Baha’i Center hosts worldwide unity conferences

“Great Spirit, we come to you this morning in ceremony. We come to this sacred place to talk to you. Give us your eyes today so that we may see the beauty in all things…,“ said Jennifer E. Cuffee-Wilson, an elder of the Shinnecock Nation, as part of an indigenous prayer to inaugurate the first of two conferences hosted last Saturday at the Baha’i Center of Nassau County in Valley Stream, joining more than 10,000 conferences being held by Baha’i members in localities throughout the world.

These two conferences brought Baha’i worshippers to sit down and talk about big-world concepts through the lens of their spiritual mission. Since the monotheistic religion’s founding in 19th century Persia, the core tenets of Baha’i faith are the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity. Members believe in the oneness of humanity and devote themselves to the elimination of racial, class, and religious prejudices.

Topics for discussion included how to create a better world based on concepts such as unity, justice, peace, and  how to eliminate racial prejudice by focusing on building vibrant communities and dealing with the needs of those around us. 

“The vision of Baha’u’llah is founded on a firm foundation of spiritual principles, which when clearly understood, have within them, the ability to recreate society on ideas of justice, unity, peace, and most of all, love. At the heart of that understanding is the truth of the oneness of humanity and that we all belong to one human family — beautiful in its diversity,” said Marie McNair, community liaison and member of the Regional Baha’i Council.