Before university I made a quiet promise to the Divine: I need You to make what I know in my head about Your love real in my heart, or I do not want to do this any longer. Around that same time I began to explore the charismatic stream of Christian faith. I was part of a Vineyard small group that became family, and that family incubated my tender heart.

The most formative experience of my adult life was a six month internship spending midnight to 6am in a prayer room. Charismatic experiences can feel like throwing petrol on a small flame. The contemplative tradition is different. It is the slow, deep work of stoking a fire to an intense, steady heat. Most of the time, the contemplative path is where I have heard the Divine most clearly.

At seminary I was introduced to Quakerism. During that season I sensed God sitting quietly with me, letting me sit in my anger and grief without correcting, judging or turning away. That presence transformed how I see myself, and gave me room to accept myself as a queer, non binary person.

More recently I have been shaped by teachers outside the Christian tradition. Ram Dass, Eckhart Tolle, Hafiz, Chani Nicholas. I am part of a local Anglican community as well as a spiritual recovery programme. It has been a beautiful season of seeing the values of Jesus lived out across many different streams of faith.

A sacred text that has long been a touchstone for me reads: "I am certain that God, who began the good work in you, will carry it onto completion." My hope is to pass that faith on. To help others see themselves as divinely created, whole people. Body, mind, emotions and spirit. The values that drive my life and my practice are justice, peace, integrity, community and equity. Whether with family, friends, or the wider community, my wish is to be a welcoming, hospitable presence, safe for everyone I cross paths with.

There are nine core beliefs of Quakerism:

1. There is a living, dynamic presence at work in the world which is both within us and outside of us.

2. There is that of Spirit in everyone.

3. Each person is capable of the direct and unmediated experience of God as you understand God.

4. Our understanding of Creator is nurtured and enlarged in community.

5. The Bible is one important spiritual resource, and the life and teachings of Jesus are relevant for us today.

6. The revelation of eternal truth is continuing and ongoing.

7. We welcome truth from whatever source it may come. 

8. Our inward experience of God transforms us and leads us into outward expressions of faithful living, witness, and action.

9. Modeling God’s presence in our lives is more important than espousing our beliefs.