Beloved Dead or not yet; from war zones. Mothers' Day

Rantwoman notes the passing last year of Arthur Satherwaite of Pullman Moscow Monthly Meeting. Arthur is one of the last men who came to the northwest as conscientious objectors during World War II. At the most recent Quarterly Meeting,  RantWoman was presented an opportunity she lamely declined to read more of Arthur in smudgy newspaper clippings on a poster board. RantWoman also roomed with Arthur's widow Florence and her sister but that is another story.

RantWoman's witness about the Peace Testimony is considerably more heterodox than mere memorials for a conscientious objector. One time on a way to a meeting, RantWoman found herself riding with someone whose son is a diplomat. At the time he was serving in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. RantWoman was obliged to mumble something like "I am holding you both in the Light because your kid is in a war zone. It does not matter what I think of the war!"

Recently, during RantWoman's last spell of coffeemaking for after 11:00 worship, RantWoman had occasion to greet a young man who grew up in our Meeting. The young man now serves in the military. Some of the time he is a machine gunner. Some of the time he is a recruiter. RantWoman cannot decide which job role is more in need of prayer.

In closing worship at Quarterly Meeting RantWoman was given a message calling to mind Arthur and the young recruiter / machine gunner and the following further thoughts..

It is the age of poverty draft, excuse me all volunteer army. Women now serve in combat. Servicemembers can be openly gay.

--What in the way of peace witness is needed for Quakers of today?

--What are Friends' thoughts or leadings as far as questions of universal service?

--Is there any place in our Meetings or our Friends' organizations where youth can look while seasoning such questions?


Many thoughtful well-centered Friends may wish to stop here. Friends willing to digress slightly and bear with more of RantWoman's intemperate rantings are invited to read on:

RantWoman notes two comments not recorded in the official record of a threshing session about structure in January:

--Someone suggested abolishing Peace and Social Concerns committee and assigning all their work to Worship and Ministry. RantWoman, who STRIVES to do all sorts of witness from a well-grounded spiritual center thinks on one hand that is a brilliant idea. On the other hand, RantWoman thinks her Meeting's present Worship and Ministry committee should find that idea terrifying, that capacity to do this is not what first leaps to mind about Worship and Ministry committee, and that her Meeting can appreciate the gifts of Worship and Ministry WITHOUT expecting them to tiptoe a single hair beyond their Light, like for instance to offer spiritually centered guidance about conscientious objection.

 --Someone else afterward suggested abolishing Worship and Ministry. Can anyone guess who or why? RantWoman does NOT suppose their work would get assigned to Peace and Solcial Concerns. But what IS needed?

Does this question occur to anyone besides RantWoman?