Friends' Testimony of Integrity
"The testimony of integrity calls us to wholeness; it is the whole of life open to Truth. When Lives are centered in the Spirit, beliefs and actions are congruent, and words are dependable. As we achieve wholeness in ourselves, we are better able to heal the conflict and the fragmentation in our community and in the world.
"Integrity is a demanding discpiline. We are challenged by cultural values and pressures to conform. Integrity requires that we be fully responsible for our actions. Living with integrity requires living a life of reflection, living in consistency wtih our beliefs and testimonies, and doing so regardless of personal consequences. Not least, it calls for a single standard of truth...
"Friends believe in speaking simply, avoiding misleading words or emotionally manipulative language, which could divert from the discernment of God's will. Commitment to truth requires authenticity and veracity in following one's own conscience, illuminated by the Inner Light. When we depart from truth, we separate ourselves from God. Integrity is not simply a habit of speech, but a way of life increasingly aligned with God's will"
- Book of Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.
Such a clear and powerful statement could only come from profound religious insight.
To me, what this statement is about is living the same set of values through all of your roles in life, living to a consistent standard. And moreover, that standard coming from a constant effort to discern God's will. Imagine being the same person at work as at home, the same person with your friends as with your family, always with an open heart and spiritual frame of mind.
Such a contrast with the traditional rules of religion, which are primarily about refraining from forbidden activity. This is an exhortation to constant effort and betterment. A discipline.
How did the Quakers get such insight? Is there something about their practices for discernment that is particularly effective?
"Integrity is a demanding discpiline. We are challenged by cultural values and pressures to conform. Integrity requires that we be fully responsible for our actions. Living with integrity requires living a life of reflection, living in consistency wtih our beliefs and testimonies, and doing so regardless of personal consequences. Not least, it calls for a single standard of truth...
"Friends believe in speaking simply, avoiding misleading words or emotionally manipulative language, which could divert from the discernment of God's will. Commitment to truth requires authenticity and veracity in following one's own conscience, illuminated by the Inner Light. When we depart from truth, we separate ourselves from God. Integrity is not simply a habit of speech, but a way of life increasingly aligned with God's will"
- Book of Faith and Practice, Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends.
Such a clear and powerful statement could only come from profound religious insight.
To me, what this statement is about is living the same set of values through all of your roles in life, living to a consistent standard. And moreover, that standard coming from a constant effort to discern God's will. Imagine being the same person at work as at home, the same person with your friends as with your family, always with an open heart and spiritual frame of mind.
Such a contrast with the traditional rules of religion, which are primarily about refraining from forbidden activity. This is an exhortation to constant effort and betterment. A discipline.
How did the Quakers get such insight? Is there something about their practices for discernment that is particularly effective?
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