Dear Editor:
We, the Moab Quaker Meeting, are writing this letter to the community to address our concerns about the trend we see in our nation, a negative move toward fear and xenophobia in the general population.
Too often, we as individuals are motivated by fear, but we may not even be aware of it. Fear can lead to scapegoating of the weakest segments of society in order to “release” (but not solve) society’s stresses.
The opposite of fear is love. When we think about it, we realize that all of us are willing and ready to help our friends and relatives because we have the underlying emotion of caring and love for them.
Today, our nation finds itself in moral crisis. We are in the grip of great fear and intolerance. How shall we as individuals act? Will we act from fear, or from love?
As Quakers, we believe there is that of God in everyone. Through inward contemplation, all of us can access this inner source of wisdom and right action. We can cultivate our ability to understand and help each other; we can expand our ability to act from the basis of love.
As Quakers, we support the Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, in the aftermath of World War II. Article I states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
Today, our challenges are great. We need moral courage to resist fear, scapegoating and racism. We need the spirit of brotherhood to solve the complicated problems our world and nation now face.
We encourage all to “Love Your Neighbor” and we would add “without exceptions,” so we can more easily act from a place of love.
The Moab Quaker Group is part of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers.
