In a BBC interview, when speaking of her move to San Francisco, author Isabel Allende said “I have traveled all over the world and one thing that amazes me is that I can communicate with people. My story may be different but emotionally we are all the same. I tend to see the similarities in people and not the…

The following is an excerpt from a new post titled "The Cross in Quaker Faith," which can be found on Abiding Quaker. . On the other hand, what if the cross is set aside as irrelevant and given no place within present-day Liberal Quaker…

Although these words are commonly spoken in political contexts, they are hard to apply in some settings. You can't really put on the other team's uniform during halftime at a football game. A superstar athlete can, however, forgo the best contract available to sign for less money with the team he thinks can win a…

John Donne's Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, and several steps in my Sickness contains both the phrases “no man is an illand” and “for whom the bell tolls.” The 1623 spelling may be unfamiliar to many. Unlike many of the quotations I chose for this book, where true origins are unknown or…

Often this phrase refers to a person in a group or team and this meaning was reinforced with the popular TV show, The Weakest Link that had tremendous, albeit brief, popularity in 2001.  The aphorism originated in the 19th century. It referred to the links in an argument, suggesting that even the strongest of…

Here's an excerpt from a new post titled "Increase Our Faith"at Abiding Quaker . Beyond the restoration of relationship by truth-telling and re-affirming social boundaries, however, is a call to handle offenses in a way…

As advice for climbing a tall and wobbly ladder, this aphorism speaks of the value of partnerships and mutual support. Extended, it could be taken as proclaiming the value of communal collectives such as food-purchasing clubs or cooperative housing. Note the use of the word “don’t” which implies we actually have…

These words could be read as the opposite of “it takes a village [to raise a child]” or “many hands make light work,” and is also akin to the anachronistic “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” Rather than argue for universality of any one stance, suffice to say that some situations call for teamwork, and…

Although forever connected with Karl Marx, these words were commonly used in socialist movements before he wrote them in 1875. It is a challenge to describe an entire socio-economic system in ten words. Our economy seems to be based on "to and from each according to wealth." Anyone I’ve ever…

Although conflict is not foreign to Quaker meetings, there are many reminders within Quaker  life to live with respect in community.  Quakers are “cautioned against any harshness of tone or manner when administering counsel or reproof.”[i] This advice is not limited to simple congeniality. …