Planet Bahá'í

We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God.

With these simple words, Bahá'ís are married. The vow is spoken by the bride and the groom in the presence of two witnesses who are acceptable to the Local Spiritual Assembly of the community in which the marriage takes place. In terms of ceremony nothing more is required, although the couple will normally design a simple service involving prayers and readings to accompany the speaking of the vow. The vow itself was specified by Bahá'u'lláh in Questions and Answers, which accompanies the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book, in which Bahá'í law is set forth).

My oldest daughter's approaching marriage has given me cause to reflect on these words. To a culture used to the more elaborate traditional Christian marriage vow, this simple verse may seem vague or insufficient, yet I believe that in spite of its outward simplicity, it is rich with meaning and guidance, not only for marriage but for life in general. What greater aim could we have than to abide by the Will of God, who created us out of love for us and who desires only good for us?

Bahá'u'lláh spoke of the Will of God in at least two contexts. On the one hand, He spoke of the Will of God as revealed by the Manifestations of God (i.e., the Prophets):

The essence of belief in Divine unity consisteth in regarding Him Who is the Manifestation of God and Him Who is the invisible, the inaccessible, the unknowable Essence as one and the same. By this is meant that whatever pertaineth to the former, all His acts and doings, whatever He ordaineth or forbiddeth, should be considered, in all their aspects, and under all circumstances, and without any reservation, as identical with the Will of God Himself. This is the loftiest station to which a true believer in the unity of God can ever hope to attain. Blessed is the man that reacheth this station, and is of them that are steadfast in their belief.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 167)

Thus, the teachings and laws of the Prophets represent the Will of God for the people to whom they appear. At one time, Moses revealed the divine Will. At another time, Jesus shed the light of God's Will upon humanity. Still later Muhammad became the instrument through which God's Will was made known, and in this day Bahá'u'lláh has illuminated the world with the divine teachings. The Holy Books of every religion record God's Will that we might be guided by it. How could He call us to abide by His Will had He not revealed it to us?

Anyone who takes the time to look will find that at the core of all religions lie the same fundamental spiritual principles. The "Golden Rule" is raised by all of them as the divine standard. Purity, love, justice, forebearance, courtesy, service and the like are accounted by all of them as the marks of a holy life. Bahá'u'lláh's counsels and admonitions on living a holy life are scattered liberally throughout His voluminous Writings. The Hidden Words, from its "first counsel" to "possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart" to its closing challenge to "let it now be seen what your endeavors in the path of detachment will reveal," is a veritable guidebook for those seeking near access to God.

In this sense, to "abide by the Will of God" is to strive to put into practice those principles and laws He has given us for our lives. None of us is perfect, of course, nor is life easy and clear-cut. God constantly challenges us and tests us, and many times we stumble. But His guidance is before us, His love sustains us, and His mercy and patience are boundless. When asked how we could acquire perfections in the face of life's obstacles, 'Abdu'l-Bahá reportedly answered, "Little by little, day by day." This, too, is how we might abide by the will of God in the face of our limitations and imperfections.

The second context in which Bahá'u'lláh spoke of the Will of God is that of the specifics of our lives. No life is free from trouble, pain, illness, sorrow and loss, yet no life is devoid of ease, pleasure and joy. Some might argue that our goal in life is to rid ourselves as much as possible of the former and gain as much as possible of the latter. Yet the Prophets of God taught something quite different:

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

(Luke 9:23-25)

O son of man! If adversity befall thee not in My path, how canst thou walk in the ways of them that are content with My pleasure? If trials afflict thee not in thy longing to meet Me, how wilt thou attain the light in thy love for My beauty?

(The Hidden Words, Arabic 50, p. 15)

The theme of detachment is one of the strongest threads running through Bahá'u'lláh's Writings. Submission to the Will of God in this sense means gratitude for what good comes to us and patience under such trials as afflict us. It does not mean passivity, but rather reliance on God under all conditions. We meet difficulties through the combined force of prayer, meditation and action with our trust placed in God. Shoghi Effendi was adamant that prayer is answered through action. 'Abdu'l-Bahá assured us that when we act patiently and persistently, with our trust placed in God, God will confirm us. In this sense, abiding by the Will of God is both accepting what He decrees for us at any given moment and acting so as to discover His continuing Will for us.

The social laws and principles set forth by the Prophets have varied from age to age, depending upon the needs and capacities of the people. (Christ's comment on the law of divorce demonstrates that such variances are due not to a fickle God but rather to the capacity of humanity.) Yet in every age, the law of marriage has been established, so the act of marrying is itself abiding by the Will of God. In the life that follows, full of ups and downs, the counsels of God become an indispensible guide. Particularly once children are on the scene, marriage is all of life in compact form: mutual needs, conflicting needs, compromise, service, leadership, education, nurturing, arbitration, crime and punishment, even international relations (in-laws). To successfully navigate such a complex course would be next to impossible without reliable charts. Such charts are found in the Will of God, both as revealed to us in the Holy Writings and as shown to us each day as we strive to live by His Word.

Though more elaborate, the traditional Christian marriage vow is motivated by the same spirit as its Bahá'í counterpart. For indeed it is God's will that husband and wife love, honor and cherish each other; that they accompany each other through sickness and health, through riches and poverty, in good times and bad; that they remain close companions and become even as one soul for the rest of their lives. All of this and more is subsumed in the deceptively plain and simple verse, "We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God."