Editorial

It’s been a different couple of months, and this is reflected in a somewhat different Australian Friend.  We have been astounded at the activities that Friends have been able to carry out during the COVID-19 shut-down.  This has led to us all having to do things in different ways, but the Spirit managed to come through, even through sometimes shaky Zoom connections.

And there is the challenge of Yearly Meeting, where we will not be able to meet in the flesh, so to speak.  We wish our Canberra Friends all the best in their efforts, and encourage all Friends to join in to the best of their technical abilities.  After Yearly Meeting we would like to learn from Friends what they gained and what they missed from this very different experience.

The articles on Speaking in Meeting continue to come in, expressing the wide range of views on the topic.  We feel inspired by the views of the more “spiritual” Friends.  At the same time, we welcome the input from more “worldly” Friends who would possibly follow the words of Henry Cadbury quoted in Reg Naulty’s book review: “Speaking for himself, he writes that his religion ‘rests largely on a life of honest thinking, and kindly dealing’ and responding to social issues.”

Until next issue, keep healthy and wash your hands.