Anne Watson
Over 50 people from all over Oxford and Swindon Area Meeting snuggled into the ancient Meeting House in Faringdon on the afternoon of Saturday 14th January to hear Harvey Gillman. Harvey, the author of ‘A Light that is Shining’ (and many other things about being a Quaker), spoke to us, and with us, about spirituality and hospitality.
These are my personal recollections and I know that others will have kept other phrases in their hearts — his talk was so full. He asked us to ’embrace the nakedness of being alive’. In part this was a desire not to be labelled, or not to feel we have to clothe ourselves in labels. Nevertheless, he labels himself as a seeker, explorer, and finder. Opening ourselves makes us vulnerable to being heartbroken but all our uncertainties are embraced by the spirit. He suggested that ‘God/the spirit/ the holy place is where people discover each other in love’. Knowing each other in that which is eternal (as our advices ask us to do) can make more sense if we learn about each other in the here and now, with depth. Spirituality is personal, and in relationships, and in the natural environment. I think he used ‘still’ in two ways — our own stillness and the ‘still here’ of the spirit. Towards the end he suggested that ‘coming out as human is the task of our lives’.
The next day, ministry in the Oxford 11:00 meeting included someone’s sheer joy and excitement at being among humans.
Others will have picked out other inspiring and moving excerpts from his talk. For me, being among so many Friends was important too. This was a fine example of the possible depth and power of seeking Spiritual Nurture among Friends.
| Previous Article | Next Article |
Back to February 2023 Newsletter Main Page
Forty-Three Newsletter • Number 526 • February 2023
Oxford Friends Meeting
43 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW
Copyright 2023, Oxford Quakers