It is extremely confusing and disheartening to me to observe over three-quarters of a century that through ever advancing technology, the freer and easier individual communication becomes with strangers throughout the world, the harder it becomes to communicate with individuals within the same household or same family. Various time altering life styles may attribute to the demise of family communication among which must rank high on the list the current popular trend of single and two working parent households with little or no time to develop or nurture common interests–children included. The daily call to the breakfast or dinner table around which families once shared at least one meal together has been replaced with the call to “get in the car” and head for the nearest fast food place. Or worse still, dole out dollars for kids or other family members to pick up whatever they want to eat when or whereever they choose, leaving no playing field for conversation. The growth in such familiar cases is inevitably apart. Communication in all of nature has remained basically unchanged throughout time. Mankind alone, the crowning touch of God’s creation, is intelligent enough to “improve” communications to the extent that the most basic and important communication is lost.
According to the Baha’i teachings “Knowledge is the most glorious gift of man and the most noble of human perfections.” Knowledge, however comes only through communication and is subject to that of the communicators. The mother is the child’s first communicator, even before entering this world. How very important the messages received from this first communicator. If the messages are tender, loving and pleasant, the infant is inclined to grow receptive and respond in kind to such atmosphere. Should the infant instead be subjected to harsh, irritable, impatient and intolerant treatment it will likewise grow to respond in similar or worse temperment as expressions and methods of venting such frustrations intensity with time.
Education, however is of three kinds, material, human and spiritual. Material education deals with the progress and development of the body, its physical needs and comfort. Human education signifies the progress of civilization through government, administration, charitable works, trades, arts, sciences, great inventions and discoveries of physical laws which are the activities essential to man. Spiritual education, the true education, is of the kingdom of God and consists of the acquisition of devine perfections, the supreme goal of the world of humanity.
In the Baha’i Writings of this new revelation we read that spiritual education and training are obligatory and not voluntary as in the present. Also, no man can attain his true station except through his justice. No power can exist except through unity and no welfare and no well being can be attained except through consultation “the perfecter of communications.”
The bedrock of the new Revelation of Baha’u’llah is consultation currently being perfected through its administrative bodies throughout the world on local, national and universal levels. These divinely organized and orchestrated institutions provide the embryonic model of the administrative order of World Peace, “..not only possible but inevitable,” according to a shocking statement issued over 20 years ago by the Universal House of Justice, the Supreme Administrative body of the Baha’i Faith. When issued, the rulers of the world were fore warned that their choice at the time was only whether it comes about through an act of consultative will or by “unimaginable horrors.”
On this national observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. his words resonate louder than ever in “I believe that unarmed troops and love will have the final say.” In this new day the most lasting peace must be won by unarmed troops and the key weapon is consultation which, like love compassion and respect, for self, and others must begin at home.
