In a speech delivered in a church in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 20, 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama, addressed the congregation with words echoing Dr. Martin Luther King: “Unity is the great need of the hour.”
Much of this speech dealt with political matters on which I am not qualified to speak, and included much Civil Rights jargon which, as a Canadian, I simply cannot relate to with the fervour that stirs Americans. The part which grabbed my attention was the apparent realization that unity is the key to solving the nation’s (and, by extension, the world’s) insoluble problems. There is a widespread unexamined notion that unity is something we will achieve at the end of our efforts to put humanity on the right track for the future, after we have confronted and triumphed over the myriad social, ecological, political, moral, technological, and economic challenges of our age, whereas Bahá’ís proceed on the assumption that unity must come first, and is in fact the essential element without which progress is stalled in the quagmire we find ourselves in as humanity’s ills only deepen and the wisest of the wise are struck dumb with helplessness. Perhaps the most oft-quoted passage in the Bahá’í Writings is: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” This is emphatic and unequivocal.
Please let it be clear that I am not endorsing any candidate and have not an iota of interest in partisan politics, merely the hope of the paradigm shift, the idea whose time has come, aided by those who have the ear of the multitudes. Here are the relevant nuggets from Senator Obama’s remarks, to mull in our own hearts, irrespective of politics:
“Unity is the great need of the hour - the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it's the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.
“I'm not talking about a budget deficit. I'm not talking about a trade deficit. I'm not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.
“I'm talking about a moral deficit. I'm talking about an empathy deficit. I'm taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother's keeper; we are our sister's keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.
“All too often, we seek to ignore the profound institutional barriers that stand in the way of ensuring opportunity for all children, or decent jobs for all people, or health care for those who are sick. We long for unity, but are unwilling to pay the price.
“But of course, true unity cannot be so easily won. It starts with a change in attitudes - a broadening of our minds, and a broadening of our hearts.
“We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don't think like us or look like us or come from where we do. The welfare queen is taking our tax money. The immigrant is taking our jobs. The believer condemns the non-believer as immoral, and the non-believer chides the believer as intolerant.
“So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others - all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face - war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down.
“The Scripture tells us that we are judged not just by word, but by deed. And if we are to truly bring about the unity that is so crucial in this time, we must find it within ourselves to act on what we know; to understand that living up to this country's ideals and its possibilities will require great effort and resources; sacrifice and stamina.”
Much of this speech dealt with political matters on which I am not qualified to speak, and included much Civil Rights jargon which, as a Canadian, I simply cannot relate to with the fervour that stirs Americans. The part which grabbed my attention was the apparent realization that unity is the key to solving the nation’s (and, by extension, the world’s) insoluble problems. There is a widespread unexamined notion that unity is something we will achieve at the end of our efforts to put humanity on the right track for the future, after we have confronted and triumphed over the myriad social, ecological, political, moral, technological, and economic challenges of our age, whereas Bahá’ís proceed on the assumption that unity must come first, and is in fact the essential element without which progress is stalled in the quagmire we find ourselves in as humanity’s ills only deepen and the wisest of the wise are struck dumb with helplessness. Perhaps the most oft-quoted passage in the Bahá’í Writings is: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” This is emphatic and unequivocal.
Please let it be clear that I am not endorsing any candidate and have not an iota of interest in partisan politics, merely the hope of the paradigm shift, the idea whose time has come, aided by those who have the ear of the multitudes. Here are the relevant nuggets from Senator Obama’s remarks, to mull in our own hearts, irrespective of politics:
“Unity is the great need of the hour - the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it's the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.
“I'm not talking about a budget deficit. I'm not talking about a trade deficit. I'm not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.
“I'm talking about a moral deficit. I'm talking about an empathy deficit. I'm taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother's keeper; we are our sister's keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.
“All too often, we seek to ignore the profound institutional barriers that stand in the way of ensuring opportunity for all children, or decent jobs for all people, or health care for those who are sick. We long for unity, but are unwilling to pay the price.
“But of course, true unity cannot be so easily won. It starts with a change in attitudes - a broadening of our minds, and a broadening of our hearts.
“We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don't think like us or look like us or come from where we do. The welfare queen is taking our tax money. The immigrant is taking our jobs. The believer condemns the non-believer as immoral, and the non-believer chides the believer as intolerant.
“So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others - all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face - war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down.
“The Scripture tells us that we are judged not just by word, but by deed. And if we are to truly bring about the unity that is so crucial in this time, we must find it within ourselves to act on what we know; to understand that living up to this country's ideals and its possibilities will require great effort and resources; sacrifice and stamina.”
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