The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony... So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of unity and love among humanity.
Bahá'u'lláh uses the metaphor of a lamp to convey how divine guidance illuminates the path for humanity. He describes people as part of a singular tree, suggesting that despite individual differences, all are interconnected and should treat one another with love and harmony, highlighting the transformative power of unity to bring enlightenment and peace to the world.
In practice
In a speech about community cohesion during a local event.
That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench.
So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.
Let your vision be world embracing rather than confined to your own self.
Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.
Say: o brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.
Books and opinions, no matter from whom they came, if they are in opposition to human rights, are nothing but dead letters.
My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience.
First causes are outside the realm of science.
If you say, Well, OK, I don't believe in God. There's no evidence of God, then you're missing the stars in the sky and you're missing the sunrises and sunsets and you're missing the fact that bees pollinate all these crops and keep us alive and the way that everything seems to work together. Everything is sort of built in a way that to me suggests intelligent design.
We are a profoundly interconnected species, as the global economic and ecological crises reveal in vivid and frightening detail. We must embrace the simple fact that we are dependent on and accountable to one another.
Used to the conditions of a capitalistic environment, the average American takes it for granted that every year business makes something new and better accessible to him. Looking backward upon the years of his own life, he realizes that many implements that were totally unknown in the days of his youth and many others which at that time could be enjoyed only by a small minority are now standard equipment of almost every household.
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