Candles of Unity

You need seven people and a narrator. You can either light live candles, or draw candles on 8.5x11 sheets of paper and paste the quote on the back. The narrator starts, then each reader either lights a candle and then reads his part, or walks up to make a line of seven candles in pictures in front of the meeting, and reads his part. Then the narrator sums it up. Simple, but very lovely and effective!

Narrator: “...the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century -- the century of light -- hath been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man.

Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's darkened horizon.”

The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned.

The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will erelong be witnessed.

The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass.

The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the corner-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendour.

The fifth candle is the unity of nations -- a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland.

The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of one race.

The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e.(that is), the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be instructed and converse.

Narrator: “Each and every one of these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization.”

-Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 31