I Went to Observe—But I Left With Something More
A visit to the Baháʼí Temple, and a reminder that unity is something we practice, not preach.
“Service to humanity is service to God. Let the love of the light of the Kingdom radiate through you until all who look upon you shall be illumined by its reflection.”
—Baháʼí Writings
As part of my Divinity program, I’ve been visiting services of different faiths—something I genuinely enjoy.
Not because I have to, but because I’ve always been curious about how others connect to God, truth, and meaning.
A few weeks ago, that curiosity took me somewhere I had driven past more times than I can count, but never once stepped inside.
Until now.
The Visit
I went to the Baháʼí Temple for their Naw Ruz (New Year) Devotions.
I chose this temple because even though I had lived nearby for years, I had never been inside.
From the moment you walk in, the energy feels different.
The building itself is stunning. Everything seems intentional and significant. But it’s about more than just how it looks and feels. Everything has a meaning. The building is thoughtfully and deliberately designed with symbols throughout.
And it’s somehow peaceful without trying too hard.
I’ve always been someone who explores. I even have a small collection of Bibles from different traditions. But for whatever reason, I never fully realized the Baháʼí Faith was its own religion.
And maybe that says something.
An Unexpected Guide…
My friend and I received a surprising gift: guidance from the former temple director, who had recently retired after 15 years. It’s one of those moments you don’t plan; you just happen to connect with the right person at the right time.
Call it coincidence, divine timing, or luck... Whatever it was, the conversations with the former director, who asked if he could take us under his wing for the day, added something you can’t replicate.
A Small Piece of History (That Felt Close to Home)
What I learned is that the Baháʼí Faith was first introduced in the United States in 1893, at the World’s Parliament of Religions—right here in Chicago.
The temple I visited was the Baháʼí House of Worship, the first in the U.S., with its cornerstone laid in 1912 and completed in 1953.
So this wasn’t something “new” or distant.
It’s been here all along.
What Stayed With Me
What stayed with me most is their foundation of oneness—of God, of religion, of humanity.
Not as an idea, but as something lived.
The belief that all major religions come from the same source.
That humanity is one family.
That truth is something you seek, not something handed to you.
And from that, their core principles are simple and clear—eliminating prejudice, promoting equality of women and men, harmonizing science and religion, pursuing independent investigation of truth, ensuring universal education, reducing extremes of wealth and poverty, and ultimately, achieving peace.
Nothing complicated. Nothing hidden. Just… direct and to the point.
What I Didn’t Expect…
At some point, it clicked for me that what I was experiencing wasn’t just another faith tradition; it was something revealed and downloaded.
The Baháʼí Faith started with Baháʼu’lláh, whose writings are considered divinely inspired—received, not created in the way we usually think of authorship.
The faith was channeled through Baháʼu’lláh and written down by many scribes. And that changed something for me.
Not because it felt unfamiliar… but because it didn’t.
There was a recognition there. A sense that the truth, which comes through a person, is something living, unfolding, and meant to be experienced in real time.
It added a layer I didn’t see coming.
And honestly, it made the entire experience feel even more alive.
Reflection: Unity Isn’t a Concept
Here’s the part that stayed with me after I left:
We talk about unity all the time. We post about it. We want it. We say the world needs it. But unity isn’t something you agree with.
It’s something you practice.
It’s how you see people.
How you listen.
It’s about letting go of the need to be right long enough to understand something different from your own experience.
And sitting there in that space, listening, observing, taking it in… it felt like a reminder that maybe we’ve layered too much onto something that was always meant to be simple.
Our connection with God.
Closing Thought
Although it was only a couple of hours, they were hours of learning, experiencing, and connecting—without needing to define, defend, or label what was happening.
And honestly…
We could all use a little more of that right now.
A little more connection with each other, and with ourselves.
A little more willingness to step into something unfamiliar and experience it. To listen. To learn. To be open.
It’s made me think about where else we can reach out and learn about each other in real ways, not through assumptions or headlines, but through actual lived experience. Because in those moments, something changes.
We don’t just learn about someone else’s path…
We learn something about ourselves.
And somewhere in that shared space, in those moments of curiosity, openness, and presence, we begin to create something that feels like community. Real community. The kind rooted in understanding, not sameness.
And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Stay Grounded. Stay Inspired. Shine Your Light ✨
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