My Dream on 29 October 2001
Good afternoon to you all. I am here to talk about peace – a peace that we all long for in our hearts. We have heard from many distinguished guests today and about many ways towards peace. I come to tell you what is already in your hearts, that you are all one people. The human race is one and when we have “good will toward all men” then we will create love and happiness and peace. As Jesus said, “Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.”
Our daily lives at this moment are filled with daily conquests, daily tribulations. I am here to tell you that they are not real. The only thing that is real is your spirit – your true inner self that is your guide, your heart, your soul. This divinity inside you is the voice of the future. It is when we listen to that inner voice and recognize our brothers as our keepers, and we theirs, that we can all live in peace.
You ask, “How can this be done?” You still cling to the questions of, “How can I live day to day, feed my children, pay taxes to my country, support my family? I tell you that those are things not for you to do alone! Those are things for you to turn to God, and with his help, for you to do! With God, all things are possible. We are divinely cared for, and we must have faith that we are divinely given all the things we need. We must ask for what is our divine right to have – everything that we believe we deserve.
You see, when we ask and do not believe, we do not truly ask. We have war and pestilence, famine and disease, when we do not have true faith in God to provide. Yes, I say that all war is caused by lack of faith! Oh, ye of little faith! Why do you believe that all men are not brothers and that God will not provide for you? God has but one requirement for us – that we love one another. Are we doing that? Do we love the people in Afghanistan? Do we love our brothers and sisters in famine-filled Africa or the socially-torn ghettos of the world’s urban centers? When we love these fellow humans, there will be no war, no famine, no ghettos. We are our brother’s keeper – and that means more than dropping food into an area; it means more than setting up a homeless shelter or “feed the homeless” Thanksgiving Day dinner; it means more than sending troops in to keep the peace. MUCH MORE!
Do you not understand that it takes creating a brotherhood of nations, of cities, of men and women? Do you not understand that it first takes finding the peace within ourselves? When we honor our divinity and find peace within ourselves, loving ourselves, we can do nothing but love our neighbors, both adjacent and far, and the creation of this global brotherhood of people is automatically complete.
My friends, you are at a time in history where God – and when I say God, I mean the one God of all religions, the one God of all humans, the Supreme Truth that we all know, no matter what Prophet or Manifestation of God we worship – we all worship the same Creator. All Manifestations are One! And the God within us, the Truth, is One. We know this to be true. As spiritual beings living a human life, we are under the same Grace of God, the same Love of God. We are all Blessed. Believe it, my friends. We are at a time in history where God cannot be ignored, in our daily lives, in our national policies, in our global economics.
You asked me to come here and talk to you about the world’s environment, about tourism, about brotherhood. Well, I say that the message is more central than these specific items – more broad. We have glimpsed the unity of people in New York City, the brotherhood that appears in times of trials and tribulations. Why does it take so great a calamity for people to unite? In Truth, it does not. In Truth, we are all united already! We are all united as God’s children and we hide this fact from our eyes, hoping that others, someone else, will take care of “those people”, “those nations”, those who are in distress. Only when we feel it ourselves, do we recognize the pain and the Oneness of Mankind. We can recognize it every day. Our fears are that this recognition will somehow change our life, prevent us from living in the styles in which we do, prevent us from having the friends we’ve so carefully gathered.
Why are you happy with your life? Is it because you are fulfilling your Life’s purpose? Are you relating to people in a loving way, first, all day long, and all through the years? Anything less than happiness through God is false, and creates “false expectations appearing real – F-e-a-r.” Sometimes we fear change. With the love of God and recognizing what is ours by Divine Right, we need not fear. Fear is not Truth. Fear is not the way – Love is the way. And with the love of God and of ourselves, we know that we are safe, cared for, and can care for others – all men can be honored and have abundance. Abundance is there for All – the existence and belief in scarcity is lack of Faith in God to provide. In truth, God provides when we love one another as we love ourselves – the true God within. Have Faith! Put it into practice every day, every moment. Believe that good will come of every situation and know that you will receive in abundance! This is the way towards world peace. “Good will towards men, peace on Earth.”
I was last to speak to this body of people. As I waited, hearing others speak and the crowd listen, I changed clothes and swam in the lake, wading off-shore until my feet could no longer touch the bottom, and then I headed back against the tide. I reached shore and quickly changed clothes – before, when dressed, I could only find one shoe and was walking around with only one flesh-colored sandal with straps across the toes and even through the sandal appeared with a high heal, once on, it was flat and I could walk evenly with only one shoe. No one noticed that the other foot was bare – they looked similar. When seeing only one shoe, I had decided to walk barefoot, but after putting on the shoe, I walked with one. Now, as I stood waiting to be called and introduced to the crowd, I thought about my speech and what to say. Had I not prepared? I didn’t seem to have an ending, or a main point. I wanted to tell them that I am Bahá’í, and so I come to them without prejudices, but as a believer in one God, one people. My notes were copious and I thought about not using them at all. I knew that I would be given the words and that I would say what was needed for all to hear. I am dressed simply and I am the least known of the speakers, and I am being asked to speak. I have a message to give and all know it. The message is being honored by all. I feel comfortable about speaking to my fellow humans – spirit to spirit! We all know the truth, and we just need to be reminded sometimes. Lord, thank you for giving me the words to say