If You See Injustice, Take It On
“Everywhere you go, if you see injustice, you take it on. [Decades ago, as a child,] I went to the local public school. At that time, teachers were allowed to hit students, and I thought that was just wrong. So I was in first or second grade. I’m a Quaker; I believe in nonviolence. There’s no way it should be acceptable for a teacher to hit their students. And so I refused to go to school. My parents said, ‘That’s totally legitimate.’
And so my dad took me to the principal’s office, where I got to make my case for why I was not going to participate in a system that was harming children in this way. I don’t think it changed the policy of the school. But it was an example of my parents and the community seeing a truth that I saw and backing me up on it. It was a really important part of my growing up and being taken seriously. When I see something that’s wrong, there’s something I can do about it.”
— Ingrid Lakey, 2023 (source)
Quaker climate justice activist
Today’s Invitation
When you see injustice, take it on.
This Week’s Query
Have you ever had to choose between your beliefs and the law?
Historically, Quakers have refused to take oaths because of their commitment to telling truth all the time. How does this resonate (or not) with your personal spiritual practice?
Photo credit: “Stone Sky,” copyright James Turrell
