Top ten things that drive me crazy about Quakers
This is a direct copy of Gregg Koskela’s Top 10 lists. First he did the ten things he loves about Quakers, and then the things that drive him crazy. They were published both on his blog and on Barclay Press’s Conversation Café.
When he started, I sat down and made my own list, just to see if they would overlap. They didn’t much, although I would agree with him on each point he made. So here is mine.
If I still have any readers left after offending you all with this list, I might try and finish the post I started a year ago entitled, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…”
#10 If it’s rundown, it must be more spiritual.
Friends are too often unwilling to invest in the care and upkeep of the buildings we own.
Not too long ago, a Quaker retreat center near me built a new building. Actually, they added on to an old building. It’s now safe and up to code, with an efficient kitchen, handicapped accessible bathrooms, and a beautiful, open, airy meeting room, especially if you include the view out the back windows and the deck on the side overlooking the stream through the forest. A non-Quaker visitor to the center donated his hand-made entryway cubbies and window seats with storage in a beautiful light wood. But an attender at my meeting said to me last year that he doesn’t like it, it seems too “corporate” to be Quakerly.
I suppose some Friends think we ought to spend “our” money on more important things, like feeding the hungry. But I believe that one of the important things that we do is to make our buildings available, in a Godly, functional and attractive manner, to people who are feeding the hungry and visiting the prisoners, etc.
When he started, I sat down and made my own list, just to see if they would overlap. They didn’t much, although I would agree with him on each point he made. So here is mine.
If I still have any readers left after offending you all with this list, I might try and finish the post I started a year ago entitled, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…”
#10 If it’s rundown, it must be more spiritual.
Friends are too often unwilling to invest in the care and upkeep of the buildings we own.
Not too long ago, a Quaker retreat center near me built a new building. Actually, they added on to an old building. It’s now safe and up to code, with an efficient kitchen, handicapped accessible bathrooms, and a beautiful, open, airy meeting room, especially if you include the view out the back windows and the deck on the side overlooking the stream through the forest. A non-Quaker visitor to the center donated his hand-made entryway cubbies and window seats with storage in a beautiful light wood. But an attender at my meeting said to me last year that he doesn’t like it, it seems too “corporate” to be Quakerly.
I suppose some Friends think we ought to spend “our” money on more important things, like feeding the hungry. But I believe that one of the important things that we do is to make our buildings available, in a Godly, functional and attractive manner, to people who are feeding the hungry and visiting the prisoners, etc.
Labels: politics/economics, top ten
posted by Robin M. at 1:08 AM
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
4 Comments:
Uh-oh. As a mental exercise I just spent five minutes and easily came up with my own top-10 Quaker annoyances list. Okay everyone, I call the next list. When Robin's done I'll start mine (as job hunting time allows, of course!).
Martin
Hey Martin! I know it was much easier to write the list of things that irritate me than the things I love. But that's the human condition, I think.
Oh yes! More lists!! I look forward to this, and I hope Martin tags someone else.
As for number 10...I write to you with frozen fingers from my office that is perpetually cold in the winter and roasting hot in the summer. Did I mention the water main just broke last week? And that the handle on the men's bathroom has been broken for at least two years?
It's so good to see that at least SOME commonalities cross our Friends' boundaries. ;)
Alas, Gregg, and here I thought since you guys had such a beautiful building and a collection plate that things would be different.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Post a Comment
<< Home