Strength To Thrive

BAHA’I PRAYER FOR PEACE...

“Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity. Be fair in judgement, and guarded in thy speech. Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness and a home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.”

With this being my 20th trip to spend time with family in South Africa, I am acutely aware of the vast differences in what has changed for good and what appears to be slow in terms of change.

There are so many examples of individuals and communities that have found the strength to thrive despite the history of apartheid. The goal of apartheid truly was intended to be an intentional virus targeted from one community to another. When an entire race of individuals are legally reduced to being seen as less than a full human being, one has to realize the power of human indifference. I am reminded of the wisdom of Elie Wiesel in reflecting on the Holocaust.

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.

So much of what you can learn in another country’s experience can be applied for good at home. My prayer for our life back home is that we, like our South African friends, would choose love over fear and not allow ourselves to be lulled into indifference.

Our day ends in Malungeni and the delegation thanks you for your support and interest.

Shalom, James Cassidy, President AIAIA