In the midst of civil, social, military, and economic unrest at home and abroad, once more comes Christmas, the season of love during which the birth of the Manifestation of Love is celebrated. At no other season of the year does there exist such an arbitrary hiatus or worldwide truce (at least for one day) on whatever runs counter to peace and unity from the individual family to the universal family of man.
According to the Baha’i concept of Progressive Revelation, no creation is capable of understanding its creator. Therefore, as mankind only understands by comparison, with nothing to compare its one Creator, in order to relate to humankind, It manifests Itself into a Human Temple periodically (usually thousands of years apart) to carry a particular maturity of man a certain distance beyond which the followers, through ever, widening and contradictory interpretation, get thoroughly confused and spiritually weakened by the inevitable divisions. The more multiple fragmentations of the pure light, the deeper the impenetrable spiritual darkness and subsequent decadence of mankind. As the darkest part of the night is just before dawn, so too, at the lowest ebb of spiritual darkness dawns a new Spiritual Sun upon the horizon. Among them, we find Krishna, Moses the lawgiver, Christ, Who added love to the laws, Muhammad through Whom came nationhood as mankind matured, and most recently the Twin Manifestations of the Bab (Bob, meaning gate in Arabic) and Baha’u’llah (Glory of Allah) ushering in the millennium of the fulfillment of the prophecy of ALL former religions as recently as 1844.
Consider, if you will, the infancy of mankind in 1844 when the first Morse Code was sent between Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC – tapping out the message “What hath God Wrought.” This came hours after the first proclamation of the Bab’i /Baha’i Revelation in Iran (then Persia). Consider also the explosion of knowledge, and scientific and technological advancement since that historic date of May 23, 1844, only 162 short years ago in a world that is reported to be millions of years old. Something unprecedented has apparently happened.
Could it be that the time foreordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth has now come? Have we not heard that at the consummation of the ages, there would dawn a day the sum total of all past ages combined? This is that day!
Centenarians, the immediate generations before and after them, are the most special people who have ever lived as they have experienced the most quantum leap that human history has ever known or will ever record–when “knowledge shall be increased,” prophesied in all former scriptures. But all of the right discoveries for the betterment of mankind are being used for all the wrong reasons.
But again comes Christmas, the season of love and an annual reminder of our real purpose–to be instruments of our Creator (for our sake) as He is independent of any of His creation.
During this season of love may we recognize our inability to love the unlovable and undeserving, as God loves us, and strive to become instruments through which His love may flow to others, the lovable and especially the unlovable (as we all sometimes are) who need love more than anyone. Only then can this season of love extend throughout the year throughout time with peace on earth and goodwill toward all mankind.
