Message from the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) for Sunday Meeting 1st February 2026

Dear Friends,

Like many of you, I have been thinking and meditating on Peace, in these troubled times. So; I looked back at some notable Quaker Friends from the past to see their perspectives on peace.

George Fox emphasised overcoming through love rather than hatred to find internal peace. He created the beginnings of the Quaker Peace Testimony.

William Penn, believed justice, not force, secures peace, that love gains strength. He encouraged action to improve the world, suggesting forgiveness over retaliation.

John Woolman connected personal consumption to conflict and advocated active non-violence through solidarity.

Margaret Fell described Quakers as pursuing peace, love and unity to bear witness against war.

Bayard Rustin believed in speaking truth to power, & the wrongness of war.

Lucretia Mott felt war could be abolished through effort. If only this worked in practice, which I guess it would if enough good people were demanding it!

I’m always interested in the perspectives of good people of other faiths like Rumi, the Sufi mystic and poet. These are some of his thoughts on peace.

Emphasise inner stillness, letting go of ego & desire. True peace comes from quieting the mind, accepting life as it is, love guides one beyond worldly concerns. Seek silence, peace arrives when we stop striving and simply allow love and self-acceptance to bloom.

Rumi quotes politicians and certainly Donald Trump should reflect on:

Peaceful is the one who’s not concerned with having more. Unbounded by fame, he is free from sorrow, the world and from himself!

The quieter you become, the more you can hear.

Raise your words, not your voice. Rain makes flowers grow, not thunder. Listen with ears of tolerance! See through eyes of compassion! Speak the language of love.

Geoffrey Halsey

Quakers value diversity. We share this Friend’s message in the hope it will speak to others.

Pastoral Care and Eldership Team: Patricia Cockrell, David Hitchin, Sharon Krummel, Tim Pitt-Payne, Theresa Samms, Emily Slater.