Monthly Reflection: Sharaf (Honour) – On Practitioners of Peace & Families

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For this month’s newsletter, I’d like to focus on two main themes: practitioners of peace and families.

In recent hours, the Baha’i World News Service has released its annual “Year in Review” video. It highlights the efforts of the global Baha’i community to foster a more harmonious world. It writes:

At a time when societies throughout the world are seeking new paths forward, the noise of division can feel louder than ever, pressing people to take sides and draw lines. Yet across diverse settings, countless stories of resilience and hope illuminate another possibility, one rooted in a growing recognition of our shared humanity. The Baha’i World News Service looks back at some of the stories it covered in 2025, offering a glimpse of efforts, in countless settings, where new patterns of life are quietly emerging.

Resilience and hope also illumine the words of the recent message from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Australia in response to the Bondi terror attack that took place on the first night of Chanukkah when two gunmen opened fire at Bondi Beach, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. The National Assembly writes:

“This moment calls for a conscious choice, one that reflects our highest values and clear vision for the future. Well-wishers of humanity of every background in our country are grieving and searching for solace and hope. Unity has emerged as a shared longing. At such times, our role as practitioners of peace takes on renewed meaning. The Universal House of Justice reminds us that Baha’is are never mere spectators, and that we are called to be as ‘leaven’ to the world. This is the time to ask ourselves what is needed, to reflect on what we can do in our settings, and to act.” 

The letter goes on to quote words of Abdu’l-Baha. These same words have been put to music in three different melodies in our Studio Sessions and, in the spirit of the letter from the National Assembly, I think they are worth a listen:

The National Assembly also writes:

“We can expand our efforts to build havens of peace with those around us, communities that ‘offer hope in place of despair, unity in place of conflict’. Local Spiritual Assemblies, communities, groups of families and individuals are encouraged to offer comfort and support those affected and to foster unity, mutual understanding, hope and a sense of collective solidarity by bringing people together in a spirit of compassion and shared humanity across all faiths.” 

Unity in place of conflict emerges beautifully in another video recently shared by the Baha’i World News Service titled “Expressions of Equality in the Family”, which explores how the principle of equality is reshaping patterns of life among several families in New Delhi. Family life, marriage and the unique role of children and of youth bridge much of what we have shared on Baha’i Blog in the last Baha’i month:

• Susanne reflected on the role of preparation in creating marriages that fulfil the destiny of the peoples of the world.

• Nigerian Afropop artist R Mixy released a new song called “When Baha’is Meet”, featuring members of his family.

• Our latest Studio Session from Budapest is a unified musical expression of family members turning towards God.

• In a short video shared by the Australian Baha’i Community, we see 60 youth from Brisbane and surrounding communities who travelled to the Sydney Baha’i House of Worship to spiritually prepare for the upcoming summer period of service, and to experience the link between worship and service.

• We continue to feature That Married Couple podcast, hosted by Nava Revalk and Kian Jones. In the most recent episode, they discuss wedding planning and how social media affects relationships.

• In revisiting our Deck of Questions conversation between Sana and Shauna, we’ve extracted a clip where they talk about what qualities children demonstrate that Sana wishes we could emulate as grown-ups.

The holiday season always kickstarts my children’s anticipation of Ayyam-i-Ha. We have two articles on Baha’i Blog about family life and Ayyam-i-Ha that have stayed with me throughout the years. In one, Bre describes the process of adopting two of her children and becoming a family of six during this special time of year. In another, Yas shares a conversation with her nephew and nieces about the significance of Ayyam-i-Ha.

Wishing you a peaceful and unifying Month of Honour!

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Sonjel Vreeland

In her innermost heart, Sonjel is a stay-at-home parent and a bookworm with a maxed out library card but professionally she is a museologist with a background in English Literature. She currently lives on Prince Edward Island, an isle in the shape of a smile on the eastern Canadian coast. Sonjel is a writer who loves to listen to jazz when she's driving at night.