Three participants
BY JOYCE FULLER KLEIKAMP
Baha’i Community of Pinal County
www.bahai.org
Published: Thursday, March 4, 2010 8:30 AM MST
There is an important difference between passively learning about a set of beliefs and ideals and actively supporting those beliefs and ideals. One can say he or she knows and understands something without taking a single step towards making it happen. To bring knowledge and belief into practice is the mark of a mature and spiritually enlightened individual.
In this day, at this stage of humanity’s development, women and men the world over are being asked to participate in building a peaceful, unified and just society based upon the divine teachings voiced by the manifestation of God. Actively creating a world civilization requires stepping forth into the arena of service.
Since the purpose of the Baha’i faith is to unify humanity—to bring an over-arching unity which celebrates and values diversity, and recognizes the common foundation of all faiths, and which promotes the spiritual education of all children, as well as adults—it is obvious that its organized structure calls for the enthusiastic participation of all those who choose to join.
As explained in the presentation booklet, “The Baha’i Faith”, there are three participants in the work: the individual, the community and the institutions. The first participant is the individual believer. It is the duty of this individual to remain firm in the Covenant, to strive daily to bring his or her life in line with Baha’u’llah’s teachings, and to serve humanity. As we do this, we are always conscious of the fact that life does not end with death and that one’s relation with God is eternal. After death, our souls become free and continue to progress towards God for all eternity. This is like the spiritual ‘big picture.’
In comparing life with the ‘afterlife,’ it is explained that our lives here on earth are very much like the life of a fetus in the womb of the mother. For nine months, the child develops faculties—eyes, ears, hands and so on—to be used later in this physical world. In the same way, then, we are to develop while here, the spiritual faculties that we need to progress in the other worlds of God.
Thinking, doing, sharing, practicing: We must continue our spiritual work. As individuals, we live among others and carry out our purpose within communities. Therefore, the second participant in the endeavor of building a world civilization and unifying the human race is the community. Human beings were not created to exist alone. We live in communities and must work together to build the new civilization.
The community closest to us is the local one, which consists of the Baha’is who reside in our village or town. It is in the local community where we learn to cooperate with one another, to grow together and become united. In addition to being members of the local community, we are also members of the national community and then the worldwide Baha’i community, which is constantly expanding and attracting people from every religious background, race, and nationality.
As mentioned in previous articles, Baha’is and their friends, families, co-workers and neighbors are actively engaged in children’s classes, junior youth groups, adult study circles and devotional meetings, which nurture spiritual development. More about this next week.
Knowledge is the first step; resolve, the second step; action, its fulfillment, is the third step. To construct a building one must first of all make a plan, then one must have the power (money), then one can build. A society of Unity is formed, that is good -- but meetings and discussions are not enough. In Egypt these meetings take place but there is only talk and no result. These meetings here in London are good, the knowledge and the intention are good, but how can there be a result without action? Today the force for Unity is the Holy Spirit of Bah'u'llh. He manifested this spirit of Unity. Bahᡡ'u'llh brings East and West together. Go back, search history, you will not find a precedent for this.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 54)
