Interfaith Dialogue in Liberia

"The Analyst", a Monrovian newspaper has a great article about an interfaith dialogue for youth in this war-torn African nation. The opening paragraph of the article is below:

A two-day interdenominational youth workshop organized by the Better Future Foundation (BFF), a local non-governmental organization, under the theme Creating Inter-faith Dialogue for Harmonious Community Living ended last Sunday with a youth resolution.

About 50 youth between the ages of 15 and 30 professing Baha'i, Christian and Islamic faiths participated in the two-day workshop held at the New Hope Academy on Peace Island in Paynesville outside Monrovia on April 22 - 23, 2006.(Read the entire article here)

Baha'is have supported the interfaith movement since its inception and will continue to do so. Ultimately the religious crisis facing humanity at this stage of development will only be resolved when the truth that God is one and beyond all human interpretation and cultural expression, religion is also one, operates at the heart of religious discourse.

Another Year of the Baha'i World

I love learning about what my fellow Baha'is are doing around the globe to establish the unity of humankind. The newest addition of "The Baha'i World" has just come out. I can't wait to read it!
The opening paragraph of the Baha'i World News Service story about it is below:

HAIFA, Israel, 17 April 2006 (BWNS) -- An examination of the science of morality, a look at the opportunities and challenges presented by human "progress," and a report on a small but inspiring educational project in Mali are among the articles in the latest volume of The Baha'i World.

An annual record of Baha'i activities and perspectives, The Baha'i World 2004-2005 also includes reports on the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions, an historic restoration of the prison cell where Baha'u'llah was held in the late 1800s, and the use of arts in Baha'i community life.(Read the whole article here)

Ridvan in the South Shore News

(Photo of the entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, Holiest Spot on Earth for Baha'is)

There's a nice article about the observance of the Ridvan Festival in a South Shore News Paper.
Opening paragraphs are below:

Baha'i faithful are observing Ridvan festival
The Baha'i community of Dartmouth will join with Baha'is all over the world in celebrating the Festival of Ridvan, which, in the Persian language Farsi, means "paradise." Lasting 12 days from April 21-May 2, the festival celebrates the proclamation of Baha'u'llah, prophet founder of the Baha'i faith.During the observance, the first, ninth and 12th days are especially important and are celebrated as holy days with special worship and joy. They are among the nine Baha'i holy days each year on which work is suspended. Baha'is also elect their governing bodies called spiritual assemblies at this time.The Baha'i faith is the second most widespread religion after Christianity. It is established in more than 250 countries of the world, and Baha'u'llah's writings have been translated into more than 800 languages.Baha'is believe in one God, in the unity of all the messengers of God and in the unity of mankind. Among Baha'i teachings are equality of women and men, elimination of all prejudice, establishment of world peace, universal education, harmony of science and religion and establishment of an international tribunal. (Read the whole article here)

Ridvan: The Resurrection of All Mankind

(Entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah the Holiest Spot on Earth for Baha'is)

Baha'is around the world have began celebrating what is known as the Festival of Ridvan. "Ridvan" means Paradise and the twelves days of this Festival commemorate the public declaration of Baha'u'llah of His Prophetic Mission in 1863 in Baghdad. These twelve days are the most holy of Holy Days in the Baha'i calendar. In every part of the globe, north, south, east and west Baha'is representing more than 2,100 racial, national, and ethnic groups will be praising the name of Baha'u'llah. When I reflect on what this special period means to me, it is essentially about a promise made and a promise kept. God, Lord of the Universe has promised humanity that we would never be left without His love, guidance, and wisdom. From age to age He has sent us those trascendent Figures of History, the Educators of humanity such as Moses, Christ and Muhammad. We have also been promised that a Day would come when peace, justice and unity would envelope the world, a world that would reflect to the fullest degree the Will of God. Like all the promises of the Creator, this promise has also been kept. When the Glory of God (Baha'u'llah) lifted the veils of concealment and announced the joyful tidings of the coming of the Kingdom in 1863, the Promised One of All Religions was finally made manifest.

"Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Ridvan and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind." (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 31) "Suffer me not, O my Lord, to be deprived of the knowledge of Thee in Thy days, and divest me not of the robe of Thy guidance. Give me to drink of the river that is life indeed, whose waters have streamed forth from the Paradise (Ridvan) in which the throne of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, was established, that mine eyes may be opened, and my face be illumined, and my heart be assured, and my soul be enlightened, and my steps be made firm." (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 4)

Why Lions?

My wife was curious this morning about why I chose to refer to lions in my recent post about the Black Men's Gathering New England. What's the significance? The reason I chose the reference to lions is that the image of a lion, noble, majestic, powerful, offers a contrast to the frequent association of black males with "dogs" that has become so popular (why is anyone's guess). These "dogs" bark loudly in the popular culture and in the consciousness of people of all backgrounds as their version of black masculinity is promoted day and night across the planet. The men of the Gathering are offering an alternative image of what a black man can be which is about our nobility, not the tiresome negative stereotype. These men are striving to become lions of God. There are numerous references to lions in the Baha'i Writings:

Should it be God's intention, there would appear out of the forests of celestial might the lion of indomitable strength whose roaring is like unto the peals of thunder reverberating in the mountains.(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 197)

Souls of dogs and wolves go separately, But the soul of the lions of God is one. [1](Abdu'l-Baha, Quoting Rumi, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 74)

Arise thou at present...with the power of the Kingdom, with a divine confirmation, with a genuine zeal and ardour and with a flame of the love of God. Roar like unto a lion and exhibit such ecstasy and love among these few souls that praise and glorification may continuously reach thee from the divine Kingdom and mighty confirmations may descend upon thee.(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 102)

Heroes are they, O my Lord, lead them to the field of battle. Guides are they, make them to speak out with arguments and proofs. Ministering servants are they, cause them to pass round the cup that brimmeth with the wine of certitude. O my God, make them to be songsters that carol in fair gardens, make them lions that couch in the thickets, whales that plunge in the vasty deep.(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 225)

The imagery of the lion is all about spiritual power, a power I associate with the men of the Black Men's Gathering.

The Symbols of Denial

(Photo of a man reacting to the bombing in Tel Aviv)

The sun rises on another day of blood spilled in the name of God. Another day of anguished cries of grief raised up around the world. Another day of overheated rhetoric and moral relativity on all sides. Another day of political paralysis and finger pointing. Another day that did not have to be this way! Those who engage in violence in the promotion of "religion" would do well to ponder deeply the exhortations of Baha'u'llah:

Sanctify your ears from the idle talk of them that are the symbols of denial and the exponents of violence and anger.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 72)

Beware lest ye shed the blood of anyone. Unsheathe the sword of your tongue from the scabbard of utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the citadels of men's hearts. We have abolished the law to wage holy war against each other. God's mercy, hath, verily, encompassed all created things, if ye do but understand. Aid ye your Lord, the God of Mercy, with the sword of understanding. Keener indeed is it, and more finely tempered, than the sword of utterance, were ye but to reflect upon the words of your Lord.
(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 22)

It followeth, therefore, that rendering assistance unto God, in this day, doth not and shall never consist in contending or disputing with any soul; nay rather, what is preferable in the sight of God is that the cities of men's hearts, which are ruled by the hosts of self and passion, should be subdued by the sword of utterance, of wisdom and of understanding. Thus, whoso seeketh to assist God must, before all else, conquer, with the sword of inner meaning and explanation, the city of his own heart and guard it from the remembrance of all save God, and only then set out to subdue the cities of the hearts of others. Such is the true meaning of rendering assistance unto God. Sedition hath never been pleasing unto God, nor were the acts committed in the past by certain foolish ones acceptable in His sight. Know ye that to be killed in the path of His good pleasure is better for you than to kill. The beloved of the Lord must, in this day, behave in such wise amidst His servants that they may by their very deeds and actions guide all men unto the paradise of the All-Glorious.
(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 108)

Lovers of the Rose

Just read a fascinating piece in the Boston Globe today about African Americans who are discovering a spiritual home in the teachings and practices of His Holiness the Buddha. Baha'is recognize Buddha as one of those great Spiritual Educators of humanity, referred to as "Manifestations of God". The opening paragraph of the article is below:

Roslyn Springer first heard about Buddhism 18 years ago. A friend she practiced yoga with had told her about an upcoming retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, where people could meditate in silence. A ''woman on fire" at the time, she says, she jumped at the opportunity for some self-reflection. (Read the whole article here)

I was really touched by the sincerety of the search for truth of these souls, even as the struggle with the challenges of racism. It reminded me of some inspiring statements made in Baha'i scripture:

Likewise, the divine religions of the holy Manifestations of God are in reality one, though in name and nomenclature they differ. Man must be a lover of the light, no matter from what dayspring it may appear. He must be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. He must be a seeker of the truth, no matter from what source it come.
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 151)

A rose is beautiful in whatsoever garden it may bloom! A star has the same radiance if it shines from the East or from the West. Be free from prejudice, so will you love the Sun of Truth from whatsoever point in the horizon it may arise! You will realize that if the Divine light of truth shone in Jesus Christ it also shone in Moses and in Buddha. The earnest seeker will arrive at this truth. This is what is meant by the 'Search after Truth'.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 137)

I wish my Buddhist brothers and sisters every blessing on the path of Wisdom and Peace!

Segregation Forever?

(Two black youths being turned away from trying to integrate a Southern school during the Civil Rights Era)

The New York Times had an interesting article in it's April 14th issue about an effort in Nebraska to create separate school districts based on race. The opening paragraphs are included below:

OMAHA, April 14 — Ernie Chambers is Nebraska's only African-American state senator, a man who has fought for causes including the abolition of capital punishment and the end of apartheid in South Africa. A magazine writer once described him as the "angriest black man in Nebraska."

Ernie Chambers, the only African-American in the Nebraska Legislature, was a major force behind a law enacted this week that calls for dividing the Omaha school district into three districts defined largely by race.

He was also a driving force behind a measure passed by the Legislature on Thursday and signed into law by the governor that calls for dividing the Omaha public schools into three racially identifiable districts, one largely black, one white and one mostly Hispanic (Read the whole thing here)

A Harvard study by the Civil Rights Project called, "Resegregation In America's Schools" provides some of the following data on what appears to be an unfortunate trend:

• Rapidly Increasing Segregation in the South
  The region of the country that is resegregating at the fastest rate is the South, which has achieved the highest levels of racially integrated schools in the country for 25 years. The percentage of black students in majority white schools in the South fell from a peak of 43.5% in 1988 to 34.7% in 1996.
• Increasing Segregation in States with Substantial Black Enrollment
  Virtually all states with substantial black enrollments increased integration during the 1970’s, but showed a rise in segregation between 1980 and 1996. The largest increases in segregation occurred in Rhode Island (20%), Wisconsin (13%), Florida (12%), Oklahoma (12%), Maryland (9%), Delaware (9%), and Massachusetts (9%).
• Severest Segregation Occurring in Latino Communities
  Latinos, who are fast becoming the largest minority group in the country, attend the most severely segregated schools. Latino segregation has been increasing ever since data was first collected in the 1960s but the issue has not received much attention since the great increase occurred after the civil rights era. Data from 1996-1997 shows that 74.8% of Latinos attend schools with over 50% minority student population, an increase from 64.3% in 1968-1969; 35.4% of Latinos attend schools with over 90% minority student population, an increase from 23.1% from 1968 to 1969. The Northeast continues to be the most segregated region for Latinos, with 78.2% of Latinos attending schools with over 50% minority student population, and 46% attending schools with over 90% minority population. The West, where Latinos are the dominant minority group, has a substantial increase in segregation and now has 77% of Latino children in predominantly minority schools.
• Substantial Link Between Segregation by Race and Poverty
  Segregation by race is very strongly related to segregation by class and income. Racially segregated schools—for all groups except whites—are almost always schools with high concentrations of poverty. Almost nine-tenths of segregated African American and Latino schools experience concentrated poverty. Students in segregated minority schools were 11 times more likely to be in schools with concentrated poverty than their peers in predominantly white schools. Black and Latino students on average attend schools with more than twice as many poor classmates as white students. Data from 1996-1997 shows that in schools attended by the average black and Latino students, 42.7% and 46% of the students are poor, respectively. In schools attended by the average white student, 18.7% of the students are poor. Poverty levels are strongly related to school test score averages and many kinds of educational inequality.
• Growing Segregation Among Blacks and Latinos in Suburban Schools
  While large numbers of Latinos and blacks are moving into the suburbs, they remain heavily isolated in segregated schools within these communities, particularly in metropolitan areas. Data from 1996-1997 shows that blacks and Latinos living in these areas attend schools that have an average nonwhite enrollment of between 60% and 64%.
• Isolation of Whites
  Whites remain most isolated from all other racial groups and are the only racial group that attend schools where the overwhelming majority of students are from their own race. Data from 1996-1997 shows that on average, white students attend schools with classmates who are 81% white.

I am reminded of the famous quote by four term governor of Alabama, George Wallace, during the 1960's, “I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” Could it be that he was right after all? Is America in a backward crawl towards the bad old days? The essence of the segregation problem is captured in a powerful statement of Baha'u'llah:

Say: no man can attain his true station except through his justice. No power can exist except through unity. No welfare and no well-being can be attained except through consultation.
(From a Tablet - translated from the Arabic)

The continued segregation of American schools demonstrates a lack of real commitment to the pursuit of racial justice that so many "leaders" preach about every year on Dr. King's birthday. The paralysis of will to deal with the problem comes from focusing on the tiresome struggle for power we call American politics, rather than focusing on the power of unity. The struggle for power is a logical consequence of the absence of consultative approaches to decision making in which the narrow agendas of individuals and special interests are subordinated to the well-being of humanity as a whole. Ultimately, the challenges involved require something that legislation, court orders and political compromise can never provide: love.

"...there is need of a superior power to overcome human prejudices, a power which nothing in the world of mankind can withstand and which will overshadow the effect of all other forces at work in human conditions. That irresistible power is the love of God."
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 68)

Lions in the Forest

(Participants in the first Annual Black Men's Gathering New England)

"The barking of dogs is loud on every side, where is the lion of the forest of Thy Might?"
Baha'u'llah, From the Fire Tablet

This weekend 18 men of African Descent gathered to pray, fellowship and discover their role in God's Plan as the "pupil of the eye". The men came from all over New England and represented a diverse sample of the African Diaspora including the British West Indies, Costa Rica, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Cape Verde and America. We studied the current guidance from Universal House of Justice, the International Governing Body of the Baha'i Faith, about the next phase in the development of Baha'i communities around the world and proven strategies in fulfilling our mission which is to unify the human race through the teachings of Baha'u'llah. We reflected together on the greatness of the Day in which we are living and how the sufferings of Baha'u'llah as a prisoner and exile relate to the experiences of men of African descent. We discussed the implications of Baha'u'llah's designation of Black people as the "pupil of the eye" and consecrated ourselves to serving our people through the power of collective worship, the education of children and junior youth, and building our capacity to facilitate the emergence of a new kind of community.
It was in a word, awesome! You will definitely be hearing more from these men and others who join us in this special ministry that we call The Black Men's Gathering.

Christ is Risen!

In honor of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I wanted to offer the following Baha'i interpretation of the spiritual significance of what was celebrated by Christians around the world this weekend, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. While it may differ from the traditional understanding of many Christians, it offers a perspective that is consistent with a core Baha'i teaching, the harmony of science and religion.

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

Question. -- What is the meaning of Christ's resurrection after three days?

Answer. -- The resurrections of the Divine Manifestations are not of the body. All Their states, Their conditions, Their acts, the things They have established, Their teachings, Their expressions, Their parables and Their instructions have a spiritual and divine signification, and have no connection with material things. For example, there is the subject of Christ's coming from heaven: it is clearly stated in many places in the Gospel that the Son of man came from heaven, He is in heaven, and He will go to heaven. So in chapter 6, verse 38, of the Gospel of John it is written: "For I came down from heaven"; and also in verse 42 we find: "And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?" Also in John, chapter 3, verse 13: "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."

Observe that it is said, "The Son of man is in heaven," while at that time Christ was on earth. Notice also that it is said that Christ came from heaven, though He came from the womb of Mary, and His body was born of Mary. It is clear, then, that when it is said that the Son of man is come from heaven, this has not an outward but an inward signification; it is a spiritual, not a material, fact. The meaning is that though, apparently, Christ was born from the womb of Mary, in reality He came from heaven, from the center of the Sun of Reality, from the Divine World, and the Spiritual Kingdom. And as it has become evident that Christ came from the spiritual heaven of the Divine Kingdom, therefore, His disappearance under the earth for three days has an inner signification and is not an outward fact. In the same way, His resurrection from the interior of the earth is also symbolical; it is a spiritual and divine fact, and not material; and likewise His ascension to heaven is a spiritual and not material ascension.

Beside these explanations, it has been established and proved by science that the visible heaven is a limitless area, void and empty, where innumerable stars and planets revolve.

Therefore, we say that the meaning of Christ's resurrection is as follows: the disciples were troubled and agitated after the martyrdom of Christ. The Reality of Christ, which signifies His teachings, His bounties, His perfections and His spiritual power, was hidden and concealed for two or three days after His martyrdom, and was not resplendent and manifest. No, rather it was lost, for the believers were few in number and were troubled and agitated. The Cause of Christ was like a lifeless body; and when after three days the disciples became assured and steadfast, and began to serve the Cause of Christ, and resolved to spread the divine teachings, putting His counsels into practice, and arising to serve Him, the Reality of Christ became resplendent and His bounty appeared; His religion found life; His teachings and His admonitions became evident and visible. In other words, the Cause of Christ was like a lifeless body until the life and the bounty of the Holy Spirit surrounded it.

Such is the meaning of the resurrection of Christ, and this was a true resurrection.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 102)

Comment: Ultimately what is more important, that there was a "bodily" resurrection of our Lord and Savior or that He has the awesome power to deliver us from the death of unbelief into the eternal life of faith?

Baha'i Communicators Rock Da House!

(Photo of the lovely Ms. Patti Tomarelli, one of the Award Recipients and a dear friend "o" mine)

While some misguided characters strive to strangle the Baha'i Faith in the land of its birth, around the globe Baha'is keep on doing what we do best, sharing the spirit of love and unity with everyone.
The Baha'i World New Services offers the latest example in an article about this year's Religion Communicators Council Awards. The opening of the article is below:

DALLAS, TEXAS, United States, 7 April (BWNS) -- Eleven professional Baha'i communicators have won 12 awards from the Religion Communicators Council for excellence and merit in the production of various informational materials last year. (Read the whole thing here)

In a world gone wild, isn't it nice to get some good news?

Black Men's Gathering in the Media

(Photo of brothers from the Gathering)

Carey Roberts, the blogger for RedState.com used the Black Men's Gathering as an example of the "indomitable spirit and an unquenchable thirst for dignity" in a post called "Black Men, Soul Brothers". Below is a selection from the post:

The real answer will be found, I believe, in the hearts of Black men. It is there that an indomitable spirit and an unquenchable thirst for dignity still resides.

It was that spirit that in 1968 compelled 1,300 men in Memphis to go on strike. Weary sanitation workers picked up placards on which they had etched the phrase, "I AM A MAN." Think about those four words for a minute. It was that march for dignity that brought Martin Luther King to Memphis, only to be felled by a sniper's bullet.

That same spirit animated a group of brothers to come together to establish an organization known as 100 Black Men. Forty-odd years later, the group has grown to over 10,000 members working to improve the social and economical opportunities for all African-Americans.

That animus drove the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity a few years ago to organize its ambitious Prostate Cancer Global Awareness Campaign. That campaign inspired Anheuser-Busch to pledge $250,000 in support of the effort. Prostate cancer, of course, if far more lethal in Black men than in Whites.

It's that ineffable character that drove the survivors of a tragic syphilis study to establish the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center. Chipping in their worn-down dimes and quarters, they hoped that future research projects would never repeat the same mistake.

That spirit is evinced every week in small town churches that dot the countryside, where all-male gospel groups give their distinctive rendition of soul-sound. It's the same spirit that guides a group of Baha'i Black men to come together once a year to chant prayers and recommit themselves to a life of service. I chanced across these men a few years ago while grieving the loss of a family member. (bold, mine)

Relieved of artificial impediments, the physical body has a remarkable ability to heal itself and regenerate its functions. So too the souls of Black men. (Read the whole post here)

This weekend I will be participating in a local Black Men's Gathering in the Greater Boston Area. Brothers are coming from all over New England to drum, pray, fellowship and explore our place in God's Plan for the transformation and salvation of humanity. To learn more about the Black Men's Gathering, visit www.blackmensgathering.com.

Duke University: It's Not About the Rape

(Photo of Durham County District Attorney, Mike Nifong)


You've probably heard about the contraversy surrounding Duke University following allegations that a black "exotic dancer" was gang raped at a party by members of its lacrosse team (You can read some of the latest about this story here). The usual suspects (no pun intended) are rallying on their respective sides of the color line, with accusations and counter-accusations. One side says the rape happened, the other claims it didn't happen. The media says day after day that the rape case has contributed to "racial tensions" as if everything in Durham between blacks and whites was just dandy before this all happened. Various "leaders" seize their chance for more air time on the cable networks. Here's what I think, even if all that happened was that a couple of "exotic dancers" went to a party, shook their "thang" got paid and went home without incident, as a Baha'i I could only view what happened that night as problematic. Long before any alleged assault took place the evening was an assault on the nobility of both the dancers and the "boys" who hired them. Why is no one talking about the fact that we live in a society that exploits women's bodies for profit, especially poor women and women of color? Why are we not talking about the psycho-spiritual impact on the men who "consume" the female body as a product to be bought and sold? What happened at Duke that night, rape or no rape was a tired rerun of a drama that has been played out day after day for far too long, privileged elites exploiting other human beings for their "entertainment". That people of good will allow their brothers and sisters, created in the image and likeness of God to play out this drama over and over with barely a word of protest is the real scandal. It is the acceptance, implicit or explicit of such fundamentally oppressive relationships that contributes to the moral environment in which rape and sexual assault become a predictable outcome.

Throughout history, the masses of humanity have been, at best, spectators at the advance of civilization. Their role has been to serve the designs of whatever elite had temporarily assumed control of the process...Bahá'u'lláh has come to free humanity from this long bondage, and the closing decades of the twentieth century were devoted by the community of His followers to creative experimentation with the means by which His objective can be realized. The prosecution of the Divine Plan entails no less than the involvement of the entire body of humankind in the work of its own spiritual, social and intellectual development. (Commissioned by The Universal House of Justice, Century of Light, p. 113)

DNA Can Get You Paid!

Amy Harmon has a fascinating piece in the New York Times today about how people are using DNA testing to determine if they have ancestry that can be used to take advantage of race-based preferences and other social "perks" that come from being able to claim certain racial identities. A selection from this article is below:

"Naturally when you're applying to college you're looking at how your genetic status might help you," said Mr. Moldawer, who knows that the twins' birth parents are white, but has little information about their extended family. "I have three kids going now, and you can bet that any advantage we can take we will."

Genetic tests, once obscure tools for scientists, have begun to influence everyday lives in many ways. The tests are reshaping people's sense of themselves — where they came from, why they behave as they do, what disease might be coming their way.

It may be only natural then that ethnic ancestry tests, one of the first commercial products to emerge from the genetic revolution, are spurring a thorough exploration of the question, What is in it for me? (Read the whole thing here)

There's about a million different things that I could say about this article, but what strikes me most is how unapologetic some of the people profiled are about the purely materialistic motives behind the DNA tests. It's not about seeking to discover hidden aspects of one's identity that could promote healing the racial divide in America, but to get a pay off. Amazing! It reminds me of the following quotes from the Baha'i Writings:

Consumer culture, today's inheritor by default of materialism's gospel of human betterment, is unembarrassed by the ephemeral nature of the goals that inspire it. For the small minority of people who can afford them, the benefits it offers are immediate, and the rationale unapologetic. Emboldened by the breakdown of traditional morality, the advance of the new creed is essentially no more than the triumph of animal impulse, as instinctive and blind as appetite, released at long last from the restraints of supernatural sanctions. Its most obvious casualty has been language. Tendencies once universally castigated as moral failings mutate into necessities of social progress. Selfishness becomes a prized commercial resource; falsehood reinvents itself as public information; perversions of various kinds unabashedly claim the status of civil rights. Under appropriate euphemisms, greed, lust, indolence, pride-even violence-acquire not merely broad acceptance but social and economic value. (Commissioned by The Universal House of Justice, One Common Faith)

A superficial culture, unsupported by a cultivated morality, is as "a confused medley of dreams,"[1] and external lustre without inner perfection is "like a vapor in the desert which the thirsty dreameth to be water."[2] For results which would win the good pleasure of God and secure the peace and well-being of man, could never be fully achieved in a merely external civilization. (Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 60)

It seems that once again people have discovered a way to manipulate race for the selfish advantage of a few rather than the well-being of humanity as a whole. God willing, more people will take advantage of this revolutionary technology for the purpose of challenging the intellectual fiction of biologically distinct "races" in favor of recognizing the oneness of humankind.

Harvard and Hometown

(Photo of the panel discussion, "The Next Generation Speaks" at the Harvard Divinity School Symposium, "A Time to Speak". I'm the young brother second from the left)


I promised to give a summary of my participation in the Harvard Symposium "A Time To Speak" and to let my readers know how my preachin' at the Unitarian Church in my hometown, Norwich Connecticut went. Here goes..

"A Time to Speak" was just plain awesome! I started to morning meeting all kinds of interesting African American students and alumni of my alma mater, Harvard Divinity School. Everyone was as fascinating and brilliant as you could imagine. The first portion of the symposium was entitled, "The Elders Speak" and brought together luminaries from a variety of faith traditions to talk about their theological understanding and approach to crisis. Highlights included testimony about the challenges of serving the black community post-Katrina, understanding how the foundational worldview of Pilgrims has impacted black/white relations, an model of interfaith social justice ministry, the importance of self-knowledge, and the balance between moral and practical in approaching public policy. I've been to many interfaith panels, and this was one of the best I've attended.

Next was an award luncheon and the annual meeting of the Black Alumni Network of Harvard Divinity School. The world famous Peter Gomes received an award and gave a hilarious acceptance speach and the new executive Board of the Black Alumni Network was voted in, including yours truly.

We then went on to the next panel called, "The Next Generation Speaks" which included emerging religious leaders. This panel included a Muslim, two Christians from different denominations and a Baha'i (that was me). Notable themes from the other panelists included the importance of charity, service and justice in Islam, challenges of the new urban ministry and the importance of mental health and healing in the black community. I've decided to include my notes so you can get a gist of what I basically said. Here they are:

In order to discuss the Baha’i perspective on crisis I would first have to explain the Baha’i teaching on the spiritual and historical significance of the Day in which we are living. Baha’is understand history as the story of the evolution of consciousness and civilization through the teachings of the Spiritual Educators of humanity sent to us by God from the beginning of time. These Educators are those transcendent Figures commonly viewed as the Founders of the world’s religions, such as Moses, Jesus Christ Muhammad, and Baha’u’llah the Founder of the Baha’i Faith. These Educators have guided humanity through stages analogous to infancy, childhood, and adolescence, toward the age of maturity in which we can finally become conscious of the oneness of human kind and establish a global society, a divine civilization that will reflect God’s Will and Purpose. In biblical language, the Kingdom of God on Earth. As with most adolescents making the transition into adulthood, the human race is passing through a stage of great turmoil and upheaval.We are in crisis! Baha’is see these global crises as “aspects of a larger Plan whose Source is God..whose theatre of operations is the entire planet, and whose ultimate objectives are the unity of the human race and the peace of all humankind.” This process involves a dynamic of crisis and victory, of integration and disintegration each propelling the humanity towards its destiny. America, in Baha’i teaching has a special role in the fulfillment of God’s Will in this Day. It is destined to pass through purifying tests and trials that will prepare it to become of land of spiritual distinction and leadership, a champion of justice that will rally the other nations of the world into that Most Great Peace promised in all the Holy Books. So when I think about tragedies like Hurricane Katrina I have to remember these purifying tests and trials and what they are preparing us to do. Where do African Americans fit into all this? Baha’u’llah has compared people of African Descent to the black pupil of the eye that is dark in color, but a fountain of light and the revealer of the contingent world. Black people are seen in the Baha’i Faith as having been “richly endowed” by God with “great gifts of mind and heart” that are of particular importance at this time in history. Like all humanity, the crises afflicting the Black community are part of that dynamic of crisis and victory and serve the same purpose, preparing us to play our role in establishing a global civilization.

My remarks were well received. The symposium wrapped up with a discussion about career choices for current students and a simple and beautiful interfaith service!

As for preachin' at the Unitarian Church in Norwich, everyone seemed to have a wonderful time and it was especially sweet because it was my mother's birthday and my wife's parents came down for the day as well. My sermon was entitled, "Clash of Civilizations or One Common Faith? Religion is One." I started of by explaining the origin of the "clash of civilizations" concept as emerging after the end of the cold war and leading thinkers predicted that global conflict would now be defined by culture and religion. I spoke of the warning given by the Universal House of Justice to the religious leaders of the world that with everday the possibility of a worldwide conflagration based on sectarian hatreds is increasing and that we must free ourselves from "fixed conceptions inherited from a distant past." I then noted nine of the basic fixed conceptions that I have identified and contrasted them with the Baha'i perspective on the reality of religion as a unitary knowledge system revealed by one God. It was simple , direct and even funny at times.

There you go my friends, now on to the next adventure.

Why I am "African American"

Lashawn Barber, who identifies herself as a conservative Christian has made this comment about the term "African American":

"One of the many reasons I don’t like the term “African American” is that I’m not African, and I doubt any African — black or white — would claim me as such.

Being of African descent doesn’t make one African. It’s strange that we use the word “African” as a nationality when I suspect that true Africans refer to their countries when referring to their nationality, and not the continent."

I've spent many years thinking about the various terms used to describe people who look like myself and have decided that personally, African American is most accurate term. In explaining why, I want to respond to both aspects of the comment LaShawn Barber makes:

1. That she is not "African".

2. That so called "true Africans" refer to their countries when referring to their nationality, and not the continent.

First of all, I completely respect her right to decide how she defines herself and whatever relationship she believes she has to her heritage and history. Personally, I have to view the statement "I'm not an African" in its historical context. It is accurate to say that my enslaved ancestors who were brought to North America probably did not identify as "Africans" but primarily by their tribal or national identity. This continues to be true today among people from the African continent. However, my ancestors were subjected to a systematic assault on their tribal, national and cultural identities in such a way that they lost much of their conscious relationship with them and had to evolve in a new and hostile environment. The fires of tribulation melded them into a new group of people with a shared experience that transcended the diversity of their backgrounds before enslavement in the New World. Over time they forgot who they were and this was passed on from generation to generation, so that today, unlike my friends who are from Ghana, or Cameroon, or Kenya I cannot say what nation or tribe my ancestors came from. All I know with certainty is that at least some of them came from the African continent. Thus, when I identify as "African American" it has a double significance. It is a way to honor the origin of my ancestors and is also an acknowledgement of the wound that has been left in my consciousness due the history of physical, mental, and spiritual brutality they experienced. "African American" embodies both the joy and pain inherent in my identity. I also believe that those of us who are descended from the enslaved Africans brought to America have had an experience that is in some ways distinctive in the diaspora (What these specifically are is worthy of deep exploration). We are different from Blacks in the Caribbean, or South America or Africa or Europe. You could say that we represent a new "tribe" with a unique historical and cultural identity. For this reason I would agree that "African American" should not be used to describe any person of African ancestry living in the United States. It is how I chose to describe myself.Of course ultimately the terminology we use to describe ourselves is less important than dealing with the real challenges we face due to the legacy of racism:

"...among the black people in the United States, the adjective of choice has changed from colored to Negro, to black, to Afro-American to African American, and still no resolution has been reached in determining a universally acceptable and appropriate terminology for describing the race. This demonstrates really that the results sought are less inherent in terminologies than in the transformation of hearts..."
(From a letter addressed by the Universal House of Justice, to an individual Baha'i, May 23, 1990)

It is just such a transformation of hearts that is the mission of Baha'u'llah:

...is not the object of every Revelation to effect a transformation in the whole character of mankind, a transformation that shall manifest itself both outwardly and inwardly, that shall affect both its inner life and external conditions? For if the character of mankind be not changed, the futility of God's universal Manifestations would be apparent. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 240)

Persecution of Iranian Baha'is Captures Media Attention

In the midst of everything else I've been writing about I wanted to continue to include information on articles about the current situation facing the Baha'is in Iran. Here are just a few:

The Cold Lakes Sun

The Saskatoon Star Phoenix

The U.S. Baha'i New Service

Payvand, An Iranian News Paper

The Weekly Standard

The New Wales Paper

The Immigration Debate: One Planet, One People

"The earth is one country and mankind it's citizens."
Baha'u'llah

Once again, thousands of immigrants and their allies have taken to the streets across America to protest for what they are calling "immigration reform". As a Baha'i, I believe in obedience to law of the land and do not support anyone immigrating illegally to the United States however compassionate I may feel about the desperation of the people who do so. However as I've reflected more deeply on the drama being played out on the streets, in the halls of Congress and in the media, I've began to wonder if there is not an inner, spiritual signficance to what is going on here. The Baha'i Writings describe the crises afflicting our planet as "..aspects of a larger Plan whose Source is God...whose theatre of operations is the entire planet, and whose ultimate objectives are the unity of the human race and the peace of all human kind." This process is driven by a dynamic of "integration and disentegration" as a defective social order born from limited, materialistic conceptions of reality falls apart and a new order emerges based on spiritual and social principles suited to the needs of a global civilization. While there are certainly elements of ethnic nationalism and anti-American sentiment among the voices shouting in the streets, there is also an assertion by long marginalized segments of the human family that they intend to move from being objects of exploitation by privileged elites to being subjects in determining their own destiny. These voices are pushing against the narrow mental constructs of what an "American" is and America's place in the world. One of the harshest criticisms leveled at the protesters is that they are showing a lack of respect for our national sovereignty. The emotional attachment some Americans have to the concept of "sovereignty", must be balanced by a commitment to the oneness of humanity:

"...wars are caused by purely imaginary racial differences; for humanity is one kind, one race and progeny, inhabiting the same globe. In the creative plan there is no racial distinction and separation such as Frenchman, Englishman, American, German, Italian or Spaniard; all belong to one household. These boundaries and distinctions are human and artificial, not natural and original. All mankind are the fruits of one tree, flowers of the same garden, waves of one sea."
(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 117)

"Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life."
(11 March 1936, published in "The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh: Selected Letters", pp. 162-63, 201-4)

I'm beginning to understand that the challenges involved in illegal immigration are symptoms of a deeper problem, the resistance by many to the truth that humanity is a single people, the earth is our common homeland and that we have to work together to create a social order that reflects that reality. How best do so should be at the heart of the debate over immigration reform.

"For this reason must all human beings powerfully sustain one another and seek for everlasting life; and for this reason must the lovers of God in this contingent world become the mercies and the blessings sent forth by that clement King of the seen and unseen realms. Let them purify their sight and behold all humankind as leaves and blossoms and fruits of the tree of being. Let them at all times concern themselves with doing a kindly thing for one of their fellows, offering to someone love, consideration, thoughtful help. Let them see no one as their enemy, or as wishing them ill, but think of all humankind as their friends; regarding the alien as an intimate, the stranger as a companion, staying free of prejudice, drawing no lines."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 1)

Where Am I?

I'm on my way to Norwich, Connecticut to celebrate my mother's birthday and to speak at a Unitarian Church in town. My sermon is entitled "Clash of Civilizations or One Common Faith: Religion is One". I'm really looking forward to it. The symposium at Harvard yesterday was a great success and I'll be providing a summary once I return. Also, just got out of the recording studio where we were working on a gospel piece based on a verse from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Baha'i Faith. It's a great piece, you'll hear more about that soon.

Gotta go.

Egyptian Baha'is Gain Ground

Just discovered on Baha'i Blog, that an Egyptian Court has ruled that Baha'is have the right to identify themselves as "Baha'is" on official documents! As selection from the article about this positive development is below:

CAIRO, 6 April (IRIN) - Human rights activists have welcomed a landmark ruling by the Administrative Court recognising the right of Egyptian Bahais to have their religion acknowledged on official documents. The decision, announced on 4 April, "sent a strong message that it is the right of every Egyptian citizen to adopt the religion of their choice", said Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Private Rights (EIPR). (Read the whole thing here)

Thank God some good news is coming out of the Middle East for Baha'is who suffered such a long period of persecution. The steadfastness of the Baha'is all over that region who are not yet free to practice their faith is inspiring.

God Loves Group Work

(Photo of group therapy session courtesy of groupfind.com)

In my work as a clinical social worker, I provide group counseling with men and women who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. I was thinking this morning about how much I love doing group work and how powerful and dynamic it can be. It called to mind a quote for the Baha'i writings that I heard once at meeting where we were consulting about the spiritual significance of a social and economic development project in our area.

O ye friends of God! Today is the day of union and this age is the age of harmony in the world of existence. "Verily, God loveth those who are working in His path in groups, for they are a solid foundation." Consider ye that he says "in groups," united and bound together, supporting one another. "To work," mentioned in this holy verse, does not mean, in this greatest age, to perform it with swords, spears, shafts and arrows, but rather with sincere intentions, good designs, useful advices, divine moralities, beautiful actions, spiritual qualities, educating the public, guiding the souls of mankind, diffusing spiritual fragrances, explaining divine illustrations, showing convincing proofs and doing charitable deeds. When the holy souls, through the angelic power, will arise to show forth these celestial characteristics, establishing a band of harmony, each of these souls shall be regarded as one thousand persons and the waves of this greatest ocean shall be considered as the army of the hosts of the Supreme Concourse.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 401)

As a Baha'i I already understand that any work done in the spirit of service is considered an act of worship, but this quote suggests to me that group therapy itself might have an inner spiritual significance. This may be particularly true today when the challenges facing humanity are all related to the disease of disunity that afflicts relationships between people in every sphere of life. Perhaps it is the unifying aspects of group work that are it's greatest contribution to healing individuals and ultimately the world. I'll definitely have to explore this more deeply in the future!

Is Prayer Really Powerful?

(Baha'is at a Devotional Meeting at the New York Baha'i Center)



I finally got around to reading about the recently published study on the effectiveness of prayer as far as reducing complications after heart surgery.
There's been all kinds of buzz around the significance of the study from people all over the religious and political spectrum. My contribution to the commentary surrounding this story is that is suggest a rather simplistic way of looking at prayer in the first place. The fact that a prayer does not result in a preferred outcome does not mean that the prayer was not heard or was ineffective. Below is one of the many selections from the Baha'i Writings that touch on this issue:

Spirit has influence; prayer has spiritual effect. Therefore, we pray, "O God! Heal this sick one!" Perchance God will answer. Does it matter who prays? God will answer the prayer of every servant if that prayer is urgent. His mercy is vast, illimitable. He answers the prayers of all His servants. He answers the prayer of this plant. The plant prays potentially, "O God! Send me rain!" God answers the prayer, and the plant grows. God will answer anyone...But we ask for things which the divine wisdom does not desire for us, and there is no answer to our prayer. His wisdom does not sanction what we wish. (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 246)

The fact that the answer to a prayer is "NO" does not mean that prayer was not heard or that it was not effective. Because our understanding of reality is always limited by the limitations of the human mind, we often do not recognize the hidden wisdom in things that do not go our way, including the loss of a loved one due to poor health. The way that prayer is conceptualized in the study suggests that God is like a "Genie" in a lamp who is obligated to grant us wishes on demand. If God fails to grant our wishes, then either our prayer didn't work or there's something wrong with God. As a Baha'i, I do not view God is a Genie obligated to grant me anything. God is the Sovereign Creator and Lord of the Universe, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the All-Powerful.

It's encouraging that people would invest time and resources into studying the phenomenon of prayer, whatever the outcome of the study or how flawed it's underlying assumptions about spiritual reality. I look forward to more research in this area.

Politics: Is there a cure for corruption?

Today's New York Times had several articles and editorials touching on the problem of political corruption. Such corruption is one of the chief reasons that so many people in society today have lost faith in so called "democratic" institutions. Robin Toner asks the question, A Partisan Leaves; Will an Era Follow? The Times editorializes about The Fall of Hammer and in another editorial bemoans Dark Days of Philippine Democracy. To respond to Robin Toner's question, I doubt that a new era will dawn because of the fall of this or that corrupt politician. What is required is a fundamental transformation of human consciousness and human character:

In the Bahá'í writings, those individuals who are engaged in government service are exhorted to "approach their duties with entire detachment, integrity and independence of spirit, and with complete consecration and sanctity of purpose."⁷ Their personal fulfillment comes not from material reward but from "the devising of methods to insure the progress of the people," from experiencing the "delights of dispensing justice," and drinking from "the springs of a clear conscience and a sincere intent."⁸ In the end, the "happiness and greatness, the rank and station, the pleasure and peace" of the public servant does not consist in "his personal wealth, but rather in his excellent character, his high resolve, the breadth of his learning, and his ability to solve difficult problems."⁹

The challenge of overcoming corruption in public life is multidimensional in nature. The adoption of administrative procedures and legal safeguards, however important such measures may be, will not bring about enduring changes in individual and institutional behavior. For governance, in essence, is a moral and spiritual practice whose compass is found within the human heart. Thus, only as the inner lives of human beings are transformed will the vision of a "genuine civilization of character" be realized. (From a statement written by the Baha'i International Community. Read the whole thing here.)

The Eternal Covenant

(Gardens behind the Shrine of the Bab on Mt. Carmel)


















"The Eternal Covenant"

On the road of revelation we have progressed

together since before the beginning in the Garden

on that radiant morn when promises passed

between us and beyond us from Ur to Canaan

where Your Friend founded a family blessed

to birth future nations and down into Egypt

where He who would carry your commandments

from Sinai confronted Pharaoh in the days

before Mary mothered Your Son to be

sacrificed on the cross resurrected

rising from the horizon of Hijaz

Mecca Medina in the Person

of Your Apostle sealing a prophetic

cycle in preparation for fulfillment in

Your Martyr-Prophet of Shiraz

His Holiness the Bab

bringing tidings of Another

greater that Himself

Husayn-‘Ali

The Glory of God

Booker T. Washington and Baha'i Thought

LaShawn Barber had a really interesting post yesterday about the famous Black Educator Book T. Washington and the relevance of his thinking to the challenges facing African Americans today. It inspired me to reflect on the commonality between some of his philosophy of racial uplift and the Baha'i teachings on the psycho-spiritual, and social and economic development of humanity in general. This is a deep topic, so I'm only going to touch on it here, but definitely will come back to it later.

It's interesting to note that Booker T. Washington actually had contact with one of the most celebrated African American Baha'is in history, Mr. Louis G. Gregory.

"Twice at the invitation of the great black educator, Booker T. Washington, Louis Gregory visited Tuskegee Institute and was called upon to address the students on the Bahá'í Faith. Their response to the Bahá'í ideals and principles was most enthusiastic."
(taken from the Bahá'í World, Vol. XII., a biographical piece written by Harlan F. Ober.)

This is not to suggest that Booker T. Washington's philosophy was directly influenced by the Baha'i Faith, but that he saw in the Baha'i teachings something that resonated with him. Statements by Mr. Washington such as the one below offer a clue as to what he might have found attractive about the Baha'i teachings:

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. Out of the hard and unusual struggle through which he is compelled to pass, he gets a strength, a confidence, that one misses whose pathway is comparatively smooth by reason of birth and race.

Mr. Washington's statement reminds me of two quotes from the Baha'i writings that I have meditated upon as an African American male:

Men who suffer not, attain no perfection. The plant most pruned by the gardeners is that one which, when the summer comes, will have the most beautiful blossoms and the most abundant fruit. The labourer cuts up the earth with his plough, and from that earth comes the rich and plentiful harvest. The more a man is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him. A soldier is no good General until he has been in the front of the fiercest battle and has received the deepest wounds. (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 50)

They [Black Baha'is] must prove their innate equality not by words but by deeds. They must accept the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh for the sake of the Cause, love it, and cling to it, and teach it, and fight for it as their own Cause, forgetful of the shortcoming of others. Any other attitude is unworthy of their faith. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 9, 1942)


This concept of embracing the struggles inherent in being a Black person in America as a path to the development of our spiritual and moral character is truly empowering and is worthy of several posts in and of itself. For now I'll stop and go pick up a copy of Booker T. Washington's book, Up From Slavery.

Love Them For the Sake of God