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