Dear Friends,
On Sunday, November 7, five Friends gathered before the weekly vigil to worship together and discern how we are led to continue the Philadelphia prayer vigils for peace. Two Friends who couldn't attend, one in Minneapolis, had sent ideas and/or queries to us, which were part of our sharing. There was a lot to consider, and not enough time to reach definite conclusions or decisions. Still, we felt nourished by the Spirit and the words that were spoken from the silence.
One Friend recalled Ephesians 6:10-18, where Paul exhorts believers to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power." For this Friend, standing in prayer evoked the apostle's encouragement to stand with the belt of truth around the waist and be ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. Friends spoke of the prayer vigils as a spiritual discipline that grounds them in their relationship with God and Quakerism, and some described the purpose the vigils as an invitation to turn to God or a call to wakefulness.
We touched on the issues of the responsibility that comes with being a vessel for outreach, the prayerful nature of our witness vis a vis the challenge of inclusiveness and diversity, and the risks of losing our spiritual ground as we try to "plan" for outreach and broader participation. Friends stressed the ongoing need for discernment about levels of individual commitment and the focus of our prayer vigils. Questions remained for future exploration. We departed with hopes to meet again and continue worshipful consideration of them.
As we walked to Independence Mall, two of us carried signs on the street: the vigil had started on our way there. The questions come back: When do we start our vigil? When do we end it? What are the limits and the forms of our witness?
We were late, so I (Marcelle) urged Jorge to run quickly to catch a passing bus. I then found myself at Market and 12th Street wearing my sign, with six more blocks to walk alone. People looked at me with expressions of surprise. I felt more exposed and vulnerable than I do when I stand with others on the Mall, and was tempted to walk to the Liberty Bell as fast as I could, keeping my eyes averted. But I realized that the witness had already started. Did I stand for what I had written or not? "Let's be guided by God's Love. Peace on Earth." Yes, I did. I slowed down, to give people a chance to read the whole sign, to make eye contact. Two boys, about age eight, noticed me and their jaws dropped in astonishment.
We were pleased to be joined this week at the vigil by Lyn Back, a Friend from Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting who was serving with a Peace Team in Yugoslavia (traveling frequently between Belgrade and Prishtina, Kosovo) when the war erupted there. She had been carrying on a lonely prayer vigil starting one hour early. She continued with us for another hour. Her presence was a symbol of faithfulness and endurance.
In all, seven of us were present at the vigil.
As the vigil began, I, Marcelle, remembered queries sent by a Friend: "Are there risks that you need to take to invite the spirit more fully into your gatherings? Is God asking you to involve the people passing by your vigil in any more intimate way?" I prayed for Jesus, or the Spirit of Christ, to guide us. Then I stepped forward to offer a flyer to a teenage woman who stopped in front of us. She looked at me with skepticism.
"Is this a Christian thing?" she asked, with a tone that suggested she had an unfavorable opinion of Christian outreach. I hesitated, aware that while some people at the vigil definitely call themselves Christians, others might not. I also sensed that if I said "yes," she would not be open to reading our flyer.
"Well, most of us are Quakers," I said. She accepted the flyer and quickly walked off with her group of friends. I returned to my place in the line and wondered if it was a mistake, even a betrayal, not to affirm immediately that for many of us the inspiration to participate in these vigils was a desire to be faithful to the gospel teachings of Jesus and to the direct guidance of the Inner Christ.
Then a man approached me, not stopping to look at our flyer or brochures. He spoke to me in a low voice. He told me that his Christian organization had often come to pray at the Liberty Bell, too. They had anointed the grounds. He also said that they were expecting the second coming of Christ, soon. "It's going to be different than anybody thinks," he said. Before I could respond, he said, "The important thing is unity." I agreed with that. "God bless you," he said to the group, then quickly walked away.
Not long after that a woman approached me, as though drawn by the words on my sign. She wore a white furry cap and her face radiated enthusiasm.
"Yes, I agree with you so much!" she said. I gave her and her partner a copy of our flyer and then offered them some literature about Quakers. Her partner seemed eager to move on, so they left. At the end of the vigil, however, as we were standing in our closing circle, this couple passed by again and stopped to talk some more. I learned that they were from Turkey. The woman's eyes were flashing with excitement. Inci (pronounced In-gee) shared her passionate feeling that though they were Muslims and we were not, we were all united by love. She told me about her desire to be open and loving with all people and her hope that if people couldn't be loving, at least they could be honest. She asked about my religious beliefs. We both agreed that everyone is connected to God and that God unites us all.
"It was beautiful to meet you both," I said as they parted. Inci said she felt the same.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE
Independence Mall Vigil for PeacePlease join us at our weekly prayer vigils for peace in the world, held in front of the Liberty Bell on Market St. between 5th and 6th, every Sunday from 4 to 5 PM. For more information, contact cityquake@aol.com.
In our reports, participants share their experiences of the prayer vigils and explore beliefs related to their participation. Reports reflect the experience of each author and do not necessarily represent the beliefs or practice of all vigil participants. We welcome your responses, which are forwarded to the individual authors (when possible). We sometimes include part of a response in a future report, unless you ask us not to.
It is meaningful to us that you share in the vigils by reading these reports and in other ways, such as joining us in prayer.
Last modified: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:18 AM