Joe Keniuhia

Solomon Islands

'The world has suffered for so long because there is no love or unity.'

My mother was the one who first became a Bahá'í in my family -- a year after the Bahá'í Faith came to the Solomon Islands in 1955. My mom is illiterate, but since she became a Bahá'í, she has had a strong feeling about the Faith and has kept encouraging us to investigate about the truth and decide what is best for ourselves.

I have seen how devoted she is and how she has dedicated her time to attend any Bahá'í activities she can. And I came to realize that rather than just remain pagan, I should try and find out why my mother is spending her time encouraging us. She used to say that in the Faith, each one has to look for the truth for himself or herself and that we had to decide for ourselves, according to the principles of the Faith.

I would go sometimes with my Christian friends, and they would talk about prophecies. Most of the things they were talking about, it seemed to me, are happening now. So I wondered whether the Bahá'í Faith could be the religion for today, because the world, as I started to realize, is changing, and there must be a new teaching or religion .

Another thing that attracted me to the Faith is the diversity of the people. The Bahá'ís talk about the oneness of mankind and how religion is one and it doesn't divide into sects. I think that local people in the Solomon Islands, they had this kind of unity in the traditions and morals of the people. But since the different religions came, the followers began to say, "Oh no, we don't want this one or that one," and so the unity of the people started to split up. The Bahá'í Faith can bring people back together again.

When the first Bahá'ís came to the Solomon Islands, people were attracted to the food! The people would come to the Bahá'í Feasts where the Bahá'í teachings were presented, and some people became Bahá'ís because of that. The first two Bahá'ís who came are white, and in the past religions, if any white person came the local people regarded them as higher than themselves, so they wouldn't come to their home. But in the Bahá'í Faith, it's not like that. These Bahá'ís would invite people, whether black or whoever, to come to their home, and they served them. That's how they taught them about the Faith, and they became Bahá'ís. Hospitality is an important element of the Faith in the Solomon Islands. People are very hospitable there, but the thing is that no white person did that before. That's the difference.

I was also attracted to the music of the Faith. There is wonderful music. The Bahá'ís in the Solomon Islands like to go in marching bands, about 20 or 30 people -- singing and playing instruments. And their music is so nice, with good cooperation amongst them and lots of enthusiasm.

I could see that the Bahá'í youth are active, and this was nice. So I recalled what my mom said about the truth. I also used to see the Bahá'í newsreel on television, and sometimes the youth would express their feelings about the future of mankind like bringing peace.

In 1992, I attended a lot of Bahá'í meetings, and I became a Bahá'í in July. In November they appointed me to represent the Bahá'í youth of the Solomon Islands at the Bahá'í World Congress in New York City. The feeling I had at the World Congress is beyond what I can express. I could see the diversity of the Bahá'ís from different parts of the world. It was beautiful when they met and hugged each other, and especially those who came from the former communist countries were realizing that without the Bahá'í Faith they could never be like this.

The principle of the equality of men and women is very important for the people in the Solomon Islands, because our custom is that the men always want to be higher than the ladies, and they tell the ladies to keep quiet.

I often think about the attitude of serving humanity. I have a plan to study, and my whole intention in studying is to know more about the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and to have knowledge about how I can serve humanity. Without the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh mankind will never attain unity.

Sometimes I think about how and why God does not leave us alone. In the short obligatory prayer , Bahá'u'lláh said why we are created. He says, "I bear witness O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee." On our side, we have to love Him and His creatures that He may love us and open the way to know Him. In The Hidden Words , Bahá'u'lláh says, "Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee." I think the world has suffered for so long because there is no love or unity , and mankind has to suffer until we attain true love. Otherwise there is no hope.