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Reston Bahá’ís Build Unity Through Service S BY RESTON BAHÁ’ÍS
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESTON BAHÁ’ÍS
ervice to mankind is at the heart of the teachings of the Bahá’í faith. Since its inception in the 19th century, Bahá’ís all over the world have sought opportunities to be of service to their neighbors and to society at large.
THROUGH SERVICE, BAHÁ’ÍS BELIEVE, INDIVIDUALS ENGAGE IN A TWO-FOLD, INTERCONNECTED PROCESS OF TRANSFORMING SELF AND SOCIETY — DEVELOPING INDIVIDUAL STRENGTH OF CHARACTER AND BUILDING COLLECTIVE CAPACITY TO ADVANCE HUMAN PROSPERITY. Central to this service is promotion of their belief in the oneness of humanity, supported by such principles as the equality of women and men, the elimination of all prejudice and the harmony of science
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and religion. Reston’s diversity creates unique opportunities for Bahá’ís to serve humanity. Whereas their past efforts focused on hosting Spirit of Service Awards for AfricanAmericans, supporting the Reston Multicultural Festival and the Closet of Herndon and joining Earth Day and similar observances, in more recent years, Reston Bahá’ís have worked intimately in small groups within a framework of activities to build a more spiritually vibrant community as a service to society. They
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host regular devotional gatherings in private homes and other settings that foster interfaith friendships, raise understanding of a shared spiritual culture and promote a love of prayer to a higher power and purpose. Individual Bahá’ís teach neighborhood children’s classes that plant the seeds of honesty, kindness, justice, compassion and other values that grow at home, school and other arenas of activity. A program that empowers junior youth to find their own path of service is in its earliest stage of development here. Bahá’ís host