Practising presence: Daniel Clarke Flynn’s Thought for the week

‘Creation would be the less without each of us.’

by Daniel Clarke Flynn 10th July 2026

Practising presence helps me grow beyond my beginnings, towards realising what I was created for.

I was born into and educated in a hierarchical society. I was taught to obey, in order to reap the benefits that I would be denied if I didn’t. But among Quakers I have come to believe that there is that of God, or whatever It might be called, in each of us, including me; revelation continues, and we are each called to let our lives speak. All this requires acknowledging my beginnings not as limitations but as stepping stones from which I can practice openness to life-long learning. My stumbles become opportunity to learn.