‘The Marriage Of East And West’

The artist Bernard Leach concludes his autobiography ‘Beyond East and West’ with an expression of yearning for world unity-

I have seen a vision of the Marriage of East and West, and far off down the Halls of Time I heard the echo of a childlike voice. How long? How long?

Leach’s art was a conscious attempt to unify the traditions of East and West. In the years since his passing the world has seen the ‘Marriage Of East and West’ having an increasingly literal reality with a growing number of loving inter-cultural relationships. The occident and orient are reuniting like estranged lovers. In the words of Bahá’u'lláh-

…Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? and what seeker findeth rest away from his heart’s desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his beloved.

“The Clash of Civilizations” Revisited

The Associated Press reports that Samuel Huntington, a political scientist and author of “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order” passed away at the age of 81 on Wednesday.  Huntingdon famously said

It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural.

Given Huntington’s profession as a political scientist it is curious that politics and economics are dismissed as fundamental sources of conflict in favour of culture. I am not aware of any major conflict of the last few hundred years which was primarily fought over culture. It seems more accurate to say that cultural (or religious) differences often provide a fig leaf for the political or economic ambitions of the individuals involved.  This being the case “The Clash of Civilizations” thesis seems unduly pessimistic about cultural diversity. Cultural diversity is part of our common humanity. In the words of Bahá’u’lláh addressed to the peoples of the world

Ye are all fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch, the flowers of one garden.

We are all the flowers of the same garden and not all the flowers are the same.

The Cultural Associations Of Alcohol

A new United Kingdom Government report has warned that parents perpetuate myths to convince themselves that their children’s’ drinking is safe. This includes beliefs that children need to learn about alcohol for themselves and that drinking is a “right of passage.” Other beliefs which seem to me to encourage the drinking problems of our nation include a deep-seated cultural association of drinking alcohol with having fun, if not the very act of socialising itself. Perhaps we need to change our culture.

How does one change a culture? One can begin with the right message. In the words of Bahá’u'lláh

‘It is inadmissible that man, who hath been endowed with reason, should consume that which stealeth it away…’

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’í World Centre, 1992 edition