Out of gathered Silence at the first Quaker Meeting of 2015 in Great Barrington, MA, June Wink rose with a message about priorities and a deeper side to the resolutions of a new year. Her voice plainly and clearly opened the silence, to say
Upon going to bed on Jan 2, I began to write in my journal. I wrote:
Jan 2, 2015 ─ What are my priorities? Under that I wrote a few words: "Words didn't work." Then I picked up my pen and colored pencils as I contemplated the rectangular page. It felt right to draw a symbol of the sun at the bottom. Then appeared a woman's head above the sun and from her head streamed upward the roots of a tree yet leaving space for more growth. The tree began to appear all around her as well as rooting itself in the sun. A red heart appeared in the tree between the sun and the woman. Rather large stars appeared on each side of the sun. From one vines spiraled and from the other flowers flowed. Several colorful planets formed in the spaces to the side. I looked at the clock. It was 3:am. It was color that revealed to me that my task was pretty much the same as other years: to work for peace and to expand. [emphasis added]
Jan 2, 2015 ─ What are my priorities? Under that I wrote a few words: "Words didn't work." Then I picked up my pen and colored pencils as I contemplated the rectangular page. It felt right to draw a symbol of the sun at the bottom. Then appeared a woman's head above the sun and from her head streamed upward the roots of a tree yet leaving space for more growth. The tree began to appear all around her as well as rooting itself in the sun. A red heart appeared in the tree between the sun and the woman. Rather large stars appeared on each side of the sun. From one vines spiraled and from the other flowers flowed. Several colorful planets formed in the spaces to the side. I looked at the clock. It was 3:am. It was color that revealed to me that my task was pretty much the same as other years: to work for peace and to expand. [emphasis added]
Following are a comment and pictures of June Wink with a Friend at the Quaker Meeting
June Wenk is a Quaker and a theologian (with her deceased husband Walter) as well as a long-time ceramist. Her transformative message in Meeting for Worship is important, because it embodied the way Spirit moves, not through the analytic mind (even the theological mind), but rather appears beyond reason through renewed awareness of being. Too often in conflict, even in AVP, analysis surrounds and dampens the Spirit that joins us to Being itself (and to each other). Unless relationship and connection prevail, peace will not.
Here are June and a Quaker Friend after the Meeting when she spoke out of the Silence:
Here are June and a Quaker Friend after the Meeting when she spoke out of the Silence: