Forum, December 2025

Settling into a living silence

I have attended two of the recent gatherings for extended worship held in New England Yearly Meeting, as well as many, since 1997, in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, and I can attest to the truth of what Michael Wajda says about the living silence that waits for us in a gathered meeting and the healing and transforming power that it has (“A People Who Dwell in the Living Stream,” FJ Oct.). I’m grateful for all the ways that Friends are helping one another to settle into that living silence and become more receptive to the gifts it offers us individually and collectively.

Marcelle Martin
Chester, Pa.

Silence is a sublime state that we Westerners find difficult to achieve, but I did a practicum with children who couldn’t handle regular classroom situations and the teacher decided to use a short, quiet period in the middle of their free time. The children were surprisingly receptive and calm.

Eve Gutwirth
Upper Darby, Pa.

Hope for cooperation

Thanks for Cliff Loesch’s fascinating, informative article on the Ramallah Friends School (“Growing Hearts of Compassion,” FJ Oct.). In the past, we have supported the school and enjoy hearing about its activities. The current projects shared by students show hope, creativity, and positivity.

I lived and worked in Palestine–Israel for some months, have been a guest of a Muslim family in Nablus, and have been involved in discussions over that tragic, troubled land since the late 1960s.

One caution: this article mentions only what the Jewish people have done wrong to Palestinians, including the wall between the West Bank of Palestine and Israel, settler attacks, and apartheid control of Palestine by the rightwing Israeli government. For instance, that wall that in so many ways is very unfair, very unequal toward innocent Palestinians was originally mainly built to stop many years of attacks by violent Palestinians who murdered innocent Jewish civilians via tactics like suicide bombings.

Let us hope that this new generation of Palestinians and Israelis can share and cooperate like the Christian and Muslim leaders of the village Loesch mentions.

Daniel Wilcox
Santa Maria, Calif.

Thanks for this, Cliff Loesch. My prayer is to have so much fairness to humanity in the West Bank that the wall can be done away spiritually. The small village integration can light the world.

George Busolo Lukalo
Nairobi, Kenya

New asylum network

I am happy to see Gabbreell James’s thought-provoking contribution, “Who Will Reopen the Underground Railroad?” (FJ Oct.). The North Star Network (NSN) was established in February by Friends to help immigrants and other uprooted people in the United States explore pathways to Canada. Quaker volunteers in several parts of the United States as well as Friends in Canada are involved. NSN shuns publicity but welcomes support. We try to apply quiet energy where it’s needed to help people living on the edge. Please visit us at thenorthstarnetwork.com.

Anonymous

Shame, healing, and personal transformation

Edward W. Wood Jr.’s essay “Recovering from the Shame of Combat” (FJ Sept.) is incredibly moving and courageous. His willingness to speak openly about the long-lasting emotional and spiritual wounds of combat creates a space for understanding and compassion that many veterans desperately need. The thoughtful way he reflected on shame, healing, and personal transformation is genuinely inspiring. This isn’t just a story—it’s a lifeline for others who may be struggling with similar burdens. I’m thankful for him for sharing such a deeply personal insight.

Douglas Theil