R-E-S-P-E-C-T in the B-E-C

I've just arrived home from my second day of classroom BEC training and even though technically I'm supposed to remain a passive onlooker for the next fortnight, somehow I've landed the gig of planning and teaching the next class!

Okay. Pause. Rewind.

If you've just started reading this blog, you may not be aware that I'm currently learning the ropes as a Baha'i Education Class (BEC) teacher and have just started the class-room observation stint of my training with my Baha’i sisters Cora and Fariba as facilitators. So far it's been pretty straightforward. As far as I can see, the kids are gorgeous, lessons follow a simple routine structure and the students thrive under the consistency. Here's a breakdown of a typical BEC:

First, students enter and get settled down by selecting a star sticker, their gift upon arrival. Then they sit down at their tables, get organised, colour their folders or catch up with friends. After about 10 minutes, when everyone has the playground out of their system, we ring a bell - less Pavlov, more Buddhist - signifying that it's time for Devotions.

What does this look like in a Baha'i class? Well, we all form a big circle on the floor and start by singing songs based on Baha’i Scripture or principles. Then we share prayers from Christian, Buddhist, Indigenous, Hindu, Jewish, Baha'i, Muslim and other Holy Writings. I can't tell you how sweet it is to see a 5 year old earnestly dedicate a Native American prayer to the Great Earth Spirit, a 7 year old affirm the Hindu concept that God is "my Father and my Mother," and an 11 year old honour Christ by reciting the Golden Rule. Though the songs and the prayers vary every week, each class starts in this way, reflecting the Baha'i concept of fostering harmony among the World's religions:

“The religion of God is for love and unity; make it not the cause of enmity or dissention.” - Tablets of Baha’u’llah Revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 220

Then we have activities. Today for example, saw the kids writing their own prayers to God. They ranged from heart-warming: "Thank you God, for keeping my family safe." to heart-felt: "God, please help me to be a better person.” to heart-burn: "Dear God, please give me a Play Station 3." Hmmm - they are kids after all. (Actually, it got my cogs turning about the deification of Santa Claus...and the Santa-fication of God...but that post can wait until December!)

The point is, in terms of structure, BEC couldn't be more simple.

Anyway, when the children had left this morning and we were packing up, Cora and Fariba started discussing next week’s lesson. They had planned to introduce the virtue of ‘respect’ and were bouncing around ideas of how to go about it. Broadly speaking, our job as Baha'i Educators is to encourage children to manifest and develop their innate spiritual qualities, or 'virtues.'

And that’s when I decided to go and open my big mouth:

“Hey, maybe we should play the song for them.”
The two women looked at me, question marks for pupils.
"You know. Respect. By Aretha Franklin?"
Continued blank stares.
"Ummm, The Blues Brothers? Soul music? Sock it to me...?"
They shrugged their shoulders.

In the hope of jogging their memories, I even belted out a few bars - as best a skinny white girl can. Now, these women may be in their 40's and sure, they were born in the Phillipines and Iran respectively, but I'd assumed Aretha crossed every cultural divide. Evidently not. That'll learn me for assuming.

“Well anyway, I'm positive the kids would know it. And love it; they'd be dancing in their seats. Hey, maybe they could even make up a dance...we could put them into groups... mixed ages... mixed genders....yeah...that'd teach them about respect... "

I was just thinking out loud. Talking to myself, really. But when I looked up, Cora had this wicked glint in her eye.

"Per-earl*...?" she cooed, (*not my real name) "How would you feel about taking the next class?"
That shut me up. “Me? Take the class? Really? I mean…are you sure?”
She nodded vigorously. I looked to Fariba for help. She was beaming in agreement. The traitor.

So, after some consultation about structure and a brief look at The Virtues Project Educator’s Guide, (an amazing resource written by fellow Baha'i, Linda Kavelin Popov) I acquiesced.

Okay, if I'm totally honest, they didn't have to twist my arm that much.

Next week, I take my first, very premature BEC lesson. The moral education of precious, priceless children. Future caretakers of the planet. It's definitely a mission from God – Jake and Elwood style.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lesson to plan!

Miner in Training

"Among the greatest of all services that can possibly be rendered by man to Almighty God is the education and training of children, young plants of the Abha Paradise, so that these children, fostered by grace in the way of salvation, growing like pearls of divine bounty in the shell of education, will one day bejewel the crown of abiding glory." -Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 133

I recently completed my second day of training for my future as a volunteer Baha'i Education Class (BEC - formerly known as BESS) teacher in Australian elementary schools. It was a excellent day, replete with games, prayers, songs, consultation and hands-on learning. We had some fruitful discussions, fondly reflecting on what qualities our favourite teachers from our own school days possessed. By the end of the day, all of us had presented a lesson plan to the rest of the group and received helpful feedback and suggestions from our facilitators, both of whom have a wealth of experience as teachers themselves.

The main thing I took away from this installment of the training is that my job is not to indoctrinate the children with my own ideas, but rather to identify and then nurture the unique spiritual qualities - or to use Baha'i parlance, 'virtues' - that each child inherently possesses. The Baha'i Teachings encourage us to think of ourselves as midwives and miners, drawing out the potential of our students, rather than imposing our beliefs upon them. My prediction is that that these kids will end up teaching me more about virtues than I could ever hope to teach them. I'm thinking patience, tolerance, honesty, listening, humility and ensuring classroom unity will be at the top of my personal 'to learn' list!

Within the Baha'i Dispensation, a period where humanity has the opportunity and means to build a globally unified society, the importance of teaching children cannot be overstated. Each child who fulfills her potential enriches the lives of everyone around her, as well as those of generations to come. In a world where greed, inequality, poverty and injustice are duking it out with our collective desire for something nobler, the moral education of children quite literally becomes the foundation of the Formative Age:

"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal it's treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom." - Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 260

Next week I start sitting in on Baha'i classes at the local elementary school as an observer. I'm so grateful for the well thought out training sequence, which is supportive, systematic and spiritually centred. For the next four weeks I'll get to listen and learn in a non-active role while I soak up the experience from the back of the class. It's a time for me to ask questions, consider my strengths and weaknesses - and gather tips about crowd control. The class I'm entering consists of 29 kids ranging from 5-11 years of age. That's alot of little souls, all at very different stages of intellectual, physical and spiritual development. There are going to be challenging moments, no doubt. Praise be that there's a wealth of Baha'i Writings to offer inspiration and encouragement. The fact that The Master Himself is supplicating to God on my behalf that I may succeed in this endeavour gives me such comfort and strength:

"As to thy question regarding the education of children: it behoveth thee to nurture them at the breast of the love of God, and urge them onward to the things of the spirit, that they may turn their faces unto God; that their ways may conform to the rules of good conduct and their character be second to none; that they make their own all the graces and praiseworthy qualities of humankind; acquire a sound knowledge of the various branches of learning, so that from the very beginning of life they may become spiritual beings, dwellers in the Kingdom, enamoured of the sweet breaths of holiness, and may receive an education religious, spiritual, and of the Heavenly Realm. Verily will I call upon God to grant them a happy outcome in this." - Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 142

I will keep you posted.

The Golden Age will be Green

In a world literally falling apart, I'm frequently struck by things that offer confirmation that we are making headway in the Formative Age. I think of these experiences as 'birth-pang spottings.' When small, they offer me solace and hope that all this crazy tumult has a grand Purpose. When big, they fill me with pure, unadulterated joy that I'm alive to witness - and contribute to - the burgeoning adventure of unity on planet earth. I want to share one such recent big-time spotting with you.

A couple of weeks ago I came upon an essay in a back copy of Vanity Fair by everyone's favourite eco-crusading-wasted-in-politics-power-pointer, Mr Al Gore. The article, aptly titled 'The Moment of Truth', really moved me. I was struck not just by Gore's eloquent vision regarding the environmental emergency we face, but by the overwhelming...well, Baha'i-ness of it. Here is the excerpt that most rocked my world:

"This crisis is bringing us an opportunity to experience what few generations in history ever have the privilege of knowing: a generational mission; the exhilaration of a compelling moral purpose; a shared and unifying cause; the thrill of being forced by circumstances to put aside the pettiness and conflict that so often stifle the restless human need for transcendence; the opportunity to rise.

When we do rise, it will fill our spirits and bind us together. Those who are now suffocating in cynicism and despair will be able to breathe freely. Those who are now suffering from a loss of meaning in their lives will find hope.

When we rise, we will experience an epiphany as we discover that this crisis is not really about politics at all. It is a moral and spiritual challenge." (The rest of the essay is well worth reading in its entirety - check it out here.)

If that's not one of the most beautiful descriptions of the rewards humanity will reap when we start joining forces to solve our common problems that you've ever read, I'll gladly eat an electric car. Personally, I was overcome with gratitude because as a Baha'i, I already feel deeply connected to the mission Gore has predicted. I was powerfully reminded of the following statement released by the Universal House of Justice (the administrative centre of the Baha'i Faith) back in 1992:

"It is our conviction that any call to global action for environment and development must be rooted in universally accepted values and principles. Similarly, the search for solutions to the world's grave environmental and developmental problems must go beyond technical-utilitarian proposals and address the underlying causes of the crisis. Genuine solutions, in the Bahá'í view, will require a globally accepted vision for the future, based on unity and willing cooperation among the nations, races, creeds, and classes of the human family. Commitment to a higher moral standard, equality between the sexes, and the development of consultative skills for the effective functioning of groups at all levels of society will be essential." - Baha'i International Community, Earth Charter, 1992

Imagine my delight then, when just last week I found out Al Gore discusses the Baha'i Faith at length in his soon to be re-released book, Earth in the Balance (pictured above.) Naturally I couldn't wait to check it out. Here's what he has to say about my beloved religion's commitment to finding spiritual solutions for environmental challenges :

"One of the newest of the great universalist religions, Baha'i, founded in 1863 in Persia by Mirza Husayn Ali [Baha'u'llah], warns us not only to properly regard the relationship between humankind and nature but also the one between civilization and the environment. Perhaps because its guiding visions were formed during the period of accelerating industrialism, Baha'i [sic] seems to dwell on the spiritual implications of the great transformation to which it bore fresh witness:

"We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life molds the environment and is itself deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions." [from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 84]

And, again, from the Baha'i sacred writings comes this:

"Civilization, so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon men." [Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 342]" - Al Gore, Earth in the Balance, pp. 261 - 262

And all this from the pen of a Christian Baptist! A-men, brother. I think that when non-Baha'i's embrace the principles of the Faith so openly, it gives me even more pleasure than listening to the most devout Baha'i delivering scholarly theological oration. Perhaps because it testifies to the fact that:

"This is the day whereon every man endued with perception hath discovered the fragrance of the breeze of the All-Merciful in the world of creation, and every man of insight hath hastened unto the living waters of the mercy of his Lord, the King of Kings. This is the day whereon all created things cry out, and announce unto men this Revelation, through which hath appeared what was concealed and preserved in the knowledge of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised." - Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 140

No matter who you are or what spiritual beliefs you adhere to, anyone who's awake can see that the time is at hand for us to put aside our differences, don our thinking caps, roll up our sleeves and get down to the business of building it. It's a necessity that transcends all cultures and religions. This combination of shared needs, unified goals, consultation and elbow-grease is the very heart and soul of the Formative Age.

What's in a Name? Part 2: the Formative Age

"A new life is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth..." - Baha'u'llah, gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 196

It is the idea of the Formative Age, the second part of my blog title, that really gets my motor running. Some context first. In my late-teens I started to become consumed by the feeling that we were on the brink of a something cataclysmic; that the collective direction humanity took would either make or break us. I couldn't put my finger on exactly why, so I called it the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, or late-capitalism, or Armageddon. I aligned myself with socialism, feminism, ecological movements, human rights organisations and various spiritual traditions looking for the best way to contribute to our survival. Everyone I knew seemed to be searching for similar answers.

When I discovered the Baha'i Faith at age 23, I was curious but sceptical. Exactly one day after first hearing about this new-fangled religion, God introduced me to a Baha'i woman who had just moved to Australia from New York. We became fast friends. She encouraged me to investigate the Writings thoroughly for myself and by now thoroughly intrigued, I did. Actively studying Baha'u'llah's teachings over the next year and a half, I began to realise that all my suspicions were not only confirmed by the Baha'i Writings, the actual Source of these feelings had been revealed to me. I slowly became convinced that the upheavals I'd been observing and experiencing; the rapid advances of women’s rights in the West, devastating natural disasters, triumphs of technological and scientific enquiry, the suicides of loved-ones, half of my immediate family being saved from the clutches of active addiction in the space of nine months, our ever-shrinking planet; all fell under the banner of what Baha’u’llah’s grandson, Shoghi Effendi described as "the death-pangs of the old order and the birth-pangs of the new". Religious, agnostic or atheist, we can all agree that these global pangs are real. It's impossible to have eyes and ears and not acknowlege that unheralded change is underfoot. Perhaps the most pertinent question one can ask is why is all this happening? For Baha’i’s, the current turmoil on earth is the direct result of the energies that were unleashed in 1863 when Baha’u’llah revealed his mission - to unite all of humanity.

Baha'u'llah was not the first Manifestation of God and He will not be the last. According to His own Writings, His Dispensation will last no longer than 1000 years at which time He will be succeeded by the next Messenger of God. This is where the Formative Age comes in.

During the thousand years of the Baha’i Era, it has been revealed that there will be 3 distinct stages; the Heroic Age, the Formative Age and the Golden Age. Right now, we are right at the beginning of the Formative Age, the period which will determine what the Golden Age looks like for the future generations who are alive to experience it. Contrary to its mythical, Utopian connotations, the "Golden Age" is just a fancy way of describing something very down-to-earth and achievable; namely the emergence of world peace:

"For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective. World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet." The Baha'i World Centre, The Universal House of Justice, 1985 Oct, The Promise of World Peace, p. 1

There is only one catch. While peace is promised, it’s duration is not set in stone. The clock started ticking in 1844 so we only have about 800 years to burn and a lot of work to do. It’s up to us whether we enjoy 799 years of fulfilling our spiritual, creative and intellectual potential or just 3. Moreover, the quality of this inevitable peace is in our hands. We can aim for gritted-teeth, clenched fists absence-of-war peace, or the absolute pinnacle of spiritual civilization. It’s our call. The good part is this: we have been given everything we need by an All-Loving God to succeed.

These principles are universally applicable and can be utilised by Baha’i’s and non-Baha’i’s alike. I believe that every individual inhabiting the planet right now is here because they have something unique and wonderful to offer future generations. This is what the Formative Age means to me. Plenty of my non-Baha’i friends have taught me incredible things about service and unity and they’ve never even heard of Baha’u’llah. One doesn’t need to understand the intricate workings of electricity to turn on a light.

The more ideas shared between different communities, both religious and secular, the more we capitalise on our chance to not only survive but to thrive. And if you don’t like the term “Formative Age,” call it something else. Judgement Day; the New Age, global rehabilitation. I don’t care how it’s talked about, so long as it’s talked about. My prayer is that this page can become a drop in the ocean of that dialogue; the most important dialogue in human history.

“It is the ardent desire of the Bahá'ís to put these teachings into common practice: and they will strive with soul and heart to give up their lives for this purpose, until the heavenly light brightens the whole world of humanity.”- Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 29

What's In A Name? Part 1: Pearl Bearer

"Divine things are too deep to be expressed by common words. The heavenly teachings are expressed in parable in order to be understood and preserved for ages to come. When the spiritually minded dive deeply into the ocean of their meaning they bring to the surface the pearls of their inner significance. There is no greater pleasure than to study God's Word with a spiritual mind." - Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 79

Today, dear reader, I've got a yen to wax lyrical about the title of my blog. Sure, it's catchier than a cold, I hear you say. But does it mean anything? Well, yes actually. It means everything.

My personal connection to pearls goes way back to early childhood. When I was 5 years old, my socially-ambitious mother used to dress me up like a little doll and take me to the ballet. There, in my Mary Jane shoes and very own miniature string of pearls, I was encouraged to behave like a 'proper lady' - which I soon discovered meant stifling my naturally loud laugh and sitting still for long periods of time with my knees together.

Though I loved the performers and the music, I found the whole foyer scene with its champagne-flute-clinking 'ladies' loudly showing off their own daughters deeply unsettling. I remember one little girl my age swanning about in a fur coat. I'm not joking; it was surreal. Influenced by my father's atheism and my own precocious imagination, I must have unconsciously associated all this artificiality and excess with religion, because I decided that all ballet patrons coupled pearls with masks of 'Just fine, thank you" for obligatory trips to some soulless church every Sunday. From then on, in my cynical little mind at least, pearls somehow became the jewel of choice for the privileged and the self-righteous. Amazing the stories children come up with.

Years later on my 25th birthday, by which time life had introduced me to a very different perspective on religion and found me actively investigating the Baha'i Faith, a dear friend presented me with a gift. It was a pair of raw pearls; earrings she'd lovingly fashioned just for me. They were crafted them so simply, so thoughtfully, that I couldn't help appreciating them. Slowly but surely, pearls started to grow on me, while at the same time the Holy Writings I was earnestly devouring were causing pearls to grow in me. Just a few short months after that birthday, I officially declared as a Baha'i and today, I wear pearls all the time. In fact, just now I reached up to my earlobes and realised that I'm unwittingly wearing those very earrings as I type these very words. Seriously. Cross my heart.

Finally, as if all that's not enough, I recently discovered that my middle name, so called after my paternal grandmother, can be translated from its French origins...as Pearl! I guess this is not particularly exciting unless you know that my first name means Wisdom. When I asked my parents if this was intentional, they smiled with genuine surprise and promised it was a coincidence. So. My name literally means Wisdom Pearl. Pearl of wisdom.

I'm hoping to grow into it over time.

Baha'u'llah, the Prophet and Founder of the Baha'i Faith, refers to pearls prolifically in His Writings - as you can no doubt see from the selections I've dotted around this page. They are used as a metaphor for all manner of spiritual riches and divine mysteries:

"My holy, My divinely ordained Revelation may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster." -Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 325

Why allude to pearls, I have wondered. Why not some costlier, more coveted gemstone like diamonds; emeralds, rubies? When I consider how pearls are formed, a layperson's theory emerges. Pearls are forged deep in the sea when a tiny parasite becomes trapped in an pearl oyster. Irritated by this, the oyster coats the intruder with a special substance to relieve its discomfort. This occurs again and again, over months, years, sometimes even decades until ultimately, from an initially painful and unwelcome experience, a gorgeous, unique pearl results. It is not an overnight matter. It requires action on the part of the sea creature, full immersion in the ocean, and time.

In this, Baha’u’llah has provided such a exquisite way to think about spiritual growth. The Baha'i teachings clearly prescribe cultivating a life of disciplined daily action: reverent study of the Holy Writings morning and night (immersing oneself in the ocean) plus prayer, mediation and loving acts of service to others. For Baha'i's, this formula provides not only relief from the pain of spiritual atrophy, but is also the key to unlocking the gems of true understanding that God has hidden within us; Her precious pearls of wisdom:

"Ye are My treasury, for in you I have treasured the pearls of My mysteries and the gems of My knowledge." - Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words

When I became a Baha'i at the age of 25, the cycle of pain, followed by action, followed by growth was certainly not a new one. However, never before have I felt both the agony and ecstasy of spiritual maturation more intensely than in the past two years. Every day I practice as a Baha'i - and I do mean practice - I become a little richer in acceptance and detachment. Like real pearls, triumphs over self are not won without discomfort, effort, sacrifice and patience. This is doubtlessly why they are so valuable:

"...this station is the pearl of human consummation, the shining star toward which human destiny points. Practice the teachings of Baha'u'llah, and day unto day you will draw nearer the supreme horizon." - 'Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 99

My heart's desire is to become ever more willing to relinquish those things that block me from God and I want to hear how others, Baha'i's and non-Baha'i's, experience this alchemical process. I hope that as time passes, this page will become a place where people from the far corners of the earth can come to drop their own pearls into the deep blue; a little ocean that bears - and bares - the gems of God's Word.

Coming soon - What's In A Name? Part 2: The Formative Age

Interdependence Day

"Of old it hath been revealed: "Love of one's country is an element of the Faith of God." The Tongue of Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed: "It is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the world."" - Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 95

This time last year I had the pleasure of spending July 4th lazing on beach just outside the hustle and bustle of New York City. Now, exactly 366 days later, the United States is on my mind and in my heart again. My beloved little brother, Alex - pictured right at age 5 - has just embarked on his very first trip to the Land of the Free (market) to attend his grandmother’s 80th birthday in Chicago. Half African-American, half Euro-Australian, Alex is bound to me by ties of love, not blood. He came into my life at the tender age of two when my father fell in love with his mother eight years ago. Getting to play an active role in his life as his big sister is one of the yummiest gifts I’ve ever received.

In the days preceding his departure, my family has enjoyed some wonderfully rich discussions about ancestry and identity. Alex, now 10, has never met his (Black) biological father’s side of the family and it’s been simultaneously delightful and heart-wrenching to see him grappling with his feelings. After spending some time playing outdoors on an unusually sunny winter’s day recently, he exclaimed to his mother, "Hey, check me out - I think my skin got darker in the last two hours." When my stepmum told me, I didn't know whether to cheer or choke up. This trip is the biggest thing Alex has ever done, and he knows it. His lineage awaits him.

As the only Baha’i in my family, I’m conscious not to impose my religious views on my father or step-mother. Alex is lucky enough to have two amazing parents who demonstrate their spirituality through living example. However, in the midst of all this I've had the opportunity to introduce my family to a bunch of related Baha'i principles, for example, the Baha'i perspective on children of mixed ethnicity:

“So-called "interracial marriage" is also encouraged in the Bahá'í teachings, which stress the essential oneness of the human race.” - Baha'i International Community, 1992, quoted in Magazine - The Baha'i’s

I’ve also touched on the extraordinary terms with which Baha’u’llah Himself exalted human beings with high melanin-concentration:

“Bahá'u'lláh once compared the coloured people to the black pupil of the eye surrounded by the white. In this black pupil you see the reflection of that which is before it, and through it the light of the Spirit shines forth.” - Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 68

Finally, I couldn’t help mentioning to my stepmother that Chicago has some wild tourist attractions and if they felt like a little prayer and meditation while in Illinois, a visit to the Baha’i temple in Wilmette might be fun…

Although there are plenty of Australians of African descent here in Melbourne, not too many of them live in Alex’s neighborhood. His main exposure to people whose physical features he can identify with is via MTV. It's incensing that the majority of African-American artists who’ve achieved enough success to gain commercial airplay down under tend to represent the two most dangerous and degrading caricatures of post-abolition Blackness; gangstas and hos. (I’ll be exploring ideas about why in future posts, no doubt.)

My hope is that when Alex and I travel to America together one day - we’ve made a pinkie-promise, which is contract in our family - his parents will give me their blessing to expose him to some of the truly glorious expressions of Black Baha’i pride on offer in the States. It's my heartfelt belief that this would be the most effective way to counteract and heal any pernicious discrimination he may encounter and internalise in his lifetime.

When I reflect on my emotional investment in eradicating skin-colour prejudice in a country on the other side of the planet, it drives home to me just how intimate this global village is becoming. Making consumer choices that lead to lower carbon emissions in China is my business; interrogating the misogyny that leads to female feticide in India is my responsibility, engendering children of every nationality with a sense of their worth and purpose is my privilege. It's no longer some abstract theory. It's deeply personal. All in accordance with Baha'u'llah's Great Plan.

Musing on the state of the States this Independence Day just gone by, I felt very conscious of our worldwide interdependence. I hope, dear reader, that you will join me in meditating upon the prayer below. And if you’re feeling especially generous, perhaps you'll consider sending out a little prayer for Alex too.

“When love is realized and the ideal spiritual bonds unite the hearts of men, the whole human race will be uplifted, the world will continually grow more spiritual and radiant and the happiness and tranquility of mankind be immeasurably increased. Warfare and strife will be uprooted, disagreement and dissension pass away and universal peace unite the nations and peoples of the world. All mankind will dwell together as one family, blend as the waves of one sea, shine as stars of one firmament and appear as fruits of the same tree. This is the happiness and felicity of humankind. This is the illumination of man, the eternal glory and everlasting life; this is the divine bestowal. I desire this station for you, and I pray God that the people of America may achieve this great end in order that the virtue of this democracy may be ensured and their names be glorified eternally.” - Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 144