This weekend, Friends will gather at locations throughout the country, including Trenton Friends Meeting in New Jersey, for the American Friends Service Committee’s (AFSC) Love as Action vigils. They will practice silent worship to bear witness to rising authoritarianism while building connections among passionate and engaged Friends. Originally, these vigils were planned for a defined period of time, but due to a strong response, they have been extended through April.
Many Friends have felt like there is nothing they can do in response to the distressing and heartbreaking stories making the headlines every day. Not everyone is able to attend protests or is in a position to donate to groups addressing these issues, so these vigils give them opportunities to bear witness and be a part of this work. These vigils are being coordinated on a national level, but offer impactful ways for Friends to get involved locally.
The vigil hosts add their location and other details to the calendar on AFSC’s website so that others can find and join them. AFSC provides templates for promoting the vigils, local press releases, and other media, including graphics for online and printed outreach. They also offer guides for worship and ongoing staff support to make being a part of the vigils as accessible as possible.
Vigils typically open with a brief welcome, followed by a period of shared silence with space for Spirit-led spoken ministry. Following the vigils, Friends often gather for a debrief and fellowship. Community members passing by see that there are others who care deeply about today’s issues, including not just the Friends at the vigils, but throughout the extended network of Friends and Quaker organizations like AFSC.
At a recent vigil in Philadelphia, a young child passed by and asked their parents why there were people sitting in silence. The mother explained that the Friends were standing for neighbors from different cultures and countries, to which the child simply replied, “That’s good!” Later during the debrief, a participant told those gathered in fellowship, “I felt as if I was able to raise my voice in silence, and make myself heard.”
If Friends are looking to get involved with these vigils, they can:
- Find and attend a vigil near them at https://www.mobilize.us/afsc/?org_ids=42053
- Help organize a vigil at a location near them by going to https://www.mobilize.us/afscfriendsengagement/c/love-as-action-quaker-witness-/event/create/
- Share information about the vigils with their contacts
- Invite their meeting to participate
- Contact LoveasAction@afsc.org to learn more
Photo attributed and provided by American Friends Service Committee.
