Clifford Harrison

Cliff was a true friend while my years in metro Boston. A passionate activist based on spiritual enlightenment and conscious living. A person of Faith, lived his Ministry and literally pulled me out of despair from the turbulence we find ourselves. You saved my life, and helped many others as well. Your insight and teaching by doing will be a guide as we carry on to make our place in the world livable. Good-bye for now, may we meet again in the sun on Mount Hood.

— Vincent Kosik

Cliff Harrison A Life Lived in Relentless Search of Truth

A Life of Spiritual Intensity, Courageous Engagement, and Relentless Peacemaking Cliff Harrison lived his life as someone who believed that faith was not an idea — it was an active force. He was a devoted member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and a powerful presence within New England Yearly Meeting for decades.

But Cliff was not interested in influence for its own sake. He was interested in truth — especially truth that required courage.

A Voice for Authentic Spiritual Depth Cliff believed that spiritual life required rigor. He was deeply rooted in core Quaker convictions: • That individuals need no intermediary to experience God. • That revelation is continuing. • That equality, simplicity, and truth-telling are not ideals but daily disciplines. • That “no outward wars and strife” can ultimately lead to healing. • He believed that truth was not found in titles, institutions, or credentials — but in the Spirit. For Cliff, this was not theory. It was a standard he applied to himself and to others.

A Relentless Advocate for Peacemaking Cliff’s writings during times of war reveal a man who was unwilling to accept simple narratives. During the Gulf War, he joined others in challenging the rush to violence, urging thoughtful examination, moral humility, and reconciliation He did not excuse injustice — he condemned it clearly — but he resisted hatred and dehumanization. He called for open-hearted dialogue and warned that continued hostility brutalizes all sides.

In later reflections on conflict and peacemaking, Cliff and his community reaffirmed a 350-year-old Quaker declaration to “utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fighting with outward weapons” He asked whether violence ever truly builds healthier communities and urged citizens and leaders alike to “try what love will do.”

He believed that peacemaking was not passive. It required moral courage, self-examination, and persistence.

Leadership and Community Life Cliff played a significant role in discussions about how faith communities functioned and flourished. In reports and discernment work at Friends Meeting at Cambridge, he emphasized: • The importance of effective administration to support spiritual vitality. • The need for clarity in pastoral care and accountability • A belief that leadership should be consultative rather than hierarchical. • That spiritual authority rests not in power but in deep listening

He wanted institutions to work — not for efficiency alone, but so that spiritual life would not be stifled by confusion or passivity. He was convinced that communities decline when leaders fail to examine their own hypocrisy or resist genuine spiritual engagement.

A Man of Intensity — and Invitation Cliff was not timid. He challenged leaders directly. He questioned spiritual complacency. He pushed for deeper engagement. He sometimes did so in ways that created friction. In correspondence with other influential Quaker leaders, Cliff openly acknowledged tension and invited “engagement” rather than avoidance. Even in disagreement, he expressed hope for friendship and dialogue. He believed that longer prayer led to deeper understanding. He believed that difficult conversations were spiritually necessary. He described himself as someone called to challenge “the leadership of the nice people on this planet” when sincerity was not matched by depth. . Those who knew him experienced both his intensity and his sincerity. He did not seek comfort; he sought growth — in himself and in others.

A Spiritual Standard Applied First to Himself Cliff often returned to the Quaker admonition: “Find your own hypocrisy first — wait in the Spirit.” . He wrestled publicly and privately with how much of one’s life is truly under God’s control. He acknowledged his own imperfections while insisting that spiritual depth required continuous effort and examination. . He believed perfection was possible — but only God could judge it. That humility before ultimate judgment lived alongside his boldness in earthly matters.

His Legacy Cliff Harrison leaves a legacy of: • Uncompromising spiritual seriousness • A lifelong commitment to nonviolence • A belief in dialogue over coercion • A conviction that institutions must serve Spirit, not the other way around. • A willingness to risk misunderstanding in pursuit of depth He believed that human progress comes when we “just start/try again when we fall short.”

His life was not one of quiet agreement. It was one of engagement. He asked much of others because he asked much of himself.

— Dave Harrison

The name didn't register at first, when his passing was mentioned at FMC Worship last Sunday. Then I saw John's post. "Oh! That guy!" Opened up this page, and yup, it was he. We spoke after Worship often, as he'd smoke (I hated that, still stayed to listen)-- I'd forgotten or didn't register that he'd moved. What a fount of wisdom -- a thoughtful man seeking justice for all, and a deep soul! Walked with a cane with gravitas. Polio? Glad for his poems here, pictures, and his birthday greeting to Jonathan. Just hope I can be at his Memorial. My men's community's switch from Sundays to Saturdays for an event I'm expected to attend may interfere. I hope not! Cliff's a man I wish I'd known better. Didn't realize we were the same age. I don't care what anybody says, 76 is too damn young to die these days, and too many I care about haven't made it this far, much less in line for Centenarians -- quadrupling by 2050. I get why my grandmother chose to die at 99 -- contemporaries all gone. Bye, Cliff; missed you, and now really miss you.

— Christopher Conty

May Cliff's soul be well with the LORD. Holding the family in prayer. My condolences from Kenya.

— GEORGE BUSOLO LUKALO

Cliff was one of the first people to reach out to me when I started attending Friends Meeting at Cambridge in 2017. I considered him my elder and trusted him during some complicated and difficult times. He took me to lunch at the S&S deli and we talked for a long time. I'm very sorry to hear that he's gone.

— Nora Sullivan

I'd lost touch with Cliff, but we used to meet regularly and had some deep conversations about faith and religion when I was fairly new to Friends.

— Sara Hubner

The photos below are of Cliff: in a New England Patriots hat (two photos, 2003); with Minga Claggett-Borne (2002); and with Skip Schiel

— Jonathan Vogel-Borne

— Jonathan Vogel-Borne

Cliff was one of the first people to reach out to me when I first started attending Friends Meeting at Cambridge. I was struck with his openness and warmth. As I got to know him more, I also discovered his unflinching willingness to call things as he saw them, regardless of what others might think.

— Amy

Cliff had a strong heart for others and a definite focus for justice. Because he was so very determined he made a stalwart friend. The sum total of his life experience meant that he was conversant with humanity on a variety of levels and could therefore enter wisely, if needed, where others could not or would not. He crucially helped both individuals and the collective through solid administrative work and counseling which included wisdom and heart. He was a true godsend, to some and it is highly likely he is now either an angel or a noncanonized saint.

— Elaine Stahlheber