Benigno Sanchez-Eppler spoke as the Friend in residence at NPYM. One of the things he shared with us about is both the evolutionary path of salamanders as they went from the south end of the desert in
California around both sides and meeting again at the top, and also a certain song bird in the
Gobi desert also evolving around both sides and meeting again at the top. He explains the salamanders change a little in each range while containing outliers in each range like salamanders from the other groups. But by the time the two groups again meet at the top of the dessert they are too different in their internal structure to mate. With the song birds he says he finds most tragic that "they do not recognize each others love songs." He says that scientists however cannot categorize them as separate species because they share the common ancestor and are still genetically far more similar to dissimilar. (My daughter tells me that scientifically they would be different species but the same genotype.)
While Benigno does not directly compare these creatures to the Society of Friends, the parrells are fairly strongly apparent. All branches of the Society of Friends claim George Fox as their founder and are influenced and inspired by his life and words in different ways. And it is also true that for the most part we are no longer able to comfortably worship together. There are outliers in each branch that look more like and might more comfortably fit in other branch. There are Quakers that have moved from one branch to the other. And yet if we were to try to merge back together eliminating the splits- there are differences so great that a great violence would be done - alienating or destroying many of the flock" of each branch along the way.
However, Benigno points out by the diversification and adaptation of each group "they cover a lot more territory" and the cross mating by the most closely related groups strengthens both groups. I feel a sigh of relief and contentment at this. Yes I am happy that Quakerism took an adaptation that allowed it to reach millions in
Africa, and that it took forms that allowed it to survive in revivalist corn-belt communities, etc. I am glad that there are "birds" like me across the world who hold up ideals of non-violence, simplicity and equality and integrity. I don't need them to be just like me or worship like me, nor do I wish to be just like them. Some life long feeling that we are out of integrity with our own peace testimony because we cannot heal our own splits, melts in me. I feel my whole body relax. Maybe we can just appreciate the diversity with which Friends show up in the world and breadth and depth of our reach upon the planet!
