Quakers have long believed that human nature contains the capacity for living with others in peace. Our evolution as a species, however, has been fraught with instances of war and violence. Are we doomed by our biology - survival of the fittest amidst "nature red in tooth and claw" - or is there hope for future harmony on a greater scale?

Steven Pinker, an evolutionary psychologist at Harvard, has long been a student of human development. I have read one of his books - How The Mind Works - and found it to be an exhaustive and informative study of human cognition and brain functioning (basically we process information really well....).  Now, Pinker has published a new book, The Better Angels of Our Nature (reviewed in the New York Times on 11/29/11), which provides concrete evidence that violence has declined significantly over thousands of years. A reasonable extrapolation then becomes this statement: if incidents of violence decrease, the possibilities for peaceful resolution of conflict increase. Hope springs eternal!

For me, this is a statistical affirmation of a basic Quaker tenet: that given the proper nurture and a reliance upon the Spirit of Truth for guidance, children "grow into goodness" and continue to develop into moral adults.

 The idea of an evolution of consciousness is not new: it was articulated by Teilhard de Chardin in his book The Phenomenon of Man  and elsewhere. And, indeed, as we all "grow into goodness," would violence necessarily fall away from our lives?

In this winter celebration of the Light amidst the Darkness may our faith and our science lead us to believe that the ongoing story of humankind - our own continuing revelation - is toward peace on earth and good will to all.

With blessings,

Teacher John

Every school year begins with a learning curve: teachers and students need to learn about one another and develop a style and routine that will (hopefully) lead to a successful experience. Why not help the process along by creating a learning biography for your student?

Start with a photograph - either paste one onto a page or download one from the computer - that captures your child's personality. Then sit down with your child to complete the following, discussing each point and coming to some agreement about the most honest and helpful answers that could be given:

1)     I am a (good/fair/poor) student in the classroom.

2)     I am a (good/fair/poor) student at home.

3)     Three things in life that I absolutely love to do are a)_______________ b)______________________c) _____________________.

4)     Three specific skills I hope to learn and/or improve this year are a)_______________ b)___________________c)___________________.

5)     My favorite subject area is __________________________because _________________________.

6)     My most challenging subject area is _____________________because ___________________.

7)     I describe myself as (circle all that apply): self-motivated   a lover of learning   an independent learner   a detail person   attentive   impulsive   fidgety   a reluctant learner   organized   sloppy   forgetful   curious   bored distracting   distractible   competitive   a team player  critical of others   critical of myself   a teacher's pet responsible   lazy   critical of myself  

a class clown   a positive person a negative person    ______________________

8)     I wish I could be more like this (circle all that apply): self-motivated a lover of learning   an independent learner   a detail person   attentive   organized  curious   competitive   a team player  a teacher's pet responsible  a positive person ________________________________________________

9)     The most important goal I have for myself this year is _____________________.

End with your student writing a brief note to the teacher, followed by a brief note from you. Then send it off to school and know that you and your child have done something positive to start the new year in school. What are you waiting for?

How do we keep ourselves "right-sized" as we go through our daily routines? What allows us to keep things in proper perspective, seeking to find a balance in our approach to the world?

My wife and I recently joined two other couples on a trip to South America. After some sightseeing in Peru, we crossed over into Bolivia, where we met with the staff from the Quaker Bolivia Link (QBL), an international organization dedicated to the reduction of poverty amongst the indigenous peoples who live around La Paz. Projects are developed with eligible communities, with each family making a contribution to the effort and each community taking on the responsibility for future monitoring and maintenance of the projects. Travelling to a different village and a different project each day - projects such as community water systems, solar greenhouses, llama herd management, and trout farming - we came to meet many people from remote villages, living above 12,000 feet on the altiplano with few personal possessions and the barest of living accommodations. Delighted by our presence, and thankful for the organization's support, these men, women, and children were uniformly friendly and smiling, sharing with us their food and music and dancing in ways that were heartwarming and remarkable. It was a brilliant reminder that simplicity need not be onerous but can also embrace joyfulness. It also became clear that individual needs that are met through community efforts are further enriched by the sharing of hard work and dedication amongst neighbors and friends.

This has become my favorite way to travel - to experience the world's wonders and also meet the world's people in meaningful ways. Given our relative affluence, might we look to "service travel" more often for ourselves and our families?

My hope is that we might keep ourselves "right-sized" in our desires and hopes, being mindful of the level of need around the world and the limited resources available on our planet. Simplicity and community - two of our Quaker testimonies - are useful guidelines for keeping "right-sized" as we move forward in our lives.

Wishing one and all a blessed and healthy spring...     

In peace,

Teacher John Scardina  

I recently spent time in El Salvador, building a house in the village of San Jose Villanueva. Six colleagues from Friends Academy (a Quaker school on Long Island) and I worked through the Epilogos Foundation in providing a liveable space for a family whose only source of income is selling tamales and cheese to neighbors. It was a life-changing experience, but more importantly brought home several lessons about service to others:

·        We are always better off than someone else: even when our condition in life seems to be at the bottom, there are others in greater need. Perspective is a valuable gift that can keep us from feeling "too big" or "too small" - what one psychiatrist calls the "grandiosity versus despair" continuum.

·        Giving of time and work is valuable in a different way from giving money : The opportunity to experience with body, mind, and spirit the actual living environment of those we serve is what makes actual service in person a deeper experience. We were lucky enough to be working side by side with the family who would live in the house, and the bonds that formed between us and that family are quite remarkable.

·        Service is the best antidote to depression: Carl Roger, a pioneer in client-centered psychology, was once asked what to do when one felt profoundly depressed. His answer was quite telling: pack a bag, leave your home, find someone worse off than you are, and be of service. While in El Salvador, we met with Sister Peggy O'Neill, who runs the Centro Art para la Paz (Art Center for Peace) in the town of Suchitoto and who has been in El Salvador since 1986, which was the middle of the twelve year war that ravaged the people of that country. Her commitment to service and healing through art that was forged in the midst of the horrors of war shines on her face, even as she speaks of unspeakable atrocities she witnessed.  Sister Peggy exemplifies what William James called "the religion of healthy mindedness" - the choice to be positive and life-affirming in one's actions and thoughts - and her commitment to others is a valuable model for overcoming our often self-indulgent mindset.

·        Service benefits the giver as much as the receiver: To quote Mario, the Salvadoran brother-in-law of one of my colleagues: "Thank you for coming to El Salvador and helping those who really need it. I'm sure you've changed some lives, as well as your own." This certainly changed my life.

 Doing service as a family is a valuable way to exemplify the values we wish to embody as parents and wish to see in our children: love towards others, gratitude for what we have, and an unselfish willingness to make the world a better place. We can find opportunities for service everywhere, so don't be put off by lack of funds or time. Remember Kant's categorical imperative - "Act in every situation as you would wish every other person to act" - and go out and make a difference.

As a "wholistic educator" (my spell checker doesn't like this word, but I just can't get into "holistic" as a substitute!) I have had the privilege over the past 32 years to work in Friends schools, honoring that of God in each child as all are growing toward goodness. My own path has included The Whole Earth Catalog, whole grains, "whole brain" learning techniques, and a "whole" lot of playing music with every group I join. So what about the "whole" meeting community: how do we nurture everyone in all ways?

In medieval times (think of the story of cathedral building in Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth) the place of worship was at the center of community life. Rather than a quaint building that comes to life once a week, might we look to our meetinghouses as community centers once again, with opportunities for each part of our meeting family to find connection?

And what of the "wholistic" aspect of meeting activities: do we seek to engage the body, the mind, and the soul? Are there opportunities for yoga class and Zumba dancing, Bible study and book clubs, clearness committee and worship sharing? Based upon the idea that Quakers will bring in new members through attraction rather than promotion, do we invite community groups to share in our space, or do we fret about those 18^th century chairs we don't want anyone to break? And is there space for messy kids, loud adolescents, and quirky adults? How about 12-Step groups and local political organizations?

One of the teenagers I work with as a psychologist is a member of a Catholic youth group. This group meets twice a week, does a variety of service projects, records original music that gets played in church sometimes, and is seen as "cool" by the teens. We have wonderful youth programs (Powell House, Junior YM) in NYYM, but can we bring that energy back home to our meetings?

As "peculiar" people we Quakers are often seen as "thinking outside the box." Maybe our own "box" is a quietist dream of worshipful silence in a well-attended meeting room that settles into deep spiritual connection. But what about the crying baby, the nudgy child whose page-turning while reading is driving a nearby worshiper to distraction, and the confused adult who rambles on endlessly?

We, of course, know the answers here, yet questions arise: who is going to have the time and energy to do all of these things? With no "paid ministry" aren't we different from the Catholic youth group (with a paid youth minister on staff?) Well, Friends, if we says that Quakers abolished the laity and not the ministry, are we not the answer ourselves? And if we cannot tithe financially, can we tithe with our time? If we believe that each of us have gifts to share, can we help our members discern their gifts and thus draw them into the life of the whole meeting? And is there room for all types of worship, all types of activities, and all types of people?

During the Sun Dance - a very powerful ritual amongst Plain Indians - children would poke the dancers with sticks and laugh at their reactions while the dancers were experiencing the pangs of hunger and the rigors of the ritual they believed would lead to spiritual experiences. These children were not sent away - they were instead welcomed as young and innocent members of the community who one day would embark upon their own spiritual journeys. There was no original sin here - something we profess as well. Do we indeed welcome our own children so lovingly into our worship?

Every meeting community is a "(w)hol(e)y experiment" in living life on life's terms. Each meeting community will find its own rhythm and pace as the dance of life and worship continues. Let us be sure that we look to the whole person - physically, mentally, and spiritually - as well to the whole community - grandchildren to grandparents, single and committed, humans all - as we embrace everyone. Just think of the bumper sticker that says:

GOD BLESS THE WHOLE WORLD - NO EXCEPTIONS