To be alone.

I've had a few burdens in my life, but nothing compares to years of loneliness. To eat most meals alone, worship alone, to have no one to talk to, to have no hand on the shoulder, to have no shoulder one to put your hand... not much one can say, other than it is a weight that drags the soul down very deep indeed.

A Difficult Week for Jim and Jessie Jane Power

The mosaic man, the last squatter on St. Marks Place, now living in a tent in front of the gutted remains of his apartment... had a hard week, as did Jessie Jane, his canine companion.





First Jessie was bitten by a strange dog, cut her shoulder...

Then the dumpsters were removed, on which they had strung their tent, and so when the torrential rains came, all that they owned became soaked...

Hold them in the light fFriends...

Is Mike sending me a message?

Read his shirt on the third photo...

Minimum Needs part 2

I had a dream last night, of the rains, as parts of the comfortable US washed away, I think it was Long Island... road signs to places that now were not... were now part of the bay... and I woke up filled with deep sadness at the cravenness of even so many who for some reason call themselves Friends. How can we expect that the common person who snarls with glee as tax money which that person paid and could not afford, delivers death and heaps destruction on a cartoon of enemy when we "Children of Light" strike out at each other with such unremitting hatred and hardhearted cruelty. How many Friends make the strongest accusations against each other and then walk away, refuse dialogue for the reason that they have spoken the truth and the light of the other they have hurt so deeply does not matter at all. Truth is not perspective but pronouncement and the other is murdered by that total destruction of turning away.
For those who are not Friends... thee may be surprised at how common this is, from the most vocal among us who proclaim themselves people of peace while acting in simple destructive hate.
So... I am reminded of the fellow in the early 1930's in France who ran an add in the papers constantly, asking for a wealthy benefactor to come forward to fund a project to end world hunger and make the world fair. Not surprisingly, no such wealthy benefactor came forward ... rather we saw the rise of fascism as we will soon see the rise of the flood waters.
Will the world meet the minimum needs of all? I can't see it when Friends can't meet the minimum need of simple presence to God in each other. That costs not a bite, not a sip, not a yard of cloth or an inch of land, that enriches the soul... but so many Friends would prefer the wieght on their own heart of cruelty to others than the simple act of listening.

Meeting the Minimum Needs of All, Radh Achuthan

Radh Achuthan spoke at our meeting this week about his leading that we should dedicate ourselves to the intention to provide all the people of the world with the minimum needs of all, clean drinking water, food, appropriate clothing to their climate, five years of basic education and a home.



He gave a graphic illustration of the first, second and third world realities.
He took the twelve folks in the meetinghouse, and two represented the first world, where the people average $8 per capita per day, where, because of our welfare state and wealth, all had the minimum needs. To imagine the distribution of what the world produces, these two people who represent the first world get eight peaches, four each.



Five more represented the global middle class, those who make from $2 to $8 dollars per capita per day, they split a peach and a half...



Five more, the global poor, who split half a peach with no pit, no hope of investment...



He suggests that Friends commit to learn what it is to need these things, fast from Seventh day at PM until after meeting some times, or not drinking water for the same time, or to wear summer clothing to meeting in the winter to experience what it is to be cold...



I've lived, with Genie somewhere between the second and third world in Ireland when we were younger... living on an average of 12 pence a day for almost a year, our water was brown with peat, our ribs showed ( I was around 145 lbs or so... ) we were always hungry, supplemented our food with what we could fish or forage, and I find what the above experiment misses is the knowledge that tomorrow and the day after and the week after, there will not be food, there will not be hot water and warmth... cold always in thy bones... clothes often damp from the rain... and still for me, the permanence is not comprehendible, someday we could escape to the US. I think his experimental approach is a good start, and I hope it will lead others to go, see how it is to live in places of want, that we can dedicate ourselves to meeting the minimum needs of all, and more. I urge fFriends to invite Radh to come to thy meetings.

Back to work...

Well, here's Kelly and I doing a gig last night... good responses from the audience, Kelly was brilliant, she is really finding her voice in this music. Did a wee gig on my own this afternoon, and had some interesting things said... more on this soon I hope.

It is very hard to allow myself to hope again... music, well... easy to get really hurt at it.

Nostalgia and news...

Ah the layers of nostalgia in this photo sent to me by Capt. Neil Parker, to my left, (the photo's right)... me at the helm in my cattleboat days...



Quaker Blogger Zach Alexander was in New York, at 15th St. meeting, last first day, what a wonderful fellow... photo and story to follow soon.

URBAN LEGEND # 892

Is it true during a Quaker meeting for worship with a concern for business, the clerk's head exploded once?




Le maifest d' Jean Maynard
A translation of a Quebecois canoe song

Tune Zigulon, words Lorcan Otway, Amanda Gareis and Eugenie Gilmore

Second First Day's come again, the worshipful time when
We Quakers all sit down
and pass the thoughts around
to show we're all profound
on solid Quaker ground

Let's minute it this way
On Business Meeting Day

we're all on solid ground
and being so profound
never block another's way
everybody has their say
While the clock ticked away, ticked away, ticked away
the clock ticked away just past mid day

A young Quaker near the door, said why don't we feed the poor?
and with a smile sat down


Let's minute it this way
On Business Meeting Day

we're all on solid ground
and being so profound
never block another's way
everybody has their say
A Friend near the door
Suggests we feed the poor
While the clock ticked away, ticked away, ticked away
the clock ticked away, an hour past mid day

An older Friend arose, and dusted off his clothes
taking off his hat
Said, with so many poor in need
who are we going to feed?


Let's minute it this way
On Business Meeting Day

we're all on solid ground
and being so profound
never block other's way
everybody has their say
A Friend near the door
Suggests we feed the poor
with so many poor in need
who are we going to feed?
While the clock ticked away, ticked away, ticked away
the clock ticked away two hours past mid day

Another Friend agreed
with so many poor to feed
when we mean so well,
We could give the poor some soup
cause soup is so easy to scoop


Let's minute it this way
On Business Meeting Day

we're all on solid ground
and being so profound
never block another's way
everybody has their say
A Friend near the door
Suggests we feed the poor
with so many poor in need
who are we going to feed?
We may give the poor some soup
cause its so easy to scoop
While the clock ticked away, ticked away, ticked away
the clock ticked away, three hours past mid day

A weighty Friend began, to speak and pound his hand
in an enlightened way
They'll eat in the name of Christ
And wouldn't that be nice?


Let's minute it this way
On Business Meeting Day

we're all on solid ground
and being so profound
never block another's way
everybody has their say
A Friend near the door
Suggests we feed the poor
with so many poor in need
who are we going to feed?
We may give the poor some soup
cause its so easy to scoop
feeding in the name of Christ
some Friends think it would be nice
While the clock ticked away, ticked away, ticked away
the clock ticked away, four hours past mid day

A Quaker rolled her eyes, and looking towards the skies
cried Jesus Christ again!
It's enough the poor will eat
next you'll have us washing feet!


Let's minute it this way
On Business Meeting Day

we're all on solid ground
and being so profound
never block another's way
everybody has their say
A Friend near the door
Suggests we feed the poor
with so many poor in need
who are we going to feed?
We may give the poor some soup
its so easy to scoop
feeding in the name of Christ
some Friends think it would be nice
It's enough the poor will eat
We need not wash their feet
While the clock ticked away, ticked away, ticked away
the clock ticked away, five hours past mid day

This minute's not quite right! I don't want to start a fight
but I am led to say
it's no committee its a group
and a group can't dole out soup
we need a clerk and all
a committee or we'll fall
into ranter anarchy
and that's not the way to be


Let's minute it this way
On Business Meeting Day

we're all on solid ground
and being so profound
never block other's way
everybody has their say
A Friend near the door
Suggests we feed the poor
with so many poor in need
who are we going to feed?
We may give the poor some soup
soup is so easy to scoop
feeding in the name of Christ
some Friends believe it would be nice
It's enough the poor will eat
We need not wash their feet
a committee not a group
a group can't dole out soup
a committee we will name
though the membership's the same
While the clock ticked away, ticked away, ticked away
the clock ticked away, six hours past mid day

A lawyer rose to say, we can't do this anyway
It's just a matter of risk
what are we going to do?
If we poison them they'll sue
said a Friendly helpful guy
we can feed the poor some pie
and yet still the poor may die
if they choke on Quaker pie!
The only way to solve this mess
let the poor to starve I guess
then it wont be Friendly chow
that will kill them anyhow
and if the poor complain
they must really bear the blame
I don't want to seem to hate
But I wont facilitate
Until an open way
the poor will wait another day
the poor will always be
and I must take care of me


Let's minute it this way
On Business Meeting Day

we're all on solid ground
and being so profound
never block another's way
everybody has their say
We feel for the poor
A way will open we are sure

While the clock ticked away, ticked away, ticked away
the clock ticked away, till the end of day

The Soup Kitchen's going strong
As we finish up this song
in that old Quaker way
Back bencher's made some stew
in a borrowed pot or two
and Now all the Quakes
smile take hand shakes
for being very good
and doing all they should
And are feeling very grand
for the poor are well in hand

And the minute it will say will say
The meeting found a way
and the clock will tick away tick away tick away
the clock will tick away till the end of day

This post is dedicated to the last called business meeting, which dealt with really tough concerns, and all went very well... and the clerk's head really did NOT explode.

I ( each one of us) is responsible for the present state of the Religious Society of Friends

just as each one of us, individually is responsible for the present state of the world. A dear and treasured fFriend has been writing about his decision to eventually leave the SOF, because of the lack of shepherding in our community. He writes:

I know of the many problems that clergy can create for a community: the risk is that a small group of powerful individuals can regulate and dictate what others must do. However, now I understand how the lack of anyone taking on any sort of ongoing leadership role causes its own problems (such as people constantly challenging any sort of authority, feeling agrieved by decisions they are unhappy with - "Quaker process was not followed!", and having a sense of entitlement that their every whim, slight, or opinion should be somehow addressed by the community). Endless seeking, individualism, and "tribalism" , and reinventing the wheel, anyone?

Well, dear fellow, get up, pull on thy boots, brush off thy jacket, set thy hat straight upon thy head, and be a Shepard in thy community. It is NOT the sole role of Ministry and Counsel to Sheppard our society. In fact, as in many human institutions, Ministry and Counsel ... well, simply put, is not up to the task, just as the many governments of the earth today are not up to the task of world peace and saving the environment. Well, what do we do... go to another planet? Or do we set out on the task of living right, speaking truth to power, even when that power is each other, and more over, acting with firm resolve and love.

My father once responded to some fellow who quoted Churchill at him, ("If you are not a Socialist by twenty you have no soul, if you are a Socialist after thirty you have no head"). My father replied, "if you are a Socialist at twenty and not a Socialist by Thirty, I doubt you ever were a real Socialist at all." Exactly. One may speak of convincement, that we are convinced that there is that of God in each of us... and parrot that we are present to that of God in each of us, but if we need clergy to actively live in that presence, in the form of Ministry and Counsel or any other authority external to ourselves, we have missed the complete meaning of being present.

Now, I am not saying there is no function or role for Ministry and Counsel. It is a vitally needed committee. But, it is in NO WAY responsible to the state of the soul of each one of us. The role of Ministry and Counsel is to create an orderly meeting, and be there when needed to help sort things out. The fFriend should note, that in case of conflict or personal need, it is there only as a dependable recourse, that any one of us is an equal recourse, and that Friends are encouraged to seek out that Friend who ministers to thy condition. There are several Friends who I know I can count upon for sage wisdom and a firm hand to my elbow when I am in need.

Now, I should say, in this blog, I have been very open about the tender parts of my soul. Perhaps to the point that many who read this and do not know me well, think that this is the sum total of who I am, the pain of the past year, perhaps the worst of my life. Yet, in this, I remain convinced that there is no one person who can come and heal my soul, or any idol or image. There is only that of God, that I share with humanity that is up to that task. I can run from meeting to meeting, religion to religion, seeking a stronger hand on the tiller of my soul, and I will find corruption, envy, idolatry and all the other human flaws of my soul in every other place I go, and in all the spiritual masters I seek out to set me right. Only in the Religious Society of Friends, do I find a place that tells me, forget seeking another to set thy soul upon the road... all may help, but buck up, stand up, get up and be present to God.

Today fFriends speak of mantras, speak of spiritual masters, speak of a hundred and one paths to that God within, quote to each other that little time bomb that George Fox built into the peace of our religious community, “‘There is one - even Christ Jesus - that can speak to thy condition"... All, all, all of that is fine and dandy if we also understand, deep in the fiber of our soul that the core of our society, just as the core of living incorporated into the world, is the understanding that to atone for sin, we must be actively present to that of God in each other. Present to that of God in each other. That presence is not handed to thee by any other one, that presence is thine own responsibility and thee can be a Pope or a Papua New Guinea Head Hunter, and if thee is not present to the God in the other as strongly as the God in thy self... it is all emptiness.

Each little idol we place, like a grain of sand close to our soul, will eventually blot out the sun of the light of God in us. If that grain of sand is Jesus, and our need for Yeshua to be our God is so strong that we cannot see the light in the soul of the Friend on the bench next to us, then we have made a idol of Jesus. If that grain of sand is our petty needs for one doctrine, non-theism, to the point that we cannot see the light in the soul of the Christian Friend on the bench next to us, than that non-theism is an idol. We can wear the sole out of a thousand pairs of shoes seeking... but until thee can actively seek that light of God in a lady bug or a Lutheran, thee is not walking with righteousness before God in any religious family, and I am rather sure no person in a robe with incense, feathers and a drum, a golden crown and or miter will lead thee to that light.

Dear fFriend, stay awhile and seek within before thee goes and seeks without.