"Walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone."
Those words of George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers (which have absolutely no connection to Quaker Oats, but I happen to really enjoy oatmeal), hold as true for many among us today as they did when they were first written in the time of Oliver Cromwell...well, maybe not many. In fact, there are currently only fifteen teen-aged Quakers in Nashville, but to see them do their thing, you can tell how little size matters.
As they themselves explain it, Quakerism is about embracing simple and humanitarian concepts. For example, the concept of “right livelihood” is described as a commitment to “making your money in a morally upright way.” Most importantly though, “It’s not just about how you make your money. In all aspects of your life you need to be simple and follow through.”
This simple lifestyle is best embodied by the acronym SPICE, which represents Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, and Equality, ideals which have often led to conflict with the accepted authority. In fact, it was one such conflict that first gave the Quakers the name they are known by today (since the movement is officially called the Religious Society of Friends). When the Quakers first formed under the guidance of George Fox, they resisted joining the navy, denied the Anglican church, didn’t swear on the bible in court, and refused to show the respect expected to the upper class, and yet still didn’t quake in fear as they entered the court to answer for their actions.
Nowadays, Quakers uphold their ideals against war and injustice through a system of simplicity and silence. In fact, Quaker meetings emphasize silence as a method of listening to the spirit (“that part of life that’s more than everything physical”). The silence is broken up by queries (questions addressed to the assembly by the clerk), which are answered by any who feel inclined to respond with another period of silence in between (in order to allow people to contemplate and appreciate each other’s responses). As they explained the queries, “In Quakerism, instead of having set beliefs, we have questions that question your beliefs and allow you to choose your own.”
The Nashville meetinghouse can be found at 530 26th Avenue North and can also be reached through the number 329-2640.