My husband and I are members of the Baha'i Faith, a new world religion which teaches that world peace is not only possible that it is inevitable. A faith which asks us to overcome our prejudices and begin to see the world as one human family and to put that thought into practice by trying to get along with those around us. A faith that teaches that there is a Creator who is unknowable in his/her/its essence, but that our lives should be spent attaining closeness to that Creator by caring for our fellow men.
We are raising our three children to understand and hopefully embrace those teachings, whilst at the same time encouraging them to think for themselves and to appreciate and respect those of all faiths or of none.
It isn't always easy to go against the norm. One challenge at this time of year is the omnipresence of Christmas. Whilst we absolutely wish to celebrate the birth of Christ (as well as celebrate the Holy Days of other faiths) we do have our own calendar with special Holy Days. Today and tomorrow (13th and 14th November) mark the Twin Holy Days celebrating the births of The Bab and Baha'u'llah the Prophet-Founders of our religion.
Today gives me an opportunity to share the joy usually associated with Christmas with our children. We can share gifts as a family, celebrate together, and share stories from the lives of these two extraordinary figures.
I am really lucky to live in a place where I have friends who support and encourage me even if we share different faiths or perspectives. I hope you do too!
Happy Holy Days xxx
“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”—Bahá’u’lláh
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