaker discernment process described as 'seeking the will of God, not the will of us.' At one point during the weekend, we were also encouraged to consider the idea of 'dissensus' – the holding of different ideas in tension, each providing a counterbalance or enlivening challenge to the other.
In many ways we were a diverse gathering. We were blessed with the presence of children as young as two, with one 11-year-old's ministry of how 'normal' climate breakdown is for her being a take-home moment for many present. We were equally blessed by the presence of people who are old hands in the environmental movement. As the epistle said, we “can be mystics, activists, builders, upholders, artists, prophets and reconcilers. We are all of us a rainbow and the colours move around".
In other ways, we were less diverse. The price of our comfortable venue had excluded some people who had been greatly interested in coming and made us think about what we could do without in order to be with a broader spectrum of Quakers.
Journeys of relationship and entanglement
We met for an all-age welcome on Friday evening and shared a very moving Quaker Quest on Saturday morning. Three speakers responded to the question 'What has been your journey of relationship and entanglement, of seeking to answer that of God in the other, of being shown our darkness and led to new life? How has it changed you? How does it still challenge you?' Each shared with vulnerability and courage, with many listening struck by one speaker's accounts of working in Rwanda after the genocide.
The rest of the weekend had a structure, but not a programme. Open slots were available for attendees to offer sessions according to their interests and leadings. Offerings included a session on pilgrimages to court dates for civil disobedience, asking 'What does the earth want?' and spotting the amazing mushrooms growing near the lake: a mere sample of the 30-plus offerings from participants.
The worship, conversation, playtimes, and workshops merged into one another in unexpected and generative ways. Workshops about stewardship of property and vulnerable conversations about our emotions from surfaced in ministry. Our walks outside slowly found a place in the meeting as the table at the centre of the room filled with beautiful leaves, mushrooms, conkers, stones and berries gathered by participants of all ages. This representation of such a diverse eco system echoed the diversity in our own community.
Sunday opened with an all-age meeting for worship led by the children on the story of Wangari Mathai, Kenyan political activist and founder of the Green Belt Movement. Another feature of Sunday was a threshing meeting, a Quaker process which involves bringing out into an open and listening space many different possibilities and perspectives. For some the threshing meeting felt like a deep experience and for others it felt undisciplined or surfacing conflict unnecessarily. We were invited to seek to find creative, experimental and loving ways of being in community and worship together.
More love in the space between our differences
Monday gave time for people to discuss their personal ways forward and the final drafting of the epistle before parting ways. Many people stood with strongly held convictions about actions that should be included: managing our money and property with integrity; making lifestyle changes such as adopting veganism; treasuring our mystics, our activists and our Friends who are both.
We parted ways in a hurry to catch trains, load cars or don bike helmets. It would be untrue to say we left all agreeing with each other. I think there is more love now in the space between our differences, than there was before. It felt as though we were exploring together the edges of something that felt new, and exciting, and resonant with possibility. I can't wait to see what emerges next. There was a sense that “we are all epistles from the gathering, through the ministry of our lives, actions and relationships as well as words". If someone in your area attended, please do ask them what they have to share.
