Photograph by Nathan Wolfe

There is a softness that often times creeps in when sitting silently. The despondent and yet comforting rain falling outside lends itself to a certain mood. OK. Take a breath. Close your eyes.

The peal of the lightning and thunder somewhere up above me keeps playing on my mind. It settles in. Happiness settles in. And yet this quiet but incessant voice speaks to me – “what do you know of hardship, of persecution, of oppression?” And then a chain reaction is set off and I ask myself — how do I even suppose to know empathy? How do we communicate happiness as an actual remedy for the harshness and brutality that we see in the world? Does a focus on happiness and contentment simply distract us from seeking and attaining justice?

Here are two ideas which help shape my next series of thoughts:

- Baha’is work for the betterment of the world, and
– The pivotal belief in the oneness of all mankind directs our efforts.

The Baha’i Faith is not simply concerned with survival, as any emerging consciousness or force in the world often has to come to terms with. Its purpose is not to generate an enclosed community composed of a core of devoted adherents. It seeks to be in constant motion, ever inviting all to participate in building the unity of the world. This sense of purpose necessarily directs a certain mindset that must not be divided.

I met a Hindu man recently who spoke of how seemingly in the West there exists this dichotomy between the heart and the mind; and that success in this plane of reality is bent upon one thing — the integration of being and doing. Then, perhaps to be content or happy does not negate striving for justice. We are not so limited in our emotional and spiritual capacity to only exist in one state at a time. The challenge is to bring a sense of unity to our efforts that spans across and enfolds all manifestations of the human experience. We must seek a mindset built upon coherence. When the fundamental ideas that act on or shape our identity presuppose each other, so that in isolation they would be meaningless, that is coherence.

When reflecting on the interaction between happiness and justice, understanding that they are interrelated and quite deeply connected is integral to their application. There are, of course, many types of happiness or things that bring us joy in this world. Our appreciation of those things is often related to our present state of orientation, and there is much in this world that makes itself available for personal pleasure. At this point, I think we have to review in what way we are defining happiness. True joy and true happiness (as described in the Baha’i Writings) is what comes from a deep and abiding sense of purpose. In fact, Baha’u’llah has defined true well being in the world as this: “Human life was created for happiness and not for sorrow”.

Happiness is in fact a spiritual concept. Abdu’l-Baha has affirmed this when he wrote that “spiritual happiness is the true basis of the life of man”. It is related to the spiritual transformation of both the individual and the collective society. It acts as a force for attraction. It is a super-sensuous phenomenon, ultimately transcending this physical reality, but nevertheless manifests itself, in its true form, as unity.

Its true aim, by serving as a foundation for a collective consciousness built upon the purpose of individual and collective spiritual development, is for the unification of mankind. Thus, it is an inherent quality in the construction and attainment of human relationships of all kinds, be they interpersonal or institutional.

When considering how one works for the betterment of the world, justice is a fixed component of that effort. Rather than seeking a utilitarian view that happiness, on a grander scale, should only be sought for the greatest number of people, we should understand justice as that which is the strongest foundation for the securing of happiness of all. Baha’u’llah has written that perhaps the primary purpose of government is that, through justice, contentment must be secured for all its citizens. He has also written that “justice is the appearance of unity amongst men.”

In this we can surmise that perhaps through the attainment of spiritual happiness, unity is born. Justice, which in one sense can be described as the application of reward and punishment and also as the power of discernment, is the indomitable tool with which we both continue our spiritual search but also safeguard our unity and happiness.

There is much that clouds our ability to attain happiness in this world — but working to cut through all that, to focus on principle, value, and the spiritual qualities inherent in everything, we can access a force and power which will help direct the rehabilitation of our surroundings.

It’s almost as if our behaviour is governed by the worry of what “other people will think”, and by compliance to social norms.  So, we do things differently when we think no one is watching.  How is it that a queue in a post-office is normally well-behaved and no one would dare to push in, but when we are in our cars we become so bad mannered and aggressive? My theory is that we feel protected by anonymity in our cars, but would have to look people in the eye in the post-office queue.

It was the recent scandal in British politics that has had me thinking a lot about personal accountability and responsibility.  Most of those implicated in the expenses-claim uproar did not contravene the rules per se, and seem to mostly justify their actions by saying that they where only doing what all the rest were too.  Here in South Africa, we have had a similar debate, about gifts given to those in government.  The public discussion was not about whether it was illegal for the minister to accept an expensive car as a gift, but whether it was ethical to do so.

Kitáb-i-Aqdas

In a thesis discussing a variety of subjects relating to society and governance, called “The Secrets of Divine Civilisation”, `Abdu’l-Bahá gives a description of “justice and impartiality”:

This means to have no regard for one’s own personal benefits and selfish advantages, and to carry out the laws of God without the slightest concern for anything else.

So our daily actions, our personal choices, must be made with reference, not to social norms or selfish inclinations, but to the laws of God. This becomes easier when we change our perception and mindset about God’s injunctions: they are not there to restrict or hamper us, but to provide us with loving guidance and ultimate freedom. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh describes the laws and codifications of God as “sweet-smelling” and a “choice Wine”.

Say: From My laws the sweet-smelling savour of My garment can be smelled, and by their aid the standards of Victory will be planted upon the highest peaks. The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words: “Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.”…Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power.

Having been given the guidance, and the personal autonomy to choose for ourselve, we become accountable for our actions and our choices, not to those that can see but to God, and not for material gains, but towards our own personal spiritual path to perfection.

Gunmen ambush cricket team in Pakistan

Russia: 5 years lost due to financial crisis

These are just a few of this week’s headlines.  Human beings murdering one another senselessly.  Suicide rates on the rise.  Financial crises gripping the enitre planet.  Many would point to these and endless other headlines as proof that God is indeed a God of wrath since He allows these things to occur.

Can God actually prevent these things from happening?  Of course! He’s the Omniscient, All-Powerful, Almighty Lord of everything.  The entire creation is held in the hollow of His hand.  He can do anything He wants.  But, what role does human accountability play in all of this?  Free will?

If He directly intervened and prevented the gunmen, for instance, from shooting innocents, wouldn’t that reduce the gunmen to puppets?  On the other hand, having now exercised their free will in such a base and brutal way, shouldn’t they be subject to some form of punishment?  It’s not just “revenge”.  It’s a protection for their fellow Sri Lankan citizens who have the right to roam streets that aren’t crowded by men who run around shooting people as they please.

So let’s define some key terms.  Perhaps “wrath” is actually “justice”. If God were only merciful, He would be imperfect.  Because showing mercy to the tyrant is showing cruelty to the innocent.  (See example above.)  Thus it is clear that true justice would demand that you curtail these men’s freedoms, punish them.   Some may deem punishment a form of wrath, but it is certainly mercy as far as the rest of the populace is concerned.  And more than wrath, it is justice, because these men brought their punishments upon themselves.

As such, it is evident that the wrath of God is in  fact the administration of His justice.

How does this work on a larger scale?  Natural disasters, calamities, suffering plaguing all corners and pockets of the globe…are these manifestations of the wrath of God?  Or are they the natural consequence of a society which for ages has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the call of God?  If we followed but ONE law, the law of moderation, for instance, so many of the sufferings plaguing our world would be vanquished.  Small segments of the world’s population wouldn’t live way beyond their means while others died from starvation, hygiene and health problems;  the natural disasters exacerbated by our own civilization carried to excess would be fewer and further in between- and the list goes on.

If He simply wiped away all of the suffering we’ve brought upon ourselves, how would we ever learn?  What would prevent future generations from making the same mistakes over and over again?  A good teacher never does the work for his or her  student, but a good teacher does not abandon the ailing student either, no matter how little attention that student has paid.  And so God does not abandon us in our time of need.   Instead, as we move further away from Him, He sends another Divine Teacher (a Prophet, Messenger, Manifestation) to make known His will unto us.  To remind us of His laws which, put into place, will alleviate our suffering, and will transform this world from a place of sorrow and woe into the promised Kingdom of God on earth.  And in bringing us these teachings, His Manifestation suffers immensely at our hands!  We persecute and revile Him.  Deny His divinity.  Refuse His teachings.  And then…we suffer.  Because His laws are for our good, disobedience to them predictably proves to be harmful.  And after all of this–reviling His Prophets, ignoring His laws which are the source of all benevolence and mercy–we have the audacity to accuse God of being ”wrathful.”

Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.

This quote threw my rudimentary ideas of reward and punishment into disarray….”hmmmmm, that lottery I won was a reward from God?…. no wait, was it a punishment?”  It seems that to try to compartmentalize one’s life (our limited understanding may make us do so) into a series of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, ‘rewards’ and ‘punishments’ would be entirely false.  With regards to justice, Baha’u'llah says:

The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment. And in another connection He hath uttered the following in the eloquent tongue: Justice hath a mighty force at its command. It is none other than reward and punishment for the deeds of men. By the power of this force the tabernacle of order is established throughout the world, causing the wicked to restrain their natures for fear of punishment.

Suggestions of what we can do — instead of dwelling on the dubieties of reward and punishment — are to reflect on our actions, strive to correct these actions if necessary, move on with the understanding that God’s grace and forgiveness will deal with us justly at some stage in our earthly life (or afterlife),  and all the while to remember:

Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God’s creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men.  Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without fear of fire, or hope of paradise.”

Trawling through the Web one day, I came across this marvellous story that demonstrates, so lucidly, the nature and interconnectedness of justice in this world and the next. In it, Baha’u'llah explains to us that justice, and the manifestations thereof, exist on multiple realms beyond our own and take on countless different forms. This story, I find, resolves a number of questions that invariably come to the mind when examining world affairs, when witnessing inequity and injustice and wondering what, if any, are the consequences faced by perpetrators of these acts. And what, if any, are the reparations for the helpless victims?

Before carrying on, here is the story. It is a commentary on the original Tablet revealed by Baha’u'llah:

Let us imagine that in the springtime a powerful man robs a weak man of his provision of seeds and that he plants these seeds in his own garden. The seeds germinate and in summer produce plants, trees and ultimately fruits. Then, it befalls that a just king decides to redress the wrong that was done to the weak one. In what manner should this just king proceed? Should he require from the oppressor that he return the same quantity of seeds? At harvest-time the seeds are of no immediate utility. Or should he return to him the product of the seeds that were stolen from him? We understand immediately that justice requires that we return to the victim not the original seeds but that which they produced. The seeds changed in form, they were transformed into something else, the appearance and the qualities of which are only distantly related to their first appearance and qualities. The relationship between this world and the other world is of the same nature, and of the same nature also is the nature of justice that links the two. Here below things exist only in the state of seed. When they evolve in the divine worlds, they are completely transformed in form, appearance and qualities. Nevertheless, the qualities of the tree and of the fruit depend upon the qualities of the seed that produced them.

In this Tablet, Baha’u'llah proceeds with a digression of a moral rather than a metaphysical character. In this life, the material things that we might lose do not matter. In due course, these materials things show their true colors, becoming tests and of calamities in our spiritual evolution, while tests and calamities prove to be the source of true riches. At the final count, the fact that we have lost material goods for spiritual reasons, whether we have offered them to God in a spirit of detachment, or lost them because of the oppression of men, makes no difference… However he who has unjustly seized the goods of another in order to accumulate his own riches in fact has but accumulated obstacles to his own spiritual development. Without fail, the consequences of our actions follow us from one world to the next.

(Jean-Marc Lepain, An Introduction to the Lawh-i Haqqu’n-Nas, commentary on a provisional translation of this Tablet of Baha’u'llah)

There is indeed a lot to digest here. In considering Divine justice and it’s application, the picture that comes to mind is one of a weighing scale that tips from side-to-side during the course of one’s life, yet ultimately achieves perfect balance. In other words, imbalances that manifest themselves during the course of this life are always compensated, be it in this world or those to come. This is certainly reassuring for victims of injustice and, I would imagine, equally worrying for the perpetrators.

What I also find interesting is the assertion that accumulating material goods is, in a sense, a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is praiseworthy to earn an honest living and enjoy the benefits that may present themselves. But there also exists a paradox — that if we aren’t vigilant, we can easily find ourselves moving from a state of ownership to that of being owned by our possessions. I’m sure we’ve all witnessed cases of people wasting all their time and energy in the feverish pursuit of getting more “stuff”, often compromising their values along the way, while we sit and wonder when it will finally dawn on them — that in their pursuit of freedom through material means, they have, in reality, taken on a life of slavery. But it’s not just them. Avoiding the pitfalls of materialism is a mighty test for every one of us, for in the blink of an eye, we can completely lose sight of our ultimate spiritual purpose. As Christ said:

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.

(Mark 10:25)

Finally, I believe the moral of this story can be applied beyond the realms of the powerful exploiting the weak. It can be applied to our own daily lives. Have we been kind and just towards those around us? Are we truly preferring others before ourselves? Do we avoid backbiting and slander? It seems fair to suggest that all human beings have a role to play in promoting a just society. Both individual and societal justice is required, and there exists a reciprocal relationship between the two. Indeed, to pay little attention to one’s own behaviour, while simultaneously expecting a perfect system of justice to be imposed from above, is surely counterproductive.

Do you have any additional thoughts to share on reading this story?

Now picture this scenario: we have one young player on the team, going by the name of Zim, who has been committing fouls persistently throughout the game (in full view of everyone). This carries on for a while, everyone sees it but feels powerless to do anything because, well, none of them are referees, nor do they consider it their job to intervene.

Eventually it goes too far, Zim commits one foul too many and everything boils over. Two of the older players, call them Britain and the United States, charge up to Zim and start yelling and gesticulating. “Get your act together and play by the rules!” they shout, to which Zim impetuously shrugs his shoulders and responds: “Who are you to tell me what to do? I’ve seen the two of you committing plenty of fouls yourselves. Besides, it’s no secret that both of you have fouled me in the past.”

Along come two more of the senior players — China and Russia — and they join in the fray: “Leave him alone,” they say, “It’s not our job to sort this situation out, nor has he fouled any of us, so basically we have nothing to gain from intervening!” They argue back and forth on this theme for a while, neither party giving an inch, until eventually they turn to Zim’s best friend hoping that maybe he can do something about it.

And, as if things weren’t divided enough, South Africa has worked out his own strategy: “Don’t worry, I’m talking to him. All he needs is a bit of encouragement. I hope that at some point he will play by the rules, but in the meantime we’ll just have to tolerate him.” So, after wasting the whole afternoon arguing, they carry on playing with nothing resolved.

Doesn’t it seem obvious at this point that a referee is needed?

The question of Zimbabwe is merely the latest in a whole catalog of decision-making failures at the international level, and as people scratch their heads for answers yet again, one wonders when the penny will finally drop. Will it require another major crisis, on the scale of a world war, for leaders to realize that their priorities are worn and outdated? That the days of selfish nationalism, of excessive patriotism, of stubbornly clinging to the perceived good of one’s own nation instead of sincerely caring for the good of the whole, are well and truly over. Well over a century ago, Baha’u'llah stated:

The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.

And with every passing crisis, with the increasing complexity of modern-day issues, the truth of these words becomes more and more evident. What’s more, (and I apologize for using the football analogy again), it becomes increasingly apparent that the game of politics can’t keep being played without, at the very least, a base set of laws that all will adhere to. Nor can it continue to be played without a referee who has everyone’s full backing, not only to make decisions, but more importantly to ACT on those decisions. Although, perhaps “referee” is the wrong term to use here (after all, history has repeatedly demonstrated how excessive centralization has a tendency to promote despotism). Anyone who has watched a game of football knows how frustrating it can be when the ref makes one (unchallengeable) decision and video replays confirm he got it totally wrong! A “refereeing panel”, or world parliament backed by a formidable international force, is more like the answer, according to the Baha’i Writings.

The Baha’i International Community, in a fascinating document entitled “Turning Point For All Nations“, broadly surveys the political landscape in the light of past and present happenings. In addition, the document offers several compelling suggestions on how to advance towards the goal of lasting peace. For example, in addressing the question of which of the myriad political systems to choose as a model for world governance, they write the following:

Furthermore, in devising a specific framework for the future international order, leaders should survey a broad range of approaches to governance. Rather than being modeled after any single one of the recognized systems of government, the solution may embody, reconcile and assimilate within its framework such wholesome elements as are to be found in each one of them.

For example, one of the time-tested models of governance that may accommodate the world’s diversity within a unified framework is the federal system. Federalism has proved effective in decentralizing authority and decision-making in large, complex, and heterogeneous states, while maintaining a degree of overall unity and stability. Another model worth examining is the commonwealth, which at the global level would place the interest of the whole ahead of the interest of any individual nation.

Extraordinary care must be taken in designing the architecture of the international order so that it does not over time degenerate into any form of despotism, of oligarchy, or of demagogy corrupting the life and machinery of the constituent political institutions.

So federalism has proven it’s effectiveness in uniting diverse groups within a flexible framework, and is a possibility, as is the idea of a world commonwealth. Well, what next? The temptation exists to simply file these thoughts away and worry about the future when it happens, playing the role of passive observer. Wrong approach. In the atomic age it is clearly dangerous to ignore such questions for too long. What the world desperately needs right now is a critical mass of people who share the same vision of unity — and who will strive their utmost to promote it.

While we believe this formulation of a world government is at once the ultimate safeguard and the inevitable destiny of humankind, we do recognize that it represents a long-term picture of a global society. Given the pressing nature of the current state of affairs, the world requires bold, practical and actionable strategies that go beyond inspiring visions of the future. Nevertheless, by focusing on a compelling concept, a clear and consistent direction for evolutionary change emerges from the mire of contradictory views and doctrines.

(Baha’i International Community, 1995 Oct, Turning Point For All Nations)

This has placed the Criminal Court in an awkward situation — does the Criminal Court abide by the latest wishes of the Ugandan government and drop the charges, or does it stick to principle and insist on bringing the suspects to trial?

On the most fundamental level, it is unfortunate that this problem should even exist for an institution whose field of operation is, in theory, international.

On the other side of the coin, some might assert that international bodies are controlled by strong nations and thus do not truly represent the best interests of all. This feeling, coupled with the almost obsessive nationalism that plays such a dominating role in human affairs, present formidable obstacles for those who genuinely wish to establish more effective systems of international justice. No one would argue that the world desperately needs these systems in place; the challenge is to break through the self-centeredness and suspicion that are so characteristic of international relations. As Abdu’l-Baha states in “The Secret of Divine Civilization”:

Endeavor, ceaseless endeavor, is required. Nothing short of an indomitable determination can possibly achieve it.

Fortunately, we are also seeing the early signs of a shift in human consciousness. As people travel from place-to-place, settle in foreign locations and encounter common global problems, what follows — almost unwittingly — is a growth in the feeling of world citizenship. This slow and painstaking process will with time, and following a great degree of turmoil, lead to a greater unity of thought in human affairs, and consequently more effective systems of global justice.

The League of Nations, followed by the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and so on, are evolutionary steps in the right direction. Yet the need still remains for people and governments to think beyond the bounds of national sovereignty. In “The Unfoldment of World Civilization”, Shoghi Effendi describes a future world commonwealth…

…in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded.

For Baha’is, the question is not whether or not we will get there — we believe that humanity will ultimately be impelled in that direction — it is more a question of how. Do we keep on clinging to those short-sighted and obsolescent doctrines which have hindered our development to this point, and continue to suffer the consequences? Or do we accept the new realities of life and strive to foster the spirit of unity between different people and nations? The choice is ours.