Stumbling toward unity

More than 150 years ago, Baha’u’llah proclaimed the oneness of humanity. Addressing mankind, he said, “The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch.” In another place he says, “O children of men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from the same substance, it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest.”

Today, science has abundantly confirmed the fact that all humans share a common ancestry. Some geneticists theorize that everyone currently alive on earth is at least a 50th cousin of everyone else. I don’t understand much about genetics, but it seems to me that this speaks to the notion that “race” is a social construct, not a scientific term. In fact, geneticist Kenneth Kidd says race is not biologically definable.

Even though our oneness has been established by both science and religion, its acceptance is neither assured nor easy. Progress is rarely smooth, and growing into the truth of our oneness has been particularly harrowing. The current social climate in this country is, of course, grievous for anyone not part of the ruling elite and the loss of hard-won gains is heartbreaking. But it is not permanent. A giant barrier in the path of our oneness has been erected by our own government. But it will not stand; it’s just the latest obstacle in the path. We will continue to stumble toward unity, the ultimate goal of human existence on the planet.

While our oneness is established fact, that is not the same as unity, which involves a set of behaviors, a collective will undergirded by a visceral acceptance of our oneness, not an intellectual one only. Baha’i Scripture says, “Unity is the expression of the loving power of God and reflects the reality of Divinity.”

Despite the many obstacles in the path of unity, despite the darkness of the hour, we will, ultimately, truly become one people, citizens of one united world. Indeed, Baha’is believe that this world-embracing unity is God’s will. We, however, are the ones who must achieve it – and we will, for it is a concept whose time has come and I believe there are enough of us working to promote unity to attain critical mass. How we work to achieve this unity matters, though. If we work with rancor in our hearts, we delay the realization of our unity; if we work with retribution in our hearts, we delay our ultimate purpose; if we work with revenge in our hearts, we delay the establishment of a just society. If we work with anything but love in our hearts, we have much to lose, for love is the only force which can bring people together.  Indeed, Baha’i Scripture tells us that love is “the living link that uniteth God with man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul. Love is the Most Great Law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the divers elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movement of the spheres in the heavenly realm.” It is also described as “the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world.”

So, know that unity and oneness are our God-ordained destiny. We can hinder the process of becoming one people by letting negative feelings determine our actions, or we can hasten it by infusing our efforts with a love born of the knowledge of our oneness.

This article appears in The College Crisis.