| | by admin | | posted on 22nd March 2023 in Quakers in 100 Objects & Seeking Faith & Practice | | views 1427 | |
The Spirit, understood by Quakers to exist simultaneously both within and beyond the individual, is experienced inwardly as the Inner Light and collectively in worship, discernment, and daily life.
A unifying force, The Spirit defies precise definition. Its purest meaning goes beyond what words can describe. Friends have long been wary of fixing it too tightly in language, knowing that naming the experience too narrowly can diminish what is living and dynamic.
Some may experience The Spirit as a mystical encounter; others as the presence of God known inwardly and collectively. For many, it is not a single dramatic moment at all, but a steady attentiveness — a way of being guided by something not of one's own making rather than instructed.
In Quaker writing and speech, metaphors often do the work that definitions cannot. The Spirit is described as living and breathing, subtle rather than forceful. It moves quietly: like a feather floating on a breath, it cannot be commanded, only noticed and followed.
For Quakers, this inward experience is often named the Inner Light — The Spirit known within each person, yet not confined to the self and never owned or controlled by the individual.
Quaker spiritual practice begins not with words, but with waiting. In meeting for worship, Friends gather in silence and allow the noise of daily life to settle. This waiting is not passive. It is an active listening — a willingness to be attentive to what arises inwardly without rushing to interpret or explain it.
Listening in this way takes practice. Thoughts come and go; distractions surface. Friends are not trying to empty the mind, but to become aware of what carries weight and what does not. Over time, this quiet attention can create space for insight, tenderness, or a sense of rightness that was not there before.
Friends often speak of being “guided†rather than instructed. Guidance does not usually arrive as a command or a clear answer. More often, it is felt as a gentle nudge, a recurring concern, or a growing clarity about what feels faithful or true.
This guidance may lead inwardly — toward patience, honesty, or repair — or outwardly, toward action in the world. Either way, it is not understood as self-generated. The Spirit may be encountered within, but it is not reduced to personal preference or private opinion.
Although the Inner Light is known inwardly, Quaker practice is not solitary. In worship, Friends listen together. In decision-making, they seek a shared sense of the way forward. This communal dimension matters: it helps test, ground, and balance individual leadings.
When someone speaks in meeting, it is offered simply and received quietly. The return to silence allows space for the words to be weighed, not reacted to. In this way, Friends learn to trust that The Spirit can be recognised not only within individuals, but among the gathered community.
The Spirit is not confined to the meeting house. Friends try to carry this attentiveness into ordinary life — into conversations, work, activism, and relationships. The same listening that shapes worship can shape how decisions are made and how others are treated.
This does not require certainty or perfection. It asks only for honesty, openness, and a willingness to be changed. The Spirit, as Friends understand it, is patient. It works over time, quietly shaping lives rather than demanding sudden transformation.
Quakers do not expect everyone to describe The Spirit in the same way, or even to use the word at all. What matters is the practice of attention — of making space to listen and of taking seriously what arises from that listening.
For those curious about Quakerism, the invitation is simple: begin where you are. Sit in silence. Notice what stirs. See what it is like to wait without forcing meaning. Understanding often follows experience, not the other way around.
“Dearly beloved Friends, these things we do not lay upon you as a rule or form to walk by, but that all, with the measure of light which is pure and holy, may be guided; and so in the light walking and abiding, these may be fulfilled in the Spirit, not from the letter, for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.â€
“Be aware of the spirit of God at work in the ordinary activities and experience of your daily life… Are you open to new light, from whatever source it may come? Do you approach new ideas with discernment?â€
“Be still and cool in thy own mind and spirit from thy own thoughts, and then thou wilt feel the principle of God to turn thy mind to the Lord God…â€
“There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong… Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention.â€
Most objects in collections are tangible. The Spirit is not — and that is precisely the point. It reminds Friends that Quakerism is not only a history of events or a collection of artefacts, but an ongoing inward practice with outward consequences.
By naming The Spirit as an “objectâ€, Quakers are quietly saying that the most important inheritance is not a relic, but a way of being: attentive, responsive, and faithful to guidance that is both within and beyond the self.