The Personality of Institutions

Reading the 30 December message, I noticed the references to the institutions of the Faith. I mean, how could you not? They are one of the main protagonists of the Plan. But as I was re-reading those passages, I was thinking about something my wife said. What if, she wondered, we were to see these institutions as their own entities? After all, Baha'u'llah refers to Mount Carmel as an actual being, as well as various cities in some of His Tablets. What if we imagine an actual spiritual reality to them? To be clear, this is just my own personal thought experiment, and nothing official.

Now, this may sound pseudo-mystical, wondering if they have their own individual identity, but please bear with me. When we step back and consider it, there may be a sound basis for it.

In the business world, we are already familiar with the concept that corporations are considered legal entities, or people. This is already an established legal reality in many jurisdictions. And the House of Justice further alludes to this concept when they refer to the community as "distinguished from the individual and the institutions" and having "its own character and identity". In other words, we already recognize the "individuality" of these entities.

Thinking about it in terms of the business model, it means, for example, that the institution of Coca Cola, Inc would be its own entity, have its own reality. It would be like a mega-person whose primary goal is to take its carbonated sweetened excretions and feed it to the peoples of the world. In exchange it would feed off their continued supply of money and other necessary resources for its growth. The shareholders would, in this analogy, be like parasites, drawing off some of its resources for their own benefit. When I consider the corporation of Coca Cola, Inc in this light, its varied actions make more sense. We often ask how these big corporations could act with so little regard for the environment, for example. To me, this helps explain it.

So, what about the institution of the Local Spiritual Assembly? What happens when we consider the concept that the Assembly is more than just a collection of nine individuals? To be clear, I am not concerned about the "reality" of this assertion, but more concerned about the implications of considering it. (Why do I feel it important to continually reiterate that?)

For starters, it gives me a slightly different understanding of the phrase from the Universal House of Justice when they talk about how understanding "the proper application of the principles governing the operation of the Assembly will (allow) this institution to grow and develop toward its full potential." 

This reminds me of a young child learning to ride a bicycle. They will try and likely totter and fall over. This is not a failure on their part, but a necessary aspect of the learning. By allowing them to fall over, and encouraging them to try again, they will learn to ride far more quickly than if you never allow them to fall over in the first place. To me, this is like a nascent institution making a decision that may not be the wisest of acts. It is only through the full obedience of the friends, and effective reflection, that any learning will occur. As said in a letter written on behalf of the Guardian, "This is not something which can be learned without trial and test..." As with riding a bicycle, patience is needed.

Another point occurs to me. When meeting with an Assembly, I have always felt the joy of being with the nine members of that institution, but this idea would imply that there would be a tenth being there, the Assembly itself. All of a sudden, when I read the phrase "(a)t this meeting they should feel as if they were entering the Presence of God", it makes me think of how I can sense the "Presence of God" in the soul of another person. When we are told "'Abdu'l-Baha is constantly engaged in ideal communication with any Spiritual Assembly", it becomes a far more real thing, like a literal conversation between two dear friends. Even more so, when I read the passage from Baha'u'llah in which He refers to the members of the Universal House of Justice as "the Trustees of the House of Justice", it reads as if they are the ones who are caring for this entity, ensuring its health and well-being to the best of their ability.

All of a sudden, this concept feels more than just merely anthropomorphizing an institution. As my wife says, "This principle makes me feel as if I am championing this institution." It means that we can arise to its defense, take care of it, nurture it, ensure that it reaches its healthy maturity.

To bring in another analogy, we could picture the Assembly as a car. We can easily imagine the members of the institution as the tires of the car, with their connection to the ground. The car would go nowhere without the active involvement of its members. But while we may see the Assembly itself as the car, perhaps with this insight it would be more like the driver. The driver may have a destination in mind, but if the tires go their own way, it will never get there.

Now, to shift the focus again, let's imagine ourselves serving on this august institution, the Local Spiritual Assembly. We have all read the numerous passages about service, and the importance of detachment in consultation. This principle, of thinking of the Assembly as its own being, has a profound implication on the consultative process.

In the past, when I have had the bounty of serving on an Assembly, an item would come before us for consultation. Me being me, I have asked myself how I would respond to such and such a given issue. I would offer my ideas, without concern whether or not they were accepted. I would listen to the input of others and strive to help improve any ideas coming forth. But in the end, when I consider my own internal state of mind, the question I was asking myself was really "How would I respond?"

The real question, though, is how would the institution want to respond? I know that I can be quite terse, at times even too direct or abrupt. I recognize that this can put some people off. But I know, deep in my heart, that the institution of the Spiritual Assembly would not want to respond that way. Of course, I know that my soul doesn't want to respond that way either, but I have a lot of work to do in that area.

How would the Assembly want to respond?

That is such a beautiful question. It makes me far more eager to try to hear the voice of that institution, to try and find that response it wishes to offer, that suggestion it wants to make. It makes me long to hear the guidance it wants to offer. And I think it takes not only offering our suggestions to sense that voice of the Assembly, but also quieting our own egos to allow ourselves to hear it more clearly.

One last point for now, though. Going back to the example of Coca Cola, Inc, it raises further questions. If we consider these various institutions as their own entities, then we should consider all institutions as entities. However, the Universal House of Justice makes it clear that there is a difference between individuals and institutions. So perhaps these corporate institutions should not be given all the rights of individuals. And maybe this is one of the points of struggle in these strange times. We know that one of the greatest tests today is to try and find an equitable balance between the rights of the individuals, the institutions, and the community. Perhaps we also need to better understand the prerogatives and limits of each.