A Crazy Beautiful Idea: The World as One

I am a citizen of the world. The planet is my home. My countrymen and women all the world’s peoples. The highest loyalty I can have is service to the welfare of humanity as a whole. The best way I can serve the community of which I am a part is through fostering reconciliation, peace and understanding among all people.

Until such ideas take root in the hearts and minds of the people of the world and in the hearts and minds of our leaders, the world will not find peace or healing.

The idea of world citizenship is not a new one. It was known to ancient Greek philosophy, to the Roman stoics and also influences Christian thought. In ancient Chinese thought the similar concept of the “Great Unity” (datong) appears. In ancient Indian philosophy we find “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – the world is one family. In the Qur’an we find passages which convey the oneness of humanity.

Baha’u’llah was not the first to state the truth that humanity is one. Yet, the entire purpose of his mission is to enable the realisation of the oneness of humanity in the world. He states it clearly:

The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.[1]

Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. … So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.

Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can ensure the protection and security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations…. [2]

It is the first time that a messenger of God has come with this explicit purpose. And, for the first time in history, humanity has both the practical ability and the urgent necessity of bringing the world together. The oneness of humanity is indeed the latent potential of our times. It is a deep yearning of the human heart.

Baha’is recognise that, as much as they may make a contribution, it will not be Baha’is alone (or even primarily) who achieve the oneness of humanity. It can only be achieved by humanity as a whole.

Humanity, it is the firm conviction of every follower of Bahá’u’lláh, is approaching today the crowning stage in a millennia-long process which has brought it from its collective infancy to the threshold of maturity—a stage that will witness the unification of the human race. Not unlike the individual who passes through the unsettled yet promising period of adolescence, during which latent powers and capacities come to light, humankind as a whole is in the midst of an unprecedented transition. Behind so much of the turbulence and commotion of contemporary life are the fits and starts of a humanity struggling to come of age. …

Bahá’ís do not believe the transformation thus envisioned will come about exclusively through their own efforts. Nor are they trying to create a movement that would seek to impose on society their vision of the future. Every nation and every group—indeed, every individual—will, to a greater or lesser degree, contribute to the emergence of the world civilization towards which humanity is irresistibly moving.[2]

Millions of Baha’i hearts urge on everyone who is arising with this thought or aspiration. May everyone who arises to serve the oneness of humankind see their endeavours crowned with success. Here are some examples of the kinds of things countless human beings do.

Matt Harding of “Where the heck is Matt” made a series of music videos which showed him dancing around the world – and people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds joining him wherever he goes. His videos are a celebration of shared humanity and the Earth in which we live. His story is a metaphor for our times. He was a game programmer. He was tiring of the violence the games involved and one day sarcastically suggested that they create a game called “Destroy All Humans”. The company loved the idea. Matt decided he needed to do something else with his life.[1] One of the most beautiful of the series of videos he created is the 2008 video (which is embedded below). The music for the video is “Praan”. For its lyrics, the composer, Gary Schyman, selected a poem by the Bengali writer, thinker and poet Rabindranath Tagore, Praan: “Stream of Life”. Gary himself had been a composer for “Destroy All Humans”. The vocalist who sings the song is Palbasha Siddique, who was 17 when she sang it, and has gone on to found an NGO supporting the education of Bangladeshi children. The following is a translation of some of the lyrics of the song.

Life I shall not ever easily forget,

My heart shall fill up with life,

Even in death, lies hidden

That endless life.

On the ship, your flute plays,

But that is no ordinary tune,

I shall wake up to that tune.

Across 7 rivers, in 10 directions,

Make us dance with your tune.

Another example is Women of the World, a women’s choral group who sang “the World in Union” (video below). The recording comes from a rehearsal. It captures the feeling of their hearts and expresses their intention to speak the shared language of music. The musical theme for the video, “Thaxted” comes from the Planets by Gustav Holst. Other words have been put to the theme, but none are more beautiful than those of the World in Union. The lyrics were written by Charlie Skarbek as the theme song for the 1991 Rugby Union world cup. The words speak for themselves. Here are some of them:

There’s a dream, I feel
So rare, so real
All the world in union
The world as one
Gathering together
One mind, one heart
Every creed, every colour
Once joined, never apart

United is another example of such music. It was written to mark the transition of the world’s population to 7 billion people. It is a celebration of our shared humanity. The song is created by a group called “Playing for Change” with the support of the United Nations World Food Program. The primary singers are Jason Tamba and Mermans Mosengo, but the music is a collaborative work of artists from around the world. It includes words in English, Lingala, Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic.

Its chorus is a refrain of current human need:

We have to bring the world together

And learn to live as one.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s64JD88UDwk

 

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Image Credit: McConnell’s Earth Flag , it was designed in 1969 by John McConnell. It appeared in the Whole Earth Catalog. It conveys both environmental awareness and global solidarity.

Selected Sources:

Why Global Citizenship? by Emrys Nekvapil

The Concept of “Datong” in Chinese Philosophy as an Expression of the Idea of the Common Good Albert H.Y. Chen

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/vasudhaiva-kutumbakam-is-indias-philosophy-modi/article6453203.ece

(This article is the 108th in a series of what I hope will be 200 articles in 200 days for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh. The anniversary is being celebrated around the world on 21 and 22 October 2017, The articles are simply my personal reflections on Bahá’u’lláh’s life and work. Any errors or inadequacies in these articles are solely my responsibility.)