Concord Quarterly News
Ed. Note - Concord Quarterly Meeting on Oct. 25 will highlight an intergenerational play on the Gospel story of the Prodigal Son.
Henri Nouwen’s Classic The Return of the Prodigal Son
Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932-1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, and theologian whose work focused on faith, human vulnerability, and the search for a deeper relationship with God. He taught at Harvard and Yale and later worked closely with people with intellectual disabilities. His writing often encouraged readers to examine their everyday lives through simple but profound “daily-examining questions of life”, such as “Did I offer peace today?” “Did I bring a smile to someone’s face?” “Did I say words of healing?” “Did I let go of my anger and resentment?” “Did I forgive?” “Did I love?”
The Return of the Prodigal Son, published in 1992, is widely regarded as a modern Christian classic. The book grew out of Nouwen’s profound encounter with Rembrandt van Rijn’s famous painting The Return of the Prodigal Son. Nouwen spent extended periods sitting in front of the monumental painting at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, studying its details and allowing them to deepen his understanding of Jesus’ parable. He blends personal memoir, biblical reflection, and spiritual insight to examine what it means to receive and give unconditional love.
Rembrandt’s painting, created around 1668-1669, portrays the emotional climax of the parable: the younger son returning to his father after wasting his inheritance. For me, Nouwen’s use of the painting enhanced my experience of the Bible passage itself. Gazing at the painting allowed me to slow down and think more deeply about the message of the parable. Rather than simply reading the story, I could contemplate the expressions, gestures, and relationships between the characters and consider what they might reveal about forgiveness, love, and homecoming.
Nouwen focuses on the principal characters - the younger son, the elder son, and the father - and suggests that each represents something within us. The younger son represents our desire to leave, make our own choices, and find our way home. The elder son struggles with resentment, jealousy, and the feeling that his faithfulness has not been recognized. Nouwen’s interpretation made me consider that it is possible to be responsible and do the “right thing” while still being emotionally distant from God.
The father is ultimately the heart of Nouwen’s reflection. He represents a love that does not depend on achievement or perfection. He welcomes the younger son without demanding that he first prove himself worthy. He also reaches out to the resentful elder son. The father’s love is extended to both, regardless of their different struggles. One of the book’s most important insights is Nouwen’s suggestion that we are called not only to identify with the younger or elder son but ultimately to become like the father. For Nouwen, spiritual maturity involves moving from needing to be loved and forgiven toward becoming a person who offers love and forgiveness freely.
One of the most moving details of Rembrandt’s painting is the father’s hands resting on his returning son. Nouwen observes that the hands are noticeably different: one appears larger and more masculine, suggesting strength and protection, while the other is softer and more delicate, suggesting tenderness and comfort. Nouwen interprets this as an image of God’s love containing both fatherly strength and motherly tenderness, a detail which had a profound effect on the author.
My Personal Evaluation - What challenged me most was Nouwen’s conclusion that we are called not only to recognize ourselves as the younger or elder son, but ultimately to become “like the father.” This is a much greater challenge than simply accepting God’s forgiveness. It asks me to examine whether I am willing to offer forgiveness, compassion, patience, and unconditional love to others - even when I feel they have not earned it.
I found this message both comforting and challenging. The idea that we can always return home to God is deeply reassuring, while the call to become more like the father requires genuine self-examination.
Overall, I found The Return of the Prodigal Son to be a deeply meaningful and thought-provoking book. Nouwen transformed a familiar biblical story into an invitation to look honestly at my own relationships, resentments, need for forgiveness, and capacity to love. Most importantly, the combination of Rembrandt’s painting and Nouwen’s reflections encouraged me to slow down, look more deeply, and consider what it truly means to come home - and to help others feel at home as well.
The Gospel Story of The Prodigal Son
At first, after reading The Parable of the Prodigal Son, I was surprised by how short it was, but the length makes sense if its goal is to teach the reader a lesson rather than to entertain. Personally, I thought the lesson was hard to understand, since none of the characters do anything particularly remarkable. Later I thought the moral of the story is either: you don’t know what you have until you lose it, or you should be a good person even if there is no benefit.
My initial impression was that none of the characters seem like a clear protagonist. First, the prodigal son wastes all his inheritance. Secondly, the father treats his sons unequally: he throws a huge party for his prodigal son, while he barely recognizes his older son’s work. Lastly, the older son seems like the best person, since he stays and helps his dad, but he is also bitter that his father doesn’t acknowledge his faithfulness. The lesson couldn’t be to treat everyone equally because the father doesn’t do that; it also cannot be about forgiveness, because a straightforward story about forgiveness between the prodigal son and his father is complicated by the older brother.
After thinking about it some more, one possible intended lesson is that you should be a good person without expecting to receive rewards. The older brother is a good person because he doesn’t abandon his family and waste all his money; at the same time, he expects to be rewarded for his work. His expectation for rewards seems pretty reasonable, but it doesn’t feel like the kind of thing the Bible would teach. In the last verse, the father tries to explain to the older son why he celebrated the prodigal son: “‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found’” (Luke 15:31). Maybe this is the Bible trying to tell you that you shouldn’t be jealous because others are receiving attention.
The other possible moral for me is: you don’t know what you have until you lose it. First, the prodigal son doesn’t realize how fortunate he is until he wastes all his money. Even his father's servants were treated better than he was: “‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!’” (Luke 15:17). Additionally, the father exemplifies this lesson. Based on his excitement for his son’s return, it seems like the father missed him a lot. The father may not have realized how much the prodigal son meant to him until he left. Because this lesson is shown in two characters, it may be the main message.
Is this the correct interpretation? Maybe, maybe not. Yet the complexity of the story made it interesting to think about, and I think these lessons are good takeaways.
Outreach at the Goshen Corral
For six nights in July, Concord Quarterly Meeting was in the middle of the action - at the Goshen Country Fair! Sitting at the table was an experience of being immersed in the fair - the smells of donuts and the nearby goat pen, the roar of rides and excited yelling of their riders, and the bingo called in the distance. One kind of perfect summer evening is to be at the fair.
The CQM outreach table was a collaborative effort from the start, when we applied to the PYM Membership Development Granting Group for a grant to support creating outreach materials. What we gathered to share included the information gathered from the eight meetings in CQM and several schools in the Quarter.
Each evening, Friends came in shifts and provided warm greetings, conversation, and answered questions for passersby and the “Quaker curious.” One evening we were joined by Chris Mohr, General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, who had heard of the outreach effort and came by to support and take home donuts. After the first evening, we realized that we needed a more interesting “giveaway” to draw in passersby, and bubbles and ducks were procured to hand out. The ducks were inspired by a Friend’s quip that we are “Quakers, not quackers.” The sign next to the ducks, that said the same, was a conversation starter!
Our corner table space was under the tent next to the donut sale tent, which meant that people in the very long line for the donuts had to idle in front of the Quakers - and this often led to conversation. The new banner created for this event was displayed and business-card size handouts were available with information about the Quarter and a QR code that goes to the CQM website page with more information about each meeting.
Often, people would stop by and share that they or their children had gone to and attend a Friends school. The connection between Friends schools and positive feelings about Quakers was obvious - one adult person got out of the donut line to come over and share that they had attended a Friends school in Philadelphia decades before. Several people told us, “Glad you’re here,” meaning our presence in the community. One person stopped to appreciate the banner and its images of peace and inclusion, and also asked what Friends were doing to demonstrate those commitments. Others walked away with information about a meeting near them, or literature about Quaker worship or testimonies.
Thanks to the Wilmington Meeting member who donated the cost of the space rental, appreciation for Sallie Welte of Goshen who wrote the grant proposal for PYM, and gratitude to all the volunteers who came out and shared information and welcome at the table. We had some wild weather a couple of nights, but thanks to the big storage box provided by CQM Coordinator Chris Stern, our supplies and materials, even the ducks, stayed dry.
This year was an experiment. If our goals were for Quakers to be a presence at the Fair and to provide outreach materials to our Chester County neighbors, then it was a success! We hope this effort can be approved by the Quarter again in the future - the opportunity to connect with our neighbors and share in the community was encouraging.
Quakers & Soccer (Football!)
I don’t remember when I first learned to play the game of soccer, what the rest of the world knows as “football.” Most likely, it was in gym class during elementary school. It was just one of the many fun games we learned to play.
When I was traveling in Wales with a Boys Choir, at about age 12, we met a group of Irish Boy Scouts camping near the river. They asked if we wanted to play them in a game of football (soccer). I don’t remember which side won, but I still remember what a fun game it was, and that we American choir boys held our own.
Unlike American football, where your size can have an impact on your abilities, or basketball, where your height can help you make the team, soccer is a game where your abilities are on display and size has no significant impact. American football has 11 players, all with specific positions, and requires expensive special equipment. Soccer teams also field 11 players, but the game is played around the world, often with nothing more than a ball. A person can just grab a ball and kick it around by themselves or with friends.
Quakers don’t need a lot of “equipment,” and we don’t have specific positions. Quakers can just “kick it around” by ourselves or with a few friends. The simplicity of soccer and Quakerism seem similar in many ways. Like soccer, Quakerism is practiced a little differently in different countries, but in many ways, it is the same.
I have attended Meeting for Worship in the forests, on mountaintops, in canoes drifting on the Delaware River, in houses, YWCA buildings, and some old meetinghouses, as well as my home meetinghouse, which is the youngest in our Quarter (1929).
I had the good fortune to attend one of the World Cup matches in Philadelphia on June 25th: Curaçao vs. Côte d’Ivoire. I took public transportation to the stadium - the bus to 69th Street, where I transferred to the Market-Frankford subway, and then transferred to the Broad Street subway to the last stop at the sports stadiums. The subway trains were packed with fans. Some fans were wearing the colors of their favorite teams; I wore my USA jersey.
Fans came from all over the world to celebrate their teams and “the beautiful game.” I met people from Africa, Germany, England, Mexico, and Canada. It really felt like a world party. Philadelphia was a great host, too. We had the only venue where public transportation was free for all fans leaving the game.
The World Cup gave people from many nations the opportunity to briefly stop and enjoy the simple humanity of watching adults play a fun children’s game. I hope it helps us to remember that we were all children once, and that we are all children of God.
Ministry, Eldership and Travels in UK
I was asked to be an accompanying elder for the Young Adult Friends Gathering at Jordans Friends Meetinghouse and Centre, outside of London, this August 12-16. This was my third time traveling to the UK to attend this gathering in a supportive role. This time my wife, Verona, accompanied me! She did not attend the gathering, but we visited a number of YAF’s after the gathering together, having wonderful times of conversation and walks. We visited YAFs in Cambridge, Leeds and Richmond in the North, and Oxford. We also spent some time in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales with F/friends whom we have known for 30 years, and explored the many James Herriot sites. The Lake District was my favorite part of the trip, staying at the Glenthorne Quaker Guest House. You can walk out the door and up into the hills, mountains, tarns, and moors, and be back for Tea at 4 pm. Incredible.
This year 30 YAF’s attended the Jordans gathering. There were 4 from the US, one from Kenya and another from New Zealand, and the rest were from different parts of the UK. The Theme was “Listening to the Shepherd’s Voice.” The first evening was dominated by the solar eclipse which we all got to watch together. The scheduled group sessions included an open style Bible study on John 10, where anyone could comment on the verses being read. This allowed plenty of time for reflections and sharing experiences. The gathering often went very deep into worship and many people expressed that they were finding God to be closer than they had experienced before. There were also small group sessions where we worked on different queries related to the theme together and got to know one another better. I loved being with these very open, seeking, and searching Young Adult Friends.
I spent a lot of time having wonderful conversations and walks with individual YAFs or being a part of small impromptu groups that formed and took walks together. I helped a lot with cooking and with clean up after meals, and shepherding people to the different sessions. We also had fun singing around the campfire in the evenings, a pretend fire as no fires were allowed. It was very hot and very dry in the UK during this gathering and before, and there was a ban on any open flames.
Tim Gee (FWCC) came one evening for dinner and led the singing with his ukulele. Despite the lack of a real campfire, there were lots of hearts “on fire” and it was wonderful to see such an outpouring of God’s Spirit among the people gathered there. I don’t think any of us left the gathering feeling the same as when we arrived. It was clearly a remarkable spiritual journey that we took together. We hope to stay connected and to continue on this journey, bringing it with us wherever we go. The Epistle from the gathering can be found here: https://www.yafgathering.org/2026-gathering.
A Family Journey to the Cloud Forest
In the silence of the early morning, the only sound was the cool gentle breeze through the trees and the distinct call of the chachalaca bird. We climbed the wide steps that wrapped around the outside of the Ashram. At the top there were two large wood doors that opened into a large open octagonal shaped room surrounded by windows with a warm fire burning in the hearth. We gathered our mats, settled into silence, before gently shifting into the deliberate movement of Chi Gong. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of the earth and coffee blossoms. This was not just a vacation, it was a profound exercise in witnessing and remembering the light that exists in all creation.
This past March, our family embarked on a journey to Las Canadas, a sustainable ecotourism experience nestled in the heart of Mexico’s cloud forest outside the small, quaint town of Huatusco. The land, consisting of 100 hectares, approximately 250 acres, was once the home of a cattle ranch. When it was purchased, the land was by and large barren due to agriculture. Now lush and thriving, the land has rebounded after decades of dedicated reforestation by its stewards, Paula Kline and Alan Wright, their children, and now their grandchildren. It was Paula and Alan’s advocacy that persuaded the United Nations to allocate grants and resources to support their reforestation mission. The U.N. supplied tens of thousands of native seedlings to further efforts to undo the mass clearing of the cloud forest that occurred so many years ago. The results have been nothing short of miraculous. The wildlife once chased off by agricultural activities has since returned. It has become a place of sanctuary for endangered species - during our stay a toucan arrived all the way from the Amazon seeking refuge. We feel so grateful to experience, and for our two children, Josephine, 3, and Fox, 7, who missed their friends Analise and Emiliano since they moved in 2025, to witness this decades long vision of radical stewardship. The goal being rooted in the creation of a sanctuary that models a way for humans to live in right relationship with the Earth.
Our travel was surprisingly easy. The Veracruz airport was clean, modern, and welcoming, offering restaurants, toiletries, and souvenirs for last minute needs. Transportation to and from the airport was prearranged by Nora Wright and her husband, Paco Castro, who were awaiting with open arms when we arrived. From there, we drove for two hours, passing through an array of diverse climates. We cast off from the beaches of Veracruz and soon found ourselves in the dry desert region. The arid desert soon transitions into a tropical climate with lush thick forests. Fresh fruit carts piled high with coconuts and mangos were situated at every intersection. We held our breath as giant trucks drove by piled so high with sugar cane they appeared to be ready to topple at any moment.
As we ascended into the cool, misty mountains of the cloud forest, the sheer cliffs revealed themselves. We received a warm welcome as we made our way down the winding driveway. We were dropped off at the Ashram, a short walk to the accommodations. Each individual room is outfitted with 2 queen beds, one below on the ground level and one above in a loft. There is also a shared sleeping space known as the dormitory, which allows large groups to stay in together in one shared space.
The buildings and systems are designed to run off completely self-sustainable renewable energy. Power comes exclusively from the sun, harnessed by solar panels and captured by batteries. Water is pumped to the buildings by a waterwheel pump that has been turning continuously for the last 20 years, powered by the water pressure from a waterfall. The water is pumped from a glacier fed spring to all buildings on the property. The showers are heated by fire, requiring effort and preparation before simply turning on the faucet. I am happy to report that there are also showers at the Ashram that are solar heated, if you do not have the time or energy to start a fire and wait for the water to heat up. Perhaps most grounding was the use of composting toilets, a simple yet profound practice that turned our waste into fertile soil - a true cycle of renewal.
The days found their rhythm in meditation, exploration, play, and service. Our mornings began in the Ashram, in silence, awaiting spirit before moving into Chi Gong, aligning our breath and movement with that of the universe. Thereafter, we walked out to the garden to gather various vegetables and plants with Alan’s guidance. The fresh cut vegetables were then carried up the narrow winding trail that leads from the Ashram to the courtyard that connects the homes of Paula and Alan to the homes of their children and grandchildren. The deep terracotta buildings are adorned with beautiful intricate, bright paintings and mosaics that highlight the vibrancy of the local culture and wildlife. The meals are vegan, but if you have any special dietary needs or requests, they will happily accommodate - we requested eggs, milk and cheese for our children and everything was there upon our arrival.
Coffee harvesting season is one of the busiest for in the region. Our arrival aligned perfectly with the ripening of the coffee plants. We were shown how to carefully select the bright ripened coffee cherries, a plant that prefers to grow under the shade of the prehistoric forest canopy. We walked from plant to plant gathering many pounds of coffee beans. Once done, feeling accomplished, proud, and tired, we learned a difficult reality - that 80% of what we had harvested would be lost in roasting and processing. It caused us all to pause and reflect: the coffee we enjoy so freely and casually at home is the result of intensive human labor. It was a reminder of our direct connection to the international community and that our daily comforts are intertwined with all who live on the Earth.
Our trip to Las Canadas felt more akin to a pilgrimage. It showed us that living simply does not mean deprivation, but rather abundance, in peace, community, and connection to others and to the earth that gives us the food we put into our bodies. Interested in planning your own visit or learning more - please reach out to Paula Kline at kline.paula@gmail.com.