Sa'ed Atshan says his commitment to pacifism and Quakerism is a spiritual anchoring in his life. (Photo: Swarthmore College)

Sa'ed Atshan is a professor of peace and conflict studies at Swarthmore College. He is also a Palestinian American with family still in the West Bank. He grew up going to a Quaker school in Ramallah and through that experience became a Quaker himself. And he is personally tethered to the news in a way I didn't expect.

Last weekend, three young men of Palestinian descent were shot in Vermont. I brought this up with Sa'ed because those students went to the same Quaker school in the West Bank. I wanted to just get his reaction to that sad coincidence but it turned out that Sa'ed knows two of the students well.

And that turned into a conversation about how to hold on to the pacifism and silent meditation espoused by Quakers when the world around you feels like it's on fire. Here