EMEYF

On the 12th of April, more than 40 young Friends, gathered in person and remotely, at Brittebo lägergård for a week near Jönköping, Sweden. As Friends trickled in from Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, far northern Sweden,  the UK and (by Eurovision rules) Australia, they were greeted by a stunning view of a lake embraced by forest. With 16 nationalities, 20 languages, a spectrum of ages, and many backgrounds, we were as varied as ever.

There was a sense of returning to a place we’d never been before, made home by the community we carry with us. With heartfelt reunions and warm greetings, Friends old and new settled into the nurturing peace of the space, with all comers soon integrated into the Meeting.

Exploring the theme of Fear, Faith and Integrity in the Presence of Conflict, we drew on our collective pool of experiences and knowledge to hold workshops and sessions including a “Sensory Embodied Experience in Nature”, “Connecting with the World Quaker Family”, “Community Organising for Political Transformation”, a “Harmless Art Workshop”, an “Empathy Circle”, a talk about the activism of Sea Shepherd, an exchange with the Headteacher of Friends School in Ramallah and interest groups on topics such as plain dress, Advices and Queries, Artists and Sustainability, and Transformative Justice.

Linked to this is how our gatherings explore our integrity, renew our faith, and bolster our strength to face fear. As always, a key to this rejuvenation and our connection is the opportunity to:

+ Slow down and find tranquility
+ Share wise silliness
+ Overcome the intimidating prospect of vulnerability and be deeply honest
+ Find stillness between Heaven above and reflection and kindness below
+ Let the inferno of potential spark hope in our hearts
+ Bask in the wonderful company, absorbing the warmth of love

In addition to our regular Business, we felt the weight borne by our role holders and set aside our concerns in order to provisionally adopt a safeguarding policy so that they would have clarity for action if the painful challenge of an incident were to arise.

We revisited the topic of accessibility – the potential for exclusion from our gatherings stemming from disability or from travel distance – and the struggle of caring for those needs when facing practical limitations.

We finalise this epistle with bittersweet joy as we tenderly prepare to return to our other homes and lives, buoyed by the anticipation of returning again to this love filled atmosphere.

Download Epistle HERE