What is the oneness of God?
Called by different names throughout the ages, the eternal God, the Creator of the universe, is limitless, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving. God is one. The reality of God is beyond human understanding, though we may find expressions of God’s attributes in every created thing.
“The peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God.”
Bahá’u’lláh
A Few Components of Oneness
Fundamental to the Bahá’í Faith is the belief in the oneness of God, in the essential oneness of all religions, and in the oneness of humanity. Bahá’u’lláh taught the greatest gift of God to humanity in this enlightened age is the awareness of oneness.
“May the oneness of God become reflected and fully revealed in the hearts of humanity and all mankind prove to be the manifestations of the favors of God.”
The Baha’i Sacred Writings
Aspects of Oneness
Bahá’u’lláh refers to God as “the Lord of all Religions.”
Bahá’u’lláh maintains that the revelation that each Messenger of God shares “is exalted above the veils of plurality and the exigencies of number.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá states, “All men are servants of the One God. One God reigns over all the nations of the world and has pleasure in all His children. All men are of one family; the crown of humanity rests on the head of every human being.”
“Consort with [people of all] religions with spirituality and fragrance… All originated from God and returneth unto Him: verily He is the Source of creation and the Goal of the worlds.”
“They whose hearts are warmed by the energizing influence of God’s creative love cherish His creatures for His sake, and recognize in every human face a sign of His reflected glory.
The Baha’i Sacred Writings
Ponder in
YOUR HEART
The Bahá’í teachings unequivocally proclaim the essential oneness of God and unity of all religions. Bahá’u’lláh explains that the Founders of the world religions, the great universal Educators of humanity, share a common purpose to unite humanity and ensure the advancement of civilization.
“They all abide in the same tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech, and proclaim the same Faith.”
Achieving consistency between belief and action is no small task. But, we can all practice oneness through acts of unity, small and large, and by building relationships of love, inclusion and reciprocity. As these small acts scale up, we can create patterns of community life that affirm our oneness.
