Quakers have often been known to describe themselves as "Seekers after Truth." This would seemed to me as being a particularly useful role because it implies having sufficient bravery to take on the commitment of an entirely independent spiritual journey.
In the past, when working with young people, I have compared this life experience to pushing a trolley round a very large supermarket.
With some of us there may be a temptation to visit only the small specialist shops where everyone there is polite, speaks the same (somewhat mysterious) Quaker language, already knows you, and when you start talking, there is so much you already have in common. It is very reassuring to be surrounded only by ingredients that you feel very comfortable with and know. To me, this is a very introverted process, more a matter of reflecting our culture back on ourselves in a form of self-flattery, than belief. Perhaps there is also some pride in that ecologically produced hessian shopping bag shipped from the other side of the world and containing mostly oats!
Instead the very big shopping environment is I believe, about trust invested in the whole of humanity, its worth, potential and freedom. Here there is an opportunity to love the whole of mankind. As we engage with other people we are to be constantly surrounded by choice and challenged.
During that journey there will be many different situations. Some products are very conveniently placed whilst others require effort and investment to reach out and find. There might well be a temptation to shop only at eye-level and hurry past the chill cabinets. No body likes to suffer although it may be of significance that ice-cream can only be found in a freezer!
Some products will already be on the list so we can reach out with certainty, having already predicted their use. There might well be some luxuries about to serve as a distraction and we don't really need. Perhaps we should be alert to the effects of subversive advertising, choosing our prophets wisely. Despite best intentions, at times it really does seem as if the enticements of a chocolate aisle with all their associated beliefs and the sense of superiority this gives you over all the local doctors and dentists is some kind of heaven!
In some areas of the store there will be exotic ingredients to provide a challenge in the same way we might encounter other faiths. All of these items will require us to live adventurously and take more effort. Some may taste really good, encouraging us to come back for more, whilst others seem like a firery blast of hell to our sensitive Quaker palates. There will then be much talk about simplicity, all our Quaker testimonies will mysteriously be revived, and those "heretical" new concepts will remain very firmly on the shelves next time we shop.
An honest search for truth encourages us to be very precise about what seems relevant to our condition. Those "three for the price of one" offers can as a result, be a little disconcerting for Quakers. At times we may turn up at the local ecumenical group through love of God and sincere commitment to follow the teachings of Jesus, only to discover that some well-intentioned evangelist has slipped a complimentary copy of the Nicene Creed into our basket! Whilst believing ourselves entitled not to buy every item in the shop, there is however also a very clear responsibility to respect products that are attractive and relevant to others.
The bargain basket is strategically placed containing items that do not seem particularly attractive to the manager of that store. Many of these products would seem to have almost reached their sell by date as if there is a very limited capacity these days to gain very much from history. History can get a little bashed around sometimes and without the best of motives, assume improbable shapes. With the right preparation, none of this collective experience need be wasted. Homemade Quaker soup can taste very good. You do not have to digest the whole lot in one go because there is the option of sharing knowledge or putting batches away for future enjoyment in the freezer. Quaker Meetings often have a "celery Friend." These history enthusiasts may be added to any stale old otherwise unintelligible product to revive it!
What happens then when you reach the check out? Most of us will at some point look back on their lives thinking "I cannot believe how much that cost me!" wondering if all the items they picked up were worth it and if they have the capacity to pay. Close to the tills there is often a panic reaction as we throw in a few bars of chocolate into the trolley to avoid going hungry. Perhaps we may stop for a few moments, go through that shopping list and then retrace steps for some crucial item that has somehow been forgotten. A few Quakers re-invent the whole week's menu rather than admit they were wrong.
As we wander out of that store, perhaps with the addition of halos and wings there will bags of experience to carry, and I believe, that currency of all that we have been able to invest through love still with us.
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