Love Eliminates All Forms of Prejudice

Even with a constant ebb and flow of opposing forces, the direction of evolution’s arrow has been toward ever-wider circles of collective unity. The forces of attraction, altruism, and love have always been increasing in the world. Greater social complexity has resulted in larger systems of cooperation, charity, and harmony.

How Altruistic Love Evolves

Love, as the most powerful attractive force in the universe, is understood as the primary principle of a divine order. Across the epochs of human history, our consciousness of altruistic love has evolved from a feeling of emotional warmth toward limited circles of others to the practice of unconditional love directed toward seemingly unconnected, yet all-inclusive circles of others.

A rising tide of humanitarianism in the late 18th century, with the founding of the Royal Humane Society in England, ushered in a new era of caring for and giving altruistically to any and all members of humanity in need. This trend toward compassion and justice expanded during the 19th century with the founding of the profession of nursing, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the outlawing of slavery worldwide. Though a long, protracted process, fraught with tremendous struggle, altruistic love nevertheless unfolded further with the first series of Civil Rights Acts of the 1860s and 70s and a second series in the 1950s and 60s. The struggle lives on, but the evolution of consciousness is undeniable.

In this context, we can envision that compassion and altruism, or love in action, would ultimately eliminate all forms of prejudice, given a chance. The understanding of the biological truth of our unity as a human race has advanced and become clearer with each human rights movement of the 20th and 21st centuries. The essence of the transformation of consciousness we have undergone over this time was summed up by President Obama following the 2011 earthquake in Japan: “For all our differences in culture or language or religion, ultimately, humanity is one.”

This consciousness—a selfless, altruistic caring for all other members of our human family—will bring about the rise of a spiritual civilization. All the prophets agree that love is the strongest of universal forces. Lingering prejudice is a manifestation of love’s opposite force. When love prevails, any form of its opposite will be stifled. Love is the safeguard for human diversity.

The realization of the oneness of the human race eliminates the notion that any one group is in some way superior to the rest of humanity. This will further cause a shift in society as a whole, enabling all individuals to contribute to an ever-advancing civilization. As Robert Wright has said, “Give evolution long enough, and reciprocal altruism will arise yet again—and again and again and again.”

Love Binds Together the Universe

Mystics and saints have long known that the universe comes from Love, and is sustained by Love. The primary expression of Creation is Love, its greatest transformative power. Abdu’l-Baha, son of Baha’u’llah and interpreter of the Baha’i teachings, captured the meaning of love as the underlying force of evolution that will ultimately overtake and dissolve all forms of prejudice: Love is the “living link” that unites “God with humanity,” that assures “the progress of every illumined soul.” Love is the “unique power” that binds together the diverse “elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force” that directs “the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms.”

From all this, we can say, as many have, that we are hardwired to connect, to cooperate, be empathic, compassionate, caring, and altruistic. Never have the effects of love’s force been more apparent, or important. We see spontaneous expressions of these virtues daily. In all its forms and disguises, love still flourishes in a world wounded by hatred.

As we consciously integrate this divine force into our lives, we feel the unifying force of love evolving personal and collective potential to its highest level possible. Loving all beings with a pure heart is the spiritual activism of our time.