Why I Blockaded 40,000 Tons of Coal with a Lobster Boat
“We had no idea we were supposed to get a lobster boat, until we ended up with a lobster boat, and then that became the symbol: this little white lobster boat in front of this big, hulking black ship of coal. We opened ourselves to a place of love and humility, knowing that we were supposed to be there but not having any sense of anger or opposition.”
— Jay O’Hara, 2015
Quaker environmental activist
Reader Responses
How do you resist empire in your life?
How do you take responsibility for the ways in which you have benefited from and been complicit with empire? How does living each day with integrity and love require you to be different or in the minority?
As an Australian with Aboriginal family, I've thought a lot about this topic. What Love requires of me is to accept that nature is my god and my church and that I am inseparable from All That Is. Empire is by its nature anthropocentric. If I were able to end each day around a camp fire, telling stories of the day and how to care for Country, looking up at the night sky blanketed in infinite diamond stars, I would understand Belonging and know my natural place in the universe. I have always struggled to see what good things Empire might have brought. To me, it seems that it is based on greed, theft and dominance. Living a simple life, taking only what I need, trying to have the lightest carbon footprint I can, these are the ways in which I resist and choose to be in a minority.
Elly H., Leura, NSW, Australia
From long practiced habit, it is difficult to keep vigilant of living each day with integrity and love. Constant reminders are necessary. Using the current system of naming our calendar's days and months is one mnemonic to call us back to vigilant living.
Dona B.-M., Arlington, VA, USA
I have avoided confronting because I must use self disclosure sparingly in my job. I've recently joined Substack and Blue Sky as a means to be able to share my truth in a meaningful way with others without harming the boundaries I must uphold in my profession. It provides a forum and a place to help inform opinions based on truths.
Blake Y., York, PA, USA
This Week’s Messages
Mon Feb 17
Resisting Empire with the Quaker Calendar
“Early Friends were very concerned about […] being truthful, but also [about] not giving credit to pagan gods and goddesses. For example, on Sunday, one might worship the sun. On Monday, one might worship the moon. […] But Friends didn’t believe in these gods. So why say their names?” …
Tue Feb 18
Witnessing for Peace in a Military Town
“We are two Quaker women who raised our families in towns dominated by the U.S. military. Rather than shun the military and look away, we have lived our witness amidst strong military presences. […] The military has certainly created plenty of occasions for us to talk about our testimonies and our practices in the face of headwinds. Both of us have found that our situations have actually helped strengthen our faith, since we often have to live our witness when sustained by faith alone.” …
Wed Feb 19
Letter to Jefferson on the Hypocrisy of “All Men Are Created Equal”
“Sir, suffer me to recall to your mind that time, in which the arms and tyranny of the British crown were exerted, with every powerful effort, in order to reduce you to a state of servitude […] This, Sir, was a time when you clearly saw into the injustice of a state of slavery, and in which you had just apprehensions of the horrors of its condition.” …
Thu Feb 20
Quakers Sue the Department of Homeland Security
“A group of Quaker congregations is suing the Department of Homeland Security for changing a policy that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from carrying out operations in so-called ‘sensitive locations’ such as houses of worship, playgrounds, schools and hospitals without approval from supervisors.” …
Fri Feb 21
The Story of Mary Fisher and the Sultan
“In 1658, at the age of 35, Mary Fisher felt prompted to travel in a group of six Quakers to the Mediterranean and visit the Ottoman Empire to expound her faith to the Sultan. When their ship reached Smyrna, she asked the English Consul how to contact the Sultan. He told her that to proceed would be unwise and tricked the party of Quakers into boarding a ship bound for Venice. Realizing this when at sea, Fisher asked the captain to land her on the Morean Coast of Greece.” …
Sat Feb 22
Those in Power Need to Hear the Truth
“Policies, laws and received wisdom held by the powerful are extremely path dependent. When a Quaker speaks truth to power we are saying ‘I know what you think the truth to be, or are constrained by circumstances to think it must be, but somewhere along its way through the hierarchies of power, the basic humanity or morality of the question has been lost.’” …
Banner image: Zan Lombardo
