10 February 2025: Love your neighbour as yourself
Dear Friend, Greetings from the World Office of the Friends World Committee for Consultation. Grace and peace to you.
This is a sad time for FWCC with the recent passing of our clerk, Simon Lamb (Ireland Yearly Meeting). Esther Mombo (Highland Yearly Meeting) will now ably serve as clerk for the remainder of 2025.
This is also an anxious time for the world. Still I hold faith that the Light shines in the dark, and the darkness has not overcome it. This will be the case for as long as we each seek Godâs will for our lives, and seek to unite with it.
This year World Quaker Day (5 October) will have the theme âLove Your Neighbourâ, taking as its guiding scripture Galatians 5:14: âFor the whole law can be summed up in this one command: âLove your neighbour as yourselfââ.
There are many forces today encouraging us to hate our neighbour. I feel certain that we must respond with love. We can use words, but also seek to be âdoers of the wordâ (James 1:22).
The world needs what we have to offer more than ever. Even when environmental breakdown, war, untruths, isolation and unfairness seem to dominate, our message of simplicity, peace, integrity, community and equality is the antidote.
The world is in need of an inward change, to take us away from the present era of injustice, and towards the Kingdom Jesus spoke of.
Thank you for the ways that you point people towards the Light, that each personâs measure of the Light may be seen.
By discerning and following Godâs will for us, we will be shown a way forward. Let us hold one another, and the whole world community, in Godâs Light
If appropriate please share this greeting before or at your annual sessions.
In Friendship,
Tim Gee,
General Secretary
Friends World Committee for Consultation â World Office