MILTON — Bahá’ís of Santa Rosa County will mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í faith, on Oct. 22.
Plans include a bicentennial celebration of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh to be held Oct. 22, beginning 2 p.m. at the Hampton Inn Pensacola Beach.
“Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892) was a spiritual teacher who announced in 1863 that he was the bearer of a new revelation from God,” an event media release states. “His teachings have spread around the world, forming the basis of a process of social transformation and community building which is unique in its global scope and the diversity of participants.”
The Light of Unity Festival is a celebration of the impact of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on the lives of families, neighborhoods and communities around the world. Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of humanity’s oneness serves as an antidote to the racial prejudice and materialism corroding American society.
The festival is a series of activities generated at the grassroots level all around the country, which reinforce Bahá’u’lláh’s vision and empower participants to contribute.
Activities include drama, music, art exhibits, storytelling, service projects, prayer and devotional programs. At the national level, the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Ill., hosted a nine-week series of programs that began in early September.
It focused on themes applying the principle of the oneness of humanity to contemporary challenges, including environmental justice, race relations, indigenous peoples, human rights and the harmony of science and religion.
“Now more than ever we need positive models of social change that bring people together rather than divide them,” Emerald Coast Bahá'í member Robert Riley said. “This is what we have celebrated in the months leading up to Bahá’u’lláh’s birth in October.”
See www.emeraldcoastbahais.org to learn more about the Bahá’ís of Santa Rosa County
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This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Bahá’ís of Santa Rosa County celebrate birth of faith’s founder