William Penn Sends His Love Through the Centuries

Here, William Penn stands atop Philadelphia’s City Hall, with the Ben Franklin Parkway leading to the Art Museum in the distance. Like most cities, Philly is quite beautiful in snow.

Penn, certainly the world’s most famous Quaker, is a reminder that it’s possible for an entire community of people to live according to the principles of peace, harmony, inclusion, mutual respect, and equal justice for all–characteristics that are in distinctly short supply in present-day American society.

As I’ve mentioned, Quakerism and environmentalism are cousins.  How could they not be?  Brotherly love and poisoning the natural world don’t blend together, do they?

Even the idea of robo-consumerism is anathema to Quakers.  Keep it simple and plain, and be kind.  Live a life exemplified by the motto of my alma mater, the William Penn Charter School:  φιλεῖτε ἀλλήλους pronounced (“philAYta aLAYloose”) translates as “love one another.”