From “What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman” by Lerita Coleman Brown
For more than four hundred years, a vibrant Quaker commitment to the mystical practice of silence has persisted. Many people remain unaware of the contributions of Quakers to American history and religion. Staunch promoters of the “still small voice,” Quakers believe that everyone carries the divine light of God within them and that we are equal regardless of title or socioeconomic status. They believe that God speaks ceaselessly to us and that quietness and stillness are prerequisites for hearing the soft, gentle, wordless communication of God. Yet for Quakers, being contemplative is not enough; they assume that actions emerging from the silence should facilitate the end of social injustices and the creation of a more benevolent world. As advocates of peace and equality, many Quakers participated in the Underground Railroad, assisting thousands in escaping slavery.