The Beginning of Social Progress: Spiritualizing Our Relationships!?!

Our community recently held a gathering where we started to reflect on how the process of social progress begins and moves forward. The discussion today continues this reflection. We all seem to understand that communities involve networks of personal relationships, and that the quality of these relationships largely determine the strength of the community and its capacity to advance toward unity and progress. We have learned that it’s one thing to understand a concept – the spiritualization of our relationships – and quite another to put that concept into practice … and this is what today’s conversation will be about: What does it mean to initiate, establish, and sustain relationships with others? How might family, neighbors, friends, and coworkers be invited to participate in the processes of community building? What does it mean for a community to grow, and what role might elevating the quality of our relationships play in this progress? What does it mean to spiritualize our relationships, how might our relationships become more spiritual, and why is spiritualizing our relationships important in our collective effort to translate the Baha’i concept of the “Oneness of Humanity” into reality? In this conversation we’ll be guided by the teachings of this Faith, the most recent of the world’s independent religions. Consistent with the Baha’i concept of oneness, all views and all people – of every age, race, culture, gender, social class, ethnicity, and nationality – are welcome in this space.

“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.” Baha’i Writings