Prelude: Herzlich tut mich verlangen ~ F. W. Zachau ~ Bart Dahlstrom, organ
Readings:
Bahá'ì Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.
Christianity All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, so ye do to
them, for this is the law and the prophets. - Matthew 7:1
Confusianism Do
not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no
resentment against you, either in the family or in the state. - Analects 12:2
Buddhism Hurt no other in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. -
Udana-Varga 5,1
Hinduism This is the sum of duty; do naught unto others what you would not
have them do unto you. - Mahabharata 5,1517
Islam No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that
which he desires for himself. - Sunnah
Judaism What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the
entire Law; all the rest is commentary. - Talmud, Shabat 3id
Taoism Regard your neighbor's gain as your gain, and your neighbor's loss as
your own loss. - Tai Shang Kan Yin P'ien
Zoroastrianism That
nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good
for itself. - Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5
Postlude: O Lamm Gotts, unschuldig - BWV 656 ~ J. S. Bach ~ Bart
Dahlstrom, organ
This semester we’ve been asked to share our hopes for the
coming term. Thinking about this, I
started reflecting on the word “hope.”
In troubled times, that seems like a scarce commodity. Martin Luther King said that “a riot is the language of the unheard.” Perhaps we can also say that it’s the
language of the hopeless. So one hope I
have for the coming term is to be able to offer a vocabulary of hope. Hope can be used with many shades of
meaning. But I mean not a naïve expectation
that everything will turn out OK, but rather a sense of agency. It’s a belief in our capacity to act and make
a difference.
To believe this is
not to ignore history, but to understand it.
The 20th century, for example, saw the retreat of antiquated world views
such as male superiority and white supremacy. At the beginning of the century in the US,
women could not vote, were excluded from many professions, and regarded as an
inferior breed – barriers that fell during the course of the century. In 1900, reconstruction had ended in the
South and the nation was headed into a period that marked the low point in the
history of race relations. 2008 marked
the election of the first black president.
In the wake of two ruinous world wars, the world took its first clumsy
steps toward international governance.
Nations voluntarily started creating instruments of governance on an
international level that mediate disputes, set standards of international law and
human rights, and undertake humanitarian work in the fields of health,
education, and economic development. These instruments are clearly flawed, but
their historical significance should not be underestimated.
Yes, there’s still
racism, sexism, and violent conflict. But
we’ve crossed a threshold of beginning to recognize the oneness of the human
family and beginning to implement this principle in our institutions. Despite temporary setbacks, there’s no going
back.
The 20th
century also saw the rise of an interfaith movement, in which followers of
historically antagonistic religions were drawn together; by the end of the
century interfaith gatherings and services were common, something unthinkable a
few decades earlier. But is there a
danger that these efforts become a feel-good exercise that lacks a coherent
purpose and spiritual commitment? Can
religion catalyze the kinds of progress I’ve described? Or will it still be captive to narrow
sectarian dogmas that divide and balkanize humanity, suppress the life of the
mind, and sow the seeds of hatred and fanaticism? The goal of interfaith work, as I see it, is
to enable the world’s religious communities rise to the challenge of promoting
the high aims of ennobling human character, encouraging the investigation of
reality, creating authentic relationships, and building a just and progressive
civilization.
Last fall, in The
Tech, I spoke out in defense of the Muslims on campus, while at the same time calling
on the world’s Muslim religious leaders to allow for greater critical inquiry and
efforts for reformation. I also
stressed the importance of interfaith work.
I’m happy to report that a group of students have responded to this
call, and have begun to conduct a series of dinner gatherings that draw
together participants from diverse religions.
My hope is that we can create close friendships, have probing discourse,
and do collaborative work on the task of building the world for which we hope.
Speaker: Brian Aull, Bahá'í Chaplain, MIT
