radiance of spirit ~ the Xhosa people

i love the Xhosa people i meet in cape town!  i admire how they are radiant in spirit in spite of the apartheid past and the lack of true support from those in cape town who aren’t Xhosa. every person i have met is surprised about me learning the language or going to the townships. it seems so natural to me yet i know most white people cling to what makes them comfortable without adjusting their way of life if they don’t have to. i know many people’s hearts are good but they don’t realize how significant it is to extend a sincere hello in another language, or make an effort to be a genuine friend. overall there is genuine regard for others but the self-preservation of culture seems to take over one’s sense of moving beyond cordial relationships. each generation has the potential to be full of all-embracing acceptance and love. i know it takes time, just like with america’s race relations, but it is God’s Will for humanity to be like a beautiful garden of diversity and unity, all together, contributing unique aspects of culture to the whole beauty of humanity. this is the last stage of humanity’s progression: unity of the human race. to me, it doesn’t mean uniformity. it means a recognition of our Oneness which deeply pervades our consciousness to enable the love we have in our hearts to transcend limited notions of the human family. this is where the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh ignite a spark of hope and keep it lit with constancy.

i know i am a soul who plays a unique part in helping humanity move toward a spiritual civilization, one heart at a time. i know that service to the human race is my true reality and purpose in this life. i strive constantly to overcome my weaknesses and instead grow in the perfections of God, day by day, little by little, until i wing my flight unto our soul’s eternal home….

it is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the injustice in the world. i am easily sensitive to it and my heart feels pain deeply. i cannot rest then or be content with the current state of affairs, but i choose not the political path but rather the spiritual one.