God has created us, one and all—why do we act in opposition
to His wishes, when we are all His children, and love the same Father? All these
divisions we see on all sides, all these disputes and opposition, are caused
because men cling to ritual and outward observances, and forget the simple,
underlying truth. It is the outward practices of religion that are so
different, and it is they that cause disputes and enmity—while the reality is
always the same, and one. The Reality is the Truth, and truth has no division.
Truth is God’s guidance, it is the light of the world, it is love, it is mercy.
These attributes of truth are also human virtues inspired by the Holy Spirit.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; ‘Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in
Paris in 1911-1912’)
