Baha’i Perspectives

geoffrey June 30th, 2008

To discriminate against any race, on the ground of its being socially backward, politically immature, and numerically in a minority, is a flagrant violation of the spirit that animates the Faith of Bahá’u'lláh.

(Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, p. 35)

I recently watched a program conducted by Bill Moyers, a journalist for PBS, during which he interviewed a gentleman named Douglas Blackmon about his new book, Slavery by Another Name. This book concerned the world of post-Emancipation slavery in the South, and more generally, the American attitude towards freed slaves. The book discusses the evolution of forced labour by companies in Texas, Alabama and Georgia, and illustrated accounts of labour camps in which African Americans were held under the pretense of imprisonment.

The majority of these cases overwhelmingly affirm that the practice of falsely accusing blacks of perpetrating crimes in the South was a ruse to create a new brand of slavery, one that was technically legal in the post-Civil War and Reconstruction periods of the United States. It was during this time that former slave owners, in compliance with new anti-slavery laws, that slavery took another name and the southern economy, and even the American economy, continued its addiction to forced labour.

During this time, thousands of black men were arrested and then sold to plantations, mills, and labour camps right up to World War II. Large numbers of African Americans were arrested on specious claims, and those individuals that spoke up were at risk of being ostracized or facing complete excoriation.

Mr. Blackmon went on to give a couple of specific examples from his book. One concerned a young African-American named Green Cottenham who lived during the 1880s. His parents were slaves who had been emancipated. When Cottenham married, he and his wife went off to search for work. But in the twentieth century–although slavery had been outlawed–for some of white America it was more than permissible if blacks returned to a station of absolute servility.

During Cottenham’s search for employment, he was arrested, falsely accused, and enslaved in a mining camp on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama (incidentally, two hours south of my home town) called Slope Number 12, which employed the use of forced labour, or industrial slavery. He eventually passed away in the camp, and was buried on the outskirts of Birmingham.

This is an example of how African Americans were subjected to extreme suffering and economic disadvantage with no means of compensation, and which eventually lead to harmful repercussions for decades to follow. The question for the later generations, specifically for white Americans, is: how could we be so unaware? Even those that were children during this period grew up in an environment of collective amnesia. This is a history we haven’t wanted to know or face. False mythologies were created, as many attempted to deal with the reality that had been created.

The descendants of past generations of African Americans often know these stories in their hearts, aware that these events have shaped the pattern of present society. These events help build an irrefutable case for appreciating the present-day frustration against those institutions which generated those devastating consequences, some of which persist to this day, although perhaps to a more subtle degree.

All of this raises one fundamental question: what are the qualities and attitudes we need to move forward?

Tags: America, oneness, prejudice, race

• Baha'i Concepts , Society
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Baha'i Perspectives June 27th, 2008

One of our readers, Samah Tokmachi, recently attended Pangea Day, an event whose aim is to bring the world together through the medium of film. Samah, himself a filmmaker, shares with us some of his experiences and observations from this historic event in a 2-part report. Thank you, Samah!

[Continued from Part I]

The next talk we heard was from Deborah Scranton, Matthew Modine and Lee Daniels on finding hope in telling terror tales. I very much appreciated this talk. Deborah has made a documentary on soldiers in Iraq called “War Tapes” and when she spoke of the need for her to remain non-political in her work, in order for people to listen to her, it resonated with me as a Bahá’í’. Matthew Modine addressed the tremendous changes wrought in the world since the American nation came into being, and how with less technology than is in your cell phone, we had landed on the moon. The theme he really brought home, which again resonated with my understanding of the Baha’i Faith, was how we as a species had been pulled together through technology. He added that the overriding narrative of our time is a global narrative. One thing in particular that Matthew said stays with me: “Your dreams as filmmakers can alter the way we live on this planet.”

Duncan North (”The Tao of Steve”) and Ondi Timoner (”Dig”) spoke about finding truth in a story. I was struck by Ondi’s comment that “Truth is achieved through a prism.” It reminded me of the Baha’i conception of consultation:

The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions.

(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 87)

Following this was a talk by Udi Aloni (”Forgiveness”), Haile Gerima (”Sankofa”) and Marco Williams (”Banished”), who spoke on the subject of “Who tells the Story of the Other?” There was a lot of anger at the injustices in the world, as well as their lack of representation in the film industry. Haile, a Somali filmmaker, spoke at length on the difficulties faced by filmmakers of color. What impressed me greatly was her unifying statement that — while it is true that there is injustice — she had been touched by filmmakers of every hue and race, and that many different voices had empowered her as a filmmaker.

The last panel discussion was by Caroline Baron (”Capote”) and Alex Gibney (”Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”). Together they spoke of the impact of film on our society. To that end, Alex cited an example he learned of in making “Taxi to the Dark Side”. He told the story of how the U.S. military begged the producers of the show “24″ to change the hardball tactics of Jack Bauer, since it was giving new recruits the wrong idea about how to conduct interrogations. That was interesting I thought, and spoke of the complexity of the world we live in.

The last activity we did in our groups: shoot little films with these new and very high quality camera phones. So now I can honestly say I made and co-starred in a film with Matthew Modine!

The next day was the Pangea Day event itself, pulled off with tremendous aplomb. Everywhere I looked, everything I saw, seemed to embody a world-embracing vision. I won’t bother describing the remarkable program of inspiring short films, world music and edifying talks, but I do encourage you to check it out at www.pangeaday.org. I felt deeply humbled to attend both the Pangea Day Filmmakers Retreat and Pangea Day itself, and to be in the company of so many visionary individuals. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to teach the Baha’i Faith in a few instances.

I left inspired and aware of my solidarity with those likeminded groups and individuals who also see the world as a single homeland and all of humanity its citizens. And as a result, I felt a greater sense of empowerment and obligation in my work as a filmmaker. A great yearning came to me. A yearning to see more work from Bahá’ís, both infused with spiritual vitality and made for a global audience. The world is waiting for us and doesn’t even know it…

Tags: film, unity

• Events , General Interest
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Interview Series June 25th, 2008

The Interview Series aims to reflect the unity in diversity of the Baha’i Faith through a series of informal interviews with people from various cultures and backgrounds, touching on their personal experiences and insights. This week, we chat with charming Ndumiso over coffee and a sandwich.

Where are you from?

My passport says South Africa so I guess I could say Cape Town, but then I mention I’m from Swaziland. My link to Swaziland is strong because it’s culturally stronger than most other sub-cultures in Southern Africa, in terms of the language, the accent and the relaxed way of living. I was 20 when I went to South Africa, but I was born and raised in Swaziland. I think where you come from is important because it’s like a reference point. I wouldn’t mind eventually going back to Swaziland [Ndumiso is currently finishing his Energy Sciences doctorate at Kyoto University in Japan].

How long have you been a Bahá’í?

Since March 1990, just before I turned 21. I had finished high school, but hadn’t started university yet.

When did you first hear or see the word?

None of my family are Baha’is, so I didn’t grow up with it. I went to high school with Baha’is. They told me some things, but since Baha’is don’t proselytize, I didn’t get much. But I got some stuff, like the no alcohol thing. With them, it wasn’t just something on paper — it was their behavior. I remember when we graduated, I was like, “We’re finishing high school, let’s go get drunk!” The Baha’is obviously didn’t do that.

I also remember that someone came to the school to present the Peace Statement once. They were from the Baha’i community, but I remembered this after I became a Baha’i. They came and said “Let’s pray.” I remember the prayer was different. I remember I didn’t make fun of it, and I would’ve, being in high school! I took the Statement home, and I think it was then that the seeds were being laid.

Also, when I was around 8, I went to a boarding school. It was a 7^th Day Adventist school. The matron’s daughter used to give this Bible class. In the class, she said, “Baha’is say Christ has returned.” And I said, “So where is He?” Years later I remembered that moment, after I was a Baha’i.

My mother went to Chicago to study when I was between 17 and 19 years old. After she came back, I looked through the photos. The following year, I became a Baha’i. After I became a Baha’i, I realized she had photos in front of the Baha’i House of Worship in Chicago. I asked her, “What’s this?” and she told me that her Christian friends in Chicago had told her some things about the House of Worship, trying to discourage her to go there and visit it. They said things like “the Baha’i God lives in the dome of the House of Worship.” My mother isn’t a follower, so she went to see this “God in the dome” for herself!

My mother was the most positive person in my family about my decision when I became a Baha’i. Before she passed away, I would read to her from the Baha’i Writings often.

Why does one need faith?

I wish I could give a wise answer, like, “picture a bird…”

For me, as a child, my grandmother and family were Christian. Originally, they would tell you things about God and religion, but then you were free to figure things out for yourself as you got older. I started to realize that all people have a limited interest. The only thing that went beyond this was Christ’s message.

When I was about 13 or 14, I started to really feel like the world is full of this limited interest. There is nothing to die for, and nothing real to celebrate. But the Writings of Christ — they were inspiring. I was attracted to these admonitions and ideals. They seemed like light compared to other things.

What about the Baha’i Faith gives you hope?

The most simple reason is because it answered a number of my questions. The answers that it offered were quite compelling. Questions like, “Why am I here?” The best reason for me for following the Bahá’í Faith is that it answers those questions “Why am I here? What do I do with my life?”

Science gives you power. We can build skyscrapers, atomic bombs etc… science gives us ability. But it doesn’t give you direction. Technology is animalistic. Only when it is applied to humanity does it have a special meaning.

What virtue do you esteem most highly or try to adhere to most often?

It changes throughout one’s life! At different stages I’ve been concerned with different virtues. At one stage I was more concerned with harmony — the harmony of the human race, of the people around me.

Now, patience is a big one. The things that come around with patience are really beautiful. I think it’s important to keep it simple, to be patient. If it doesn’t come as quickly as I assumed, then I’ll just have to wait.

What do you consider your greatest achievement in life, to date?

I really value the small moments in my life the most. Like, if there was a little kid getting beaten up at school and I stepped in to help… those are the ones I really cherish. Intervening on behalf of others.

I would say recognizing the Manifestation of God for today, but I don’t know whether that is really an achievement or a bounty!

What life lesson do you wish you had known earlier?

That things work out. If you have a good foundation, or a good intention, things work out. That I shouldn’t be so impatient with things. I wish I would have been more patient with things in my life.

What is your favourite passage from the Writings?

CX. The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure. Our hope is that the world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes. Let them, after meditating on its needs, take counsel together and, through anxious and full deliberation, administer to a diseased and sorely-afflicted world the remedy it requireth.

(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 215)

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Baha'i Perspectives June 22nd, 2008

One of our readers, Samah Tokmachi, recently attended Pangea Day, an event whose aim is to bring the world together through the medium of film. Samah, himself a filmmaker, shares with us some of his experiences and observations from this historic event in a 2-part report. Thank you, Samah!

A number of you may have heard of Pangea Day (www.pangeaday.org), the event that recently took place around the world and was billed as the Earth’s first global campfire.

But you may not have known about the Pangea Day Filmmaker’s Retreat — an event which only certain selected filmmakers were invited to participate in. Fortunately, there were three Bahá’í filmmakers in attendance: Bita Haidarian, Josh Homnick and myself.

The following is summary of my experiences at this phenomenal and historically unprecedented event:

In the evening of Friday May 8^th, there was a poolside reception for all of the filmmakers. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails were served, and it was a very impressive display indeed. Actually, I must add, the filmmakers were very well treated and well fed for the duration of the event. When I entered the reception area, I felt very much at home, surrounded as I was by filmmakers from all over the planet, and over the next few hours I met many more filmmakers, talking to them about their projects. I was deeply humbled to be in the company of so many accomplished film artists, all of whom were passionately committed to serving humanity in some way.

The next day was the Pangea Day Filmmakers retreat. To begin with, documentarian Jehane Noujaim and Chris Anderson, curator of the TED foundation, addressed us. It was highly significant to hear from these two individuals. Jehane’s work as a filmmaker was launched into the public’s consciousness with her documentary “Control Room“.

Soon after this newfound renown, Jehane won the TED Prize from its namesake foundation which gives winners $100,000 — and the opportunity to fulfill a wish. In Jehane’s case, her wish for world peace is a bit beyond TED’s mandate, so instead she chose to work towards it with Pangea Day — a live, global event simultaneously broadcasting from locations on every continent. The idea behind Pangea Day, Jehane explained, was to bring people from around the world together, through the universal language of film.

Chris Anderson reinforced this idea, sharing a thought I’ve really only heard articulated in depth in the literature of the Bahá’í’ Faith: “Whenever we look at the big problems we face, we see that they are global in nature. Therefore their solutions also need to be global. But in order to adequately meet these challenges we must unite humanity.”

He then said he regarded us as founding members of a movement of global filmmakers whose purpose is to build bridges into a new world.

After this stirring address, we were broken up into various groups with our own group leaders, all of who were accomplished in the world of cinema in some way. My group leader was Matthew Modine, the actor probably most known for his role in Full Metal Jacket. Matthew proved to be a truly lovely human being. Surprisingly, he had never heard of the Bahá’í’ Faith, but he seemed very interested upon hearing about it. We introduced ourselves and spoke about culture and how it informed our storytelling, as well as addressing the question of whether or not there was a universal narrative that connects us all…

[to be continued]

Tags: film, unity

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Baha'i Perspectives June 19th, 2008

June 18 marks the 25th anniversary of the day 10 Bahá’í women were hanged in Shiraz, Iran, for teaching religious classes to Bahá’í youth — the equivalent of being Sunday School teachers in the West…

All of the women had been interrogated and tortured in the months leading up to their execution. Some bore still-visible wounds. The youngest of the martyrs was Muna Mahmudnizhad, a 17-year-old schoolgirl who, because of her youth and conspicuous innocence, became a symbol of the group. In prison, she was lashed on the soles of her feet with a cable and forced to walk on bleeding feet… Read More

What precisely could these heroic women have been teaching children in their classes? Well, the topics on Baha’i Perspectives may give us a clue, so let’s take a closer look at what has been discussed thus far. Maybe they were teaching about love and unity. Or education. Or eliminating prejudice. Or the lives of the Prophets of God, including that of his Holiness the Prophet Muhammad. Or even the commandment in the Baha’i Faith to show obedience to the government of the land.

And for all of this, like their predecessors before them, they were branded as traitors and heretics, lashed, beaten and eventually executed. “Traitors” because they understood the text of the Holy Quran in a way that didn’t suit the self-serving interests of the ruling clergy. “Heretics” because they declared their belief in Baha’u'llah, the Glory of God, and chose to follow a world-embracing Cause that addresses present-day concerns and challenges, and not those of a thousand years ago.

Yet to present some sense of legitimacy to their actions, the Iranian Government tells the outside world that they are “spies” and “threats to state security”, allegations which the world has come to realize are utter nonsense.

25 years later and the pattern repeats itself, with the arrest and imprisonment of these 7 Baha’i leaders under the same false pretenses:

In a letter to the Baha’is of Iran, dated 3 June 2008, the governing council of the Baha’i Faith encourages the Baha’is not to take up arms and fight back, but to continue demonstrating through their steadfastness, patience and rectitude of conduct, the true Baha’i way of life:

Despite the current crisis, pay no heed to oppression and cruelty and, inspired by the Divine Teachings, act in the opposite manner. Focus your thoughts on being a source of good to those around you. Exert every endeavour to serve your fellow citizens–heirs to a culture rich and humane–who themselves suffer from many an injustice. Avoid all divisiveness and conflict, consort with everyone with kindliness and sincerity, and engage with your compatriots in the discussion of ideas and the exchange of thoughts on matters with which they are anxiously concerned. Ignite in their hearts the flame of hope, faith, and assurance in Iran’s glorious future and in the bright destiny of humankind which you well know is sure to come to pass.

As we go about our daily lives, our thoughts and prayers are constantly with them.

Tags: freedom, Iran

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nava June 15th, 2008

It seems that from culture to culture, no matter if you’re from Seychelles or France, Nova Scotia or the Yucatan, certain things are universally appealing. The pursuit of love, of a relationship, sitting perhaps atop the list of things people are seeking. Since the appearance of humans on this planet, one could safely guess, we have been trying to woo one another or convince one another that we are worthy of being wooed.

Sure, things have changed quite dramatically over the last century. In some parts of the world, it’s now almost even acceptable for the woman to chase the man, or at the very least, not play so hard to get.

But the word “play” is an interesting one when it comes to relationships. As divorce rates are on the rise, couples’ therapy sessions grow in popularity, and dating “How-to” guides stalk the shelves of many a book store, it seems we humans haven’t quite figured out this romantic love thing yet. Everybody wants it, but many are clueless about how to get it.

So, back to the word play. Why treat relationships like a game? Why treat one another falsely, manipulatively? Is this really the best way to lay a foundation with the person you could potentially build your life with? Perhaps part of it is human nature, hard-wired within us. Perhaps it’s just learned behavior. But either way, it doesn’t seem right. To understand the way to proceed before we are married, we need to understand the purpose of marriage, and the ideal form it should and can take.

Bahá’u'lláh explains that marriage was established because

…when He desired to manifest grace and beneficence to men, and set the world in order, He revealed observances and created laws; among them He established the law of marriage, made it as a fortress for well-being and salvation, and enjoined it upon us in that which was sent down out of the heaven of sanctity in His Most Holy Book.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá says the following:

Marriage, among the mass of the people, is a physical bond, and this union can only be temporary, since it is foredoomed to a physical separation at the close.

… however, marriage must be a union of the body and of the spirit as well, for here both husband and wife are aglow with the same wine, both are enamoured of the same matchless Face, both live and move through the same spirit, both are illumined by the same glory. This connection between them is a spiritual one, hence it is a bond that will abide forever. Likewise do they enjoy strong and lasting ties in the physical world as well, for if the marriage is based both on the spirit and the body, that union is a true one, hence it will endure. If, however, the bond is physical and nothing more, it is sure to be only temporary, and must inexorably end in separation.

In the Bahá’í Faith, the union between husband and wife is not viewed only as a form of companionship — though that is certainly part of it– nor is it just about someone who “makes me feel good”. It’s about service. It’s about a greater goal. Working towards something outside of yourselves as a couple, which brings you together as a couple. We see the bringing forth and raising up of children as one of the primary purposes of marriage.

So when you’re showing off your plumage, wooing one another, as it were, you have to bear in mind that this is the person you want to raise children with, spend all the worlds of God with.

What kind of partner is he/she? How well do you work together? Do you have similar goals and aspirations for your life? If they’re different, are they compatible?

Keeping these questions in mind, seeing the end in the beginning, we should then be able to re-orient and re-design this whole courtship process.

Rather than play games, why not be honest? Shouldn’t this process be a mature, thought-out one?

In addition to all of this, we live in a time that promotes and endorses frivolity in all of our human interactions. We are casual and superficial in our friendships. We are overly familiar with one another. Taking liberties with one another’s bodies and emotions. Blissfully unaware that in so doing, we establish bonds of intimacy that were never created to be broken. But inevitably these casual relationships fall apart, and eat at the vitals of human society, as we become less and less capable of being loyal to each other, truthful with one another. If we are somehow able to overcome those hurdles, there is always the matter of baggage. All of these past experiences which we drag into our new relationships, our marriages-how can we be impervious to them? Of course, they will manifest themselves in our interactions with another. We are, after all, creatures of habit. If we are habitually casual, promiscuous, unwilling to commit, how is marriage going to suddenly transform us? The people we are before we get married will certainly affect the marriage partners we become.

It’s a wonder that any marriages with these types of foundation last. But that doesn’t mean they exist in their highest form. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains that:

The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be even as a single soul. They are two helpmates, two intimate friends, who should be concerned about the welfare of each other.

If they live thus, they will pass through this world with perfect contentment, bliss, and peace of heart, and become the object of divine grace and favour in the Kingdom of heaven. But if they do other than this, they will live out their lives in great bitterness, longing at every moment for death, and will be shamefaced in the heavenly realm.

However, if we are able to thoughtfully, carefully, and truthfully investigate one another’s characters, and if we are able to maintain our focus on God, on service, on raising virtuous children, this is the type of family that may very well be ours:

Note ye how easily, where unity existeth in a given family, the affairs of that family are conducted; what progress the members of that family make, how they prosper in the world. Their concerns are in order, they enjoy comfort and tranquility, they are secure, their position is assured, they come to be envied by all. Such a family but addeth to its stature and its lasting honour, as day succeedeth day.

Tags: dating, love, marriage, relationships

• Baha'i Concepts , General Interest , Society
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leila June 12th, 2008

Some may argue that we live in one of the most materialistic, consumer-driven ages of humankind.

Even in times of economic downturn in the U.S., the yawning wealth gap ensures that the “ultrarich” keep spending-though across town, their neighbors continue to struggle.

An article published a few months ago in The New York Times, for example, profiles “ultrarich” New Yorkers who boast that the recession has done nothing to slow down their profligate spending. Speaking of a particularly extravagant vacation involving a private jet, massages, custom-rolled cigars, and guided rides in racing boats and fighter jets, one individual remarked: “It was just all out - it was insane. I’m not afraid to spend money like that.”

That said, let’s pause and turn to another article, published in the same paper. It profiles a relatively young couple, the Harrises, with two children who, after striking it rich with the dot-com boom, found themselves spending with increasing frequency, amassing a huge amount of “stuff”: toys, gadgets, clothes, cars.

Yet, instead of feeling secure, fulfilled, as if they had “made it,” all they felt was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of “stuff” they had accumulated.

So, they did the extreme. They rid themselves of nearly every material possession-including their wedding bands-and moved to a cabin in Vermont, where one partner would be working from home.

A friend of mine maintained that their example was aberrant, atypical of the norm. But I argued that it’s indicative of an increasingly common trend among affluent Americans: that of the move away from a wealth-at-any-cost, workaholic, materialistic mentality, and toward a career and life path that is more meaningful, holistic, and humane.

Take the Teach for America program, for instance, in which recent university graduates-after undergoing a rigorous application process-commit to spending two years teaching at poorly-performing public schools. A recent article reveals that many of its participants are high-achieving graduates of elite universities, who have chosen not, unlike many of their peers, to cash in their degrees for lucrative jobs in investment banking, for example.

Juxtapose these two diverging trends, and it looks like we’ve got a serious case of cognitive dissonance going on in the U.S.

What’s going on here? Why the extremes?

Your guess is as good as mine. The time-worn adage, “Money doesn’t buy happiness,” has persisted for years, yet we haven’t seemed to learn from past examples.

But I read a quotation the other day from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. Though it was written over seventy years ago, the words hold chilling relevance what the Harrises had felt, what had caused them to suddenly and dramatically reject their materialistic lifestyles:

The materialistic civilization of our age has so much absorbed the energy and interest of mankind that people in general do no longer feel the necessity of raising themselves above the forces and conditions of their daily material existence.

(Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 86)

Bahá’u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, speaks of the lofty nature of humankind; that we’re capable of reflecting those noble qualities of God. But, we’re also guilty of getting caught up with the crass materialism that runs rampant in society. He warns against this:

Ye are even as the bird which soareth, with the full force of its mighty wings and with complete and joyous confidence, through the immensity of the heavens, until, impelled to satisfy its hunger, it turneth longingly to the water and clay of the earth below it, and, having been entrapped in the mesh of its desire, findeth itself impotent to resume its flight to the realms whence it came. Powerless to shake off the burden weighing on its sullied wings, that bird, hitherto an inmate of the heavens, is now forced to seek a dwelling-place upon the dust. Wherefore, O My servants, defile not your wings with the clay of waywardness and vain desires, and suffer them not to be stained with the dust of envy and hate, that ye may not be hindered from soaring in the heavens of My divine knowledge.

(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 325)

Both passages refer to the conscious effort required to resist succumbing to overt materialism. I don’t think that forgoing all of one’s possessions and retreating to the woods is going to provide any lasting solution for humanity-for the Harrises, I can only infer that it made them feel less burdened personally.

What I can glean from studying the writings of the Bahá’í Faith, however, is that a much larger awakening must occur as to the limitations of rampant materialism as a quick-fix to happiness, alongside an outcry against the excessive wealth gap that continues to persist. We’re beginning to see the faint glimmerings of that today, but as it grows, I can only imagine that these efforts will flourish. And as humanity grows impatient with economic injustice and crass materialism, then just maybe, those efforts will bring about a more just and humane global society.

Tags: consumerism, materialism, wealth

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