As Way Opens
A few years ago, I heard George Takei (a.k.a. Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise on the original television series, Star Trek) speak about his family’s imprisonment in US camps during World War II. He was taken prisoner at the age of five with his baby brother, sister and their parents in California. They were not charged with espionage or any other crime, instead, his family, along with approximately 120,000 other Japanese Americans, were placed in camps solely because of their Japanese ethnicity.
Takei’s story highlighted another aspect of our country’s deep systemic racism. This legacy of racism and anti-Asian xenophobia reared its “ugly head” again this week in Atlanta with the targeting and killing of six Asian women. Sadly, we have been seeing an increase in the number of Asian hate crimes around allegations that Asians are at fault for the Coronavirus. This is reminiscent of the widespread targeting of the Muslim community after 9/11.
As Quakers who will be discussing our distinctives of Community and Equality in the coming weeks, and who are called to Speak Truth to Power and speak up against racism where it is found, I would like to offer us these helpful suggestions from American Friends Service Committee (https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/how-to-respond-to-coronavirus-racism) on how to respond to Coronavirus Racism, specifically. They have narrowed it down to a four-step process – Interrupt, Question, Educate, and Echo.
Interrupt
Interrupting means taking a time out. It shows the person you’re talking, texting or chatting with that what they’ve said is important enough to pause your conversation to address—that you need to talk about the racism before you talk about anything else. Here are a few phrases to try: “Hang on. I want to go back to what you called the virus.”
“Just a second—let’s get into your point that the virus is somebody’s fault.” “Before we talk about that, I want to talk about the language you just used.”
Question
We’re all familiar with “questions” that are really warnings: What did you just say to me? or Are you really going to do that? But in this context, the goal of questioning really is to better understand why the person said what they did. You might ask: “Why did you call it the ‘Chinese Coronavirus’?” “Why do you think that?” “Where did you get that information?”
One note: Asking someone to explain why a racist joke is funny is a great way to stop them from making racist jokes to you again. But if you want to have a real discussion about what they’ve said, it might work better to ask something like, “What made you say that?”
Educate
The key to educating is to continue the conversation. The goal here isn’t to just provide facts about the topic generally to the person you’re talking to with, but to explain why what they’ve said needs rethinking. That means that, to educate folks around racism associated with the coronavirus, we need to understand not only the virus but also the racism. For example, you might explain that it’s actually not common anymore to name a disease after its place of origin, that there’s a long, bad history of associating diseases with specific groups of people and that the name COVID-19 was chosen very carefully to avoid repeating those mistakes.
If someone doesn’t understand why a comment they made was racist, you can educate them about the long history of stereotyping immigrants—and Asian people, specifically —as people who bring disease. You can explain how this stereotype is both wrong and harmful. And if someone tries to play down racist phrases as “just a joke,” you can educate them about the discrimination and racism many Asian-American/Pacific Island folks are facing right now, so they better understand the impact of their words.
Echo
It takes an effort to speak up against racist ideas and language. This is particularly true of people who are targeted by that language. That’s why we need to have each other’s backs. When someone else speaks up, echo them. Thank them and emphasize or amplify their message any way you can. This not only encourages more speaking up—it also ensures that no one thinks your silence in response to biased ideas or language means you’re OK with it. Of course, echoing is harder while we’re social distancing, but there are many ways to do it. Online, we can re-share antiracist messages. And in chats or conversations, we can respond to offer support and agreement.
If we all commit to interrupting, questioning, educating and echoing to fight racist rhetoric, we can start making our communities safer and healthier today.
Grace and peace,
Bob
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
Update on Redistricting Meetings
Virtual public meetings by the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Committee continue this week and through the end of March. The ICRC is a model redistricting body established by the All IN for Democracy coalition, of which the Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation is a member. At public hearings around the state, it is listening to what citizens have to say about how to make redistricting by the Indiana legislature fairer and more reflective of our state’s electorate. The public input will be the basis of a report the ICRC will present to the legislature, advocating for a more open and transparent map-drawing process.
Want your vote to count for the next decade? Register for at least one of the remaining meetings. If you can’t attend the meeting scheduled for your congressional district, feel free to register for another. Upcoming meetings are:
March 30, 7-9 p.m. – Congressional District 2
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5VQihioMQw2Mysl3HyK6kg
Hundreds of Hoosiers have already spoken up by attending the first three ICRC meetings earlier this month. Join them in letting your legislators know you expect a fairer process and better maps this year. Contact Phil Goodchild (goodch713@aol.com; 317-790-9054) with any questions. Thank you.
Joys & Concerns
Many thanks to our Mid-North Food Pantry Volunteers! Virginia and Derek S; Linda and Rik L; Kathy and Bill F; Phil G; Penny P; Christie M; Barbara O; Ruth K; Corrine I; Mara S; and Jim D. Thanks to our First Friends volunteers and all who monetarily contribute to the pantry to enable the pantry to serve those in need.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Woods Workday CANCELLED ~ Friends, due to the weather forecast, the Woods Workday scheduled for tomorrow, March 25th has been cancelled. We hope you will consider joining us for another workday, held every Thursday in April.
Mid North Food Pantry ~ First Friends will kick off its annual Mid North Food Pantry fundraiser on Easter Sunday. If you plan to attend the Easter service in person, please bring a can or two of soup and/or vegetables to the service to demonstrate the support First Friends has for the pantry. Since Mid North is able to purchase food at a much lower cost than you can, you can show your real support for the pantry by making a financial contribution to the pantry. Checks should be made out to First Friends (with a note “food pantry” in the memo section) and sent to First Friends no later than April 18. Thank you for your consideration.
Reopening Listening Sessions
Friends, as you may know, we have a Reopening Task Force that has been working diligently and considering many factors, including the recommendations of the CDC and infectious disease experts, to make an informed recommendation to Monthly Meeting for Business about when and how to reopen First Friends for in-person worship and activities. Before the Task Force makes its recommendation on this important decision, it wants to hear from, and take into account, the thoughts of our Friends.
To that end, various members of the Reopening Task Force, Connections Committee, and Ministry and Counsel met and decided to host three Listening Sessions, open to any interested Friends, during which we will ask for your thoughts on four queries. The Listening Sessions will be facilitated by Carl Butler and recorded by Beth Henricks. Carl and Beth will listen, consolidate your feedback, and provide it to the Reopening Task Force.
The four queries will be:
1. What would make you feel safe in order to return to the Meetinghouse for worship and activities?
2. We see from the listening demographics of our streaming worship services that there is interest in First Friends beyond the Indianapolis area. After the pandemic, should we consider ways to continue providing our worship services virtually, in addition to in person?
3. After the pandemic, to what extent, if any, should we invest in technology that would make it convenient for Friends to attend virtual meetings and activities that take place at the Meetinghouse?
4. What have we learned during this pandemic that might help First Friends be better prepared for any future situation where we are unable to, for an extended period of time, meet in person?
These sessions are not designed to debate these queries or make decisions; rather, they will provide opportunities for you to be heard and to listen to your fellow Friends in an open and safe forum. We have scheduled the following dates and times:
Thursday March 25, from 7:00-8:00 pm
Sunday March 28, from 11:00 am-Noon (replacing normal fellowship hour)
Sunday March 28, from 5:00-6:00 pm
To make sure everyone has an opportunity to be heard, we are limiting these Listening Sessions to these particular queries, but, if you have other thoughts, please do not hesitate to communicate them to the office. We will make sure they are brought to the Reopening Task Force as well.
If you would like to participate in one of these Listening Sessions, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org or 317-255-2485 with your name, email address, and preferred time. Before your chosen session, the office will send you a link to the Zoom conference. We encourage you all to participate in one of these sessions and look forward to seeing you there!
Sunday School Updates ~ Please note there will be no Seeking Friends Sunday School class this coming Palm Sunday (March 28). Also, there will be no Sunday School at all (for children and adults) on Easter Sunday, April 4. We hope instead to see your smiling faces at our in-person Easter service that day!!
First Friends Bible Study ~ A new session of the First Friends Bible study will kick off on Thursday, April 15 at 7:30 pm. We'll study the 13-lesson book Christ as Present Teacher: Learning to Love, in the Barclay Press Illuminate series. The class meets by Zoom. All are welcome to join or drop in to see what the class is like. If you have questions, or are interested, contact the First Friends office: office@indyfriends.org.
Oak Leaf: Meeting for Reading would like you to join us from virtually anywhere in the world as we discuss My Family and Other Animals (The Corfu Trilogy Book One) by Gerald Durrell ~ When the unconventional Durrell family can no longer endure the damp, gray English climate, they do what any sensible family would do: sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu. My Family and Other Animals was intended to embrace the natural history of the island but ended up as a delightful account of Durrell’s family’s experiences, from the many eccentric hangers-on to the ceaseless procession of puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, bats, and butterflies into their home.
We will gather via Zoom starting at 7 pm EST on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 led by Nancy S. Contact the office at office@indyfriends.org for the Zoom info.
Easter Sunday In-Person Service! – We are excited to share that we will be holding an outdoor service at the Meetinghouse grounds on Easter Sunday, April 4th at 10:15! It will be held on the front lawn. We will have a tent set up and plan to meet, rain or shine, unless terribly bad weather shows up. Please bring your mask and a lawn chair for yourself to use if you are able (some chairs will also be provided). We hope to see you there!
Youth Group Meetup ~ Youth Group will be meeting in person at the Meetinghouse grounds on Sunday, April 11th for an outdoor picnic and games. Please mark your calendars, and contact Beth if you’re interested in joining! office@indyfriends.org.
From the Library ~
Reminiscences of Levi Coffin - Abridged and Edited by Ben Richmond
Fascinating stories of escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad. The well edited stories are taken from the journals of Levi Coffin. They read like a good novel, displaying great cleverness in diverting and tricking the slave hunters, narrow escapes, dramatic rescues, physical hardship and immense courage. For those of us who have visited the Levi Coffin home the book will be especially interesting.
Pendle Hill Pamphlets
Beneath the shelf where the newer books stand is a collection of these pamphlets. Since 1934 Pendle Hill has expanded understanding of Quaker life and witness through these pamphlets. Each publication arises from the writer’s spiritual experience, religious concern, or special knowledge of an important contemporary theme. You will find brief, substantial writings by authors including Parker Palmer, Howard Thurman, Simone Weil, John Yungblut, Sandra Cronk, Fritz Eichenberg, Thomas Kelly, Paul Lacey, and Martin Buber. For more information see the Pendle Hill website from whence this information has been copied.
Silent Meeting for Worship Now Also in the Parlor~ Starting Monday, March 22nd, Friends will return to meeting in the parlor for Silent Worship, Meditation and Un-Programmed Worship. Appropriate social distancing and face covering is required. A laptop with the zoom will be available simultaneously to interact with Friends from home. The option to worship via Zoom is still available; those on Zoom will join those in the Parlor virtually. If you’d like the Zoom links, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
Coronavirus Vaccine Age Limit Now 40! The Indiana State Department of Health has now lowered the age threshold for Covid vaccines to 45 and up. If you’d like to sign up, please visit https://vaccine.coronavirus.in.gov/.
Bread for the World Zoom Event ~ On Tuesday, April 20, Bread for the World will host a Zoom event, Feeding Our Economy: Food Security. Good for Business. This zoom will feature four speakers: Dr. Heather Eicher-Miller from Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science, Eric Halvorson from Kroger Corporation, Michelle Hummel, Organizational Effectiveness Consultant and former WIC staff member, and Senator Mike Braun, to address food security/hunger issues.
Hunger affects us all, either directly or indirectly. Children who are hungry can’t focus or reach their potential. Workers are less productive. Combined, our overall economy is threatened. More importantly, there is enough food for everyone; we just need to get it to those who are hungry because this is what caring people do for each other.
Bread for the World (https://www.bread.org/) is “a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decisions makers to end hunger at home and abroad. Moved by God’s grace in Jesus Christ, we advocate for a world without hunger.” Keeping informed about national legislation that involves hunger-related issues, BFW members contact members of Congress to advocate for the hungry among us and worldwide. This Zoom event, with the goal of 350 people participating, will educate us about food issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and will demonstrate our commitment to finding solutions.
There is a strong contingent of workers from First Friends who volunteer weekly at the Mid-North food pantry. These people know the fine line that so many people tread to have food to sustain them. With hundreds of pantries like Mid-North in Indiana and nationwide along with the legislative work that BFW advocates, hunger can be eliminated.
Please consider attending this free Zoom event and register at this link. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/feeding-our-economy-tickets-141487076655
If you have any questions regarding the event or about Bread for the World, you can contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.
All are invited to an upcoming Spirit & Place online event! The Spirit & Place Festival holds dozens of "never-seen-before" programs. Artists and authors, entrepreneurs and neighborhood organizers, storytellers and scholars come together with singles and couples, families and friends in a true community conversation. You’re invited to their online event, Living Stories: An Evening with Dr. Elaine Pagels on April 16 at 6:30pm. Dr. Pagels will be helping Spirit & Place bridge its past and current themes -- Origins & Change -- by joining Dr. Maria Hamilton Abegunde in conversation that explores how nothing about religion, its meaning, or purpose is static. With every generation, the stories, traditions, and practices held dear by many, change in some way. New discoveries, questions, and perspectives open a world of possibility on how we understand the nature of religion. Religious studies scholar and best-selling author Dr. Elaine Pagels has spent her career examining not only the origins of (Western) religious traditions and how they shape our understanding of ourselves, but also the necessity of re-interpreting these sacred stories so that they might continue to help us in challenging times. Find more information on Spirit and Place’s 2021 festival here: https://spiritandplace.org/Festival.aspx?access=Year. If you’re interested in this event, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/living-stories-an-evening-with-elaine-pagels-presented-by-spirit-place-tickets-136829886875.
Reopening Task Force Report. The Reopening Task Force March report as of March 16 is available here, to be presented at Monthly Meeting on Sunday. Currently, the Meetinghouse is open to small groups, with requirements for face coverings and social distancing protocol. Participants assume responsibility for risk of COVID-19 exposure. To check on availability of small groups, including Zoom options, contact the office at office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485. Additionally, the Ministry and Counsel Committee is working on plans for outdoors Meeting for Worship to take place Easter Sunday, April 4.
New developments:
· Groups of up to 30 people may now meet in Fellowship Hall, with the same safety criteria and assumption of responsibility as smaller groups. For ventilation purposes, groups will need to be trained to operate fans and switches, as well as shown how to open and close/relock the windows. Training sessions can be coordinated through the office.
· Listening sessions for the full meeting to discuss issues related to reopening are being planned, as detailed below. So that participants will feel comfortable speaking their views, non-pastoral members of the Reopening Task Force will not be in attendance, but are to receive a follow-up report.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for March
Brown Creeper – Quiet and Dependable
Every Saturday morning my wife and I go grocery shopping. We arrive at the same hour each visit, and, half-way through, notice the same woman filling the spice rack. We always say, “Good morning,” to her, and she always returns the greeting in her quiet way. We may or may not buy cinnamon or Old Bay, but it will be there, if needed, because she does her job. You may know someone at First Friends like that…quiet and dependable.
This month’s selection, the Brown Creeper, is so inconspicuous that most folks would walk right past it. You might see one in our woods anytime from October through April, but March is especially good. It is known for its whisper-like “see-it” call, and its song, “see-did-uh see-you” is infrequently heard during migration. Dependable? Yes! This month go into a woods with mature trees, and watch for a chickadee-sized bird creeping up the side of a tree. It may go straight up, or spiral up. When it gets to the crown, it will likely fly down to the bottom of a nearby tree and begin creeping up that one. On its vertical trip, it is looking in the grooves of the bark for insect eggs and spider eggs or perhaps small caterpillars hidden for the winter. Our cottonwood, hackberry, and black cherry trees are favorite food sources for the creeper.
If you are lucky enough to find a nest (perhaps at Ft. Harrison State Park or further north), it will be inside a curl of bark that has come loose from the tree, but is still attached.
So take a silent, long look for a Brown Creeper this month. One will be there, you can depend on it! ~Brad J
Questions from a student ~ A Butler student is looking for a Quaker who can take just a few moments to answer a short 5-question interview about religious tolerance for a class. If you would like to take a few minutes to answer some questions through email, please contact the office at office@indyfriends.org.