The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony... So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of unity and love among humanity.
Bahá'u'lláh uses the metaphor of a lamp to convey how divine guidance illuminates the path for humanity. He describes people as part of a singular tree, suggesting that despite individual differences, all are interconnected and should treat one another with love and harmony, highlighting the transformative power of unity to bring enlightenment and peace to the world.
In practice
In a speech about community cohesion during a local event.
That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench.
So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.
Let your vision be world embracing rather than confined to your own self.
Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.
Say: o brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.
What happens then is like what happens when we separate a jigsaw puzzle into its fuve hundred pieces: The over-all picture disappears. This is the state of modern medicine: It has lost the sense of the unity of man. Such is the price it has paid for its scientific progress. It has sacrificed art to science.
One day I visited a guy who had made a fortune as a broker. He was sitting in his office with his computer. I hire people from here and make deals from this room, he told me. Then he took me to the trading room. Nobody was talking to anybody else, the place was silent as a tomb, they were all sitting there watching their terminals - a great word, terminal. I tell you, it scares the crap out of me.
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.
The price of freedom is still, and always will be, eternal vigilance.
And the worst possible thing we could know — worse than knowing of our descent from a mass of microorganisms — is that we are nobodies not somebodies, puppets not people.
When man does not have firm, calm lines on the horizon of his life- mountain and forest lines, as it were- then a man's innermost will becomes agitated, preoccupied, and wistful.
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