Letter to the Editor of the Chief - August 2020
Recent events have highlighted that we continue to discriminate against others on the basis of differences that have no bearing on our worth as human beings. Indeed, the global pandemic points out how similar we are and how much we depend on the kindness and thoughtfulness of all with whom we come in contact for our safety and well-being. It has reinforced the interdependence of all parts of the world as we confront a threat to the whole human family and begin to realize how small and fragile a planet we inhabit.
As we approach 8 billion we face a future where there are more of us who face unparalleled challenge than at any other time in human history. This will require a new way of thinking and being in the world.
That we continue to carry on out-moded discriminations based on any number of grounds reflects that human progress is not uniform. Yet we make advances as we overcome the prejudices that have been engendered by our various cultures, histories and experiences. This is a difficult journey for humanity as age old customs, practices and attitudes are examined for usefulness and many relegated to the tides of history. The exhortation by Baha’u’llah:
“Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind” suggest a wider loyalty and focus. Inherent in this is the recognition of the role of the individual in viewing his fellow inhabitants in a different light. “Regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” Appreciating our essential unity is key to understanding each other and seeing our differences in a positive light. “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.”
Local Spiritual Assembly Baha’is of Squamish