by C.A. Whitworth, Editor
In the confused state of today’s society and economy, it is quite easy to get one’s priorities out of focus. Such spiritually blurred vision, as with the natural eye, can cause dizziness and other complications, which usually continue to worsen until some major derailment occurs. In order to rearrange one’s priorities before such derailment, one must honestly assess and come to grips with motivation, the “hard drive” controlling or heavily influencing the arrangement of these priorities. Once this fact is determined more deliberate and effective means of prioritizing can be applied through knowledge, volition, and action, the big 3, without any one of which the process will be ineffective and the cycle of results will remain the same. Mere knowledge of the advantages of healthy, wholesome physical and spiritual diets and exercise would be to no avail without taking voluntary action. We’ve all heard it said that the only thing dumber than doing the same thing and expecting different results is doing the same things and expecting better results.
Also in assessing the motivation of our misspent priorities we may find that the biggest problem derives from the smallest word–ego (self)! In the Baha’i Writings, we interestingly find that the word self has two meanings. One is the light or true identity of God’s creation (man) in “His Own image” within each of us. The other the darker animalistic heritage also within us, the lower nature that can develop into a monster of selfishness, brutality lust, and greed.” It is this lower self that we must diligently and persistently struggle against once obtaining the knowledge of the two.
In fact, it has been suggested that the true Armageddon may simply be this perpetual war between these two identities within each of us.
“Human society at present exerts a pernicious influence upon the soul of man,” we are reminded in the Baha’i Writings. “Instead of encouraging him to live a life of service and sacrifice, it teaches him to pride himself on his accomplishments and personal possessions (all obtained through the mercy and grace of God). Yet too often this possessiveness spills over to include particular individuals. How frequently do we find in the daily news accounts of tragic incidents–murder and/or suicide–based on the erroneous assumption that a certain individual belongs to someone in particular, as opposed to with someone–perhaps for different periods of time or for different reasons.
“From early childhood, man is trained to develop his ego and to seek to exalt himself above others,” the Baha’i Writings continue. “His ultimate aim is to achieve self-importance, success, and power. The soul of man needs instead to be adorned with virtues of humility and self-effacement so that it may become detached from the things of this transitory material world and from the ‘Kingdom of names’ to which mankind has become enslaved.” Herein lies the pivotal core of misplaced priorities.
Then perfecting the art of divine communications…good communications is the pivotal point of world order. In nature, all forms of fish, fowls, animals, and insects have enjoyed such communication among the various species since time immemorial and therefore are better able to co-mingle and cohabitate. Each also understands how to transmit danger signals when a threat is imminent or sensed. Seldom is there any likelihood of issuing false or deliberate deceptive warnings, as theirs is natural, the divine communication. Unlike the man who has been endowed with intelligence superior to any other creation, mankind, as he continues to mature physically, mentally, scientifically, and technologically, is capable of bending the elements and forces of nature to his will and until perfecting the art of divine communication, can change this potential, “Thy Kingdom come in earth as it is in Heaven,” into a proverbial “hell” instead.
Communications between the parent(s) and children from infancy up are therefore even more pivotal, whether their own or the children of others. With early parental communication being replaced in today’s fast-paced mercenary society with the mass communication of television and video games, perfection of the art of divine communication is near impossible with little or no daily exercises or examples of reverence. The results–today’s children are left to drift with environmental tides until some catastrophe (to a child or an adult) washes them ashore amid sharp-edged rocks of life’s realities. This unfortunately is becoming more common each day as we witness the rising rates of depression, anxiety, attention deficit, thoughts of suicide, or other conduct disorder signaling serious mental, emotional and behavioral problems among today’s children, adolescents, and adults.
At the root of it all is the lack of good, wholesome communications–with some trustworthy, dependable individual(s) or institutions within which such can be found.
Parents and guardians are urged to participate in their children’s lives on an ongoing basis in order to sustain the much-needed help to build trust and self-esteem in us all, as children and adults.
