Slowly but surely, I am on my way to completing my 26 Before 26 list! Last weekend, I finally visited the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette, IL. For those already confused, the Baha'i faith is a newer, monotheistic religion that believes a divine spirit revealed itself through messengers throughout the course of history, rendering all religions based on these "messengers" equal and worth value. Imagine that...no fighting over who's God is the real God or who's God is bigger and better. Moses, Abraham, Jesus, Muhammad, Zoroaster, and Siddharta Guatama would all be considered messengers. The faith began in Iran with the teachings of Mírzá Ḥusayn-’Alí Núrí in the 1800's. The temples are meant to be inviting of all faiths and inspire contemplation. There are only Seven Baha'i Temples in the world right now (not including the one that was demolished in the 1960's or the brand new one still under construction in Chile). They're all kind of dome-shaped, with some white attributes. There are no cameras allowed inside and the silence actually inspired me to even think about buying a prayer book (something I've never wanted to do on my own).
All in all, this is a place to see if you're looking for something to do or are in the area. I even used it as inspiration for my short story for Creative Non-Fiction here. Here's to you visiting and feeling the same way!
