Epistle from German Yearly Meeting 2022
Epistle of Germany Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends 2022
For the original German, download here
At last, after 3 years of meeting online or in blended meetings, we could meet again in presence: 135 Friends including 22 children and young people, delegates from France, Great Britain, Ireland and Switzerland and guests from Georgia, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, the Czech Republic and the USA were gathered in the Haus Venusberg in Bonn from the 13th – 16th October 2022.
On arriving, we were surprised in the opening session to be offered an inspired and inspiring selection of five quotes from five epistles of other countries, which gave us the opportunity to reflect, share and get to know one another better. Nordic Yearly Meeting‘s question, „Am I aware of what I am called to do?“ connected us back from the world to the theme of our own yearly Meeting „What is the spirit moving us to do in the present day world“. In the following worship sharing and also in the Meeting for Worship the next day we could clearly sense the current themes in our society and the resulting rifts and polarisations of opinions. From the way we approach the climate catastrophe, to the pandemic and measures to deal with its consequences, from the impact of the war in the Ukraine, and the decisions our political leaders are making, to issues around gender which continue to surface, the question „what does the Peace testimony mean for Quakers today?“ burns within us.
We were reminded by Denise Vosseler from Switzerland Yearly Meeting in her Richard-Cary-Vorlesung that the inner light is a yearning and thus a mover for our spiritual journey, and that only with spiritual nourishment can we find our way through difficult times. She pointed us towards our common source. We shared in groups the many different ways her words had touched us.
In our Business Meetings we were finally able to decide to begin work on renovating our Quaker House in Bad Pyrmont, which will bring a breath of fresh air and let light in to the dark rooms in the basement. This is the beginning of a new path to help us make the house our own and to fill it with life. The character of this historical Meeting House will be preserved. We are planning to begin fundraising for the project. While joyful that we could secure the future of our house, we also share an outrage at the the growing threats to all life on this planet, which are more and more noticeable. The German Yearly Meeting is therefore happy to hear about and support the work of a new Quaker initiative for peace, ecology and justice – Earthcare Witness. Friends are encouraged to get involved. We are also planning to create a network and a forum for peacework. The idea is to thereby support the important work many Friends are already engaged in, and to enable better coordination. A particular concern of ours is the call to the governments of the Russia Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Ukraine to respect the human right to conscientious objection.
Amidst the existential challenges we face, the spirit moves us to listen to our heart, when it urgently calls us to act in love and truth.
Bonn, 16th October 2022
Jochen Dudeck & Anne Pommier
