February has become widely acclaimed as Black History Month. However, for those of us who chronicle Black History 52 weeks a year it affords the opportunity to reach ever increasing audiences with information on otherwise little known contributions of African-Americans throughout time to the arts, sciences, technology, industry, agriculture, etc. military and to every area of development of this comparatively youthful nation and the world as human life itself must surely have begun near the equator where the least amount of heat was required for survival.
Significant only to me, February became representative of the birth (and death) month of my mother and her oldest sister, as well as of my husband’s rebirth into the next world.
I therefore, for many years, dreaded the month of February with the sole attitude of psychological survival before realizing that I was actually feeding the fear that is its own primary intimidator and subsequent crippler of the weak, the physical and spiritual infant. It is also the month in which we have our harshest winter weather as “Ol’Man Winter” fights his last and fiercest battle with Spring.
The physical (or spiritual) child can be easily controlled by fear–of the dark, of pain, abandonment, of being unloved or unwanted, or by any number of other fears. The behavioral patterns and motivational instincts of such fears will most likely remain a controller of such individual throughout much of its life.
Control by fear however works only in the presence of that thing feared. Therefore, when one teaches (or learns) fear of God, Whose Presence we are always in, that in it-self should have its own reward!
The word “fear,” according to Webster, also means respect of, although one does not automatically incorporate the other. We definitely have respect for the things we fear, but it’s a different kind of respect. One would respect a bully or other perceived unequal challenge, yet a cat will sacrifice its life to protect its kittens. Likewise the love of any mother for her infants usually supersedes fear of any danger.
We cannot blame today’s youth when falling prey to modern society’s incessant entrapments if we have not installed in them the inner controls of love. The time and energy required in organizing marches of demonstration through city streets can today be better spent organizing soldiers of the armies of ONE God (by whatever name) whose combined actions shine as beacons in the encircling gloom (of which everyone complains).
In the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. believed by adherents of the Baha’i Faith to be the Holy Writings of and for this new era are shared–with no paid ministry, interpretation of the Holy Writings forbidden, and no acceptance of funds from non-Baha’is!
We are instead admonished to:”…be a light, not a judge; a model, not a critic…” through continuous emersion in de-egotizing prayers and actual Holy Writings.
Without appreciation there can be no respect. Without respect there can be no order in life as respect breeds respect and disrespect breeds disrespect, hatred and warring mentalities.
All of nature respects its Creator! Mankind only, having been granted the dangerous weapon of free choice, chooses to disrespect His Creator and His creation, not only by aspiring to become all one is capable of being, but also by failing to encourage, if not actually impeding instead, progress of others attempting to do so.
Humility is a key component of true appreciation; an awkward word in an egotistical society in which we are people-programmed to think that our worth or degree of respect is contingent upon how many people we can exalt ourselves over. In the Baha’i revelation, however, the exact opposite aplies as the highest aspiration of a sincere member of any professed religion is how many of God’s people we can serve–in any way, at any time possible.
If we are sincere about our commitment to a society of justice and peace, we must sacrifice the pomp and circumstance and shed the apathy and lethargy paralyzing the spiritual faculties necessary for such personal and subsequent world transformation!
Investigate!
