I was vigiling today with Jim Nicholson at Philly’s ICE headquarters. Folks are brought there in enclosed vans in violation of due process that is required by the 4th Amendment. Garages for van entry are behind us. (You might find my comment of interest.)
Today I attended an all-day Buddhist retreat with Fran held at Pendle Hill. I recognize that my sense of Buddhism is drawn to the engaged Buddhism that Thich Nhat Hanh actively encouraged, while others may be more focused on the looking inward that is a predecessor to the outward looking for engaged Buddhism. A few thoughts come to my mind (not a full statement of my thinking). I am a spirit-led peacemaker and believe I am sufficiently centered (while continuously recentering) to move forward outwardly. I have done much work in my Quaker community for my self-development and the testing of my spiritual insights (e.g., six Quaker Clearness Committees). Today at Pendle Hill I advocated for the training, discipline, and courage needed for peace advocates. These are virtues that I have discussed with cadets at West Point Military Academy when I have been there for conferences, recognizing these virtues as something we share in common. We also share a common desire for the peaceful resolution of differences. Today, as not infrequently over the last few months, I sensed discouragement and frustration about how to take meaningful action. While traditional protests by large numbers of people have significant value, there is so much more that can be done (my blog gives a few ideas). This is not as hard as one might think, although it does take time and practice and group support.
My actions are compelled by spirit that calls us to do the right thing even in the face of possible unwelcome challenges, as much as we can dare. Personally, I am not a particularly brave person — I leave that for Rabbi Jesus, M.L. King, Gandhi, Tolstoy, and others. But we act because, after careful seeking and then a testing of our leadings with others, we believe it is the right thing, recognizing that the consequences are not in our hands. Sometimes things do work out, and I believe past peace movements have made a powerful contribution and in fact are one of the reasons that we are alive today and have not suffered the disaster of WWIII. But there are never any guarantees. While it can require much inner work to get there, you got to do what you believe is right to do. Took me about two decades of hard and intentional work before I felt I could call myself a pacifist (it’s always a challenging position for me, and it comes with obligations).
As a personal side note, I see that I have evolved from the rule-based principles of what philosophers of ethics call Consequentialism (e.g., the utilitarianism of J.S. Mill and Jeremy Bentham) and Deontology (moral rules such as advocated by Kant) during the first half of my life, to what is known as Virtue Ethics. Got to do what you’ve got to do. This evolution was never a plan and is only evident in looking back, although I can now see many precedents. Finally, courage and hope are essential, and they are within everyone’s power.
Comment by admin — October 3, 2026 @ 9:07 pm