| Eighth Query: Peace |
How does our Meeting act to advance peace, to oppose violence, and to support the constructive use of authority in our community, our nation, and the world?
What are we doing as a Meeting:
- to free our nation from militarization, so evident in our society and in its economy?
- to understand what the causes of war and violence and to work for the development of the attitudes and institutions of peace?
- to recognize and correct the causes of violence within our communities, and to work toward overcoming separations and restoring wholeness?
- to increase the understanding and use of nonviolent approaches for the resolution of conflicts?
Do I live in the power of that Life and Spirit that takes away the occasion of all wars?
How do I maintain Friends' testimony that military training and all participation in war and its preparation are inconsistent with the teaching and the spirit of Christ?
Do I work for the establishment of alternative ways of settling disputes? Am I aware that to build a world community requires that we all face our differences honestly, openly and in trust?
Do I treat conflict as an opportunity for growth, and address it with careful attention? Do I seek to recognize and respect the Divine in those with whom I have a basic disagreement? Do I look for ways to reaffirm in action and attitude my love for the one with whom I am in conflict?
