Making My Life a Testimony

What Being a Quaker Means to Me

My family has been Quaker for generations, so I have been a Quaker my whole life. I grew up attending a Quaker church in Mexico where worship is programmed. Being Quaker feels normal to me. Three years ago, I moved to Canada and now attend Winnipeg (Manitoba) Meeting, which is an unprogrammed (silent) meeting. In Mexico, not many people know about Quakers. Throughout my life when friends or anyone else asked about my religion, I had to explain what being Quaker means. But I’ve noticed it’s becoming a bit harder for me to explain. On the one hand, I can describe who Quakers are: their history, important figures, different types of worship, and even their principles. But what does it really mean to be a Quaker? What does it mean for me to be a Quaker? That’s the question I find difficult to answer.

My Perception of Quakerism

Being a Quaker can be difficult because it makes you more aware of the impact your actions, thoughts, and words have on the world and on the people around you. Integrity is one of the most important Quaker principles for me but also one of the hardest to practice. While it’s true that I try to keep it in mind and live a consistent life every day, I often do things without first thinking about whether I agree with them or whether they align with Quaker principles.

Another principle I struggle with is simplicity. I see my friends have trendy pants or shirts, and even though I don’t need more clothes and may not agree with the ethics of certain brands, I still buy them. As a young person, I want to fit in; it’s easy to be influenced by social media or by others my age. I know it’s not the end of the world if I buy that piece of clothing, but it means I’m wearing something that doesn’t represent what I believe and doesn’t align with my Quaker principles.

As a young Quaker, it’s sometimes difficult to control my consumption, but this particular principle helps me slow down the impulse to buy what’s trendy and instead pause to consider whether I really need it or if it’s just a whim. I reflect on the process used to create the product, the impact that purchase may have, and whether I agree with the principles of the company that made it. I’m aware that being a Quaker doesn’t mean I will never take part in consumerism, but it helps me think twice before buying something I don’t actually need.

This is one of the most important characteristics of being a Quaker: we don’t see differences as something bad that must be rejected; instead, we are curious about them. No matter how different we are from one another, we all have things in common, the most important being the Inner Light.

What Distinguishes Quakerism from Other Religions?

One day while talking with my grandfather, I told him what I was writing and about my doubts. What stood out most for me among the things he said was that for him, Quakerism is a very open religion. This deepened my reflection on my experience as a young Quaker. When I was 13, I traveled to Canada and attended the annual sessions of Canadian Yearly Meeting. It was the first time I experienced silence for such a long time. I remember they took us outside for one worship. Fortunately, it was summer, because in winter you can’t stay outside long before freezing. We stood in a circle and remained in silence for an hour! We did this several times during the three-day gathering. It was a new and positive experience for me.

When I returned to my programmed church in Monterrey, Mexico, I shared this experience and suggested we include ten minutes of silence every Sunday. My proposal was approved, and from that moment on, we held silence each Sunday. Years later, when we moved to Canada and began attending silent meetings every Sunday, my sister and I started to miss our programmed meeting. My mom suggested that we have a youth Bible study in a separate room once a month. That proposal was also approved, and now we have a monthly Bible study where anyone is welcome.

It strikes me that the proposals were heard, welcomed, and appreciated in both meetings. Several Friends were even excited to put these ideas into practice, no matter how different they were or who proposed them. I feared these ideas would be rejected because they were completely different styles of worship for each meeting or because they came from a 13-year-old girl! I must admit I was surprised by how well they were received in both cases.

I think this is one of the most important characteristics of being a Quaker: we don’t see differences as something bad that must be rejected; instead, we are curious about them. No matter how different we are from one another, we all have things in common, the most important being the Inner Light. As a Quaker, I try to keep an open mind about our differences and welcome opportunities to understand and listen to those who are different from me. While this can be challenging, I believe it is our duty as Quakers to remain open to listening; to respect differences; and above all, to find common ground.

My Relationship with God as a Young Quaker

There is one more characteristic about Quakers that I think is very important: unlike in other religions, we believe that no intermediary is needed to reach or speak with God. This is one of the main reasons why I like being a Quaker so much. My relationship with God is personal; I can talk to Him about anything without anyone else needing to know my worries or my gratitude, and that makes me feel very comfortable in my relationship with God.

I have experienced different types of Quaker worship, and they all have something in common: the presence of God, or the Inner Light. For example, in silent worship, I can sit in silence and wait to hear what God has to tell me, but I can also use that time to talk to Him about what I need or consider important. In programmed worship, I usually find new ways to worship God, whether by singing, speaking, or discussing a passage from the Bible. I like both forms of worship, but personally I’ve found that combining them feels most fulfilling. Having programmed worship with time for silent worship at the beginning and end helps me reconnect with God and with myself. It allows me to share whatever I’ve learned, ask for help, or talk about something in my life.

At the beginning of this essay, I said I wasn’t sure what it meant to be a Quaker. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to reflect more deeply on this, I can explain it more clearly and, at the same time, help others understand a bit about Quakerism and how I live it day to day. For me, being Quaker means trying to live every day according to Quaker principles, making my life my testimony. It means remembering that I can speak to God about anything at any time, because God is always present in each and every one of us; that is the Inner Light that we all have. Being Quaker means being open to whatever God places in our lives, in whatever form it appears: whether as a challenge we must face or as a blessing that is arriving in our lives at that moment. But it also means being open to listening to others and accepting our differences, recognizing that of God in everyone.