We Owe Much to Spiritual Rebels and Revolutionaries

“In contrast with debilitating conformism prevailing in our capitalist-communist world, there is the positive response to the irrepressible voice of the Eternal speaking to man deep within. It was response to this Voice which produced a compassionate Buddha, a pioneering Abraham, a stirring Isaiah, an appealing Zoroaster. Irrepressible Voice! Woe comes to the prophet who does not speak out. For he has failed the Eternal at a moment of crisis. The Eternal will raise another who will not fail to speak out. For His words which are Spirit and Light must be spoken through man in order to reach the conscience of men. 

…All moral realignment against corruption is effected by the discontented. The race of men owes much to its spiritual rebels, and revolutionaries. They are at war with the world of shams. They are the restless, hungering Truth-seekers. They start new movements. They challenge the conditioning process of the social environment. They become fearless. They draw inspiration from other fearless ones. They go to the roots of things. Jesus who rebelled against the sham and hypocrisy of the priests, the inhuman callousness of imperial Rome, and ‘the conventional good form of his time’ has been the acknowledged or unacknowledged-inspirer of many movements.

Believers in God possess the faith that rebels. In response to the Voice within they say: Search your hearts. Truth of itself teaches and transforms the receptive.

…In humility, I would state that the Society of Friends is a society which must stand for His Cause, which must burn for His Cause, which must purify itself for His Cause — or else it peters out.

…The method is quiet but fearless penetration into all areas of the human relationship. And ever in humility for our share of the world’s distress and suffering, to penetrate like leaven which integrates itself into the bread of our common humanity as it serves. 

How then shall the leaven-like seed sowers lay hold of that life and Power, and how shall they live the life of the revolutionary faith? By the quiet persistent practice of turning all our being, day and night, in inward worship and surrender to Him who calls in the deep of the souls of men and then responsively, fearlessly advancing in the service of the Spirit.”

— Heberto Sein, 1954 (source)
Mexican Quaker peace activist and diplomat

How do you know if you have a leading?

How can you tell when to act and when more discernment is needed? How do you lean on others in your faith community to help you come to clarity?

"A leading is inconvenient, not something you would choose to do on your own initiative. God has to tell you to do it, because otherwise you wouldn't.

A leading comes back if you dismiss it. It weighs on your mind until you give in – or abandon the practices that open you up to such things.

A leading is consistent with the core values of Friends' faith and practice – although it may be directly counter to our established habits and routines.

A leading is a prompt to do something you can do in real life – although following it may be challenging, and involve serious self examination and elements of risk and growth.

You may resist a leading, or even reject it. But at some point in that process you will recognize that it is real. What you do then will make you a Friend, or not."

Steve K., Tampa, FL, USA
"If my first response is swearing in English, I feel pretty sure I have a true leading. If my first response is to curse in French (my father tongue), I know I have a true leading."

Roscoe M., San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Mon Sep 09

The Most Joyous and Wondrous Thing We Can Do

“Finding and being found by that of God within me releases me from the dilemma of ‘Should I? Is it worth it? What good can I do?’ The answers to these questions are no longer important. What matters is that I must act, and that the task will be given to me. In my school motto was my answer — Servite in caritate — service with love.” …
Tue Sep 10

Dare to speak out

“Granted that Quakers have a tradition in civil liberties, what are they doing now? We ought to be hesitant to glory in past acts and quick to recognize that too often Quakers live today on the legacies of respect left by the rebels of yesteryear rather than to dare to speak out on modern equivalents of problems which landed their ancestors in prison.”  …
Wed Sep 11

“Love” can be the toughest or the fluffiest word in the language

“The sense of being answerable to the testimonies* may sound like a burden. Indeed, many people who are attracted by Quaker life find it daunting, demanding unsustainable standards of them. Others may reject it, as many reject the peace testimony, as unrealistically idealistic, divorced from everyday life. They may even shrug it off as hypocrisy.” …
Thu Sep 12

Activism Is a Species of Worship

“[Though the legacy of John Woolman,] we are invited to see our activism as a species of worship. For activists, this is an invitation to root our activism more fully in the transforming power of meeting for worship and the love of God we encounter there. For those who are more of a contemplative than an activist orientation, it challenges us to broaden our understanding of the boundaries of the meetinghouse, and the boundaries of worship itself.” …
Fri Sep 13

What it Means to Be Incarnation People

“No matter what else we may imagine the life of Jesus to be, it is certainly understood to be a revelation of God’s love through a human life, and what that means, among other things, is that humans and God are not so far apart as we may be led to believe, that God’s love would be revealed to us through a human life. That sort of ups the ante in terms of what it means to be incarnation people, because if God’s love can be revealed through a human life, then God’s love can be revealed through my life.” …
Sat Sep 14

How to Bring Your Spiritual Self to Politics

“Despite the irritation you may feel about political candidates who pander to fear and despite the frustration you may have for the media/entertainment industry that fuels the rhetoric of fear, I encourage you to bring your spiritual selves to politics. Bring the certain knowledge that God’s love is abundant. Bring your hope that is fostered through the dedicated worship we share, the time of contemplation when we make ourselves open to continuing revelation, to discerning God’s call for us in this broken, yet beautiful world.” …

Banner art by Maggie Fiori

Author

  • Heberto Sein

    Heberto Sein (1898–1977) was a Mexican Quaker leader, peace activist, language interpreter and diplomat. He also promoted the workcamps of the American Friends Service Committee in Mexico. He was part of the larger struggle in Latin America for non-violent social change. The Casa Heberto Sein, a Quaker Center in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico is named for him.

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