‘If pressure is brought upon you to lower your standard of integrity, are you prepared to resist it? Our responsibilities to God and our neighbour may involve us in taking unpopular stands. Do not let the desire to be sociable, or the fear of seeming peculiar, determine your decisions.’ Advices and Queries 38.

This quoted Quaker guidance brings such value in our evolving world. What is integrity? What is your truth? Standing up for our community and vulnerable gives us kindness and love for each other. But in our limited resources how do we keep our integrity?

Through learning together and respecting our differences we soon see the results of following faith.

In Quaker Faith and Practice this section of 23.03 describes integrity: ‘We know that Jesus identified himself with the suffering and the sinful, the poor and the oppressed. We know that he went out of his way to befriend social outcasts. We know that he warned us against the deceitfulness of riches, that wealth and great possessions so easily come between us and God, and divide us from our neighbours.’

Following our hearts we find we support everyone whilst being everyone. Society dictates certain ways of living and we do what we can when we can to help each other.

Meetings in Okehampton are held in the Ockment Centre on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month at 10.30am. We can be contacted on [email protected] and all are warmly welcome.