The Destiny of America and What It Means For Us

"The road leading to its destiny is long, thorny and torturous. The impact of various forces upon the structure and polity of that nation will be tremendous. Tribulations, on a scale unprecedented in its history, and calculated to purge its institutions, to purify the hearts of its people, to fuse its constituent elements, and to weld it into one entity with its sister nations in both hemispheres, are inevitable..."
-Shoghi Effendi, in a letter dated July 28, 1954 (cited in Citadel of Faith, pp. 36-37)

"The American nation... stands, indeed, from whichever angle one observes its immediate fortunes, in grave peril. The woes and tribulations which threaten it are partly avoidable, but mostly inevitable and God-sent, for by reason of them a government and people clinging tenaciously to the obsolescent doctrine of absolute sovereignty and upholding a political system, manifestly at variance with the needs of a world already contracted into a neighborhood and crying out for unity, will find itself purged of its anachronistic conceptions, and prepared to play a preponderating role, as foretold by Abdu’l-Baha, in the hoisting of the standard of the Lesser Peace, in the unification of mankind, and in the establishment of a world federal government on this planet... a role which she is bound to fulfill through travail and sorrow."
~ Shoghi Effendi, in a letter dated July 28, 1954 (cited in Citadel of Faith, pp. 125-127).

In light of the above passages, as well as the repeated warnings and admonitions given to the American nation in the Bahá'í Writings, we should not at all be surprised by the events of September 11th, 2001. We should also not expect it to be the last such calamity to visit our nation, or any other.

However, no matter "how frail the foundations of confidence in the future may seem, no matter how great the dangers looming on the horizon, humanity appears desperate to believe that, through some fortuitous conjunction of circumstances, it will nevertheless be possible to bend the conditions of human life into conformity with prevailing human desires." Yet, in "light of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh such hopes are not merely illusory, but miss entirely the nature and meaning of the great turning point through which our world has passed."*

At the same time, it could be argued that the events of September 11th forever shattered the sense of invulnerability that has permeated our nation for more than a few decades. The American youth of today, a generation that has grown up in the shadow of unprecedented peace and prosperity, discovered that there was indeed a world beyond our borders- a world that does not always regard its affluent neighbor with the kindest of eyes. It was perhaps this new found self-consciousness, forged under circumstances of truly tragic dimensions, that precipitated a tremendous resurgence in patriotism , a kind of nationalism that this country has not seen since World War II.

While a "sane and healthy" patriotism is certainly laudable, the Writings make clear its inadequacy to guide humanity at this stage in its spiritual development. The oneness of mankind is the pivot round which all of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve- and it is the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh alone that will establish this oneness in the contingent world.

Yet, contemporaneous with this rising tide of nationalism seems to be a growing recognition- however dim- of the level of suffering that afflicts so much of humanity outside our borders. A striking example of this sense of empathy may be found in the contingents of bereaved World Trade Center victims' relatives, New York firefighters and police officers who have traveled to a distant and foreign Afghanistan, simply out of the realization that both peoples had suffered tremendously. At times, the meetings of these bereaved parties engendered moments of genuine love and empathy. One encounter brought together an elderly woman (whose brother had died in the WTC attacks) with an Afghan man (whose brother died in the American bombing campaign). The two sat together, sharing their stories. When the woman began to weep as she spoke of her brother, her Afghan counterpart consoled her: "I know you are sad because he was your brother. But he was my brother too. We are all brothers and sisters."

While incidences of harassment and abuse targeted against Middle Easterners have not been unheard of, the level of prejudice among the general American populace did not seem to rise to the level it had during previous conflicts with elements in the Middle East. While certainly falling short of the "end of foreignness" called for in the Bahá'í Writings, it seems that there is a genuine effort to distinguish the Faith of Islám from the actions of a few of its supposed adherents. Take for example this excerpt from President Bush’s State of the Union Address, given on Tuesday January 29th, 2002:

"No people on Earth yearn to be oppressed, or aspire to servitude, or eagerly await the midnight knock of the secret police. If anyone doubts this, let them look to Afghanistan, where the Islamic ‘street’ greeted the fall of tyranny with song and celebration. Let the skeptics look to Islám's own rich history -- with its centuries of learning, and tolerance, and progress."

Whether these words were uttered out of political expediency or out of genuine feeling, none of us are in a position to judge. What perhaps should be emphasized is that such sentiments are indicative of a general shift in consciousness among the American people. This shift is no doubt the result of the "purifying tests" forecast by the pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as well as the now indisputable interdependence of our world.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote that at the beginning of the 21st century the condition of humanity would be like that of a unified but dead body. The historical moment he so eloquently prophesied is upon us- our job is to now breathe life into that dead body.

It is in this context that the National Spiritual Assembly has embarked on an enterprise of a truly ambitious nature. Beginning with a full page advertisement in the New York Times, the National Spiritual Assembly has initiated a media campaign that aims, in the words of the Universal House of Justice, to "inform, challenge and comfort" our fellow Americans in this time of peril. We all long for the time when our great nation will awaken to its spiritual destiny. It is evident that we can no longer wait passively for this to occur- the stakes are simply too high. And by supporting the aims of this campaign, we will help to arouse this great awakening.

Americans are desperately looking for answers to the spiritual dilemmas that confront them. In light of current events and the statement that the National Spiritual Assembly has released, there would seem to be two complimentary lines of action to pursue at this time. The first, is a general raising of consciousness, especially by educating our fellow citizens about the root causes of the world's present instability. Enunciated in the Peace statement released by the House of Justice in 1985, and again reiterated in this recent message from our National Spiritual Assembly, the barriers of racism, sexism, the gross disparity of wealth and poverty, and religious strife must be addressed in clear, diplomatic terms. In our efforts to raise consciousness about these issues, it should be borne in mind that we are not the only group concerned about such problems. However, we must never forget that we are entrusted with the Divine and specific Message from God for this Day. And it is this Message that will heal our nation and world. Which leads us to the second line of action: a clear proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation.

The importance of the role of America in the affairs of humanity is difficult to exaggerate. How then can the Bahá'í community neglect its sacred duty on this continent? And even more so, how can Bahá'í youth of college-age ignore theirs?

The responsibilities of American Bahá'í youth are perhaps the greatest in the entire world. America is to lead all nations spiritually; the Bahá'í Faith is to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth; and youth are the greatest agents of change. Just think, if you are an American Bahá'í youth, then all three of these elements are to be found in you.

Whether it is in the plans formulated for college clubs or individual initiatives, whether it is in the life goals chosen or in the immediate efforts made to serve the current Plan and this campaign, the role of American Bahá'ís in college is of supreme importance.

Thus, the question that must be ever-present in our minds:

"How will I breathe life into this dead body?"

*From the Century of Light introduction

(all content Copyright National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, 2000-2003, do not use without permission)