The Spirit calls Friends to acknowledge their connection to one another and to all creation. This understanding strengthens us to minister to one another and the wider community, to test individual leadings, and to witness to the truth as it is revealed to us. Living by faith is not a private matter. It calls us outward to the needs of the community at large.

The Spirit we follow is present in each individual human being. To be true to that Spirit, we must recognize and nourish the spiritual worth of all people, particularly those who have been devalued or excluded. Following the Spirit’s leadings together, we hope to overcome the causes of racism, sexism, homophobia, and the neglect or disrespect of children, the poor, and the socially marginalized, in the world and in ourselves.

Source: Excerpted from Pacific Yearly Meeting, Faith and Practice, Community Testimony , 2001