Unity

"It is now
that unity
of thought
and action
is more necessary
than ever" *

Unity is a subject that is always associated with teaching, and understanding it and implementing it, in and of itself, is the pivot on which depends all the progress and growth of the Bahá’ís both individually and at the community level. The mere act of saying the phrase “unity in diversity “ is moving and inspiring to any keen observer. But if we think deeply about this concept and principle, what does it really mean? What are its implications? Is it about a group of people from different cultures and backgrounds who share common ideals and attend meetings regularly?



We see active Bahá'í communities around the world working under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice, all guided by Divinely designed plans to convey those eternal truths whose message of unfailing efficiency has the power to heal and restore all humanity. We should also note that those who work with greater unity have made ​​the most progress by arming themselves with a strong magnetic attraction.

Such unity is much more than the poetic image of people of different skin colors getting together for a common purpose, which is certainly as it should be. Above all, it implies the unifying of people of disparate characters whose upbringing and training have occurred in very different and sometimes opposing contexts, people who bear the burden of emotional wounds, prejudices and diverse experiences, all of which have permeated their vision of reality giving it different shades and shaping their responses to their social surroundings.

The Community then, is that living laboratory where we can experience true unity by taking into account all these factors, where -- following the clash of personalities -- love, altruism, compassion, empathy and forgiveness which Bahá'u'lláh teaches us, predominate -- qualities which, refined through the passage of time, lead us to becoming the image and likeness of our Creator.

However, if in the face of any challenge, we distance ourselves from the group, we are not walking the path of unity. It is impossible to achieve unity in diversity if we choose those who will be in our circle of friends because of our affinity to them.  In such a case, although our circle is seemingly made ​​up of people of different nationalities, in essence it continues to be uniform. True unity transcends such notions.

This is a time of enormous changes and they should not surprise us. The world is undergoing strong birth pangs. When the time comes, many eyes will turn to our Communities, looking for a role model. We don’t have the time to put forth ideas alone, but rather it is essential that we put into practice what we have embraced as belief. We have two options before us: we can be actors and 'play our part, however small, in this greatest drama in the spiritual history of the world', ** or be mere spectators. The choice is ours.

"The atmosphere of true love and unity that is manifested within the Baha'i community will directly affect the public and will be the greatest magnet for attracting people to the Faith and confirming them."  Shoghi Effendi, Teaching of the Cause of God, p. 27, [paraphrased]

* Shoghi Effendi, The Source of All Good, pg. 134 [paraphrased]
** Shoghi Effendi, The Study of the Bahá''í Writings, pg. 59. [paraphrased]