Quakers do not have saints. We do have an unofficial category (loosely defined) called “weighty Friends.” To understand this fully, it is important to know a more technical term for Quakers is the Religious Society of Friends. Growing up as a Quaker, we often referred to ourselves as “Friends.” So weighty Friends were those (usually) older Friends who somehow always brought wisdom to the table. Sometimes they were weighty because of what they knew. Some were steeped in Quaker spirituality or history and could always help a group of Quakers have a better idea how to proceed. Sometimes the weighty Quakers were not particularly educated, but they had lived a life that somehow was exceptional. An example would be John Woolman, who worked tirelessly long before the Civil War to eradicate any slavery among Quakers.
So without saints in my tradition, I have enjoyed my close affiliation with Catholicism. They have saints. They have many saints. And because I focused my graduate studies in Christian history, I learned about men and women who were religious and became saints. Of course, the saints whom the Catholic Church identified were all Catholic. I have always felt free to add my own category of people to the roster of my saints. I think of people like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Others can make up your own list.
Because I follow the Catholic lectionary, I am aware of the various days honoring the various saints. The lectionary gives me some daily readings from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. And there is normally some saint linked to a day. That day may be the birthday of the saint or the day of martyrdom. Recently, the day focused on St. George. I came to know St. George through my visits and multiple times I have lived in England. So in that sense, St. George has been one of my favorite saints.
While St. George is the patron saint of England, he was active long before England existed as it does today and in a place far from the island country. Legend has it St. George, a third century Roman soldier, was a martyr in the fourth century in Palestine---a martyr for his faith. There are very good reasons to believe George was a real person. Of course, the most famous story about St. George is the slaying of the dragon. No doubt, this is apocryphal---that is a made-up story. But it is a good story nevertheless!
Legend has it that the people in a city in Lydda in Palestine were unable to draw water from a pool because a dragon had infested the waters. The people tried to lure the dragon away by offering sheep. This only work for short periods of time. The townspeople then felt like they could sacrifice a young woman. Before this young woman could be placed in danger, George appeared, armed himself with the sign of the cross and wounded the dragon. With the aid of the young woman’s girdle, George dragged the dragon to the village. A hero was born! The people in the village came to the Christian faith and the rest is history.
There are many directions to take this story. It is a story of faith and faithfulness. It is a story about miracles. Of course, it is easy to see it as a story of evangelism and conversion. All of these make more sense if you are a Christian. But interestingly, George is also revered in the Muslim tradition, too. In our own times, it is easy to dismiss all of this as so much nonsense. For many people it is like talking about Santa Claus. It is a cute story, but make believe.
I don’t invest much in the story when I think of its historical accuracy. I think George probably was a real person. And more than likely, he became a Christian and legitimately could have had his faith tested. I do see George as an example of faithfulness. To be faithful means to be clear about your principles and be willing to persevere in living out those principles. To be faithful requires a depth of conviction. I like that George is revered in two major religious traditions. That means he is not divisive. His influence is expansive. So I think all of us ought to try to live.
The stuff of the George legend is a bit like the Santa Claus stuff. It is a fun story---perhaps rooted in some kind of vague memory or history. The twist I like to give it is to see it as a story of service. Even if George was a Christian, that did not mean he had to serve in the way he did. I relate this to my own life and hope it applies to the life of all other believers---whatever tradition. Faith should move us to action. And the action should be life-giving and life enhancing. George did not go to the pool of water to be a hero. He went to be a helper.
Most of us will not be canonized and be saints. We won’t be heroic. We probably won’t even stand out because of our faith. But we have an obligation to be faithful and to be of service. If we do it well, we might become “weighty” in our own way. Reading about George and thinking about my heroes, like John Woolman, lead me to want to do a little better. I may not become a weighty Friend, but I can add a little weight!
Those of us who have read theology or, perhaps, those who are people of faith and are old enough might well recognize this title as a reminder of the late Jewish philosopher and theologian, Martin Buber. I remember reading Buber’s book, I and Thou , when I was in college in the 1960s. It was already a famous book by then. I am not sure I fully understood it, but that would not be the last time I read it. It has been a while since I looked at the book. Buber came up in a conversation with a friend who asked if I had seen the recent article by David Brooks? I had not seen it, but when I was told about it, I knew I would quickly locate and read that piece. I very much like what Brooks decides to write about and what he contributes to societal conversation. I wish more people read him and took him seriously. Brooks’ article focused on the 2016 contentious election. He provocatively suggests, “Read Buber, Not the Polls!” I think Brooks puts
Religions have many differences, but their mystics have much in common. Not all saints slay dragons, but they can help to overcome some people's inner demons.
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