Looking out the window into the world of zoom
Joining Quakers on line Meetings for Worship in Slovenia, Europe and Boulder, Colorado
There is something about space, space becoming available that I live with. Often, it is the case that there is enough to do and more, leaving little space. Yet ‘space becomes available’ and at that moment an adventure may begin.
I think it was Thursday I sought out what had flickered through my head, ‘Quaker online meetings happening around the world’.
The Quaker world office proved to be the place to begin.
I was thinking, “If I go from the computer in my home to a zoom meeting it doesn’t really matter where in the world the zoom meeting is being held as we all find ourselves ‘at home on zoom’. So why should it matter if that zoom meeting is in St Albans or Slovenia or Boulder, Colorado?”
I had taken part in a zoom meeting hosted in Jerusalem with participants from all the globe and felt very energised by the experience so I was curious how it would be in the Quaker world.
I am learning how to work out the different time zones of the world. I had a thought that I may try out the Central European Quakers on line meeting at 9 30 am on Sunday.
Come Sunday would the thought fly or remain a thought?
A few minutes before 9 30 I found myself beginning to fly. While the zoom procedure is the same you have no real idea what you are about to enter. It is when the green flashing light on my computer’s camera starts that I know in seconds I will be somewhere.
At 9 30 on Sunday I was in one sense in Slovenia as it was from there that the Zoom meeting was ‘being held’ ie the person who held the account. My mind quickly counted the tiles, there were 16 of us. And yes the experience of silence was the same as I sat in my home looking above the computer screen out at the trees remaining attentive to any breaking of the silence through the one earpiece I retained in my ear.
‘That of God’ became a theme. One spoke of attempting to help another see ‘that of God in themselves’ by seeing, ‘that of God in others’. Another emphasis the ‘that’ of God. My mind entertained this, “ Yes what is the ‘that’?”
At the end of meeting there were introductions. Friends were present from Russia, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and England. I found it quite amazing that here we were on Zoomland interacting as if we were in the one place and yet in six or more different countries.
Buoyed by the experience later in the day I thought let’s try Boulder, Colorado and there again with the flashes of the green light I was in Boulder, Colorado. There were over 50 friends on the call. You can tell I am like a kid with a new gadget but what an incredible gadget. Suddenly from my home, I am sharing in a meeting for worship with people in a time zone seven hours behind and 4463 miles away.
I observed 2 things,
- the silence is the same ( well why wouldn’t it be?)
- I was moved emotionally by the stories that were shared and with it, I thought how much more is God moved
I almost forgot! A friend in that meeting in Colorado knew a friend back here in St Albans.
Best day,
g
