“Quaker faith to me is not just about doing good,” says Brent Bill, “it’s about being good so you can do good. And it’s hard to be an outward advocate of peace if we don’t have inward peace, if we’re not spiritually centered… it’s hard to project peace as a positive force on those we’d like to touch.”
“If I didn’t have prayer and community, I’d be a real self-righteous prig,” Brent confesses. After being raised in an evangelical Quaker community, he says, “I chose to stay a Quaker [as an adult] because I need the testimonies to keep me centered. Because otherwise, I’m the person hectoring everybody, and I end up losing my own soul.”
“The Bible is rife with all kinds of calls to social action,” Brent reflects. “‘What does the Lord require of thee? To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.'”
Excellent episode!