One of the delights of life—for this Friend, at least—is in the rich variety and diversity of human expression. Perhaps this explains why I’ve found a happy professional home in the world of media, or a happy spiritual home in a denomination where the minister in any given worship service could be any one of us.
A diversity of talents bless our community. Some are gifted orators, writers, musicians, or cooks. Friends have a long history of naming and honoring certain kinds of gifts, including that of gospel ministry. But wouldn’t our lives be aesthetically diminished without the gifts of visual artists?
For this issue, we solicited contributions of visual art from among our readers in the Religious Society of Friends, and I’m excited to share in these pages a sampling of the wonderful works that were shared with us. Space limitations, regrettably, prevent us from being able to share it all with you in this print edition, but you will find even more Quaker-produced artwork in our online edition at Friendsjournal.org, where I encourage you to comment as you feel led.
I don’t pretend to be an art critic, merely an appreciator. I’m wise enough to know that art is a better spokesperson for itself than anyone else could be, even its creator. So as you encounter the art in these pages, I invite you to do so in the same mindset in which you might turn your attention to a speaker, quaking, rising out of the silence in meeting for worship to deliver ministry.
Thank you for your readership, and—as always—please let us know what you think.
P.S. We’re hiring a staff writer! This is a full-time, remote position. Details at Friendsjournal.org/job.
Comments on Friendsjournal.org may be used in the Forum of the print magazine and may be edited for length and clarity.