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Society Builders

[voiceover] Society Builders, 
with your host Duane Varan

[Duane] Welcome to another exciting 
episode of Society Builders and thanks

for joining the conversation, 
for social transformation.

We interrupt our normal sequence of episodes 
today for a special episode. It s not so much

an interruption it s more of a special treat. As 
avid listeners will know, we re in the middle of

our sequence of episodes exploring social 
action . We just completed four episodes

exploring what social action looks like from a 
Baha i perspective and we re gearing up for a

sequence of case studies highlighting what social 
action looks like in practice. And we were already

planning on a special treat coming in the middle 
of this sequence anyway with this year s Ridvan

message. But now we have an additional special 
treat because on March 19th the Universal House

of Justice gave an incredible treasure to the Baha 
i world a message focusing on the theme of Baha i

family life and I believe it has a very particular 
application which we re going to explore in today

s episode. And we get additional insight here from 
yet another message the Naw Ruz message of the

Universal House of Justice to the Baha is of Iran 
which further expands on this March 19th message

on family life. So we have a lot learn from all 
this Divine guidance that we can learn from here.

So stop the presses. We interrupt your normally 
schedule program for a special episode where

we can explore these latest messages from 
the Universal House of Justice. So today,

we will be exploring the role of the Baha i 
Home in our larger Society Building narrative.

(musical interlude)

Now the March 19th and the Naw Ruz messages are 
incredibly profound. They have incredible nuance

to them that s easy to miss- particularly when 
you read them thinking you already know what

they re about. I think it s easy to give these 
messages a quick read and walk away thinking

that these are just nice letters reminding 
us about how important Baha i family life is.

But I think that kind of reading misses the 
point. Yes these messages ARE about family

life but they represent a very significant 
advance in how we understand all of this.

And that shift is deeply profound. It s 
something you ll want to consult extensively

about in your marriage, in your family, 
in your groupings and in your communities.

It s not a summary of what our Writings say 
about family life there are other spaces for that

including the compilation of family life and a few 
statements by the Baha i International Community,

for example. But this I think is something 
different. These are messages which help

situate the Baha i Home within the larger 
narrative of society building and that,

I think, is a particularly unique contribution 
within these messages. And once you read and try

to understand these messages, it will 
change the way you understand society

building. In fact, in some ways, I think it 
adds another dimension to society building.

Now, I m not going to be able to do these 
letters justice with a short podcast like

this. So my goal is not to give you a 
summary. Instead I want to draw your

attention to a number of key concepts which 
I hope will help you in your own reflecting,

deepening and consultations on this. And 
I promise, we will eventually do a whole

sequence of episodes on this theme of the Baha i 
Home because there s just so much ground to cover.

So today, I ll simply highlight 
a number of key concepts drawing

your attention to some of the features 
that stood out to me in these messages.

And I want to clarify that I ll primarily be 
focusing on the March 19th message looking to

the Naw Ruz message to the Baha is in Iran 
for some additional clarification related

back to the March 19th message. 
Because in the Naw Ruz message,

the Universal House of Justice itself 
makes reference to the March 19th message

encouraging the Baha is in Iran to study it 
while highlighting some additional themes.

Now one more thing before we get to our 
main story here. In these messages, I think,

the Universal House of Justice is doing three 
things. First, there are parts of the messages

that remind us of our existing Writings on 
Baha i family life so here the Universal

House of Justice is doing some curation helping 
us better understand our Writings, for example.

Then, there are also parts in these messages where 
they extend these Writings helping us see some of

the implications that we might not have previously 
noticed or helping apply this to new situations.

And then, finally, and this is best finally, 
there are parts where they introduce new

ideas and new constructs altogether. 
And that s particularly exciting.

And all three of these different kinds of 
applications are truly gifts gifts that help

us look to family life and to society building in 
entirely new ways. But from time to time today,

I ll try to clarify which of these 
three different types of gifts are

at work particularly when it appears that the 
Universal House of Justice is covering new ground.

So that s something else to keep in 
mind today in today s little journey.

(musical interlude)

So - what is the March 19th message really about?

Again, you ll want to draw 
your own conclusions but to me,

the key to understanding the larger objectives 
of that message is articulated in both the very

beginning and towards the end of the message. 
So we can look to the bookends of the message,

so to speak, to understand it s main objectives.

The introduction ends with what I think 
is a summary of this goal. They say:

Learning about a new pattern of family 
life is, therefore, an integral part of

the effort to learn about the release of 
the society-building power of the Faith.

So there are two key constructs here that 
should immediately grab our attention. First,

that this is about NEW patterns of family 
life that word NEW is very telling. It means

we shouldn t assume that we already understand 
what they are. So this is your first big clue

that you shouldn t read this thinking you 
know what it s about. Because it s about

NEW patterns. So let s look to the message to 
help get some clues about these new patterns.

And the second important idea here 
is that it s an integral part of

the release of the society-building power 
of the Faith. And that s really, I think,

the over-arching goal here with this message 
that we grapple with how the Baha i home fits

in with our larger society-building aspirations. 
And this represents a significant advance in

how we understand society building. So in that 
context this is a very, very important message.

So it turns out, it's not, I think, a 
message about Baha i family life as we

might have initially assumed. It s a message 
of the role of the Baha i home in the larger

process of society-building. I mean it sounds 
similar but it s actually quite different.

And I think this becomes even more 
evident as the message builds to

its conclusions towards the end of the 
message which further clarifies this focus.

Towards the end, we see the Universal House of 
Justice talking about the forces of disintegration

that are assailing families an inseparable 
feature of this age of transition. And as we

respond by releasing the society building powers 
of the Faith, they say that the part played by

Bah Ւ families will be increasingly necessary 
and impactful in the years and decades ahead.

Now there s a part of me that was a 
bit terrified when I read this. Again,

it s hard to know what our future has in store 
for us but clearly it s painful and dark and in

this social milieu you have to wonder what the 
role of family is because it s clear from this

message that family will be both necessary 
and impactful in navigating the storms.

The messages of the Universal House of Justice 
are truly precious gifts to us a special bounty.

And one of the reasons is that it gives us our 
best way of understanding the conditions in the

world around us. And across these two messages, 
we have descriptions that paint this dark picture.

The Naw Ruz message to the Baha is in Iran, 
for example, talks about this time when the

earth is caught in the grip of chaos, confusion, 
and instability; and its political, economic,

and social order is ever more volatile 
and out of control; when the peoples

of the world are seized by various ordeals and 
hardships and are struggling against incurable

ills; when despair and hopelessness and a lack of 
confidence about the future and the erosion of the

bonds of trust have led to a widespread crisis, 
particularly among many young people in the world.

The March 19th message also addresses this dark 
condition. They describe it as: the forces of

disintegration that are an inseparable feature 
of an age in transition. These forces assailing

society have particularly affected the family, 
sundering its ties, and taking a heavy toll on its

members, especially on children. They can expose 
family members to some of the most destructive

social pathologies: an absence of love and 
care, neglect of the things of the spirit,

dehumanization, poverty, insecurity, and 
violence. Individuals are tempted to surrender

to a life of material distractions or personal 
gratification, thereby becoming mere objects to

be manipulated by those who seek to impose their 
designs on society. Contrasting ideologies and

identities, incompatible with the ideals of 
the oneness of humanity and a peaceful world,

vie for the allegiance of the masses and 
contend for superiority with one another. Some

of these movements plant seeds of prejudice and 
fanaticism which ultimately yield estrangement,

conflict, and contention among the peoples 
of the world. Others may seem to conform to

some aspect of the Teachings, only to subtly lead 
the friends away from Bah u ll h s straight path.

WOW! This is very, very dark, right?

And I know you feel this.

And this dark condition is the reason why we 
so desperately need this guidance. They say:

The family, and the community as a whole, will 
need to learn to examine existing circumstances,

grasp the nature and impact of such forces, and, 
with full reliance on divine assistance, develop

preventive and remedial measures in order to 
weather the tumultuous storms of a perilous age.

So we need to read our social 
reality free from the noise we

hear all around us and with full 
reliance on divine assistance,

we need to develop both PREVENTIVE and 
REMEDIAL measures to weather the storms.

Let s start with this appeal for us to 
examine existing circumstances and grasp

the nature and impact of such forces well, 
this is something all of us are going to have

to do in consultation with our families and 
communities. You can literally work your way

through the list of these conditions that 
the Universal House of Justice identifies

here in this message and ask yourself 
how does this speak to your conditions.

For example, the Universal House of Justice says: 
Individuals are tempted to surrender to a life of

material distractions or personal gratification, 
thereby becoming mere objects to be manipulated

by those who seek to impose their designs on 
society. So this raises the question how are

you being manipulated in this way? And I 
ll give you just one little example here

There s an interesting case that s made the 
news recently where a former senior executive

at Facebook claims that they would target 
young girls when they exhibited signals of

personal insecurity. ?So on occasions with these 
girls, for example, they would take down images

of themselves on Facebook probably because 
they didn't feel particularly pretty that

day or reflecting some kind of insecurity 
at the time. And Facebook would then use

that as a signal - the signal of them removing 
their images to indicate that this was a target

suffering from this kind of personal insecurity, 
and that condition would make them particularly

receptive to ads from cosmetic advertisers.
And then they would sell that particular audience

segment to those advertisers, essentially preying 
on these young girls' vulnerabilities, and this is

just a mild example of the kind of manipulation 
that is increasingly becoming the norm.

I mean, remember in our discussion on 
depolarization in that previous episode where

we talked about the role that Facebook played in 
the ethnic cleansing that unfolded in Myanmar.

There are plenty of these kind of horrific stories 
that you read about every day about how we're

increasingly being manipulated in these ways.
So what the Universal House of Justice is

calling us to do is to not drink the Kool-Aid 
to stop and reflect open our eyes and see all

the nefarious forces at work in our own 
lives. To become aware of these forces.

So becoming aware is step one here.

Then they call on us to develop preventive 
and remedial measures to weather these forces.

Preventive and remedial.

Preventive to help reduce the influence this

cancer is having on our family life. 
Remedial to heal the damage done.

That s a lot to reflect on, right?

And note that they don t even say we can 
achieve this with our own faculties like

we shouldn t fool ourselves into thinking we 
re smart enough to resolve this all on our

own. The challenge is so great that we need 
to rely on the power of divine assistance.

I mean that says a lot, right.

And in the Naw Ruz message to the Baha is in 
Iran, they expand further on this process of

reflection so that we not only protect 
the institution of the family from the

darts of destruction but make it a space for 
acquiring perfections and a haven from harm

ultimately turning it into a constructive and 
potent instrument for social transformation.

WOW!

So hopefully this really gets your attention. 
It explains the urgency of our circumstances.

So what new patterns can we 
weave that will empower us

to both prevent and remedy 
these horrible social ills?

THAT, my friends, is the focus, 
I think, of this message.

(musical interlude)

Now towards the beginning of the message, the 
Universal House of Justice explores this idea

of patterns. They remind us how Abdul-Baha 
explained that the family is a microcosm of

larger society He says: A family is a nation 
in miniature - The conditions surrounding the

family surround the nation. How our skills 
and abilities to interact with others are

shaped first in the family and how we 
take these patterns to our friendships,

our workplace and ultimately to 
the fabric of our entire nation.

Now this is that curation role I 
was talking about earlier they re

reminding us of our teachings they re 
giving us a guided tour, for example,

of what Abdul-Baha has already 
taught us about these patterns.

But then they introduce a new concept and that is 
the idea that family as a construct is inherently

dynamic. That s changing that it s ever changing. 
Now this is fascinating! I may be mistaken is

asserting this but I can t think of any of 
our Writings that frame family quite this way.

I mean, it s a logical extension but I think 
it s still a new way of framing it for us.

And this is really important to our narrative 
here because we probably all think that we

already know a lot about our teachings on 
family. So this is key to helping us wake

up and smell the coffee and realize that WHOA we 
evolve and the institution of family evolves too.

This is fascinating right?

They explain how expectations of parents 
change how our kinship allegiances

change and how gender roles change and 
these, of course, are just examples. So

this requires us to re-evaluate the 
thoughts and theories of past ages.

Just a little side note here. I 
m a baby boomer and most of our

baby boomer mothers raised us on guidance 
they received from a book written by Dr.

Benjamin Spock called Baby and Child Care . I 
know this was the book that my mother used when

she raised me. So I think it s hilarious that 
Dr. Spock came out some years ago to confess

that he thinks he got it all wrong! Ha ha. That 
probably explains a lot about me. So clearly,

there s a need for change, right? I mean, 
even Dr. Spock says he got it all wrong.

Anyway back to our story.

What the Universal House of Justice is drawing our 
attention to is that conditions change societies

change and the patterns of family change in 
response. And that s not inherently a bad

thing they have to respond to the exigencies of 
the various stages of human social development.

But here s the catch!

How are those changes how are 
those new patterns emerging?

And herein is our challenge to examine 
the present practices in their societies,

weigh them in light of the Teachings, 
weed out any undesirable tendencies,

and learn to establish new patterns of 
family life suited to the needs of a new age.

Now at this stage you re probably thinking OK I m 
sold. So tell me what that new pattern looks like.

Aha I caught you. Because we don t know 
what it looks like yet! We re still too

nascent there are different conditions 
across different societies so it s not

about adhering to one specific formula. It 
s like everything else society building we

have to engage in a learning process and it 
s a learning process that will accelerate

greatly in the coming years as we grow in 
capacity and work to apply our Teachings.

And they raise a series of 
questions for us to consider

as we engage in this learning process. Like -

What are the characteristics of 
Bah Ւ family life and how are

they distinguished from the way family 
life is understood in society today?

What is the distinctive nature of Bah Ւ 
marriage and how does it foster family life?

How do Bah Ւ families contribute 
to the process of transformation

in neighbourhoods and villages, and beyond?

What are the current pitfalls and obstacles facing

Bah Ւ families that prevent 
them from achieving this aim?

How does the framework for action of 
the current stage of the Divine Plan

both strengthen family life and 
create opportunities for vibrant

families to contribute to the 
process of community building?

And by the way, later in the message they 
explore what this kind of reflection and

learning looks like and they describe it 
in very similar terms to what we discussed

recently in that episode when we discussed 
action learning here they talk about prayer,

study, consultation and reflection on action.

So you can see that there s a lot there 
for us to explore. And as we explore,

we will increasingly see these new 
patterns evolve in our family lives.

So as families let s roll 
up our sleeves and discover.

(musical interlude)

Now, it shouldn t be surprising that if 
we re going to explore family inherently

that exploration is going to start with 
marriage the starting point, so to speak,

of all of this, the inscrutable instrument for the 
fulfillment of our destiny , as Baha u llah says.

So here again, we see a curation of many of our 
Writings on marriage how marriage is a partnership

of both mind and heart, how it helps us improve 
the spiritual life of each other, and how we

can become even as one soul. And this is key as 
we work towards both develop our potentialities

and contributing to an ever-advancing 
civilization. And how this union affects

the forging of countless new relationships with 
others helping to reshape lives and communities.

Then you see clear criticism by the 
Universal House of Justice of many

of the social practices that are evolving 
around marriage that are evolving around us.

And there are some very specific practices 
that they seem to be highlighting - but in

my own simple way of understanding all 
of this I think what they re reminding

us here is that the concepts of marriage that 
pervade in the world around us are warped and

that we need to cling to our teachings 
to navigate the perversity of our age.

And throughout this message and in this 
section on marriage they raise the importance

of full equality between men and women again 
reminding us of how this cultivates patterns

patterns including how we raise our 
children that ultimately shape society.

But they clarify that equality doesn t mean 
that a husband and wife are doing the same

thing that as a starting point, mothers 
are the first educators of the child,

fathers have an obligation to support the family 
financially. But the point here is that based on

their understanding of the teachings, the 
couple together determine the best way to

manage their affairs in light of the challenges 
and opportunities they face. But in doing so,

they need to ensure both the wife and husband s 
spiritual, intellectual and professional progress.

(musical interlude)

Now the Universal House of Justice then 
ladders us up from marriage to family

identifying two key principles that 
should govern our affairs as families:

justice and reciprocity. Justice and 
reciprocity. So that s another one

of those things you ll want to reflect on 
how do these two principles speak to your

pattern of family life. Does each member 
of the family receive their rights does

each fulfill their responsibilities? And this 
is something we have to actively cultivate.

And our challenge here is to raise 
children so that they learn to live

a meaningful and purposeful life 
of devotion, virtue and service.

And parents do this both through loving 
conversations and through their example.

Now, here again, they go beyond the existing 
Writings, again introducing this principle of how

dynamic this process is, highlighting how 
parents have to adapt their methods and

approaches across every stage of development, 
from infancy to maturity. At an early age they

cultivate virtues and learn to turn to God, as 
they get older they learn how to address hardship,

practice self-discipline and accountability, learn 
to become forgetful of self and they study. And

as they increasingly step into the world on their 
own, they learn to develop an attitude of service,

to diffuse and apply the divine teachings, 
to resolve differences and participate in

consultation, to remain steadfast in the 
Covenant, to work for the betterment of the

world, and to direct themselves to those 
things that lead to everlasting honor.

And the Universal House of Justice encourages us 
here to use both the Writings and other resources

in our quest to provide for the material, 
social and spiritual needs of our children.

And they also explain how the financial 
affairs of the family need attention

including how money is earned, spent and saved. 
I m reminded here of their message of March 1,

2017 where they address economic issues 
with that amazing quote. They say:

Every choice a Bah Ւ makes as employee 
or employer, producer or consumer,

borrower or lender, benefactor or beneficiary 
leaves a trace, and the moral duty to lead

a coherent life demands that one s economic 
decisions be in accordance with lofty ideals,

that the purity of one s aims be matched by the 
purity of one s actions to fulfil those aims.

And here the Universal House of 
Justice is applying a similar

principle in managing the financial 
affairs of the family, highlighting

how the family provides a space to learn in 
practice about generosity, responsibility,

the difference between needs and wants, 
and the management of material means.

Again- you see how these are 
patterns patterns we take on

ultimately to our interaction with society.

(musical interlude)

OK now for another one of those unique gifts 
in the message another NEW insight, I think.

Now let me digress before I discuss this next 
section and share a little story with you.

My wife and I were once on a summer school 
committee and as we were planning we suggested

that the theme that year be on parenting. And to 
this one of the committee members who had grown

children already said: I think that s a terrible 
idea. All I m going to learn is what I did wrong!

Now I think that s hilarious but it raises 
a good point. I can see how there might be

people who see this message and think 
ah it s not really meant for me I don

t have kids or I m not married or 
my kids are all grown up already.

OK so stop right there. That s what s 
so exciting about this next section.

Because the Universal House of Justice next 
widens the circle yet again like a telescope

and this time they explore family from a different 
angle - bringing in the role of extended family

and friends. So they start with immediate 
nuclear family you know, siblings and grow

to extended family grandparents, aunts, uncles 
and cousins all with guidance on their roles.

But then they go further exploring how these 
relationships extend to fellow Baha is and

other friends. And one of the things that really 
put an immediate smile on my face was a reference

that they make here to spiritual aunts and uncles 
how delicious is that. Now in layman terms we talk

about spiritual aunts and uncles all the time but 
here the Universal House of Justice is referencing

it I mean, it s now official. Officially now 
we have a construct of spiritual aunts and

uncles. Again, this is another example of a new 
construct, I think, that they re introducing.

So suddenly, everyone is connected to family 
in some way: Elders youth I mean everyone. So

for every family there are suddenly 
a whole host of links a whole host

of support mechanisms. And the Universal House 
of Justice describes how the sense of oneness,

of love, care, trust, and solidarity that 
are initially cultivated in the family

begin to be woven into the fabric 
of relationships in the community.

(musical interlude)

And then the Universal House of Justice widens 
the circle yet again this time to the dynamic

interaction of family with wider society. And they 
draw once again on how the coherence we cultivate

between our beliefs and actions impacts society. 
How our belief in the equality of women and men,

for example or our adherence to the principle 
of the oneness of humanity how these cultivate

relationships of unity and oneness in a 
divided world. We become bridges. And in

so many other ways in the skills we bring 
for consultation in upholding qualities

such as justice and compassion and so here we 
re applying these new patterns as we learn to

apply our Teachings in our family life it creates 
patterns that extend to the world we encounter.

And it s in this context this widening 
of the circle to wider society that the

Universal House of Justice introduces 
a new construct or a new institution:

The Baha i Home. And, I think, this is a big deal.

I mean you can read this casually and 
think oh yeah the Baha i Home. But,

I think the Universal House of Justice is actually 
introducing a new construct a new institution

like the way they introduced the construct 
of cluster and neighborhood . I mean those

terms have their own meaning but they take on a 
different meaning in the context of our Plans.

They become part of a new shared language 
with a whole system of meaning behind them.

So it s not that family is new but the 
way we re now talking about it is new.

And we know that this reference to the 
Baha i Home is a reference to it as an

institution because the Universal 
House of Justice tells us so,

in it s Naw Ruz message . In that message 
they encourage: the friends to reflect on

the influence of the divine teachings on the 
progress of the family as an institution and

the significant consequences that such progress 
has for the advancement and upliftment of society.

So fasten your seat belts because increasingly 
we re going to be framing this new institution

in our formal planning the Baha i Home. And trust 
me, we re going to be learning a lot about this

in the immediate years ahead.
And they say: In a Bah Ւ home,

warm hospitality combines with spiritual 
quickening and intellectual progress.

So we have three aspirations here for our 
homes hospitality spiritual quickening and

intellectual progress. And they summon 
us here: Through activities that every

Bah Ւ family can offer in its home, it 
can demonstrate a way of life that can be

emulated by all those who seek to counteract 
the divisive forces that feed discontent,

conflict, and self-interest, 
and to weave the bonds of trust,

cooperation, and constructive action 
upon which a healthy community depends.

So the Baha i Home is a refuge 
for a suffering people here.

And they explore how this all ties 
in to the other facets of community

life so we have coherent lives of service 
sacrificial service advancing together in

our communities. But they also give 
us a warning here a limit they say:

Sacrifice makes possible greater service, but it 
is not the family itself that is to be sacrificed.

So we need to maintain due regard 
for the needs of the family.

But make no mistake in this message the Universal 
House of Justice is helping draw our attention to

a critical discourse in society and one which 
we should actively engage in and that is this

discourse on family. And we know that they are 
framing it this way because they directly explain

this in the Naw Ruz message calling on us to 
participate in the discourse related to family.

And the message concludes with an 
inspiring quote from Abdul-Baha:

My home is the home of peace - My home is the 
home of joy and delight. My home is the home

of laughter and exultation. Whosoever enters 
through the portals of this home, must go out

with gladsome heart. This is the home of light; 
whosoever enters here must become illumined.

And the close the message with these beautiful 
words: May your families and homes, dear friends,

increasingly become a haven and 
pillar to sustain all humanity.

(musical interlude)

Wow! These were incredibly inspiring messages 
that really expand our understanding of the

world around us and of the role 
of family in society building.

Now I want to emphasize here again that this 
is not a message that you can just read. It

s a message you have to study, reflect on 
and consult on as families. You ll want to

stop read each sentence and specifically 
address all of the questions that they

raise throughout and ask yourself how that 
speaks to you and your circumstances and

opportunities. There s simply no substitute 
for this the message is just far too meaty

and far too impactful. Remember you re trying to 
discover these new patterns in your family life.

So gather your family if you re in a relationship 
exploring marriage if you re a couple planning on

having kids and if your kids are all grown and you 
re exploring how to support other families in all

these ways this is the perfect opportunity 
to reflect and see how this speaks to you.

And the most exciting part let 
s see what amazing NEW patterns

evolve for the Baha i Home in this tumultuous age.

So much to learn and discover.

So that s it for today.

Stick around to hear a song I ve written, with 
the help of AI, that attempts to summarize all

of this. I call the song The Baha i Home . By the 
way you can find a collection of all the songs I

m now writing on a new website: BahaiTunes.Org. 
Or you can search for my new virtual AI band

which I m calling The Society Builders don t 
forget the word THE in there but you can search

for The Society Builders on Spotify, Apple 
Music and the like. I m also leaving a few

links in the episode description. But if nothing 
else you can find the music at BahaiTunes.org.

And let me know what you think of the music and 
whether it helps you in summarizing the episode.

And our next episode will explore another 
treasure the upcoming Ridvan message of the

Universal House of Justice. So that 
s an episode you won t want to miss

So thanks again for joining the 
conversation on social transformation.

I look forward to joining you again in our 
journey next time - on Society Builders

(song: The Bahá’í Home)

Living in the age of transition
Trying to counter all the disintegration

Where families feel assailed - from every side
From a society that is so disunified

As we weather the tumultuous storms we see
We need to focus on our promise of unity

Because the Bahá’í Home is a haven you know
Where society building can flourish and grow

[bridge]
It s the

fabric of community
As we build a new society

[chorus]

The Bahá’í Home is a critical key
To helping build a new society

Creating patterns of trust, love and service
That in a troubled age will help to preserve us

Because the home is a nation in miniature
What happens in the nation happens there too

It s the building block of community
That s why we need a new focus on family

[verse]
Marriage lays a solid foundation

It s a partnership of cooperation
A union of both mind and heart

That gives the family a solid start
As families grow they navigate hardships

Through consultation - we work through conflicts

As we extend our circle ever wider
With uncles, aunties, friends and accompaniers

[bridge]

It s the fabric of community
As we build a new society

[chorus]
The Bahá’í

Home is a critical key
To helping build a new society

Creating patterns of trust, love and service
That in a troubled age will help to preserve us

Because the home is a nation in miniature
What happens in the nation happens there too

It s the building block - of community
That s why we need a new focus on family

[musical interlude]

[chorus]
The Bahá’í

Home is a critical key
To helping build a new society

Creating patterns of trust, love and service
That in a troubled age will help to preserve us

Because the home is a nation in miniature
What happens in the nation happens there too

It s the building block - of community
That s why we need a new focus on family