The Inheritance of Life
Dear Friends,
I have been traveling among Friends and writing for Friends for 40 years. I have done workshops and retreats, taught academic classes and short courses, written articles, books, and pamphlets. But preparing the material for this week may have been one of the hardest things I have produced for Friends.
You may have noticed that the daily subject headings have been adapted from Some Directions to the Panting Soul written by Isaac Penington more than 350 years ago:
Give over thine own willing; give over thine own running; give over thine own desiring to know or to be any thing, and sink down to the seed which God sows in the heart, and let that grow in thee, and be in thee, and breathe in thee, and act in thee, and thou shalt find by sweet experience that the Lord knows that, and loves and owns that, and will lead it to the inheritance of life, which is his portion.
Years ago, I printed these words out and taped them to my telephone at work. Every time the phone rang, I read them. Every time I read them, they challenged me. They still do. In particular, I need to give up “desiring to know or to be any thing.” I cannot voluntarily give up who I am or what I know, let alone pretend to no longer desire so many things. And yet, again and again I come back to these words.
This time, it was not a conscious decision to use them. My initial plan for the week was to open the week with the Elias Hicks quote that you saw on Thursday and let that set the tone for the series. It was only weeks later—after I had constructed a list of twenty-four candidates and then whittled it down to the six you have seen—that things became clear; the subject headings became obvious; and the six excerpts rearranged themselves to match.
I’ve come to expect such things to happen in my work among Friends—especially in my writing. The Holy Spirit waits patiently as I struggle to create something—waiting until I am ready to be led. I hope these have spoken to you, too.
With love,
Paul Buckley
Reader Responses
Who are you trying to impress?
Myself. I was once told that if people really loved me, they would tell me how stupid I was. I am definitely not stupid. I never have been. But I spent years pushing people away who admired me and embracing those who found fault with me.
Now on my 70s I am finding myself amazed at my accomplishments. And then alternately feeling impotent and confused. My growing faith in Quaker practice is allowing me to find a balance where I can allow myself to admire my accomplishments without chastising myself for vanity. As in all things Quaker, it isn't easy and it isn't neat, but it is messy and ongoing and delightful.
Lori M., Chino Hills, CA, USA
I am an 81-year-old retired sociologist with a specialty in environmental and political sociology focusing on fighting climate change. I still attend professional conferences and I am trying to impress other social scientists interested in these topics with the "path-breaking" brilliance of my research, publications and the international research project on climate change politics that I have established with about 15 national research teams around the world.
I want to impress them so that they will read and cite my work, thereby indicating that my ideas have contributed to humanity's stock of understanding about the causes and cures of global climate change. I developed this project over decades motivated by love for humanity and the environment. But I also admit of an ego component, wherein I hunger for praise and recognition from others, and feel hurt and rejected when I don't get it. This impulse springs from an inner feeling of loneliness that is desperately seeking solace.
Ultimately, though, I don't think that professional intellectual success will really comfort that inner loneliness. That can only come from deepening personal love relations with my wife, family, and friends, and from a deepening sense of nurturance from the living cosmos.
Jeffrey B., Minneapolis, MN, USA
This might be silly, but as a single woman raising and training a rescue dog with a lot of anxiety, I often feel like my dog's behavior in public is a reflection of my care, love, skill, and ability as a pet owner. This query reminded me that loving and raising a good dog that is secure and confident should be my goal, not protecting my reputation in the eyes of others.
Shani O., Erie, CO, USA
At first glance, I was interpreting "impress" as admiration, and to me that's insincere and would make me feel uncomfortable, almost a form of idolatry. "Inspire" is what I aim for.
I volunteer for several agencies that provide support to those bridging out of poverty, prison ministries, and restorative justice. To be able to inspire others, to give them hope in their hearts so they'll never walk alone is powerful not just to others but myself as well; it inspires me to continue to be the change I want to see in the world.
Laura G., Newton, KS, USA
This Week’s Messages
Give Over your Willing
Give Over your Running
Give Over Desiring to Know or to Be Anything
Sink Down to the Seed
Let the Seed Grow in You and Be in You
Let the Seed Breathe in You and Act in You
