Wanderings

I recently hosted a devotional meeting on the concept of “Spiritual Warriors: in my usual, nonconventional manner.  We explored the concept of going out into battle every day that we face injustice in the world.  Of course, we do not fight with weapons designed to injure and kill, but rather we arms ourselves with spiritual qualities, we protect ourselves with our prayers, and we must decide what it is we fight for and we do that fighting.  To help us to illustrate this point, we decorated a warrior and recorded what we use as a sword, a shield, our battlecry and our opponents.  Below is mine:

I got this idea from listening to the song, Spiritual Warriors by Dawnbreaker Collective.

TeacherJay Reflections Monday Night Devotions, music, society, spiritual journey

With the utmost friendliness and in a spirit of perfect fellowship take ye counsel together, and dedicate the precious days of your lives to the betterment of the world and the promotion of the Cause of Him Who is the Ancient and Sovereign Lord of all. He, verily, enjoineth upon all men what is right, and forbiddeth whatsoever degradeth their station.

~ Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 183 (XCII para. 3)

Together, with dedication, we can make a difference in the world.  Imagine if we coordinated the efforts of humanitarian aid missions around the world—if they would share information, resources, and human energy—that dedication and fellowship could better the world and promote even more unity.

TeacherJay Gleanings friends, progress, society, unity

The Infuse Youth Project took place over a three year period in Northeast England.  It’s goal was to empower the local youth of the community.  Residents looked poorly upon the youths as being miscreants and troublemakers, and in turn, the youths behaved that way.  By teaching these young people that they could be a positive influence in their community their esteem grew and eventually a more positive view developed by them and by the community.  The video below shows a little about what went on, and also features some music by the Dawnbreaker Collective.

TeacherJay Reflections music, society, youth

…Speech is not needed. Our actions will help on the world, will spread civilization, will help the progress of science, and cause the arts to develop. Without action nothing in the material world can be accomplished, neither can words unaided advance a man in the spiritual Kingdom. It is not through lip-service only that the elect of God have attained to holiness, but by patient lives of active service they have brought light into the world.

Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God, and seek always to do that which is right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute!

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 80

A life of service is perhaps more important than anything else.  I cringe when I see evangelists or believers who think that prayer and prayer alone will be sufficient to heal, solve social ills, lift people out of poverty, build new homes for the displaced, or bring education to the neglected.  What is needed is for us all to be active.  Not everyone has the means, knowledge or comfort level to move to a third-world nation to build schools, or to rescue people in flood-damaged cities, but this is not always necessary.  Becoming a part of a neighborhood organization that provides kids with afterschool internships rather than allowing them to be on the streets, donating used goods to the local soup kitchen, or simply being kind to your neighbors and getting to know them are examples of actions that anyone could take.

Actions will go much farther than speech alone.

TeacherJay Paris Talks action, charity, children, education, prayer, progress, society

Inasmuch as ignorance and lack of education are barriers of separation among mankind, all must receive training and instruction. Through this provision the lack of mutual understanding will be remedied and the unity of mankind furthered and advanced. Universal education is a universal law. It is, therefore, incumbent upon every father to teach and instruct his children according to his possibilities. If he is unable to educate them, the body politic, the representative of the people, must provide the means for their education.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 300

Naturally, as a teacher, I was drawn to this aspect of the Baha’i Faith.  With each passing generation, the amount of knowledge that must be acquired simply in order to be a functioning member of society is growing (a concept I have written about here).  Through my travels I have met people that are lacking the most basic education—adults who cannot read the most basic of childrens’ books, or cannot locate their own country on a globe, or have trouble ciphering without their fingers.  Sadly, I have also seen their children continue this legacy because they are denied an education.

The Baha’i Faith supports universal education for all.  In fact, it should be more than just a moral and ethical law, but a legal requirement of all government to provide this opportunity.  While many do have some sort of public education in place, there are so many gaps and differences in quality of instruction and resources, in addition to those who are denied the opportunity because of their ethnicity, gender, or poverty.

Education and knowledge, or rather withholding them, have long been tools of oppressors to dominate a people.  This occurred in the Antebellum United States with African slaves, but when the barriers were finally removed, African-Americans were finally able to obtain an education and the nation was able to move a step closer to unity.  A similar situation is occurring in China now, as they build schools for rural and migrant students. (read more here)

TeacherJay Promulgation of Universal Peace, The children, education, mankind, progress, society, unity, youth

It is clear that the reality of mankind is diverse, that opinions are various and sentiments different; and this difference of opinions, of thoughts, of intelligence, of sentiments among the human species arises from essential necessity; for the differences in the degrees of existence of creatures is one of the necessities of existence, which unfolds itself in infinite forms.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 301

The Baha’is appreciate all manner of well-formed opinions.  In fact, the Baha’i decision-making process, known as consultation, allows for everyone who wishes to speak to voice her or his opinion.  It is necessary for these differences to exist, to be considered and to be examined.  Just as there is diversity in our physical appearances, and in our abilities, God also provided with this diversity of thought.  All innovations throughout history, whether they be in the form of technology, social progress, or spirituality occurred because someone had a different opinion.  This is necessary for our development and progress as a species.

TeacherJay Some Answered Questions abilities, decisions, development, diversity, mankind, progress, society, unity

I really like the concept of Earth Day, though am a bit disappointed that it is limited to just a single day.  Having lived in a variety of places, my home has been in the mountains, near the beach, in an urban jungle, on a 19th-century farm and even in a rain forest.  I have seen all of these different ecosystems, and different approaches to treating the environment.  In places like Honduras where the motto on the license plates reads “Cuidemos los bosques”—“We care for the forests,” I routinely saw men with machetes cutting down protected trees.  Tourists often trample the sea oats that keep the beach from eroding, put the cigarette butts out in the sand, or leave bright lights on at hotels confusing the baby sea turtles trying to head towards the full moon—all three illegal under Florida law.  In New York City, not only would people openly litter on the streets, but many people did not recycle in their homes.  Friends and associates who run large farms in the Midwest do not always follow crop-rotation practices to keep the soil fertile and rely heavily on artificial fertilizers.

I have seen these things and I wince.  I believe strongly that we are to be stewards of this Earth.  Everything on this planet has been supplied for our use and to satisfy our needs and desires.  But, we must do so responsibly.  The Native American proverb, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,” has much wisdom and is something we should always consider.  Although not specifically a Baha’i concept, the duty to prepare a world for our children that is better than the one we were born into is innate to every culture.

Unfortunately, I often see the problems that lead to such recklessness with our planet’s ecology as being driven by self-interest and greed.  If we could all learn to treat the entire planet as our home we would be better off.  As it is, the peoples of many nations are quite territorial and short-sighted—thinking only of themselves and not considering the destruction their pollution may be causing in other places.  If we continue on this route where we cannot see the forest for the trees, there may be not trees to see.

TeacherJay Reflections globalism, international, nature, society, unity

Difference of capacity in human individuals is fundamental. It is impossible for all to be alike, all to be equal, all to be wise. Bahá’u'lláh has revealed principles and laws which will accomplish the adjustment of varying human capacities. He has said that whatsoever is possible of accomplishment in human government will be effected through these principles. When the laws He has instituted are carried out, there will be no millionaires possible in the community and likewise no extremely poor. This will be effected and regulated by adjusting the different degrees of human capacity. The fundamental basis of the community is agriculture, tillage of the soil. All must be producers. Each person in the community whose need is equal to his individual producing capacity shall be exempt from taxation. But if his income is greater than his needs, he must pay a tax until an adjustment is effected. That is to say, a man’s capacity for production and his needs will be equalized and reconciled through taxation. If his production exceeds, he will pay a tax; if his necessities exceed his production, he shall receive an amount sufficient to equalize or adjust. Therefore, taxation will be proportionate to capacity and production, and there will be no poor in the community.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 217

Perhaps this quote would have been more fitting yesterday, as April 15 was the day that, for Americans, Federal Income Tax returns were due.  There are depictions from Baha’u’llah of a society where all people would contribute into a pool of funds based upon his or her own capacity for production.  Those who were producing more than their needs would contribute a portion of the excess into a community fund.  Those who were not able to produce enough for their needs would be able to withdraw from those funds—which would also be used to support special populations, such as orphaned children, the sick, the elderly, etc.  This method is not meant to make everyone exact economic equals regardless of their effort and resulting outcome, but rather as a way of narrowing the divide between the very rich and the very poor.  The elimination of the extremes of poverty and wealth is one of the core beliefs of the Baha’i Faith.

TeacherJay Promulgation of Universal Peace, The economy, excess, human capacity, money, poverty, society, wealth