My MLK Day

So for MLK day my husband was off work, and we always try to do something special or different since it's a three-day weekend. I woke up this morning with no plan. After meditating for a minute, I suddenly had the thought to go to the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette. It's something that's been on my to-do list since, oh you know, 2007, so I thought it was high time to get it done.

I laughed as my husband, dog (oh yes the dog came too), and myself got in the car. How many 20 somethings are headed to the Baha'i Temple on their three-day weekend? I don't think it tops many lists. But then again, I'm usually not found doing things that people my age would be doing.

If you live in the Chicagoland area, it's definitely a place to visit. The architecture is just gorgeous. There are only 7 temples in the world, and Wilmette hosts the only Temple on the North American continent. One feature that I really love is that you can find symbols of major religions carved into the stone. In one of the pictures above, you can see a Christian cross, the Star of David, and one of the symbols for Jainism. You can read more about the temple on the Baha'i wikipedia page.

After spending just a few minutes inside, I realized what an appropriate field trip this really is for Martin Luther King Day. In essence, those of the Baha'i faith believe in one God, the validity and honoring of all religious faiths, and the unity of all humanity. It is a religion that focuses on the unifying threads between all major religions and all people. It is also decidedly activist, with core principles that include elimination of all forms of prejudice and equality among men and women among other aims.

Surely this is a place MLK would be proud to visit on his day. Not going to lie, I had a moment in the temple by myself. I cried. After sitting in a seat and studying the architecture of the place, I sat for a moment in silence and meditated on the mission of such a church, and it brought me to tears. I am not a practicing member of any religion, but I am highly spiritual. Core to my beliefs is the assertion that all are one and all devout paths seeking truth lead to God. In that moment, I was overwhelmed with the spirit of God and the purity of this belief.

I hope your own MLK day was just as uplifting!