Don’t be a dinosaur !

“I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee.”  Baha’u’llah

This, the opening line of the short obligatory prayer, tells us why we were created. This worship is expressed inwardly, in our hearts, by our gratitude, our thankfulness. It is expressed outwardly through our conduct, that is, in the manner in which we relate to others.

Baha’u’llah further shares this reality with us in the first of His “Hidden Words”:

“O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.”

We are spiritual beings, created by God. Here is our fundamental duty to our Father. Strive to possess a virtuous character, that is, to make our inner selves, our thoughts and motives, pure. Behave in a manner that displays these inner qualities, which is kindliness. Our inner qualities will reach the hearts of others, which is their reflection, and in turn create a positive effect on the thinking, emotions, and conduct of others.  

We are not the beasts of the field. Ours is a higher calling, an unavoidable obligation given us by our Creator, and which is ignored both to the detriment of one’s own soul and to the loss of humanity. Fulfilling this duty to our Father, which is entirely for our own benefit, requires our daily vigilence every day of our lives. This effort is one avenue that helps us come closer to God, in addition to other means given to us by our loving Creator, such as prayer and fasting.

Photo: from the Austalian production “Walking with Dinosaurs” at its United States debut in July 2007, in Tacoma, Washington