| Among the greatest
objectives of humanity is the education and training of children. This education
ensures human progress, and prepares each soul for its entry into the next
level of existence.
Education must
therefore be divine as well as material. Spiritual education embodies
those virtues or attributes which, when enkindled in the hearts and minds
of children, not only guide their morals, but also enhance their material
education. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke of this dual necessity,
and its benefits:
"If...the child be trained to be both learned
and good,
the result is light upon light."
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
The Bahá’í
writings state that, before all else, children must be taught to love
and obey God. This love and obedience is represented to a great extent
in a child’s relationship with his or her parents and in service to humankind.
Because service to the world of humanity is the highest station to which
a person can aspire, spiritual education programs must have service to
the work of humanity as both a foundation and outcome.
|
