invitation for a conversation

[talley kenyon]

Friends,

The quote below and the queries that came to me after reading it continue to run through my mind.  I am wondering if anyone is interested in talking about this - either in discussion or worship sharing - after the rise of meeting tomorrow (9/5).  

We can discuss this on Zoom and those at the Meeting House can join in with those already online.

Let's see what arises.

peace,
Talley

“Nations like individuals, tell stories in order to understand what they are, where they come from, and what they want to be.  National narratives, like personal ones, are prone to sentimentality, grievance, pride, shame, self-blindness.  There is never just one – they compete and constantly change.  They’re the ones that address our deepest needs and desires….But just as no one can live a happy and productive life in nonstop self-criticism, nations require more than facts – they need stories that convey a moral identity.  The long gaze in the mirror has to end in self-respect or it will swallow us up.”  “The Four Americas” by George Packer, The Atlantic,  July/August 2021

 

QUERIES FOR THE ABOVE:  What is the current narrative for our Quaker faith?  Is our story changing? What story conveys our moral identity in the 21^st century?