Again, welcome everyone on behalf of the Budapest Baha’i community to this very special event. Most of you already know that today we are celebrating Naw Ruz – the beginning of the 163rd year in the Baha’i calendar. Of course Naw Ruz is not only special to Baha’i’s. Most cultures around the world have celebrations at this time of year to greet the celestial beginning of Spring. Baha’is also find a great deal of significance in the symbol of the renewal seen in nature – the new beginning we all feel as the weather warms and nature comes back to life.

But I think what is even more significant for us is that this is the day when the sun crosses the equator and shines equally over the entire planet – north and south. This is an important symbol for Baha’is, because it represents the equality of all of humanity before God. It is a reminder that despite our differences in culture, language, and race, we are all equal. No one of us is any better than the other, no matter where we live, what we believe, or how we were raised.

For me this is very important, because I grew up in a place where race and religion are often the basis for division, hate, and prejudice. I had always wondered since growing up, what it would take to stop the injustice that we commit to each other when we look at another person and say – or maybe just think that we are in some way better than them because of some superficial aspect to them like their skin, or maybe not so superficial aspect like their culture or religion.

A number of years ago, quite by chance, I came across a list of principles and a selection of writings that really inspired me to believe that there is a hope that one day this great family of Humanity could peacefully coexist and prosper on this tiny planet and overcome all the great challenges that we are faced with today. Challenges that no one government, political movement, philosophy, or traditional religion is equipped to handle now. Challenges like global warming, third world poverty, homelessness in developed nations, terrorism, AIDS and other epidemics, or even cartoons in newspapers.

Obviously, the principles I found were those of the Baha’i faith. The writings were from Baha’u’llah – the founder and Prophet of the Baha’i faith. They are writings and principles that, to me were clearly divinely inspired and which not only offer a personal path to spirituality but also lay out the structure of a future for humanity whereby we will bring about such a great change in civilization that it will simply be known as the Most Great Peace – as Baha’u’llah has promised. It will not be a perfect world – not a utopia – but it will be a world where the problems that we cannot even begin to hope to solve today are finally conquerable with the tools and methods of a civilization which, by the help of God, has entered adulthood.

So tonight, we are here to celebrate the hope that we have for that future. To celebrate the New Day which is upon us, and to celebrate the fact that like the sun’s equal radiance on the earth today, we are all equal partners in achieving that future. After dinner, we hope to uplift your spirits with music, and touch your minds with some of the Baha’i principles. But please, take the opportunity during dinner to talk about the issues we are facing and the hopes we have – whether you are Baha’i or not – take advantage of this evening to connect with others here tonight and explore each other’s hopes and dreams.

(Photo by Steve Wall)

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