Thus should it be among the children of men! The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord. If you meet those of different race and colour from yourself, do not mistrust them and withdraw yourself into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness. Think of them as different coloured roses growing in the beautiful garden of humanity, and rejoice to be among them . . . (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, pp. 53-54)
This quote seems to be whole crux of the Bahá’í Writings, where Bahá’u’lláh’s goal is to unite all of mankind. When we truly understand this self-evident truth, we will recognize our oneness. I often wonder why this is so difficult to understand. We love different colours and shapes in a garden. We love the many different species of plants and animals. We love a variety of textures and tastes in our food. We love a variety of notes in music, so why is it so difficult to see different coloured human beings as different? Why do we feel suspicion and mistrust? Why, even in multicultural cities, do we withdraw and hang out with our own “kind”?
It’s easy for me to get caught up in questions like this and spiral into hopeless, helpless despair. Fortunately statistics can help pull me out of this funk. Slowly, we are moving towards Bahá’u’lláh’s great vision. Thanks to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s encouragement of the marriage of Hand of the Cause Louis Gregory, (an African-American man) and Louisa Mathews, (a white British woman) in 1912, interracial marriage is much more common today than ever before. Even though the ban on interracial marriage didn’t end in the US until 1967, many advances have been made since then. Today, 17% of married couples today are interracial. Just a little more than 25 years ago, 63% of nonblack adults opposed interracial marriage. Today, that number is only 14%.[1]
By 2043, the Census Bureau predicts that the United States will become a “majority-minority” country[2], in which no racial group makes up more than half of the population. As we move closer to a majority-minority status, people of different races will interact more frequently. Please God, let this end the legacy of discrimination.
Knowing that as the world gets smaller, people are embracing cultural differences in many ways, I am grateful!
What jumped out for you as you read through today’s meditation? I’d love it if you would share so we can all expand our knowledge of the Writings!
If you liked this meditation, you might also like my book Letting Go of Criticizing Others
[1] https://www.creditdonkey.com/interracial-marriage-statistics.html
[2] https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/07/majority-minority-america_n_7205688.html
Well said Susan. Thanks for giving us hope.
Thanks for the encouragement, Nancy. It’s much appreciated!
Your comments are right on. We are all flowers of one garden, God’s garden of humanity. It is only our thin outer layer of skin that is coloured differently in so many shades; even in one race there is so much diversity of colour.
On the topic of criticism,a story was shared at the last National Baha’i Convention, a story from Sydney, Australia. The Baha’i community there has been growing in great strides, and one example of how Baha’is and their friends can really work towards building a better world despite the distractions of materialism we have in the west.
During a visit to this community this year, this woman spent nine to ten days, from early morning into the evening with many participants, young and old, in numerous activities; from gatherings to plan, hold, and reflect on their children’s classes, the junior youth spiritual empowerment program, devotional gatherings and probably other events, and not once did she hear one word of criticism. Not once. This I believe is one major key to building unity in the world. And it is only through unity that we will find peace.
Baha’u’llah said, “the well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”
O YES Marian! Thank you so much for reminding me of this story. When I first heard it, it moved me to tears. I LONG to be in such a community! I want to know how they got to that point!
One step would be to be an example by continuing to never criticize and only encourage, and to continue to make each morn better than the day before by continuing to develop those essential requisites for our spiritual growth. On my “Requisites for Spiritual Growth” bookmark, I’ve penciled in two more: #7. Perform ablutions as required. and #8. Say my 95 Alláh’u’abhás daily.
Yes, those are wonderful additions! I agree – we aren’t to criticize. I don’t know about you, but it’s so easy for me to get caught up in this without even knowing I’m doing it. You know that old expression “If you can’t do, teach”? That’s why I wrote the book on Letting Go of Criticism – I needed to learn how to do it myself!
I think it would be so helpful to live in a community where people helped each other to be more encouraging.
You might be interested in How Do We Create a Climate of Encouragement at: https://www.ninestarsolutions.com/how-do-we-create-a-climate-of-encouragement/
TU for this. Criticism can also be if someone doesn’t like the way ur going thru pain of cancer I’d you’d only…’ participate more, grow faster and you won’t be in pain
O Pat! I’m sorry to hear you’ve had this experience! Baha’is can indeed be our biggest tests!
You might find this excerpt from a letter of Shoghi Effendi and healing antidote:
Thank you for this.
Dear Susan,
Thank you as always.
Concerning the point of why
we, generally but not completely, enjoy diversity
in certain things but in people
“not so much”: I would guess
it’s because the flowers, food,
music are things that don’t
seem intimidating or physically threatening to our
security zone. It’s different
with people, because we
know from history and possibly by “instinct” that
they can harm us or somehow
disrupt our lives. If fear is
therefore really the root of
estrangement, that’s what
we’d focus on defusing.
Great insight, Steve! Thank you! We’ve been taught (so we can be un-taught) and it’s embedded in our DNA, so we can ask God to remove it from us. Both are necessary for us to accept the reality that we’re all one human family.
oh!God is testing our trust! I never think in a second, for example, he or she is a stranger it might harm me, I would put my whole trust in Him. and that trust itself would be a strong security and holding me safe. “My love is my stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure, . . ” the Hidden Words, Arabic, 9.
I’ve always admired this about you, Simin! (And for those readers who don’t know her, Simin is totally blind and pioneered to China, not knowing anyone! She’s my hero and role model!)
I think I met Simin when I travelled to her city one Chinese holiday between 2004 -2009, I came there with a Chinese Canadian male Baha’i for that visit, and we or I visited her in her home. Such courage!
Wow Marian! This just goes to show you how small the world is! Simin pioneered to Xiamen. She had me talked into pioneering there too, but I got sick and had to stay back. Years later, one of my ESL teachers went in my stead! Ya Baha’u’l-Abha!
By the way, I’ve never met her except online. I was put in touch with her by her brother when I was travel teaching in Cyprus!
Simin – I hope you don’t mind us “backbiting” about you! 🙂