The Principle of Oneness

Recently I have a precious chance to study with a friend one of the writings of Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith) “The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh”. The Guardian’s writings are beautiful and poetic, but sometimes are difficult for me to grasp. The help of friend makes it a bit easier to comprehend. I thoroughly enjoyed our study.

Perhaps, every Baha’i can tell something about the principle of oneness of mankind which is indeed the central theme of Bahá'u'lláh’s teachings. But I have never come to understand its deep implications as Guardian so well and frankly stated in the following quotes:

“Let there be no mistake. The principle of the Oneness of Mankind … is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an expression of vague and pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely identified with a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and good-will among men, nor does it aim solely at the fostering of harmonious cooperation among individual peoples and nations.”

So the oneness is neither merely brotherhood and good-well, nor just harmonious cooperation, as great as these may well be. What is it then?  Guardian continued:

“Its implications are deeper, its claims greater than any which the Prophets of old were allowed to advance. Its message is applicable not only to the individual, but concerns itself primarily with the nature of those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations as members of one human family. It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, but stands inseparably associated with an institution adequate to embody its truth, demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its influence.”

Again the Guardian clearly stated that the influence of this spiritual force will impact every aspects of the life of the society:

"It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society … It calls for no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world -- a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units."

This principle of oneness of mankind is not just an ideal appearing suddenly out of no where. It is really a continuous step within a long development process of human collective life:

“It represents the consummation of human evolution -- an evolution that has had its earliest beginnings in the birth of family life, its subsequent development in the achievement of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the constitution of the city-state, and expanding later into the institution of independent and sovereign nations.”

Do we have any options to choose whether to have or stop this final stage of human social development?  After reading the following quote, we better get prepared one way or another. Or even better to help along to build it:

“The principle of the Oneness of Mankind, as proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh, carries with it no more and no less than a solemn assertion that attainment to this final stage in this stupendous evolution is not only necessary but inevitable, that its realization is fast approaching, and that nothing short of a power that is born of God can succeed in establishing it.”