Seeking Intimacy in a Diverse Community – Seeking the Spiritual Reality of the Mentally Ill, the Physically Challenged and the Emotionally Wounded

We long for intimacy in our Bahá’í communities, but we fear intimacy with those who are emotionally wounded, mentally ill or physically challenged. This book will help you find the wisdom, understanding and patience it takes to make that fear evaporate so that you can create true bonds of friendship with all of the diverse people in your Bahá’í family.

From the publisher:

The Bahá’í community is composed of people from all backgrounds and life circumstances – educated and uneducated, professional and non-professional, healthy and unwell, mentally sound and mentally ill; moral, obedient and edified. Some have lost every material thing they have ever owned; some have every material thing they need. All are called to a higher purpose than their own individual development: to achieve oneness and unity within this diverse community.

Phyllis K. Peterson uses true stories to explain how the Bahá’í community is learning to develop true intimacy and unity through devotional meetings, reflection meetings and home visits and how it is learning to integrate not only the races but those who are outcast because of mental illness or physical disability.