As the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding approaches, rather than celebratory peals, millions of Americans will be hearing alarm bells ringing as they witness the daily erosion of traditional American ideals such as freedom, justice and equality. Of course, this country has never fully lived up to these ideals; even so, they have served us well as aspirations to work toward. And, indeed, tremendous progress has been made in that regard – which makes our recent backward slide terribly painful for so many of us.
At this critical time in our nation’s history, the national leadership of the Baha’i community has issued a letter to the nation titled A Common Endeavor: Realizing the Promise of America. It begins thus: “This message from the Baha’is of the United States is an invitation to thoughtful conversation. In this time of challenge, we need spaces where we can pause, reflect, and listen to others with openness and goodwill. We hope this message can inspire such conversations – in homes and neighborhoods, in faith communities and civic settings – so that we can move forward together.”
Baha’is refer to such dialogue as “elevated conversations.” As the letter points out, “conversation is an easily underestimated but vital form of action. The simple act of visiting friends and neighbors, building ties of friendship and exploring hopes and concerns together can help remedy the isolation and loss of purpose that are increasingly prevalent. Conversations – when carried out with good will, fair-mindedness, a desire to learn and, most importantly, with love – can help build community, catalyze action, and facilitate progress.”
Other themes of the letter include: the grassroots community-building efforts which members of the Baha’i faith and their like-minded cohorts are engaging in throughout the country, the Baha’i vision of the future of the U.S., the unique role that youth have to play in bringing about social change, and the necessity of nurturing diverse expressions of our oneness.
The letter ends with a series of questions which may be used in the diverse settings mentioned previously, to initiate deep and meaningful conversations. The first of these questions is, “How do we build genuine bonds of concern, mutual responsibility and collaboration that allow people to transcend whatever differences arise as they work together?”
I cannot, of course, adequately convey the full meaning and import of the letter in this space. However, there is a dedicated website, acommonendeavor.org, on which you will find not only the letter in its entirety, but also related social media content, an immersive web experience, a collection of stories and additional resources.
Millions of our fellow Americans are yearning to find ways to combat the divisiveness, rancor and alienation which dominate our society today. The Baha’i community humbly offers A Common Endeavor: Realizing the Promise of America as a starting point.
Nancy Flood-Golembeck is a retired teacher and longtime member of the Baha’i faith. In addition to serving on the local Baha’i governing body, she is currently writing a memoir.
This article appears in May 28-June 3, 2026.
