I had a bit of a rough time at the hospital this week. So to try to clear my head and find peace, I decided to head out of town this afternoon to visit the Baha'i House of Worship.
The Baha'i House lies just north of Kampala, about a 15 minute drive from our guest house. I initially thought about walking there, but am glad that I decided to take a car, as I'm sure I would have gotten lost somewhere along the way.
Prior to my arrival in Kampala, I had never before heard of the Baha'i faith. The Baha'i faith was started in 1844 and is founded on principles of "The Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion, and the Oneness of Humanity." The faith is completely inclusive and encourages unity, so people of all faiths are welcome in the Baha'i House of Worship. The faith accepts all religions and all forms of higher being. It focuses on equality between men and women, abolition of prejudice, universal education, encouragement of high moral standards in personal life, and universal peace. Basically, they accept all faiths and encourage the best in people. Sounds pretty great, right?
The Baha'i House of Worship in Kampala, Uganda, is also known as "The Mother Temple of Africa," as it is the first location of the Baha'i faith to be built in Africa.
In fact, this Baha'i House is the only of its kind located within the African continent. There are only six other Baha'i Houses of Worship in the world, located in Wilmette, Illinois (United States); Sydney, Australia; Frankfurt, Germany; Panama City, Panama; Delhi, India; and Tiapapata, Samoa (although there is currently an eighth Temple being built in Santiago, Chile).
The Baha'i House in Kampala is located on Kikaaya Hill, one of the seven hills of Kampala. It soars over the city and is visible from quite a distance away. Being up on the hill, and slightly north of the usual craziness of the city, the House is an incredibly peaceful afternoon getaway.
Construction of the Baha'i House of Worship was started in 1958 and completed in 1961. Not only is the building beautiful to look at, but it also has spiritual significance in its design. The Baha'i House is surrounded by nine doors (and the building has nine sides), which symbolize oneness, unity, and the all-embracing nature of God. The doors are a representation of the nine ways or religions whose messengers Baha’i followers believe in.
In addition to the beauty of the House, itself, The Baha'i House of Worship is surrounded by beautiful grounds with abundant flowers, birds, and butterflies.
The grounds are bathed in sunlight, and somewhat isolated from the rest of the city, making it an incredibly tranquil and serene location where one can escape and relax.
During my afternoon getaway, I packed a small lunch and found a peaceful bench where I could eat, think, and relax.
From there, I wandered around the outside of the House of Worship and through the beautiful grounds. Towards the end of my afternoon, the House of Worship was opened up for visitors to enter the inside. It was so incredibly peaceful and quiet inside, with sunlight streaming in through the stained-glass windows that surround the building.
It was the perfect location to find both internal and external peace and quiet, and a chance to try to find acceptance and understanding of the things that are beyond my power to control.
No comments:
Post a Comment