Quakers Today

In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Sweet Miche (they/them) and Peterson Toscano (he/him) explore the impact of affinity groups and how they provide a space for community and spiritual nourishment.

Affinity Spaces: A Sacred Necessity

African American Friends Vanessa Julye and Curtis Spence speak from the heart about why affinity spaces are sacred. Vanessa, Associate Secretary for Organizational Cultural Transformation at Friends General Conference, and Curtis, a writer and minister, share how these groups offer "soul rest," a place to breathe, and an opportunity to be fully seen without constantly centering polite white supremacy (PWS). Vanessa credits Yawo Brown as the originator of the phrase, “polite white supremacy.”

“I didn’t join a BIPOC Quaker affinity group because I had something to teach. I joined because I needed to breathe.” — Curtis Spence

“If there is a BIPOC person within Quakerism looking for a place where they can have more connections with other BIPOC people, there are resources out there... I hope there comes a time when we can stop justifying affinity spaces.” — Vanessa Julye

You'll hear excerpts from their influential articles in the October 2025 issue of Friends Journal:

Extended Conversation: Watch the full video conversation with Vanessa Julye and Curtis Spence on the Friends Journal YouTube channel. [insert hyperlink]

Environmental Justice & the Illusion of Separation

Writer and activist Eileen Flanagan shares wisdom from her new book, Common Ground: How the Crisis of the Earth Is Saving Us from Our Illusion of Separation. She connects the spiritual dilemma of loving one's neighbor with the urgent realities of the climate crisis, highlighting how environmental racism creates a shared, though unequal, stake in the fight for a habitable world.

“I boiled down my dilemma to a challenging theological question: How do I love my neighbor when he is killing my other neighbors?” — Eileen Flanagan

Resources for Community & Spiritual Nourishment

We share a few of the vibrant affinity spaces available online for Friends seeking deeper connection and specific spiritual community:

Question for Next Month

Who is someone you’ve encountered in fiction that embodies Quakerness? The character could be from a book or movie. They could be a hero or even a minor character, and they do not need to be Quaker.

Leave us a voicemail with your name and town at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche.

Sponsors

Season Five of Quakers Today is sponsored by Friends Fiduciary

Friends Fiduciary 

This season is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.

AFSC works at the forefront of social change to meet urgent needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.

Did you know AFSC helped thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish refugees during World War II resettle in the U.S.? Today, AFSC works toward a future where everyone can thrive, has access to legal status, and is safe from detention and deportation.

 Learn how you can take action for immigrant safety, dignity, and well-being at afsc.org/stronger-immigrants.

Friend Fiduciary blends Quaker principles with smart, mission-driven investing. With 100% of revenue supporting their mission and a 100% Quaker board, they help hundreds of faith-based groups invest ethically and affordably. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Did you know AFSC helped thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish refugees during World War II resettle in the U.S.? Today, AFSC works toward a future where everyone can thrive, has access to legal status, and is safe from detention and deportation.

Discover how you can take action for the safety, dignity, and well-being of immigrants at AFSC.org.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this premiere episode of Season Five, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Sweet Miche (they/them) explore the urgent question: How do we balance peace and protest in today’s world?

Australian Friend Greg Rolles shares his experiences with nonviolent direct action, police intimidation, and the risks of faithful disobedience. Arrested more than 25 times for his activism, Greg challenges Quakers to move beyond polite pacifism.

“Peace is not the same as passivity. We think that peace is about being polite and nice and being quiet in public spaces. But peace is proactive, and it calls us to take action and take risk.” —Greg Rolles

Greg’s article We Are Having an Effect: The Necessity of Spiritual Resistance in Climate and Justice Activism appears in the September 2025 issue of Friends Journal (add link to article at FriendsJournal.org). You can also watch the extended interview on the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink).

Jade Rockwell, pastor at West Elkton Friends Meeting in Ohio, lifts up the role of renewal and revival in Quaker practice today.

“Our emphasis has shifted in the 21st century more towards being a people called to action. We’re living in a time when inaction is risky. If we’re not able to respond to our world, bad things can happen—and we may be morally responsible if we aren’t able to be active.” —Jade Rockwell

You can find more of Jade’s ministry in the QuakerSpeak video, “Transforming Quakerism in Troubling Times” at QuakerSpeak.com or on the QuakerSpeak YouTube channel.

This month’s Friends Journal book review features Richard Rohr’s The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage (Convergent Books). Rohr highlights how the anger of prophets like Amos and Jeremiah matures into grief, then into transformative action. Read Wendy Cooler’s full review at FriendsJournal.org (insert hyperlink).

In addition to books, this season introduces a new segment: recommendations beyond the bookshelf. Peterson suggests Fate of the Fellowship, a cooperative board game by Matt Leacock, creator of Pandemic. Players work together in Tolkien’s Middle-earth to guide the Fellowship while resisting the growing Shadow. Learn more at BoardGameGeek or through major retailers.

Friends share their favorite Quaker expressions—from “That of God in everyone” to “Hold you in the Light.” Eleanor from Colorado reflected,

“I think of all people as a Friend or a buddy. That framework helps me move through life more peacefully.”

Quaker gatherings often create space for specific affinity groups—such as Friends of Color, Young Adult Friends, or FLGBTQC (Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns).

We want to hear from you: How has being rooted in a small group changed the way you share your voice in bigger settings?

Leave us a voicemail or text at 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). (+1 if outside the U.S.) You can also reply by email at [email protected] or on our social media channels.

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.

Music in this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.

For the extended video version of this episode, visit the Friends Journal YouTube channel (insert hyperlink). For a full transcript, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode of Quakers Today, we consider the Bible. Co-host Peterson Toscano (he/him) speaks with Jesuit priest and best-selling author Father James Martin about the story of Lazarus and what it means to live a resurrected life in today’s world. From a powerful visit to Lazarus’s tomb in Palestinian territory to reflections on freedom and healing, Father Martin brings spiritual and historical depth to a story often overlooked.

We also hear from Ollie, a British Quaker and creator of the popular YouTube channel Quake It Up. In conversation with Peterson, Ollie explores the role of the Bible in liberal Quakerism, what happens when scripture is weaponized, and how we can find spiritual grounding beyond the written word.

This episode delves into the complications and possibilities of engaging with sacred texts, especially for those who have felt harmed by them. It also celebrates the boldness of Mary and Martha in the Gospels, and the courage it takes to step outside of cultural norms in pursuit of truth.

Fr. James Martin, SJ

Ollie from Quake It Up

🎙️ What’s your favorite Quaker term or phrase?

Leave a voice memo with your name and location. Call 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). If you're outside the U.S., dial +1 first. You can also send your answer via email or on social media. Email: [email protected]

📖 Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle – by Fr. James Martin

Transfigurations--Transgressing Gender in the Bible by Peterson Toscano. Available for free viewing on YouTube. 

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche McCall.

In this special interim episode, co-host Peterson Toscano revisits two powerful stories that explore revival and reevaluation on both personal and communal levels.

First, we hear from Karla Jay, Global Ministries Coordinator for Friends United Meeting and part of the pastoral team at Iglesia Amigos de Indianapolis. Karla shares her eyewitness account of the 2023 Asbury University revival, a spiritual awakening that drew national attention and over 50,000 visitors.

Next, we meet Hayden Hobby, a youth worker and worship leader in Richmond, Virginia. Hayden reflects on his journey out of a fear-based evangelical theology and into a more authentic, evolving faith. He reads from his essay, Surviving Religious Trauma: How I Left an Abusive God, published in the February 2023 issue of Friends Journal.

Finally, Peterson takes listeners to Millville, Pennsylvania, where Millville Friends Meeting has taken bold steps to affirm LGBTQ+ people and all spiritual seekers. Inspired by a call from Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting, the small rural meetinghouse—situated across from the local high school and next to a hilltop cemetery—crafted explicit welcome statements and is preparing to participate in PrideAPalooza 2025.

The welcome statement for LGBTQ+ people reads: 

At Millville Friends Meeting, we publicly recognize that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex, asexual, and queer (LGBTQIA+) people have faced systemic exclusion, judgment, and harm—especially in religious communities.

In light of this history, we affirm LGBTQIA+ people as full and valuable members of our spiritual community. Your presence, leadership, and gifts are cherished. You are welcome here.

The general welcome statement reads:

Millville Friends Meeting welcomes and embraces all peace-loving spiritual seekers.

We are committed to creating a community where people of all races, ethnicities, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, sexual, romantic, or affectional orientations, immigration or refugee statuses, marital or family structures, economic situations, educational backgrounds, and physical, mental, or neurodiverse abilities are affirmed and valued.

Each person’s spiritual journey is sacred. You are welcome here.

The Millville Meeting commissioned graphic designer, Christine Bakke, to create posters for the website, to hang inside the meetinghouse, and to post outside.

What’s a favorite Quaker term or phrase that’s common among Friends but might sound strange to outsiders?

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche McCall.

In this special interim episode of Quakers Today, Sweet Miche shares how Quakers strive to embody religious freedom and the sacred right to provide sanctuary. We feature excerpts from the Quaker Walk to Washington, a remarkable 300-mile trek from Flushing, Queens—a place steeped in the origins of religious freedom in America—to Washington, D.C. This journey of deep spiritual conviction and witness highlights the ongoing Quaker commitment to justice.

You'll hear from:

Max Goodman & Ross Brubeck: Attenders at Brooklyn Monthly Meeting who grew up at Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting, and two of the core organizers of the walk.

Diana Mejia and Stuart Sydenstricker: Quakers from Plainfield Monthly Meeting, who lead Wind of the Spirit, an immigration advocacy center. 

Imani Cruz: Global Policy Coordinator for Migrant Justice at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

A Journey of Faith and Action for Justice

This episode delves into the "Quaker Walk to Washington," a pilgrimage rooted in the historical fight for religious freedom and the Quaker testimony of peace and justice.

The walk draws direct inspiration from the 1657 Flushing Remonstrance, a courageous declaration written for Quakers facing persecution in New Netherland. This document, which asserts the right to religious liberty and the protection of all people, served as a foundational text for the walk's purpose. The episode also connects the walk to a recent lawsuit filed by Quaker meetings against the Department of Homeland Security, challenging policies that undermine the sanctity of worship spaces.

The 300-mile trek itself became a profound spiritual experience. The walkers reflect on the physical challenges and unexpected moments of deep connection, such as canoeing through dense fog—a powerful metaphor for walking forward in faith even when the path ahead is unclear. The walk fostered a sense of solidarity with migrants, mirroring their uncertain journeys, and demonstrated how Quaker meetings along the route extended radical hospitality and welcome, regardless of resources.

Beyond the symbolic act of walking, the episode explores the practical dimension of Quaker witness. Imani Cruz from AFSC outlines current legislative efforts to advocate for just immigration policies, including resisting increased funding for immigration enforcement and championing the Sensitive Locations Act, which aims to protect places like houses of worship from immigration intrusions legally.

The walkers brought their message of justice to Washington, D.C., culminating in a powerful symbolic act of nailing a contemporary remonstrance to a door on the National Mall.

Question for Next Season: What is your favorite Quaker term that is common among Friends, but strange to outsiders?

Share your response by emailing [email protected] or call/text 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Please include your name and location. Your responses may be featured in our next season!

Resources

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Sweet Miche.

Season Four of Quakers Today was sponsored by American Friends Service Committee and Friends Fiduciary.

American Friends Service Committee:

Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works at the forefront of many social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Find out more about how you can get involved in their programs to protect migrant communities, establish an enduring peace in Palestine, de-militarize police forces worldwide, assert the right to food for all, and more. Visit AFSC.ORG.

Friends Fiduciary:

Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for fellow Quaker organizations.  Friends Fiduciary consistently achieves strong financial returns while witnessing to Quaker testimonies. They also help individuals support organizations they hold dear through giving strategies, including donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more about FFC’s services at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Feel free to email us at [email protected] with​​ comments, questions, and requests for our show. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound. 

Follow Quakers Today on TikTok, Instagram, X, and visit us at QuakersToday.org.

the word “home” mean to you? From a laundry ministry on the streets of San Francisco to a Quaker refuge during World War II, Friends are reimagining what it means to offer shelter, connection, and belonging. Our episode gets its inspiration from the May 2025 issue of Friends Journal.

Peterson: Gabe Ehri writes in the opening editorial, “In a world as profoundly abundant as ours, it is a societal failure of monumental proportions that anyone go without safe and comfortable housing.”

Sweet Miche: And he ends with this reminder from scripture and Woolman: “Think on these things and do them.” That’s what we’re exploring today—what it means to actually do something.

Zae Illo, an Earlham School of Religion graduate and a longtime public theologian, shares how his lived experience of homelessness informs his ministry among unhoused neighbors in San Francisco. Outside the Friends meetinghouse, his laundry ministry provides more than clean clothes—it offers presence, listening, and dignity.

Sharlee DiMenichi, staff writer at Friends Journal, highlights how Quaker meetings across North America care for unhoused neighbors. From shelter partnerships in Arizona to memorials for unhoused Friends in California, her reporting centers spiritual practice and community action.

Michael Luick-Thrams reflects on Scattergood Hostel, the Iowa Quaker school that transformed into a refuge for Jewish children fleeing the Holocaust.

Book Review

We asked listeners: Beyond a roof and four walls, what does the word “home” mean to you?

Next question: What is your favorite Quaker term—one common among Friends but strange to outsiders?

Contact us: [email protected]

Season Four of Quakers Today is Sponsored by:

Friends Fiduciary

Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for Quaker organizations, consistently achieving strong financial returns while upholding Quaker testimonies. They also assist individuals in supporting beloved organizations through donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. AFSC works at the forefront of social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Learn more at AFSC.org.

Feel free to email us at [email protected] with​​ comments, questions, and requests for our show. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound. 

Follow Quakers Today on TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more episodes and a full transcript of this episode, visit QuakersToday.org.

Philip Gulley, Peterson, and Sweet Miche share their personal journeys of unlearning traditional theological concepts and reflect on what makes Quakerism a meaningful path to a more authentic faith. Gulley highlights fear as a significant motivator for religious beliefs and a tool for control and how the current political moment is a masterfully evil manipulation of human fears. Gulley also offers his perspective on the continued usefulness of organized religion, emphasizing the importance of bringing people together, respecting personal autonomy, and aligning its social efforts with the ethos of Jesus and radical love.

Philip Gulley is a Quaker pastor, writer, and speaker from Danville, Indiana.  Gulley has written 22 books, including the Harmony series recounting life in the eccentric Quaker community of Harmony, Indiana, and the best-selling Porch Talk essay series.

Gulley’s memoir, I Love You, Miss Huddleston: And Other Inappropriate Longings of My Indiana Childhood, was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Hor.  In addition, Gulley, with co-author James Mulholland, shared their progressive spirituality in the books If Grace Is True and If God Is Love, followed by Gulley’s books If the Church Were Christian and The Evolution of Faith. In  Living the Quaker Way: Timeless Wisdom For a Better Life Today, Gulley offers the opportunity to participate in a world where the values of the Quaker way bring equity, peace, healing, and hope. In his most recently published non-fiction work, Unlearning God: How Unbelieving Helped Me Believe, Gulley describes the process of spiritual growth, especially the re-interpretation of the earliest principles we learned about God.

Here are some resources for friends in the process of unlearning and seeking spiritual growth:

We hear directly from Roxanne, who unlearned the idea that any single group holds the definitive spiritual answer, instead discovering valuable truths across diverse practices and traditions through their continuous seeking.

On Facebook, friends shared their experience wrestling with the traditional ideas about God they grew up with. Many people mentioned letting go of a harsh or judgmental image of God, questioning core doctrines, and letting go of feelings of unworthiness. Thank you to Angela, Rae, Tim, Amy, Iris, Christine, Steve, David, Tyler, Joe, Deepak, and Whittier for sharing so openly with our question of the month.

Beyond a roof and four walls, what does the word 'home' mean to you?

Share your response by emailing [email protected] or call/text 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Please include your name and location. Your responses may be featured in our next episode.

Quakers Today: A Project of Friends Publishing Corporation

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.

Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for Quaker organizations, consistently achieving strong financial returns while upholding Quaker testimonies. They also assist individuals in supporting beloved organizations through donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. AFSC works at the forefront of social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Learn more at AFSC.org.

Feel free to email us at [email protected] with​​ comments, questions, and requests for our show. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound. 

Follow Quakers Today on TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more episodes and a full transcript of this episode, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this unedited conversation Philip Gulley, Peterson Toscano, and Sweet Miche share their personal journeys of unlearning traditional theological concepts and reflect on what makes Quakerism a meaningful path to a more authentic faith.

Quakers Today: A Project of Friends Publishing Corporation

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.

Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for Quaker organizations, consistently achieving strong financial returns while upholding Quaker testimonies. They also assist individuals in supporting beloved organizations through donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. AFSC works at the forefront of social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Learn more at AFSC.org.

Feel free to email us at [email protected] with​​ comments, questions, and requests for our show. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound. 

Follow Quakers Today on TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more episodes and a full transcript of this episode, visit QuakersToday.org.

In this episode, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Sweet Miche (they/them) explore best practices for welcoming and supporting neurodivergent individuals in Quaker worship and educational settings. Poet and writer Kate Fox shares insights from her article "A Place of Unmasking," drawing connections between early Quakers' spiritual practices and contemporary understandings of neurodiversity. Kate discusses her experience of Quaker meeting as a space where she can authentically be herself, free from the pressures of masking neurodivergent traits.

Kate Fox raises essential questions: How can places of worship and schools better accommodate neurodivergent individuals? How do sensory practices, like stimming, help with spiritual grounding and concentration?

We also explore Julia Watts Belser's book, Loving Our Own Bones, Disability Wisdom, and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole, which invites readers to reconsider disability—not as something needing fixing, but as an integral part of human diversity, rich with spiritual wisdom and power. You can read Greg Woods' review in Friends Journal. 

Listener Responses: Neurodivergent Voices and Best Practices

We hear directly from listeners who share their experiences and recommendations:

What belief have you had to unlearn in your spiritual or personal journey?

Share your response by emailing [email protected] or call/text 317-QUAKERS (317-782-5377). Please include your name and location. Your responses may be featured in our next episode.

Resources

For neurodiverse individuals, here are some useful apps designed to support communication, sensory regulation, social skills, executive functioning, and emotional well-being:

This podcast follows the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a way of creating content that works well for all audiences. It helps us make clear, easy-to-understand episodes that are welcoming for everyone. We follow UDL principles by carefully choosing audio, using plain language, offering transcripts for each episode, and inviting your feedback in multiple ways. 

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.

Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. AFSC works at the forefront of social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Learn more at AFSC.org.

Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for Quaker organizations, consistently achieving strong financial returns while upholding Quaker testimonies. They also assist individuals in supporting beloved organizations through donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

In this episode, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) explore the deep connections between Quaker spirituality, nature, and Indigenous wisdom. This episode features Gail Melix, an Indigenous Quaker who shares how walking in the woods transformed her experience of burnout into a practice of prayerful meditation. Paula Palmer examines the legacy of Quaker-run Indigenous boarding schools and the painful losses experienced by Indigenous children. We also hear about Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book The Serviceberry, which invites us to reimagine our relationship with abundance, reciprocity, and the natural world.

Gail Melix (also known as Greenwater,) a member of Sandwich Meeting in Massachusetts and a member of the Herring Pond Wampanoag tribe, shares how she found healing through daily woodland walks. Facing burnout from social justice work, Gail sought guidance from Quaker and Indigenous elders and turned to nature for restoration. Through walking meditation, she discovered deep stillness, a renewed sense of peace, and even moments of profound connection with wildlife.

In The Delight of Being a Walking Prayer: Meditation for Healing, published in the February 2025 issue of Friends Journal, Gail reflects on the gifts of nature, the importance of listening to the land, and how slowing down can restore inner balance.

Paula Palmer, a Quaker researcher and activist, delves into the historical trauma inflicted by Quaker-run Indigenous boarding schools. Through an excerpt from a QuakerSpeak video, Paula describes how Indigenous children were forcibly separated from their families and stripped of their cultural identity. Many Quakers at the time failed to recognize the value of Indigenous cultures, blinded by the assumption that assimilation was an act of benevolence.

Paula reminds us that true healing requires listening, truth-telling, and ongoing dialogue with Indigenous communities. You can watch the full QuakerSpeak video, The Lasting Trauma of Quaker Indigenous Boarding Schools, on YouTube or at QuakerSpeak.com. Many thanks to Layla Cuthrell, producer of QuakerSpeak.  

In The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, Robin Wall Kimmerer explores the idea that wealth is not measured by accumulation but by generosity. She describes harvesting serviceberries alongside birds, witnessing the mutual exchange that defines a healthy ecosystem. Drawing from Indigenous knowledge, Kimmerer challenges the scarcity-driven mindset of capitalism and invites readers to embrace a gift economy—one where all flourishing is mutual.

To read Ruah Swennerfelt’s full review of The Serviceberry, visit FriendsJournal.org.

In our last episode, we asked: "What is your relationship with nature like?"

Listeners shared stories of finding peace in the woods, experiencing the divine through the changing seasons, and feeling responsible for the land they live on. Thank you to everyone who called in, emailed, or commented on social media!

For next month's episode, we invite responses from those who identify as neurodivergent or have neurodivergent children or students.

What are some best practices you have experienced or would recommend for places of worship or schools supporting neurodivergent people?

Leave a voice memo or text with your name and location at +1 317-782-5377. You can also comment on our social media channels or email us at [email protected].

Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation content. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.

Since 1898, Friends Fiduciary has provided values-aligned investment services for Quaker organizations, consistently achieving strong financial returns while upholding Quaker testimonies. They also assist individuals in supporting beloved organizations through donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and stock gifts. Learn more at FriendsFiduciary.org.

Vulnerable communities and the planet are counting on Quakers to take action for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. AFSC works at the forefront of social change movements to meet urgent humanitarian needs, challenge injustice, and build peace. Learn more at AFSC.org.

For a full transcript of this episode, visit QuakersToday.org. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and X (Twitter) for more Quaker content.