Baha’is are not political, and are asked not to engage in partisan politics. We carry the message of God to our time in history- something infinitely more sacred and sublime than any political discussion. But we are engaged and care deeply about our world and our societies. The statement above is taken from a Tablet Baha’u’llah revealed to Queen Victoria, who had established parliamentary rule in one of the first democratic forms of government. He is advising those elected leaders about how they should regard themselves.

As we approach the US election, it is valuable to meditate on the qualities Baha’u’llah advised us to seek in our leaders.  This striking statement- that elected leaders in all nations should “regard themselves as the representatives of all who dwell on earth” is a striking departure from how they often think about their role, but is consistent with the “world-embracing vision” Baha’u’llah asks us to have.