Be Valiant for the Truth Upon the Earth

“Our first task is to love one another, to be valiant for the truth upon the earth, and to remain attentive to the true spirit in all that we do. This task infuses all our lives. It is, indeed, not so much a specific thing to do as a manner in which to do all things. For that reason its importance is likely to be overlooked: we are tempted to rush on past this advice about every little action, about the details of everyday living, in order to get to those tasks that may save the world, or at least change it. But this temptation must be firmly turned aside. We do need to attend to the spirit and manner of all our actions. Openings for witness are never obvious: they have to be seen, and they cannot or will not be seen by those who do not practice seeing them in daily affairs.”

— Newton Garver, 1983 (source)
American Quaker professor of philosophy