Nature itself is the epitome of diversity as all things of nature are distinctively different, yet each contributes in some way to the whole.
It was a child’s book during Baha’i children’s classes many years ago that brought out the simplistic truth of it while comparing it with the human body. The exterior eyes, the ears, hair, skin, teeth, legs, feet, and interior veins, arteries, etc., all totally different in shape, sizes, color and composition with each serving a different purpose. Yet the proper function of each is essential in forming a complete whole.
The same is true of mankind in the aggregate, all of different sizes, colors, shapes, strengths and weaknesses, cultures and nationalities, yet each dependent upon the other to form a perfect beautiful whole-–once realizing that true unity is in diversity and not in uniformity.
I also fondly remember the elderly country gentleman who once told me, “ The only difference between city folks and country folks is that they’re dumb about different things.” Isn’t that basically the main difference between all of us? It’s pooling these differences that strengthens us psychologically and spiritually, the primary part of our triune nature that we fail to nurture with the assumption that it only comes in handy when you’re old, sick or in trouble. It was Deepak Chopra that I first heard put it so succinctly: “We perceive ourselves as physical being seeking spirituality when we are actually spiritual beings seeking physical experiences.” This may give us a clue as to the utter confusion and detriment the inhabitants of this planet continue to inflict upon us from every level.
We spend $-multi-billions on physical fitness, appearance and the accumulation of expensive things followed secondly by development of our mental capacity with spiritual development trailing the three segments of our triune nature in our youth or perceived good health. Also on a larger scale as we become more confident in our perceived superiority and wealth through recent quantum leaps in the development of modern science and technology. Even the Holy Bible refers to it being “…easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:24)
In order to keep us from straying too far from our spiritual reality, we are reminded in the Baha’i Holy Writings for this new millennium that “Grief and sorrow do not come to us by chance, they are sent to us by the Divine Mercy (However you perceive It) for our own perfecting. While a man is happy he may forget his God; but when grief comes and sorrows overwhelm him, then will he remember his Father who is in heaven and who is able to deliver him from his humiliation.”
“Observe how darkness has overspread the world,” we are apprised in the Baha’i Holy Writings for this New Day of God. “In every corner of the earth there is strife, discord and warfare of some kind. Mankind is submerged in a sea of materialism and occupied with the affairs of this world. They have no thought beyond earthly possessions and manifest no desire save the passions of this fleeting mortal existence. Their utmost purpose is the attainment of material livelihood, physical comforts and worldly enjoyments such as constitute the happiness of the animal world rather than the world of man.” The antidote…realization first that …
“The honor of man is through the attainment of the knowledge of God; his happiness is from the love of God; his joy is in the glad tidings of God; his greatness is dependent upon his servitude to God” in this new Day in which words must yield their priority to deeds. “Only the purest of deeds will surfice.”
The value, purpose and power of such knowledge, love, glad tidings and servitude can be realized only in Unity through Diversity! (Investigate! 1-800-22-unite)
