The brief span of years we have here on Earth makes life a wondrous time of discovery, progress and fulfilment. Life, however, is not just a personal experience; we share it with the rest of humanity. 

Our time here represents not merely an individualistic preparation for the next stage in our personal spiritual development, but a priceless opportunity to assist in the social development of the planet. Our personal and collective responsibility involves leaving this world in a better condition than we found it. 

But we have so many problems to solve in the world today: poverty, war, disease, ignorance, hatred and oppression. Where do we focus our limited efforts? 

The Baha’i teachings say that it requires the concerted effort of everyone to overcome these rampant social ills and replace them with abundance, peace, health, education, love and unity. Baha’is happily and constantly work to achieve these goals. Two distinctive aspects of the Baha’i way of life reflect this work: as individuals, Baha’is pray and meditate on how best to serve humankind; and collectively they consult together towards this same end. Baha’u’llah wrote: “Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth.”

Service to humanity is an integral part of being a Baha’i, reflected in the Baha’i attitude towards concepts such as work, motives, and achievement. Baha’is view work done in the spirit of service as a form of worship. For Baha’is, the purity of one’s motives is more important than the result of one’s actions; and in achievements, the process is just as important as the product. The Baha’i teachings offer humanity a philosophy of deeds which replaces the anarchic belief that the ends justify the means. In the Baha’i Faith, the means are the ends.

Fundamental to this concept of service is the belief that personal morality and ethical social behavior greatly benefit the progress of humankind. No one is powerless to effect beneficial change. Each person should see themselves as an empowered, significant component of the world; we should never feel helpless or insignificant. In fact, everyone has the ability to help the world on many different levels.

We can be productive individuals, responsible consumers, loving husbands and wives, exemplary parents, honorable and caring sons and daughters, considerate neighbors, and good citizens, all at the same time. Basically, we each have the responsibility to be environmentally friendly to the spiritual, social, emotional and physical well-being of the planet. All these elements of service help the condition of the world immensely.

Beyond one’s personal morality and ethical social behavior, though, everyone is endowed with skills and talents useful to humanity on a professional level. Personal capacity is often dependent upon health and opportunity, but fulfilling one’s capacity is everyone’s duty. From a Baha’i perspective, the humble person who has employed all of his few talents for the betterment of the planet and its peoples is of greater value to humankind than the person who has a multiplicity of talents but selfishly uses them solely for his own benefit: 

O son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself. Humility exalteth man to the heaven of glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the depths of wretchedness and degradation.

This concept of service extends beyond the Baha’is themselves. The Baha’i Faith as a religion supports the non-governmental and non-partisan activities of the United Nations and the European Community in their efforts to overcome the political differences which divide us, and organizations like the Worldwide Fund for Nature which work toward understanding the planet’s ecology and improving the environment. Baha’u’llah exhorted his followers to serve humanity in whatever way they could:

Address yourselves to the promotion of the well-being and tranquillity of the children of men. Bend your minds and wills to the education of the peoples and kindreds of the earth, that haply the dissensions that divide it may, through the power of the Most Great Name, be blotted out from its face, and all mankind become the upholders of one Order, and the inhabitants of one City.

Ultimately, everyone who becomes a Baha’i brings his or her talents and experience to the global Baha’i community, and contributes to the range of humanitarian services the Baha’i Faith offers the world. You are most welcome to join us.

In order to understand the substantive content of The Secret of Divine Civilization, we should explicate four different layers of discourse in Abdu’l-Baha’s fascinating work.

In the book, these four levels are not formally distinguished from each other because of complex interrelations among them. However, the reader should distinguish them because they are integral to the entire text. These four layers of discourse are independent from the four objections against modernity which Abdu’l-Baha evaluates. The four levels are the key for understanding Abdu’l-Baha’s concept of modernity and development. They deal with different debates and questions. Looking at these different debates one can see the emergence of a progressive movement towards abstraction, generalization, and globalization. It becomes evident that while The Secret is related to specific questions of development in the second half of 19th century, its message is far more general and universal.

The first layer of discourse is directly related to the specific political and cultural developments in the decade of the 1870s. The year 1875, when Abdu’l-Baha wrote The Secret, was the midpoint in the most important decade of political and social reform attempts in 19th century Iran. During this decade, a battle raged between two opposite forces in terms of the future direction of Iran’s social, economic, and political structures.

The advocates of reform were led by Husayn Khan, who called for a centralized legal and bureaucratic state. The opponents of reform defended the semi-feudal patrimonial privileges of big landlords, mostly Qajar princes and conservative religious leaders. The king of Iran, Nasiri’d-Din Shah, was ambivalent between the two opposing groups. Abdu’l-Baha’s The Secret addressed this crucial political development in that decade. In this sense, one can define the first level of discourse in terms of the debate between two theories: patrimonial traditionalism and bureaucratic rationalism.

The second question addressed by Abdu’l-Baha’s work relates to the prevalent debate between secular intellectuals and traditionalist conservative ulama, the Muslim clergy. The fundamental question here was concerned with the relation of Islam to society, and the relation of religion to modernity and development. For secular intellectuals, the development of Iran required a rejection of Islam, and adoption of a rationalistic, atheistic outlook. For conservative ulama, on the other hand, rejection of modernity and a return to original Islam represented the only solution to Iran’s problems.

The third debate, and one of the most important ones, related to the definition and nature of the concept of social development. Here we deal with a dilemma faced by almost all parts of the world in our own time as well. The two sides of this debate can be called traditionalist/historicist and rationalist/objectivist theories of development. The question: whether it is possible to define development in an objective and universal manner.

Advocates of traditionalist historicism maintained that development is a culturally specific phenomenon and that it should be only defined through each society’s internal customs and traditions. For rationalist objectivists, on the other hand, development implies a universal and objective definition which can be equally applied to all societies.

Finally, the fourth level of discourse in Abdu’l-Baha’s The Secret is oriented to a question which was not seriously debated in 19th century Iran or in any other part of the world. Abdu’l-Baha’s analysis is here a pioneering one, and its relevance is becoming increasingly more visible for humanity in the 21st century. The question: how does development relate to the forces of nationalism and internationalism? Does true development require the emergence of a just and globally-oriented international context, or are the nationalistic institutions and politics of exclusion, domination, and rivalry adequate for the authentic development of humanity?

In 1875 the exclusive supremacy of the nationalistic model of development formed the underlying premise of all development debates. However, Abdu’l-Baha rejected that premise and considered questions such as world peace and international cooperation as imperatives for the advancement and development of all humanity in the foreseeable future:

True civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost heart of the world whenever a certain number of its distinguished and high-minded sovereigns—the shining exemplars of devotion and determination—shall, for the good and happiness of all mankind, arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause of Universal Peace. They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. – Abdu’l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 64.

Without a doubt, this approach to the pressing questions of modernism—advocating a union of the nations of the world—was, and still is today, a revolutionary idea.

The Baha’i writings say:

This is the hour when ye must associate with all the earth’s peoples in extreme kindliness and love, and be to them the signs and tokens of God’s great mercy.

RELATED: What Does Loving-Kindness Look Like in Action?

Many of you know what it’s like to be the recipient of an extremely kind word or deed. An act of kindness, however small, can warm your heart and uplift your spirit. But, what most people often don’t realize is the lasting impact that an act of loving-kindness can have on a person.

How Small Acts of Kindness Impact Others

I still remember the sincere acts of loving-kindness I received from a woman named Mrs. Donna Davenjay 20 years ago. I met her when I was five years old at a day care program before and after school. 

The Baha’i writings say we should “be considerate and infinitely kind” and “show forth affection to every living soul.” And Mrs. Davenjay did exactly that.

At a time when I was starting elementary school and was away from my family for the first time, this woman looked out for me and took care of me. She would hug me whenever I was sad and discreetly clean and change me if I ever got nervous and wet myself. Even years later, she would visit me in class and bring me candy during the holidays. This woman loved me and treated me like family. I’m so grateful for the way Mrs. Davenjay nurtured me at a vulnerable time in my life when I was learning whether or not I could be safe around other people.

How Small Acts of Kindness Can Change Someone’s Life Forever

The Baha’i writings say:

Let them at all times concern themselves with doing a kindly thing for one of their fellows, offering to someone love, consideration, thoughtful help.

Sometimes, these small acts of kindness can change the trajectory of someone’s life. That’s what happened to my mother, Barbara Talley. 

When she was a teen, she participated in a program called BOCES — Board of Cooperative Educational Services — and enrolled in a computer programming course. That’s where she met Mrs. Laura Bonadeur, an influential teacher, who did what the Baha’i writings oblige every Baha’i to do: “to nurture, encourage, and safeguard every minority.” Although Mrs. Bonadeur wasn’t a Baha’i, she, a white woman, saw the potential in my mother, a young Black, poor, and female teen in 1970. 

“She was so encouraging,” my mom says. “She would challenge me every day and take time with me. And since she was a woman in a male-dominated field, she knew it was possible to break into the field.” My mom reminded me that this was a time “when most people didn’t understand technology, especially women who were expected to either be teachers, secretaries, or mothers at home.” 

Since my mother was one of the best programmers in that course, she got to go to a national competition with the help of Mrs. Bonadeur who helped her get sponsored. She recalled the impact that the competition had on her:

“That experience took me into worlds that I had never experienced before. During my high school years, we lived on an old farm without indoor facilities, running water, a bathroom, or central heat. We had to get water from a pump and heat it on a wooden stove. With the wood, we had to chop to make a fire in order to bathe in a metal tub. We had to use buckets for toilets and carry them out to an out-house to dump. Now, mind you, this is New York, and the winters are tortuous. 

The competition was in an upscale hotel with maître d’s at every table, pulling out my chair and filling my water glass — all experiences that I was not used to. And the surprises didn’t end there. The beds were beautiful and comfortable and had high thread count sheets. I had my own bed, whereas at home, I shared one with my sisters. All the sheets we had grown up with were thin — almost see-through — on old used mattresses with spring coils pushing through nightly and scratching our little legs and making them bleed. My dad transported us from town to town to work in the fields as migrant workers when we were children but we never stayed at a hotel. Looking back, it could have been because of Jim Crow laws when we weren’t allowed to. So, we slept in our vehicle on the side of the road or in our seats as we traveled.

I had many other teachers growing up, but none were as kind and impactful as Mrs. Laura Bonadeur, whose nurturing and encouragement changed my life. I would go on to work in many capacities as a programmer for Eastman Kodak to a systems analyst at Sperry Univac to a technical writer for GTE Telenet, which would become Verizon.”

That competition gave my mother a vision of what to aspire to, and the knowledge she gained in computers helped her rise out of poverty and changed her life forever. Who knows what would have happened if she had a teacher who didn’t see her potential? How inspired could she have been without a role model who treated her with the thoughtful consideration and loving-kindness that she deserved?

Perhaps these acts of kindness weren’t so “small” afterwards because they had a pretty large impact on the recipients of them. You never know what impact you’ll have as you strive to show loving-kindness to every soul who crosses your path. 

But, that’s the beauty of an act of kindness. These thoughtful and compassionate deeds can have the power to change someone’s life, and these memories can live on in their hearts forever.

(This conversation took place on an American Airlines flight on Memorial Day.)

I get on the plane and find my aisle seat. A GI in digital desert combat fatigues sits at the window one empty seat away, reading. I see his shoulder patch.

“10th Mountain Division, huh?” I ask.

“Oh,” he says, putting down his book. “Nah, I just wear their patch.”

I lift my eyebrows and laugh. “Really. Well, nice to meet you. Hundred-and-first Airborne.”

“Screaming Eagles.”

“Puking buzzards.” Both of us laugh. He extends his hand and we shake.

“Vietnam?”

“Afghanistan?”

“And Iraq. Eight friggin’ tours.”

“Wow. You don’t sound too happy about it.”

“I hate war.”

“Been in that movie. You all-volunteer-Army guys are startin’ to sound like us miserable draftees did back in the day.”

“Man, right now I’m headed back to Afghanistan. Okay, in the last twelve months I got four Purple Hearts. Four!” He holds up four fingers. His hand shakes a little, and in his eyes I see the telltale fixity of PTSD, the standard-issue combat veteran’s thousand-yard stare.

“Yikes,” I say, surprised. “Vietnam — three Hearts and you were done. Army shipped you home. Three-time winners, we called ‘em.”

“Yeah, well, that’s ancient history. Not no more,” the soldier says, his eyes beginning to brim with tears. None fall. “Oh, man, it is so horrible. Well, you know what I’m talkin’ about. And I hear these clueless patriots defending this war, they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. Bad guys!! I hate that phrase! There aren’t any bad guys. There’s just a bunch of people just like me on both sides, everybody trying to kill the guy that’s trying to kill you. Those people we’re fightin’, they’re just like us, man.”

“Yup. Anybody’s been in combat knows that. Viet Cong, they were some brave people, just trying to get us out of their country. Bad guys — sounds like something a four-year-old would say.”

He looks at me. “Um, you don’t sound like the typical GI, dude.”

“I was a conscientious objector,” I tell him. “I’m a Baha’i, so I didn’t carry a weapon.”

“Really. What’d you do?”

“Combat medic.”

“Dang. Hard core. That’s cool. I know some Baha’is back home in Arkansas. Good folks.”

“Thanks. We try. Baha’i writings say

‘Let none contend with another, and let no soul slay another.’”

He looks out the window, thinking. A few moments of silence pass.

“You know,” he tells me, “some people in the airport back there bought me lunch, thanked me for what I’m doing. If they only knew.” He shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut tightly.

“Know what you mean,” I say. His eyes open, meeting mine for the first time.

“Maybe it’s better,” he says quietly, “if they don’t know.”

“You think?” I ask. “Maybe if people actually knew what war was like, they wouldn’t be so ready to send guys like you and me.”

“Yeah. I couldn’t believe these civilians who bought me lunch – one of ‘em said ‘We kicked the Taliban out of Afghanistan.’ We. I mean, I was polite, but I felt like saying ‘What do you mean ‘We’, Mr. Bermuda shorts? I didn’t see you over there. And it ain’t no video game either. You mess up you don’t get no do-over. Dead is dead. These people with their yellow ribbon stickers on their bumpers, they don’t have a clue.”

His sudden agitation makes him pause.

I ask “Think you’ll get over it, man?”

“Did you?”

I shake my head no.

“That’s harsh.”

“There it is.”

Then a voice on the PA interrupts all conversations and says, too loud and with feeling: “On behalf of our pilot and first officer and our entire flight crew, we just want to thank the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, who give so much to defend our American freedoms!!”

Everyone on the plane claps loudly, except the GI and me. He silently shakes his head back and forth and rolls his eyes ruefully. His expression slowly turns to disgust as the applause on the airplane swells.

A broadly smiling flight attendant comes down the aisle, reaches over and taps him on the shoulder. She says loudly “There is one seat left in first class, and it would be my honor and pleasure to give it to you!”

The GI shakes his head again, frowns deeply, gets up and collects his carry-on. He reaches out a hand to shake.

“Good luck, man,” I say. “Keep the greasy side down.”

“Thanks. And the shiny side up,” he says with a faint smile. “You know, I’m’a need some luck, buddy. So how can I find out more about this Baha’i Faith?”

We talk a lot about unity – which means “the state of being united or joined as a whole” – but seldom achieve it. Humanity hasn’t reached that state, but the Baha’i teachings promise that one day we will.

In fact, achieving the eventual unity and oneness of humanity represents the central Baha’i principle and its ultimate goal. Abdu’l-Baha – the son and successor of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith – said in a talk he gave in New York in 1912 that:

The purpose of the creation of man is the attainment of the supreme virtues of humanity through descent of the heavenly bestowals. The purpose of man’s creation is, therefore, unity and harmony, not discord and separateness. It is so, likewise, in the spiritual world. That world is the Kingdom of complete attraction and affinity. It is the Kingdom of the One Divine Spirit, the Kingdom of God. 

RELATED: How Does the Baha’i Faith Propose to Unify the World?

So, the purpose of God in creating humanity is to develop and express the Godly perfections latent in our inner beings – love, kindness, compassion, service to others, and the development of all the higher human attributes.

The Baha’i teachings say that this attainment of spiritual virtues happens because of the descent of Divine bestowals flowing through the holy messengers of God to humanity. By orienting the mirror of our hearts and minds to God’s messengers – including Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad and most recently Baha’u’llah – we can attempt to reflect the spiritual brilliance of these divine luminaries. 

This process transforms us from a merely physical and animal existence to a spiritual one. Harmony, love and unity, seeing and preserving the oneness and wholeness of the human race, is the natural fruit of this spiritual transformation, the inevitable outcome of obedience to the Divine summons.

In fact, unity represents the Creator’s ultimate purpose for humanity – relationships animated by divine love and harmony, and the expression of the inherent oneness and wholeness of all humanity. 

Like the human body, with its diversity of specialized cells and organs, all working together in perfect balance and cooperation to fulfill the common purpose of life, the human race is composed of individuals who collectively make up the body of humanity. If we live our lives contrary to the perfect design of God, if we have discord and conflict and the disease of disunity, we act like cancer cells in a human body. Just as cancer grows aggressively and completely out of harmony with the body, this unregulated and destructive behavior results in debilitating and often fatal illness. 

Human behaviors like conflict, greed, destruction of our environment, war, prejudice, and injustice all destroy the body of humanity. These breaches of unity violate the law of God. In the same talk Abdu’l-Baha gave in New York, he said: “Whenever discord prevails instead of unity, wherever hatred and antagonism take the place of love and spiritual fellowship, Antichrist reigns instead of Christ.”

To counter these tendencies and set humanity’s course for the foreseeable future, Baha’u’llah wrote: 

The Tabernacle of Unity has been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers .… Of one tree are all ye the fruit and of one bough the leaves.… The world is but one country and mankind its citizens .… Let not a man glory in that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind. 

Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

Love ye all religions and races with a love that is true and sincere, and show that love through deeds and not through the tongue.

RELATED: No Unity, No World Peace

This unity of humanity forms the modern imperative, conducive to the well-being and prosperity of ourselves, our families, our communities and the human race as a whole. Baha’u’llah’s call to unity states that:

The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established. This unity can never be achieved so long as the counsels which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed are suffered to pass unheeded.

The summons of God in this day, through His messenger, Baha’u’llah, is really a life line being tossed to us by the Creator. An expression of perfect grace and bounty, it offers everyone an opportunity to be illumined with the most beautiful light of His holiness, attain the second birth stressed by Christ, and attain the purpose of our creation – entrance into the kingdom of God. In so doing, we all participate in the unfolding creative divine plan, radiating our light of love and fulfilling in our lives the sacred trust God has placed within us all. 

This new Baha’i message changes the world in a meaningful and sustainable way. By aligning our lives with this sacred and divine plan for humanity, this renewal of the “changeless Faith of God,” we commit to an achievable vision of unity – and join with a spiritual global movement to build that unity. If we want to see justice, unity, peace and love, we must first manifest these qualities in our own lives. We can each attain these individual spiritual fruits through the divine bestowal, and receive this gift of the Holy Spirit. 

So let us turn to this grace, this revelation of bounty and hope, of life and peace; let us respond to the sacred summons of God, and together establish peace and the oneness of humanity. 

On October 7, 2022, a 22-year-old Black woman in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, “escaped from a white man who she says held her captive in his basement for nearly a month, whipping, torturing, and raping her repeatedly,” as reported in Democracy Now!’s global news report.

She and the other Black women who she said were sexually abused or killed by him represent the tens of thousands of Black women and girls who go missing every year in the United States. 

RELATED: Are Black Women Invisible?

In East Africa, every 36 seconds, one person is likely to die of hunger between now and the end of the year, according to a recent report by Oxfam International. They represent the 829 million people who are undernourished around the world, as of 2015.

RELATED: 7 Powerful Prayers for Help From God

About 1.6 billion people in the world may lack adequate housing. And, with the danger of Russia deploying nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine, President Joe Biden warned that “the world is at risk of a nuclear ‘Armageddon,’” as reported by AP News.

RELATED: 6 Powerful Prayers for Safety and Protection

Humanity is suffering across the planet. In a letter written by the Universal House of Justice, the global governing body of the Baha’i Faith, in November 2020, they wrote:

There is a mounting realization on the part of the world’s people that the decades ahead are set to bring with them challenges among the most daunting that the human family has ever had to face.

We need healing, justice, equity, aid, love, unity, and peace. May these Baha’i prayers for humanity inspire your pursuits to better this world and fuel your efforts to work toward a brighter future.

1. A Baha’i Prayer for Uniting Humanity

Can you imagine how much justice we would have if humanity was so united that our hearts were connected by God’s indissoluble bond? Then we all would feel pain whenever we witness segments of our human family that are hurt and suffering. Our hearts would beat as one.

This prayer that Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, revealed asks God to unify humanity, giving “light to our eyes, hearing to our ears, and understanding and love to our hearts”:

O Thou compassionate Lord, Thou Who art generous and able! We are servants of Thine sheltered beneath Thy providence. Cast Thy glance of favor upon us. Give light to our eyes, hearing to our ears, and understanding and love to our hearts. Render our souls joyous and happy through Thy glad tidings. 

O Lord! Point out to us the pathway of Thy kingdom and resuscitate all of us through the breaths of the Holy Spirit. Bestow upon us life everlasting and confer upon us never-ending honor. Unify mankind and illumine the world of humanity. May we all follow Thy pathway, long for Thy good pleasure and seek the mysteries of Thy kingdom. 

O God! Unite us and connect our hearts with Thy indissoluble bond.  Verily, Thou art the Giver, Thou art the Kind One and Thou art the Almighty.

2. A Baha’i Prayer for Mercy for Humanity

In this prayer that Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, revealed, we entreat God to bestow His mercy and grace on humanity:

My God, Whom I worship and adore!  I bear witness unto Thy unity and Thy oneness, and acknowledge Thy gifts, both in the past and in the present. Thou art the All-Bountiful, the overflowing showers of Whose mercy have rained down upon high and low alike, and the splendors of Whose grace have been shed over both the obedient and the rebellious. 

O God of mercy, before Whose door the quintessence of mercy hath bowed down, and round the sanctuary of Whose Cause loving-kindness, in its inmost spirit, hath circled, we beseech Thee, entreating Thine ancient grace, and seeking Thy present favor, that Thou mayest have mercy upon all who are the manifestations of the world of being, and deny them not the outpourings of Thy grace in Thy days.

All are but poor and needy, and Thou, verily, art the All-Possessing, the All-Subduing, the All-Powerful.

3. A Baha’i Prayer for the Advancement of Humanity

In this prayer that Abdu’l-Baha revealed, we ask God to help humanity progress and acquire knowledge that is pertinent to our physical and spiritual reality:

O God, O Thou Who hast cast Thy splendor over the luminous realities of men, shedding upon them the resplendent lights of knowledge and guidance, and hast chosen them out of all created things for this supernal grace, and hast caused them to encompass all things, to understand their inmost essence, and to disclose their mysteries, bringing them forth out of darkness into the visible world! ‘He verily showeth His special mercy to whomsoever He will.’

O Lord, help Thou Thy loved ones to acquire knowledge and the sciences and arts, and to unravel the secrets that are treasured up in the inmost reality of all created beings. Make them to hear the hidden truths that are written and embedded in the heart of all that is. Make them to be ensigns of guidance amongst all creatures, and piercing rays of the mind shedding forth their light in this, the ‘first life.’ Make them to be leaders unto Thee, guides unto Thy path, runners urging men on to Thy Kingdom.

Thou verily art the Powerful, the Protector, the Potent, the Defender, the Mighty, the Most Generous.

As Abdu’l-Baha said:

To be a Baha’i simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.

Let’s all pray for humanity and do our best to serve it to the best of our abilities.

Our families are the building blocks of society, and where we can start to build uncompromising unity — it’s where we have the opportunity to model and live out our faith in action. How do we continue to walk in love when we have strife and discord with our loved ones? We do this through the self-care of our spirits. 

I am sure you have had this experience. A loved one says something to you that feels personal and you feel attacked. You move to defend words, and then you justify your actions.  Your emotions are your brain’s split-second response to the situation, and they kick off changes in your body. However, this defensive posture, resulting from our unchecked ego, causes us to forget who we are as spiritual beings.

Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, wrote, “Wert thou to attain to but a dewdrop of the crystal waters of divine knowledge, thou wouldst readily realize that true life is not the life of the flesh but the life of the spirit…”  The Baha’i Writings also tell us that “We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station.”

When we lose our spiritual grounding, we slip into a defensive mode, which has nothing to do with the soul and everything to do with the ego. We need to pause and take a deep breath. Through the teachings of the Manifestations of God, we can detach from the emotion of the moment and remember that beneath the surface of this behavior is a feeling, and beneath that feeling is a need. I need to look objectively at the interaction and ask, “What do I need right now? What does my loved one need?” Is my ego reacting, or am I in control of the situation objectively and spiritually from a place that has nothing to do with ego but everything to do with my higher self, my soul.

This critical step requires equanimity, which results from remembering who we are and who our loved ones are to God. Baha’u’llah reminded us of this when he wrote:   

O SON OF MAN!

Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty. 

We have all been engraved with God’s image. We have an inherent nobility because we are a reflection of God’s love. However, when our ego gets in the way, and we become arrogant and prideful, we forget his reality. One way we can remedy our unchecked ego is to hold ourselves accountable or practice self-inquiry each day. Not only is this a best practice, but Baha’u’llah also called on all of us to do this when he wrote:

O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.

Before holding ourselves accountable, we have to ask God to clear the clutter from our thoughts so that we can ascertain the truth about ourselves and where we have fallen short. 

Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

This is where we can make strides in reclaiming the love and compassion we feel for our loved ones. We must be humble and recognize that “I am only human, I am bound to misstep, yet I can avoid repeating the offense and do better.” The act of self-inquiry requires that we authentically acknowledge our human shortcomings, not in skill or aptitude, but where we have caused pain for another, usually resulting from our self-doubt, which is generally the result of being fearful. 

A wise teacher once taught me that “FEAR” is False Evidence Appearing Real. It is an illusion, and if I am not aware of this, I will act or react and thereby short-change not only myself but also those around me. We learn from Baha’u’llah that the entire physical world is an illusion. He wrote:

O FLEETING SHADOW! Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the exalted heights of certainty. Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless Beauty and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent of all creators!

When it comes down to it, our reality is not “real,” yet our physical experience gives us a frame of reference that shapes our perception of the world. We have to ask ourselves, “How much of my experience, what I am feeling, and what I am thinking and observing from my loved ones is real or an illusion based on my own experience?” 

Illusory thoughts can create fear — fear of lack of control, helplessness, abandonment, you name it. Abdu’l-Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah and his designated successor, reminded us that we must learn to change our frame of reference, to look at something from a different vantage point. It is incumbent upon us to see from our loved one’s perspective, empathize with them during a storm, and envelope them with God’s love and compassion. After all, as Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

The fleeting hours of man’s life on earth pass swiftly by and the little that still remaineth shall come to an end, but that which endureth and lasteth for evermore is the fruit that man reapeth from his servitude at the Divine Threshold.

In this context, the personal insights and greater self-awareness developed through self-inquiry are essential to living with purpose and meaning. Traits associated with keeping our ego in check allow us to come from a peaceful place of humility, empathy, and active listening and are vital to maintaining trust and partnership.

Through self-inquiry, we discern our triggers. In a heated moment, we have a choice: to lash out defensively or humble ourselves and move forward with nobility, love, and patience so that we can maintain the health, safety, security, and unity of our home. 

The sacred writings of many faiths encourage this. In Romans 14:19 in the Bible, we’re told, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

And in a talk in Paris in 1911, Abdu’l-Baha encouraged us when he said: “When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love.” 

We must remember that God, in His ever forbearance and patience toward us, gently corrects us when we are not in alignment with His words by calling us to accountability to Him. When we meet each other in a spirit of humility, reverence, and true love for one another, God invites us, as Isaiah 1:18 said in the Bible, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

The family is the nucleus of civilization and the basic social unit of society. We know this not only through the teachings of the Manifestations of God but research also clearly shows that the institution of the family is the first form of community. Abdu’l-Baha gave us insight into how we can create a home that nurtures the family:

My home is the home of peace. My home is the home of joy and delight. My home is the home of laughter and exultation. Whosoever enters through the portals of this home, must go out with gladsome heart. This is the home of light; whosoever enters here must become illumined. This is the home of knowledge: the one who enters it must receive knowledge. This is the home of love: those who come in must learn the lessons of love; thus, may they know how to love each other.

Our families are the gateway to building an ever-advancing civilization. Let the joy and tranquillity in one’s home be where faith can always be felt — and where the changes and chances of this life leave your faith unshaken.

In part one, Michael Orona and I explored untold stories of solidarity between Indigenous Yaqui miners and African Americans. In part two, we delved into the power of spiritual courage and resilience. Now, in part three, we turn our focus to how we can promote unity and harmony in society.

The Baha’i writings call us to practice a high standard of love and unity. In a tablet to the Baha’is of the United States and Canada in 1916, Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

The divine friends must be attracted to and enamored of each other and ever be ready and willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other.

Yet, we can only achieve this profound unity through justice. Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, emphasized:

Justice is vital to the establishment of unity and harmony at all levels of society, as it provides the standard by which individual conduct and collective effort are judged. A requirement for living a life of service to humanity, then, is constant effort to develop truthfulness, trustworthiness, and justice, ensuring that they are ever-present in thought and action.

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Radiance Talley: Hi, Michael! In your novel, “The Brave Ones,” your characters create unity and challenge societal norms through their actions. What Baha’i teachings or personal reflections inspire your vision of unity, and what actions can readers take to promote justice and harmony in their own communities?

Michael Orona: Unity is not just an abstract concept, but a transformative power that can reshape societal structures. In “The Brave Ones,” the unintentional partnership between members of the Indigenous Yaqui community and African Americans represents a profound truth: our shared humanity transcends the artificial boundaries created by racism and discrimination.

The Baha’i teachings of the oneness of humanity are fundamental to my understanding of social transformation. We believe that humanity is like a garden — its beauty lies in its diversity. Just as a garden thrives when different flowers grow together, societies flourish when diverse communities recognize their interconnectedness. This principle guided the development of the characters in my book to look beyond their immediate circumstances and forge a collective path forward.

In my decades of human rights work around the world, I’ve witnessed how unity can emerge from the most challenging circumstances. The Baha’i principle of universal education is crucial here. Education is not just about academic knowledge, but about developing empathy, understanding, and the capacity to see beyond superficial differences. Readers can start by educating themselves about the histories and experiences of marginalized communities.

Practical Actions to Promote Unity, Justice, and Harmony in Society

Some practical actions for promoting justice and harmony might include:

1. Active Listening:

Truly hear the stories of communities different from your own. Understanding comes before solidarity and collaboration.

2. Amplify Marginalized Voices: 

Use your platforms, whether personal or professional, to create space for Indigenous, Black, and other underrepresented narratives. Give these individuals the opportunity to lead discussions and share their unique perspectives. 

3. Build Unexpected Partnerships: 

Like the characters in my book, seek connections across apparent divides. Unity often emerges from the most unexpected places.

4. Practice Extreme Empathy: 

Go beyond sympathy. Develop a genuine commitment to understanding the lived experiences of others. This means spending the time to build lasting friendships. 

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My Chihene Apache and Yaqui heritage, along with my belief as a member of the Baha’i Faith, has taught me that justice is not a destination but a continuous journey. Each small act of understanding, each moment of genuine connection, contributes to a more harmonious world.

The story of the Yaqui miners is a microcosm of a larger truth: when we recognize our shared humanity, we can challenge even the most entrenched systems of oppression. It’s not about erasing our differences, but about celebrating them while recognizing our fundamental unity.

I often reflect on a Baha’i quote that says:

The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.

This is not just a spiritual principle, but a practical blueprint for social transformation. To the readers of “The Brave Ones,” I say this: Be courageous. Be curious. See the humanity in every person. The most profound revolutions begin with individual acts of understanding and compassion. Our world doesn’t need more division. It needs more bridges.

Radiance: Absolutely, that’s beautifully said. I would also add that this extreme empathy should result in compassionate action, where people speak up and stand up within their spheres of influence to advocate for the rights of marginalized voices and effect meaningful and lasting change. Thank you, Michael, for taking the time to answer my questions with such wisdom and heart.