WORLD PEACE
BY HARLAN OBER
DEEP in the heart of the world lies the desire for peace. War,—vivid, relentless, destroying, has quickened this desire.
The Sun of Peace is in the ascent. The march of events reveals the growth of a greater and greater urge. The world is becoming more sensitive and more responsive to those surging spiritual forces that are at the heart of the new civilization that is being builded.
The war brought desolation. Its destructive instruments, and its poisonous gases exceeded the endurance of men. The bodies, the nerves, the souls of men suffered irreparable losses because of the tortures that were inflicted.
Prostration of countries, disturbances of commerce, distress of inhabitants, destruction of sacred relationships, annihilation of the ideals of established standards resulted from this cataclysmic affair. We are now in the period of recovery with its slow and studied progress, its uncertainties and gropings, its search for treasures that have been lost. And with it all has been added another search, and that is, for treasures that have never been held in the hands, but only in the hearts of the seers and the poets, and the singers of divine melodies.
The song of the divine singer has found lodgement in millions of responsive hearts. The world is becoming internationalized, for in every country large groups of people are found whose vision transcends the artificial boundaries of nations and enfolds the people of all the earth. These peoples are entirely convinced that war is against the welfare of humanity and an unnecessary institution. They seek a better way of settling disputes and of providing for progress.
The agreements, treaties and understandings entered into between the various nations, rest upon the active and expressed interest and support of these peoples.
One of the most interesting occurrences relates to the practical mobilization of the forces of idealism, through the churches, colleges, women’s clubs and similar organizations, and their successful efforts in overcoming the hosts of doubts, suspicions and self interest.
The world is like a great arena in which ideas are going forth to battle. A searching light shines down and under its rays, the truth appears. Nations that have slumbered are awakening, races of people that have been waiting for centuries are taking up their march. The new freedom has gripped the souls of millions. Ancient superstitions have lost their compelling hold. Men who have walked with crutches are stumbling along a path that will soon see them running gracefully with stalwart and beautiful limbs.
Clouds follow the brilliant sun, oppositions arise and are temporarily victorious, but the sun shines on, while the clouds disappear.
Never was such a brilliant drama staged before. Mankind is beholding a world in process of education, the nerves of humanity being stirred by the outer and the inner power, old moulds broken and cast away entirely. Every invention has become an instrument in this mighty, soul stirring spectacle, for is it not a part[Page 174]
of the plan of God that this is the day of the “Quickening.”
High hopes are cast to the ground, great expectations are unrealized—and souls lose vision, then confidence—but why—when a million voices herald the spring, and the inner heart is singing a wondrous song.
For some countries the year has been one of confusion through lack of ability to unite conflicting opinions.
Progress has been made in the movement to outlaw war and make it a crime subject to punishment by the nations of the world.
In the United States the extreme position of isolation which was the reflex of the war, has become more moderate, and it is hoped that America’s destiny as “The first nation to upraise the banner of the Most Great Peace” may be speedily realized.
There is no doubt that the spirit of the age is for greater and greater freedom of thought. The young men, and the young women, especially of the colleges, are very responsive to this spirit and are preparing for vital active leadership of the constructive forces of the world.
These young people who are the hope of the world, are not blindly worshipping the unhappy, and unsuccessful events of the past, but are holding fast to the realities of their vision, and working for a practical program for a future great world. There never was a time when it was more evident that the supreme need of humanity is for a spiritual executive power that can unite in one bond those noble plans that are being developed in all parts of the world, and make them effective.
Since real peace—or the Most Great Peace as understood by the Bahá’ís means not only peace between nations, but also peace between races, religions and classes, not overlooking justice and opportunity both to the rich and to the poor, it is the particular province of the Bahá’í to spread far and wide this most fundamental realization.
The benefits of Universal Peace are clearly established and acknowledged by mankind. The destructive nature of war, and the ruin and defeat of both victor and vanquished is also known. Yet the knowledge of these undesirable indisputable facts is not sufficient to establish Universal Peace throughout the world.
In this matter it is evident that the human power crystallized in governments and other agencies is falling short of the perfect accomplishment and stands in need of the reinforcement of the spiritual power.
Nearly all the people of the world know that exaltation of character is commendable, and desirable, and that vileness and depravity in man is despicable. Yet the great majority of the people are lacking in the commendable attributes and characteristics. The direction of the affairs of the world is determined by the purity and magnanimity of the hearts of men.
Powerful aspirations like a mighty wind must stir these hearts, and lift them into the realm of spiritual ideals and exalted aims. The emotions stirred by the greatest of human thoughts are too weak to accomplish this great purpose, but a mighty spiritual power and intense spiritual emotions, alone will provide the means, and bring into actuality, the hopes and longings of men.
This spiritual force is no other than the Power of the Word of God, and the Divine Instructions are the confirmations of the Holy Spirit.
