West Lebanon
If you have an interest in learning about different world religions, consider stopping by the “Light of Unity Festival,” which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’llah, a Persian nobleman who founded the faith in the 1860s and is considered a prophet by the Baha’is. The event will be held Saturday, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Kilton Public Library in West Lebanon.
Storyteller Simon Brooks will share stories from about 10:15-11 a.m. Gail Minor-Babin, a registered nurse and certified music practitioner, will play selections on harp and guitar. A 50-minute film about the Baha’u’llah’s life will be shown at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
“In addition, throughout the day there will be informational displays to view, activities for children and light refreshments and birthday cake!” Anne Bouchard, of Lebanon, one of the event’s organizers, wrote in an email.
Bouchard also provided the following information about the Baha’i faith:
Baha’u’llah’s name means “The Glory of God,” and he is regarded by Baha’is as the promised return of a long-awaited divine spirit whose mission was to reawaken humanity and unite all the peoples of the world. In April 1863, Baha’u’llah proclaimed his station as the “promised one.”
Baha’u’llah suffered years of banishment, torture and imprisonment as a result of his claim, a recurrent story in human history, as with the story of Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad the Buddha and other founders of faith. Yet, during that time, he revealed and wrote volumes of sacred text and also made provisions for authoritative interpretation of his writings and their meticulous translations into various languages, thereby avoiding misinterpretation, schism and disunity. Some of the many books of his writings translated into English will be on display Saturday and are also available for viewing and free downloads from the internet by searching: bahaiebooks.com.
A question often asked, if God created all that there is and there is just one creator, how is that there are so many religions? Baha’is believe that the different religions are actually not intended to be competition with one another but are in fact all chapters of one “changeless faith of god, eternal in the past, eternal in the future” as Baha’u’llah states, and that “there can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed.”
Five things Baha’is believe: that there is one God, the common source for all the world’s religions revealed at different points of time to progressively advance our spiritual capacity for building a world at peace; in the essential oneness of humanity and the elimination of all forms of prejudice; in the equality of men and women; that justice and equity are the foundations of peace; that religion must be in harmony with science and reason; in the independent investigation of truth.
Editor’s note: For more information about the Baha’i, Bouchard recommends visiting bahai.org. To attend an informational or devotional gathering, call Anne or Jim Bouchard at 603-448-2297 or Anne Cook at 802-649-2989. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
