As Way Opens
If you are 60 plus years old (I guess that means we are seniors), you will remember the cold war with Russia in very specific terms. I was taught as a child that the Russians were not like me, they were not moral people, they were to be feared and were not as human as I was. I remember air raid drills in school where we would all gather in the hallways and sit down against the walls and lockers and put our head in our hands.
It created a deep-seated fear in me and I thought all Russians were bad, they didn’t believe in my God and were intent on destroying America and our way of life. This narrative was reinforced in our government, in our churches, in our culture and yes in my family.
These deeply rooted influences as youngsters carry with us for many years. I remained fearful of Russians (such a difference between the people and the government) for many years into my young adulthood. And then I met a young woman named Masha Rawley from Ukraine when I was in my 30s. Her mother helped to arrange the adoption of two Russian girls for my husband’s sister, and Masha came to the United States to live with my sister in law and attend community college in Illinois. She showed up at our home for our annual Thanksgiving dinner and we all fell in love with her. She was kind, funny, talented, religious, hardworking (she cleaned the entire kitchen from Thanksgiving dinner) and a brilliant mathematician. We developed a relationship with her and it became clear that she needed to move beyond a community college for studies. Jerry and I helped her go to the University of Illinois where she received her degree in Engineering, met her husband (also an engineer), married and has two beautiful children all living in Pittsburg.
She has been like a member of our family for 25 years. After meeting Masha, I knew that I had been brainwashed to think all Russians were bad. The people of Russia were so much more like me than anything I had imagined. Her family was so thrilled when Ukraine became its own country pursuing democracy - this had been their wish for many years.
Her parents live in occupied Kherson and cannot leave. As of today, they have food and water. Masha’s brother’s wife and children left on Sunday for Italy as Kyiv is not safe. Her brother must remain in Ukraine even though he is no soldier (he is an accountant). The fear and horror I hear from Masha in her emails and texts is devastating. She said things are much worse than what we see on TV.
Her last email said, “please continue praying——I feel like now when the original shock settled people are going to stop praying and just accept it as something normal.” I am praying that we do not step into this place of acceptance. I am thankful we have an opportunity to help the family of Aaron Thornburg’s roommate leave the country for safety. I have felt helpless and when I watch this on the news each evening, I am moved to tears.
I have a fervent belief that God is at work in our darkest situations. We may not see evidence but there is a moving of the Spirit among people. This is my faith and I have seen it happen time and again.
May we always see the Divine in each person whether they are declared as enemies or allies. May we never dismiss other humans as less than us even though we hear a narrative that speaks a different message.
Beth
Quaker-Affiliated Organizations
IPJC Virtual Speakers Event~ The Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center is delighted to invite you to their March 15th Virtual Speakers Event. Jane Henegar will present “How do we get to a More Perfect Union?” The ACLU of Indiana and all people of goodwill are looking for a path that will lead our country toward better fulfilling its promises of freedom, fairness, and equality for all. There are clearly obstacles ahead. What are the issues affecting civil liberties and our democratic values that the ACLU of Indiana anticipates in the 2022 Indiana General Assembly? More broadly, what is the state of our democracy? And how are the ACLU of Indiana, the national ACLU, and our partners working – in the courts, in legislatures, and in the streets – on behalf of everyone, especially those whose rights are most vulnerable? Jane Henegar has served as the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana since 2012. Join us March 15th, 2022 at 7:00 pm on Zoom. Please RSVP to indypeaceandjusticectr@gmail.com. A zoom link will be sent to all who RSVP prior to the event.
Announcements, Reports, & Opportunities
Remember, Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 13th at 2:00 am!! This means that we “spring forward” in time as we anticipate the wonderful weather to come with it. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward for Sunday morning!
Help Ukrainians in Need ~ Aaron Thornburg’s friend and classmate, Vladyslav B is from Ukraine. He is currently attending Indiana University and is trying to help his family back home in Ukraine.
Aaron has set up a Gofundme to raise funds to help Vladyslav’s family get out of Ukraine and find a safe place abroad to settle down until the conflict is over.
Vladyslav’s family lives in Uzhhorod - a tiny city on the southwest side of Ukraine surrounded by a breathtaking mountain chain called the Carpathian Mountains. Right now, the city is actively preparing for any possible attack that it may have to encounter in the next few weeks. Russians have managed to capture some of the territories on the way to the capital, but the Ukrainian army right now is fighting to defend the citizens and their freedom.
The raised money will support and help Vladyslav’s mother and sister to get to a safe place abroad and settle down there until the conflict in my country is resolved. She already got directions from friends abroad as to where she can drive to, but the main concern is the financial support to establish herself somewhere for a while.
Time is of great urgency; please consider giving on Gofundme if you’re able.
Gnostic Gospel Group ~ Everyone is invited to join us on Thursday March 10th in the Parlor at 6:30pm for a group study on the non-canonical/Gnostic Gospels. If you are interested, contact the meeting office (office@indyfriends.org, 317-255-2485).
Mysticism in Our Ordinary Life ~ Mark your calendar for Saturday May 7th for the Linda Lee Spirituality Retreat where we will examine and experience a mystical life in a practical way. The retreat will be a time of gathering together for teaching and small groups, as well as choices of individual experiences inside and outside the retreat center for reflection and contemplation. The retreat will be led by Carole Spencer, former Professor at Earlham School of Religion; Kathi Gatlin, Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Formation at Portland Seminary; and Lynn Clouser Holt, Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Formation at Portland Seminary. The retreat will run from 10:00 – 4:00 at the Benedictine Center. Linda Lee’s books will be available. Retreat cost is $30. Feel free to share our flyer for the event for anyone who may be interested.
Men’s Threshing Together- DATE CHANGE ~ If you are interested in gathering with other men who mull over current issues or topics, where all points of view are heard, no decisions are made, and all in a non-threatening atmosphere over a meal, then Threshing Together is for you! Please note the date has changed for this month to avoid the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. We will now meet on Thursday, March 24 at 7:00pm. See locations for 2022 here.
Meditational Woods Bird of the Month for March
Red-winged Blackbird: The Scout
My friend Steve had been in the process of moving to the area for several months. One day he told me he had been scouting around for a church. After visiting several, he had found one that was a good fit for his family. It was quite unlike our Quaker experience, with a top-down creed and rather narrow belief system, but it was good for Steve. He reported back to his family, and, having arrived, they now have become members.
Steve’s scouting reminded me of Red-winged Blackbirds and our meetinghouse property. During the last week of February and the first week of March I heard red-wings not only as single birds overhead, but also as one stopped to check out the fringe areas of the Meditational Woods and the vegetation along the powerline. These are scouts ahead of the main flocks, looking for suitable habitat for nesting territories. Unlike Steve, these males do not go back to the main flocks of blackbirds farther south to announce their findings. They simply find those areas, set up a territory, and when the newly-arrived blackbirds hear the pioneer scouts singing, they join them with nearby nesting sites.
Alas, however, the Meditational Woods and the field to the north are not prime real estate for red-wings. They hunger for shrubby stubble, and especially wet areas with cattail growth. So while we at Indy First Friends hear both the scouts checking us out in late February and all of March, and large flocks overhead all during the rest of spring, by June the only red-winged blackbirds we will hear are a few that may have found a place in the weedy powerline right-of-way south of Kessler.
The lesson here is that the Quaker path is wide, but may not be for everyone. At Indianapolis First Friends we certainly welcome at all times scouts looking for a home. Perhaps they will find that we are the “wetland cattails” of meaningful experiences, and decide to stay.
- Brad J
Quaker Haven Camp ~ It’s time to think about your kids attending Quaker Haven Camp in Syracuse, IN. If you are not familiar with Quaker Haven, check out their website (www.quakerhaven.com). Our kids have been going there for many years and have enjoyed it. First Friends will pay for half of the cost of camp – ask the meeting office for a code you can use at checkout for 50% off. If you need additional assistance, please contact the office. Here are the dates:
· June 5th - 10th Senior high camp (9th - 12)
· June 12th - 17th Junior high camp (7th - 8th grade)
· June 17th - 19th Beginner’s camp (kindergarten - 2nd grade with an adult)
· June 19th - 24th Adventure camp (5th - 6th grade)
· June 26th - July 1st Senior high camp (9th - 12th grade)
· July 10th - 13th Little Friends camp (2nd - 4th grade)
· July 17th - 21st Pioneer camp (3rd - 5th grade)
Queries for the Week
· What questions or queries am I hiding in my heart? and why?
· What queries do I need to engage and wrestle with throughout this week and possibly share with a fellow Friend?
· How may my doubt and questioning help First Friends become a more thriving and progressive Quaker Meeting?