Bahá’í Sacred Writings, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, #346
The friends and handmaids of the Merciful must render service to the oneness of the human world and show love and fellowship towards all people. They must deal with all kindreds, religions, and creeds with the utmost sincerity, goodwill, love, and kindness. They must consider how the tree of their existence may bring forth good fruit, and no fruit is greater than love and fellowship with all humanity. Bahá’u’lláh, addressing the world of humanity, saith: “Ye are all the leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch.” Such being the case, the existence of bonds of kinship, brotherhood, sonhood, and fatherhood amongst all human beings is proven and established. Strive ye, then, with heart and soul to conduct yourselves in accordance with these teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Be a shelter and refuge to every oppressed one, and a helper and supporter to every vanquished one. Be a skilled physician to every sick one, and a healing balm to every wounded one. Offer a safe haven to every fearful one, and bring comfort and solace to every dismayed one. Gladden the heart of every sorrowful one, and bring joy to every tearful one. Be as refreshing water to every thirsty one, and as heavenly food to every hungry one. Become the cause of glory to every abased one, and the source of blessings to every poor one.
Beware, beware, lest ye offend any heart. Beware, beware, lest ye hurt any soul. Beware, beware, lest ye deal unkindly towards any person. Beware, beware, lest ye bring despair to any human being. Should a soul become the cause of grief to any heart or despondency to any soul, it would be better for him to abide in the depths of the earth than to move and walk upon its surface. Should a person consent to the abasement of his own kind, it is indeed better that he should perish, for his non-existence is preferable to his existence and his death better than his life.
Therefore, I counsel you to strive, as much as ye can, for the welfare of all people, and to show, with the utmost sincerity, love and fellowship to all the members of the human race. Remove from your midst all racial, patriotic, religious, sectarian, political, commercial, industrial, and agricultural prejudices, so that ye may be freed from all things and may lay the foundations of the oneness of the world of humanity. All countries are but one country, and all nations are the children of one father, Adam. The struggle for existence amongst the ferocious wolves is the cause of all this strife, whereas the expanse of the earth is spacious and the banquet tablet of the Lord is outspread in all regions.