Church members coming back from leisurely vacations were plunged pell-mell into a host of activities awaiting them at All Souls. As always, it was hard to choose from the plethora of offerings, social and intellectual, that often competed against each other. How to select?

The Quarterly can only reflect some of those doings in these pages, with an emphasis this time on such serious matters as the conflict in the Middle East, the rise of prejudice and what we have learned from the past, as well as some thoughtful reactions to the problems of our time by members looking at their own lives and experiences. The review of the Bonhoeffer lectures reminds us that the cycles of strife and intolerance keep recurring. The material quoted from two service openers indicate that hope and love still find a way into our hearts in spite of the grim realities that surround us in today’s world. The interview with Karis Hall is a look back at a very different Middle East that yet foreshadowed today’s problems.

Still, the brief reports about a small selection of group activities show that we have learned to blend joy with fear in the safe environment of this open congregation. As the threats of the outside world surround us, we at All Souls not only reflect those worries but also show by what we do that faith, love and determination can still create the balanced life we need.