On-line videos depict Quakers and their values

As a Quaker, I'm concerned that Quakers are generally misunderstood. Occasionally we are terribly stereotyped. (Birkenstocks, anyone?)

As a result, I've been looking for ways to tell "The Quaker story."

It's not easy, partly because Quakers have many stories — as many as there are Quakers.

Nevertheless, for more 350 years, Friends have sought to portray themselves — with varying degrees of success.

Now a small Quaker meeting near London has taken a compelling approach to the storytelling. Watford Friends have used very short, tightly produced on-line videos to portray their community and what its members believe. Not surprisingly, they don't believe all the same things, and that, they say, is one of their greatest assets.

So what unifies them? Where do they find their great strength?

I'll let them tell their individual stories and share the bedrock Quaker stories (and values) that are the foundation of their gentle, spiritually vibrant community.

If you are interested in Quakers, these short topical vignettes are an involving, heartening and insightful introduction.

Put yourself in a quiet place, center down (as Friends say) and dip into the Watford Friends' videos. Go to: http://www.watfordquakers.org.uk/videos.html