Responding to

The Baltimore Yearly Meeting

9^th Month Query

by Ron Lee, RFM Ministry and Worship Committee

Do you promote social justice and make your life a testimony to fair dealing?

The growth I am currently experiencing with this area relates to feeling the need to be more thorough in my thoughts, words, and deeds. I give financial support to organizations that advocate for social justice and I strive to “live simply, that others might be able to simply live”. One of my principal concerns is about the amount of resources that we consume as American citizens, as compared to the rest of the world. In our home life, we are currently taking an inventory of the number of things that we acquire, in excess of what we really need. We are also striving to support businesses and vendors that practice fairness in hiring, compensation, and treatment of employees. It has been rewarding to take time to worship on these ideas, and to lay out concrete actions to promote social justice. These are simple actions that could have a great impact if the numbers of practitioners were to grow. Write letters to legislators encouraging the support of laws to increase fairness and social justice. Write letters to businesses that commit offenses against social justice and appeal to the leadership to review their practices. Notify businesses and organizations that you are avoiding spending money with them, if they are committing offenses against social justice. My deeper involvement in RFM has enhanced my awareness of resources for social action, within and outside of Meeting.

Do you seek to understand and appreciate differing cultures and social values?

If this query were an academic class, I would like to believe that I have an advanced placement. By personality trait, I have always been enthralled and fascinated with those who are most different from me, socially and culturally. I think it is a blessing and a source of my fascination with the diversity in the global village. Despite the smugness of that tidbit of personal revelation, I do realize that I am still growing in this area. Being a person of color and a gay person, I want to believe that I am completely steeped in tolerance and acceptances of varying cultures and social values. However, my prevailing condition (human) can lead me to indulge in fear of the other. My current exercise with cultural tolerance is related to the Neo-Conservative/Religious movement in politics, which feels focused on devaluing my personal existence. I have been coping by creating a journal of Forgiveness and Understanding. In this journal I write the names of people who are advocating for discrimination, hurt, and divisiveness. I also write letters of forgiveness, with the intent being to seek the light in that person, with no plan actually to send the letters. I do believe that there is that of God in people that I do not agree with, in those who scare me.

Do you support fair treatment of all regardless of race, gender, age and other differences?

I strive to live in this truth by preparing myself to speak up whenever I hear statements indicating unfair treatment. This can be as simple as letting my relative or co-worker know that they are inflicting harm by making a race, gender, or age related joke. I don’t believe that there is any such thing as harmless jokes, when it comes to hurtful thoughts about race, gender, age or other differences. I like to speak up in my calm and caring voice. I also like the concept of celebrating diversity.

I believe that nature proves this truth in so many realms beyond the human experience. I also believe that diversity is the source of our spiritual strength in Friends’ Meeting.

Are you concerned for those in our society who are disadvantaged?

I would like to think that I am off the hook on this one since I worked as social worker/public servant for 15 years. However genuine my intent, though, I don’t take it for granted that my employment experience can be the full measure of my care for those less fortunate. I am going to take the personality default again, and say that I have always loved helping others. I truly get a thrill from being there for someone in trying to get to where they want to go. I could surely do more. I strive to grow my concern for the disadvantaged by expanding my awareness of how my life-style may adversely affect others. Once again, back to living simply, that others may simply live. I must work harder to drive my car less. I need to say “yes” to more cries for help. The odd thing about this awareness is that I have previous experience to prove that giving more and taking less brings greater joy. Some my best lessons on joy came from my previous social work clients. People with nothing left to lose are often able to find more joy in conversation, fellowship, and the ministry of presence.

Do you take your full share of civic responsibility by voting and giving service?

I have always enjoyed my right to vote. I give moderate attention to lesser elections on the local level, but am seeking to improve on this, as I grow more involved with issues in my local community. My current effort in taking full civic responsibility comes in the form of participating on neighborhood teams and writing to my government representatives. In the coming year I have plans to become more active in Friends’ organizations that strive to effect positive social change. I have a great interest in Friends’ social action processes.

Do you oppose the use of land, labor, technology and capital for human exploitation or in ways destructive to other living things?

I grew up in a rural area of Virginia and hold great respect for the land, as a resource and as a place of beauty and wonder. I strongly oppose over-development, urban sprawl, and human exploitation. The news constantly covers so-called immigrant programs, referring to fellow human beings as if they are pests invading our land. The real issue is our culture’s demand for the cheap labor that is deemed necessary for the development and expansion of our excessive consumption. In our daily home and work life, we strive to avoid pollution, waste, and exploitation, by making mindful decisions. We apply this line of thought to our choice of where to live, where to work, and what to buy. Lately we are using much care in selecting grocery purchases, trying to buy as much locally produced goods as possible. I believe that small cumulative efforts can begin to reverse the trends of overusing natural resources.