84 There was a
care on my mind so to pass my time that nothing might hinder me from
the most steady attention to the voice of the
true shepherd.
john woolman
85
True simplicity consists not in the use of particular forms, but
in
foregoing over-indulgence, in maintaining humility of spirit, and
in keeping the material surroundings of our lives directly serviceable
to
necessary ends, even though these surroundings may properly be
characterized by grace, symmetry, and beauty.
philadelphia yearly meeting, 1927
86
We especially admonish our younger members against college societies
whose proceedings are hedged with secrecy. … The
Society of
Friends is opposed to ceremonialism … and the exclusiveness
of secret
societies gives to the fellowship which they promote a flavor of
selfishness.
new england yearly meeting, 1930
87
Most of us need from time to time the experience of something spacious
or space-making, when Time ceases to be the enemy, goad-inhand,
and becomes our friend. To read good literature, gaze on natural
beauty, to follow cultivated pursuits until our spirits are refreshed
and
expanded, will not unfit us for the ups and downs of life, whether
of
personal or church affairs. Rather will it help us to separate the
essential
from the unessential, to know where we are really needed and get
a sense of
proportion. We shall find ourselves giving the effect of leisure
even in the
midst of a full and busy life. People do not pour their joys or sorrows
into
the ears of those with an eye on the clock.
caroline graveson, 1937
88
I wish I might emphasize how a life becomes simplified when dominated
by faithfulness to a few concerns. Too many of us have
too many
irons in the fire. … And we learn to say No as well as
Yes by attending to the
guidance of inner responsibility. Quaker simplicity needs to be expressed
not merely in dress and architecture and the height of tombstones
but also
in the structure of a relatively simplified and coordinated life-program
of
social responsibilities.
thomas r. kelly, 1941
89 … over
the margins of life comes a whisper, a faint call, a
premonition of richer living which we know we are passing by. Strained
by
the very mad pace of our daily outer burdens, we are further strained
by an
inward uneasiness, because we have hints that there is a way of life
vastly
richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried
serenity
and peace and power. If only we could slip over into that
Center! … There
is a divine Abyss within us all, a holy Infinite Center, a Heart,
a Life who
speaks in us and through us to the world.
thomas r. kelly, 1941
90
Why with all our labor-saving devices and fast transport, are we
so short of time? Is it because we are greedy of experience for its
own sake?— to see more, go farther, earn more, learn more, than is feasible in
one
short lifetime? The human soul needs time, needs to take time, unless
experience is to become mere accumulation, bearing bad fruit, like
any
other kind of ambition.
mildred binns young, 1966
91
One of the signs of spiritual growth is the simplification of life.
This does not mean that daily routines cease, although inconsequential
items do become less insistent.What counts is not so much concerned
with
outer complexities as with the inner conglomeration of desires, thoughts
and aspirations that confuse and irritate the mind. When the center
of
consciousness becomes well established, this welter of mental distraction
living our faith
testimony and experience diminishes. The wayward themes seem to
become harmonized; impulses
relate themselves to a total pattern. … When the
Inner Light shines brightly
nothing can intercept that steady beam. It is not necessary to adjust
the
vision. It just happens.
josephine whitney duveneck