The Exigencies of OUR Time

The past century or so has been filled with great discoveries and advancements that would have never been thought possible to most of humanity prior to their achievement. These include Einstein's theory of relativity, quantum theory, medical care, air travel, and the internet. (Shoghi Effendi predicted the internet's rise in 1936.) You know the list goes on. They have increased our understanding of the universe and facilitated our global communication and interconnectedness. Surly, they are significant steps towards humanity's maturity.

The TEDGlobal (Technology Entertainment Design) conference, taking place in Oxford, UK, began today. BBC News reported on some of the points discussed. A Professor Dawkins conveyed the opinion that the nature of the universe is beyond what we can comprehend. I interpret his statement as frustration in the effort to explain all aspects of physical reality with literal models — a theme discussed in Gary L. Matthew's The Challenge of Bahá'u'lláh which I am currently reading. Matthews cites `Abdu'l-Bahá who stated that everything within human knowledge is either a sensible or intellectual reality (circa 1905). He further asserted that all of nature is an intellectual reality, which would explain the frustrations of Professor Dawkins and Einstein due to the discoveries of quantum mechanics that defy all logic.

G8 and the future of humanitarian aid were also discussed at TEDGlobal today. There is a video and transcript of Bono, the Irish lead singer of U2, accepting the TEDPrize last year. I highly recommend watching or reading it. He discusses the urgency of acting to end poverty, particularly in Africa. Despite our many material and intellectual advancements, we are despairingly lagging behind in sharing the benefits. His message is an important one. I respect him greatly for fighting so much for this cause that is not a cause, but an emergency in which 6,500 Africans die every day from AIDS and 9,000 more Africans contract HIV every day. When I first got the email inviting me to join the "The One Campaign" weeks ago, I was rather leery to so do. I finally did. Today I see the significance of it.