An atheist walks into a Quaker Meeting…
No, it's not the set-up for a joke. It's a YouTube video I really want to share with you.
Last week, atheist and YouTuber Jared paid a visit to a Quaker Meeting for the first time. In his latest video, he shares his impressions of the silence and community that he discovers at his local Quaker Meeting in North Carolina, USA.
It's really interesting to hear his perspective as an atheist, a former Pentecostal Christian, and as somebody who has visited a lot of different spiritual settings.
(Please note, there is some swearing, so the video is not advised for those with delicate ears!)
'It is a rare and unique thing to sit in a room full of people and not say a word.'
Jared walked into his local Quaker Meeting and was struck by the egalitarian atmosphere, simple layout, and nourishing silence.
Reflecting on the radical history of Quakerism, he observes that what we have today is something much more simple and spiritual than what he was expecting.
I'd say he's just about right: in some parts of the world, and especially in the UK, modern Quaker communities make room for a diverse spectrum of faith backgrounds, and are less Christo-centric. Many theists, non-theists, atheists, agnostics, and folks in between find a home in their local Quaker Meeting.
But I have also certainly met young Friends who have told me about their powerful, profound relationship with what they describe as God, Spirit, Christ or the Divine - something that Jared says he didn't encounter so much in the Meeting he visited. I have definitely encountered some of those inspiring characters in Quaker circles, characters he thought might be missing. Like I say, we nurture a broad spectrum.
Another key difference I would highlight to you is the theme of 'programmed' versus 'unprogrammed' worship that Jared mentioned. In the USA, and other parts of the world, Quaker Meetings come in a few different styles. Some have a structure or plan for their service ('programmed'), while some are like the open, silence-based Meetings for Worship that we have in the UK ('unprogrammed').
If you visit a Quaker Meeting in Britain, it is almost guaranteed to be unprogrammed: still, gentle quietness, shared amongst equals, where anybody who is moved to may speak about what is on their heart.
Those are my thoughts! I'd love to hear how this video strikes you. Does it make Quaker Meetings sound more or less like your cup of tea? Drop me a line at info@discoveringquakers.org.uk to share your reflections.
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Written by Caitlin Curtis