Healthy Self-Image — Prerequisite for World Citizenship
The way we view ourselves as human beings will have an immeasurable impact on our future as world citizens. We cannot continue treating ourselves and each other with disrespect in any way. Rather, we must view ourselves and each other as noble children of God created in His image. Focusing daily on our true spiritual reality will enable us to act towards ourselves and each other with profound respect, love, kindness, appreciation, warmth, tenderness, acceptance, and dignity.
Just as a mirror reflects the light of the sun, I believe every human being is a mirror potentially reflecting the attributes of God, such as love, creativity, kindness, compassion, patience, forgiveness, justice, etc.
We have free will to choose whether or not to develop these attributes in our daily lives. The more we focus on developing these attributes, the higher our self-esteem becomes, as we grow into the spiritual human beings we were created to be.
My beliefs come from the universal teachings of Baha’u’llah (1817-1892), Founder of the youngest of the major world religions, the Baha’i Faith that began in Persia (Iran) in 1844.
Here are six quotations from the writings of Baha’u’llah that relate to this most exalted theme.
In these quotes, the words “Me,” “My,” and “Mine” refer to God. Baha’u’llah declared that God spoke to humanity through Baha’u’llah, and that the words of Baha’u’llah are the divinely revealed Word of God for this New Day.
“O SON OF MAN!
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.”
“O SON OF BEING!
Thou art My lamp and My light is in thee. Get thou from it thy radiance and seek none other than Me. For I have created thee rich and have bountifully shed My favor upon thee.”
“O SON OF BEING!
With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.”
“O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.”
“O SON OF SPIRIT!
Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.”
“O MY FRIEND!
Thou art the daystar of the heavens of My holiness, let not the defilement of the world eclipse thy splendor. Rend asunder the veil of heedlessness, that from behind the clouds thou mayest emerge resplendent and array all things with the apparel of life.”
Let us rise to the lifelong challenge of daily transforming our inner selves to mirror forth the attributes of God toward ourselves and towards each other, so we can become worthy of being spiritual world citizens!
Marty Schirn attended the University of Kansas where he received a B.A. in psychology and a B.S. in business. Raised as a Reform Jew, it was at KU that he discovered the Baha’i Faith and became a Baha’i on January 14, 1967. Marty later worked at the Chicago Tribune in the Classified Ad Department. He is now retired and resides in sunny Tucson, Arizona. He enjoys watching trains, listening to Beethoven, and eating chocolate.
