First of all, the Bahai faith puts a lot of emphasis
on the spiritual approach. Bahai communities and
individual Bahais do not always get that.... that the
world is to be transformed by spiritual means.
Simply put, when a Bahai fails to exemplify the Bahai
teachings to some extend, the teachings will not be
regarded by others as worthy of being followed. The
more a Bahai is able to exemplify in his or her life
the Bahai teachings, the more people will see the
worth of the Bahai teachigns and the more influential
that person will become, influential in an area that
matters: the heart and souls of people.
Now I am not good at this either ;o) I think this is
one way where Bahais can change the world around them.
By living the teachings, especially those about
kindness, loving your enemy, having a bright and
radiant heart and face, looking upon each person with
love and in the understanding that they are creatures
of God and rejoicing in their spiritual qualities they
put forth. Being free from prejudice.
And then making people aware of the teachings of the
Bahai faith.
It sounds simple but doing the above I find very hard
to do. Yet it is the only way which will reach the
hearts of people, enough people to change the world.
I wondered how Bahais could have reacted who are put
in a situation where one country occupies another. No
civil obedience, apparently. So what coudl they do?
And I can see that a strategy where there is sincere
love for people, where one has his./her thoughts
focussed on God and radiates love and freedom of
prejudice, would influence people around them. If they
then combine this with telling others about the Bahai
faith, it will have an effect on people.
I heard of some Iranian Bahais in Iran who, when their
house was entered by force by policemen/guards to have
it plundered, offered them a meal, and helped them
loading their possessions on vehicles.... that is the
kind of attitude I am talking about. How can you feel
hostile and not feel ashamed of your deeds, when the
ones you are about to chase from their homes welcome
you as if you were an honoured guest?
However, not everybody is able to do this. So
Assemblies are formed and guidance is given through
those means as well.
There are things we can do as Bahais... I can see that
if Rosa Parks had been a Bahai and had refused still
while being Bahai to give her seat to a white person,
she would not be considered to be civilly disobedient
perse by the Bahai institutions. I do not know however
where the fine line is.
We sometimes forget how powerful spiritual virtues can
be, how much influence they have on the hearts and
soul of human beings. And that the Bahai faith is
essentially and first and foremost in my view, a
spiritual path, that aims for spiritual
transformation, from which a material transformation
comes. If we try it the other way around, we will
create communities without spirit, and an
administrative order which mechanically functions but
has no spirit.
wishing you well,
janine van rooij
dublin, ireland
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