'Abdu'l-Baha and child in Haifa, IsraelI'm an uncle again. My dear sister in-law delivered a healthy baby girl early this morning, a Halloween baby. Sppooooky. I now have three nieces and one nephew all of whom have a unique characteristic, their parents are from different ethnic backgrounds. African and European, Chinese and European and Indian and European. They've been referred to as the rainbow generation with affection and pride. I was thinking of this brand new baby girl today with a smile and thought I might write her a letter and then realized that with my other niece having a birthday coming up this weekend, I should just include them all.
Dearly loved children of the Kingdom.
I hope that you all know how loved and infinitely lovable you are. Your uncle is crazy about you.
Each of you is a beautiful, unique creation in the image of God. What does that mean? Basically it means that you are like a mirror and that when you try and be the best person you can be that people can see God in you and it makes people happy and the world more wonderful. I want you to know something, the fact that your mommy and daddy look different or come from different places in the world or speak different languages is a really cool thing. Some people have not figured that out yet, but it's true. Each of you is like a little picture of the future, a future when all humanity will be united in love and unity the way that your mommy and daddy are today. You may run into people in your life that see you in a different way, a bad way. Don't listen to them, listen to your uncle because he knows what he is talking about. You don't have to chose your mommy's background or your daddy's background because you are both and also you are much more, you are a child of the kingdom. What does that mean, a wise man named 'Abdu'l-Baha said this long ago:
"These children are neither Oriental nor Occidental, neither Asiatic nor American, neither European nor African, but they are of the Kingdom; their native home is heaven and their resort is the Kingdom of ABHA."
Never forget who you are. Never forget.
Love and hugs,
Uncle Phillipe
Congratulations on your new niece! That's very exciting! Also, the new blog address is very cool. :) See you in class tomorrow. - Carla
ReplyDeleteThat was a truly beautiful letter and I don't think I had ever heard that quote before... thank you for sharing it with us :).
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Phillipe!
ReplyDeleteAn uncle's role is very important, and I see you are stepping up to the plate!
I believe that your letter, and of course the quotation, which I took to heart early on in my Baha'i life, are the right approach: Surround children with love, and also tell them early on about prejudices they may encounter in the future, explaining the reality of why it may happen, with confidence and love-- for oneself, for God, and for others, no matter what their condition.
Anyway, it worked for me.
I treasure to this day some charming, profound and some funny stories of how this played out in my children's early years. The remarkable effect of such teachings, and struggling to internalize them myself, reinforced my Faith in the Blessed Beauty, as a new mom and new Baha'i.
As for the wonderful photo: it brought back my remembrance of Ruhiyih McComb, an American woman who had sat on 'Abdu'l-Baha's lap as a child in 1912.
I met her in the 70's, at what I remember as a Feast in NYC. Or maybe a commemoration for 'Abdu'l-Baha. She was asked to speak about her remembrances of the Master. She spoke, at an advanced age, with what seemed to me to be great joy, innocence and a humble boldness, and she had an infectious laugh. -- Most of us lose this after childhood. I remember Mrs. McComb recounted how she had written a letter to 'Abdu'l-Baha: She wanted to know why, if the next world was so wonderful, God makes us live in this one. He sent her a tablet in reply. His answer was that "the seed must needs be buried in the dark earth" to release its potential. --Something else that has influenced my spiritual life.
God is All Glorious!