The Baha'i Faith is a relatively new, monotheistic religion
established in 1863 by Mirza Husayn Ali, also known as Baha'u'llah.
("The Glory of God") While in prison in 1852 Ali had a revelation
that he was a foretold messenger of God. It was not until 1863, however, that
he shared his revelation with anyone. This sharing of his revelation is
celebrated every year as Ridvan. One of the central tenets of the Baha'i faith is Progressive Revelation, the idea that there is only one religion, which is evolving as humanity evolves. "There is a golden thread of truth that connects all of our faiths. God has revealed a little more of the spiritual truths as we were ready to understand them," explains Jan Sabet a local Baha'i public information representative and founder of the Meet Up group “A New World Consciousness: The Baha'i Approach." This is what attracted me to the Baha'i Faith. Conflict between different religions always bothered me, the fighting and even killing each other. The Baha'i view that it is all one religion is very refreshing. It shows that there is beauty in all of our faiths."
Among many other principles, Baha'is believe that the extremes of wealth and poverty should be eliminated, and that men and women should be equal. "Not that everyone should be the same, but for some to have no shoes and be unable to feed their family, while others have ten houses and so forth doesn't make sense. If those extremes could be moderated, we'd have enough for all," says Sabet.
There have been Baha'is in Cleveland since 1894, and in 2003 a
historical marker was placed at East 14th Street and Euclid Avenue
commemorating a visit from the son of Baha'u'llah. Today, the local Baha'i
population consists of more than 500 Clevelanders and is part of a worldwide
community. Though there are devotional meetings happening all over Greater
Cleveland, there is not currently a local center for worship. Instead Baha'is
invite their friends and neighbors to their homes and other venues to share
prayers, devotional music, or whatever is inspiring. "It is meant to be a
spiritual safe zone, a place where you can come and commune with that spiritual
part of yourself that gets pushed aside during the day," remarked Sabet.
Practitioners meet together more formally 19 days of the year, or
every first day of a month. The Baha'i calendar consists of 19 days in a month
in a system of 19 months. The first days are known as the Baha'i Feasts. Though there is
often food present, the word "feast" refers more to a spiritual than
a physical feast. There are prayers and readings from the sacred texts, with
time spent on organizational business, before the remainder is spent
socializing with other participants.
Worship, in the Baha’i faith is also viewed as serving the
community. "We work for humanity, no matter where we are. We believe in
the oneness of the human race, one God, and unity across all spectrums. Baha'is
are about building bridges, bringing people together," explains Sabet.
"That is why we are part of InterAct Cleveland."
InterAct Cleveland is proud to count the Baha’i group of Macedonia, Cleveland, and Cleveland Heights as member organizations. For more information on the local Baha'i faith please visit “A New World Consciousness: The Baha'i Approach."
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