Sounds of Iona June 2025

New Members gather together in Amble
Photo credit: C Mannall/Iona Community

In June’s Sounds of Iona, Ruth Harvey has been visiting Iona Community groups, members and partners.

In May I was part of a group of Quakers supporting the 75-year presence of Quaker peacemakers offering Quiet Diplomacy at the United Nations both in Geneva and in New York. Later that month, Quakers in Britain made history  as they became the first British church to state their belief that the Israeli government is committing genocide in Gaza. In the full text of their epistle, they neither shirk the complexity of the politics nor the clarity of the action needed. 

Radical peacemaking requires us to engage with and to acknowledge truth in all its discomfort, complexity and cruelty…. We believe that genocide and mass displacement are underway in the actions of the Israeli government and its military towards the population of Gaza.
(Britain Yearly Meeting, May 27th 2025) 

Our own call for action in our public Position Paper echoes these sentiments. We stand shoulder to shoulder with all who are seeking justice for Palestinians and an end to the war, calling on all to learn, act and pray for peace.  

My other Community visits during April and May were equally inspiring. 

What does it mean to live with hope in a world full of anxiety and fear?

Roger Walton and I led 10 reflective sessions for the Community for Spiritual Formation at their annual retreat near Larne. We were staying in a house that was built on the remains on a 6th century monastery. It then became a stately home and the location for gunrunning in the early days of the Troubles. In its most recent reincarnation, the building has become a retreat centre – first Roman Catholic, and now ecumenical. The rhythm of worship, silence and learning that framed each day was a gift. 

Boundaries, Belief and Belonging 

I was invited to lead an online session at the South West England Region on our theme for this year: Boundaries, Belief and Belonging. I was again reminded of the power of belonging to a Christian community, rooted in, inspired by, and committed to the Gospel of Christ and where it leads us. Some on the call talked movingly about the power of the questions we are asking of one another. Who or what is God for you? What do we think happens when we pray? We welcomed the rare opportunity to talk openly about questions of faith and doubt. 

New joy in community

Thirty five of us met in Amble, Northumberland in the sunshine for the New Members Programme.. With the Camas 2025 season cancelled due to building works, we were unable to meet in our usual way. But we recreated a typical programme week with task teams, meal hosts, times for worship/reflection, and even a closing, hilarious concert.  The focus for the time together was accounting for our time, money, talents and the earth’s resources, and part of that meant volunteering for a morning with Amble Youth Project. What a week of joy in community.  

Hopeful hospitality

Having stayed at countless religious guest houses, retreat centres and holy hotels in my time, it is always a delight to return to Iona Abbey for Associate Members Week.. We are welcomed not only as guests, but also as part of a living, intentional Christian community – sharing tasks, worship, meals and living space with staff and volunteers altogether. As we explored themes of ‘hope in community’, I was reminded of and deeply grateful for the costly act of radical hospitality that our staff and volunteers offer daily and weekly. 

The midge and the mustard seed

Let me end with this tribute to each of you who may feel that the tiny piece of work that you do is of little consequence in a world falling apart. Through each of these encounters, and more, I am reminded of the remarkable work that small teams of highly motivated and expert advocates for peace and justice can do.  

Our Gospel stories remind us to trust in the mustard seed. To value the impact of the salt. To reveal the little light that we have and to trust in the power of the tiniest coin, the smallest prayer.  

Just as the Scottish midge provokes us to action, whether we’re with Quakers or in Family Groups, at a CCN protest or on retreat, living in intentional community on Iona or at a random youth hostel, we each in our own small way bring to life the truth of Margaret Mead’s words. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” 

Photos

1. With Quaker United Nations Committee at the UN, Geneva, May 2025. Credit: K van der Horst
2. Arriving in Larne for the Community for Spiritual Formation, April 2025. Credit: R Harvey/Iona Community
3. New Members in Amble. Credit: T Kruijswijk Jansen/Iona Community
4. New Members at dinner. Credit: T Kruijswijk Jansen/Iona Community
5. Associates on Iona. Credit: C Mannall/Iona Community