Rediscovering #SmallActsOfHope: a reflection for searchers

In a world marked by increasing division, hostility, dangerous right-wing populism and white supremacism, it is necessary for those committed to justice, peace and sustainability for people and planet – resourced in different ways – to reach out and stand together. That means celebrating what we have in common and finding better ways of dealing with difference. It also involves sustaining ourselves and one another for the struggles and opportunities we face, as well as encouraging those who feel powerless  – which is a substantial part of what #SmallActsOfHope is about. 

One of the strands of our project #SmallActsOfHope is helping people to find personal and inter-personal space in order to enable them to act more fruitfully, hopefully, honestly and informedly in a disordered world. Jill Segger’s book, Words Out of Silence, is an extremely helpful resource for doing this. It is usable both by individuals and groups and is available here. 

Quietness and conflict, life and death, place and memory, politics and pity, friendship and peace. In Words Out of Silence, Jill weaves a tapestry of poetry and prose that takes us on journeys of personal transformation set against (and responsive to) the backdrop of turmoil in the world around us. 

The common ground of the words in this book is silence, and specifically the silence of the Quaker Meeting. This is the source of its deep humanity: something that will appeal both to those who see themselves as ‘religious’ and those who do not. For while Ekklesia’s roots are in Christian non-conformity, peacemaking and social radicalism, many of our friends, allies and contributors come from other traditions – including Humanists and others who pursue ethical paths other than those provided by (and sometimes obstructed by) ‘religion’. 

The author of Words Out of Silence, Jill Segger, is a writer and an active member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).  She has a particular interest in how spirituality influences our social and political choices. Jill began contributing to the work of Ekklesia in March 2009, and became an associate director in 2010. 

FURTHER RESOURCES:

* More about #SmallActsOfHope, which you can also follow on social media (@Ekklesia_co_uk).

* What are #SmallActsOfHope and why do we need them? Some thoughts from Ekklesia staff. 

* Hope Rediscovered and rediscovering #SmallActsOfHope - a reflection for Christians.