Cochrane and area Baha’i want to celebrate with people of all different religions this weekend as they honour the birth of their own faith’s founder.
“It’s probably the most important thing that’s happened to us in the last century,” said Michael Bopp, one of about 30 Baha’i practitioners in the Cochrane and Rocky View communities.
On Oct. 22, local members of the Baha’i faith will gather at St. Andrew’s United Hall for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh – the Iranian founder the religion that six million people around the world now espouse.
Among the principles of the faith include peace and service to others, as well as the oneness of God, oneness of religion and oneness of mankind.
“The Baha’i faith is very oriented to this world and to the work that human beings can do to make this world better,” said Bopp, adding the definition of how to do that is broad in scope and practice.
“People do all sorts of things: doing a great job raising our children is a contribution to the world … (We’re in) Northern Pakistan … peace-building through poverty alleviation.
“You can make a contribution at any level.”
To celebrate the bi-centennial, groups in more than 200 countries have each crafted their own programs to showcase the tenets of their faith.
In Cochrane, Bopp said the evening event centres around a play written by members of the local community. The production is about one hour and showcases 10 actors, both adults and children.
In addition to the Baha’i-based performance, Bopp said three non-Baha’i speakers will highlight current world issues and help “provide a road map” for the faithful to help make meaningful contributions in those areas.
Advocate Sharon MacDonald will discuss sustainable environments, Muslim leader Adam Idris will discuss interfaith understanding and Stoney Nakoda elder Tina Fox will share her thoughts on indigenous reconciliation.
“We say that Bahá’u’lláh was a divine educator for an age that we live in,” said Bopp. “He came to unite all the religions, all the people in the world.”
