Letters - 29 May 2026
From knee-jerk reactions to Quakers and the Bible
Knee-jerk reactions
On a nostalgic whim, while visiting the area we once lived, my wife and I decided to swing by the primary school that our older daughter had attended. We arrived just as the children were emerging, most of them met by parents. My eye was caught by the fact that a couple of parents were women dressed in full-length Muslim robes, though without face veils. And at that moment, completely out of the blue, I felt a twinge of discomfort.
I was surprised, then immediately shocked, by my subconscious reaction. Something deep inside me was saying: here be strangers. And not liking it.
Of course, it was both irrational and ludicrous. This was London, and in all probability many of the parents picking up children came from other cultures. But they mostly looked and dressed in ways that were familiar to me, so prompted no visceral feelings of discomfort.
I brooded over my reaction for weeks. Here was I, a professed Quaker, avowedly anti-racist, and a sincere believer in equality. How could my subconscious let me down like that?
But disappointment with my primitive id morphed into something more reflective over time.
It seems to me that we are all born with ancient, built-in reactions to situations, and that the first we know about them is when they are triggered in response to life’s events. Most have survival value, like a fear of heights, or feeling empathy for the wellbeing of others. I would put my embarrassing reaction in the category of ‘survival value’. In primitive hunter-gatherer times, it would have been quite reasonable to feel anxious when encountering members of another tribe – at least until we could be sure of their intentions.
The important thing is to be honest with yourself, to bring these unexpected and unwanted reactions out into the light, recognise them for what they are – primitive survival ‘knee jerks’ – and deal with them. This could be some form of therapy if such feelings are frequent and/or distressing, or maybe just to give yourself a good ‘talking to’, as I did.
Alan Jones
New climate group
During Yearly Meeting, we heard ministry about the UK National Emergency Briefing, and the need for Quakers to look at the huge problems as the world and the climate are falling apart. We have watched the recording of ‘Facing the Future: The moment is now’ featuring the environmentalist Rupert Read, who is a Quaker. We feel that Quakers have something special to offer in the face of a collapsing society.
In parallel to Quaker Support for Climate Action (QS4CA) seeking valiantly to prevent a catastrophe, and to Living Witness, a community discerning and nurturing Spirit-led responses to the unfolding climate and ecological crises, Friends can work together to consider emergency responses based on Quaker values. We can prepare to deal with the potentially catastrophic climate changes that are ahead. Getting ready to deal with an emergency (such as people being without food and energy, perhaps for weeks at a time) is different from working towards a long-term sustainable future. Of course, we need both.
We are seeking to build together a network throughout Britain of like-minded Friends concerned with the issue of responding to climate collapse, including reaching out and linking to other Quaker groups already working on facing the probability of collapsing systems. A Facebook page and a WhatsApp group are suggested to begin with. Please contact quakersclimatecollapse@gmail.com.
Jackie Carpenter
