The Bahá’í House of Worship is located ln Wilmette, Illinois. It is listed in the U.S. Register of Historic Places and has been designated as one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois. This is the ONLY Baha’i House of Worship in all of North America!
WOW! Stunning!
Aerial view:
I knew very little about this House of Worship or Temple prior to arriving, but the peace I felt here was comforting. This blog is to share what I learned after appreciating the beauty of the exterior and interior of the structure and all the gardens and fountains. No photos were permitted within the interior.
There are only a total of 8 Bahá’í Temples in the world, one on each continent. North America’s was the first one built. It was dedicated in 1953.
This unique structure stands for UNITY and invites prayer to God. While each temple has its own distinctive design, they all have to conform to the following:
- A nine-sided structure of worship
- An area of gardens that encircle the structure
- Structure is covered by a single, majestic dome symbolizing the unity of all people and all religions under God.
THE BAHÁ’Í HOUSE OF WORSHIP FOR NORTH AMERICA:
A SYMBOL OF THE ONENESS OF HUMANITY
This sacred space is for all people to commune with God. It elevates the spirit and is a magnet for the hearts of all who long for peace and harmony. ALL are welcome.
Why Chicago?
Architect Bourgeois consulted with John Earley, an expert in ornamental concrete. To achieve Bourgeois’ vision of the whitest possible surface, Earley experimented with white Portland cement combined with crushed quartz. The result is a glistening white exterior that sparkles in the sunlight.
Full-scale panels in the information center.
The Temple took 50 years to complete. Work continued through two World Wars and the Great Depression. It was financed entirely by voluntary contributions from around the world. 5,000 people of diverse races and cultures came together in May 1953 to dedicate this House of Worship!
The Bahá’í join worship of God with service to humanity. The profound relationship between worship and service is strengthened through prayer.
I found these basic teaching refreshing! Shouldn’t this be what we all strive for!?! You don’t have to look for a rainbow symbol to know if you are welcome as an LGBTQ person, or walk in somewhere before knowing if your race is accepted at all, let alone equally.
It felt really good coming to a special place like this today to offer up a prayer – or whatever you want to call your quiet thoughts and desires for our country. We are in a current state of chaos with violent hate towards immigrants – documented and undocumented, non-whites and the LGBTQ community. President 47 promotes horrific bullying accompanied with intimidating lawsuits and threats to those who speak out against him. Freedom of religion and speech are being removed. I know to expect idolized false prophets. Words and actions SHOW their true being. What their priorities are. If they purposefully hurt others, they are NOT someone with the true spirit of God.
I don’t care what religion a person may choose to be a part of – or not. What I find matters most is are you part of promoting kindness to all human beings (and animals). Do you stand up for injustice? Or do you use an organized religious group as your license to be cruel and demeaning to others?
Typically places that have free admission will have a place to make a donation. NOT here! They only accept financial contributions from Baha’i members. They do not want to become influenced, or controlled by anyone rich and powerful. Wow–that’s different!