I am a universalist, passionately devoted to the cause of

“I am a universalist, passionately devoted to the cause of equality within the human family.” So spoke Theodore Bikel, and in these words lies both a declaration and a promise. To be a universalist is to see beyond the narrow borders of tribe, nation, and creed, and to affirm instead that every man, woman, and child belongs to one great kinship. In this vision, humanity is not a scattering of rival clans, but a single family, bound by a common destiny beneath the stars. His devotion, then, was not to one people alone, but to all, with no walls of division strong enough to sever his commitment.

The ancients often spoke of the world as a great household. The Stoics taught of the cosmopolis, the city of the universe, where all human beings are citizens under the same law of nature. Bikel’s words echo this ancient wisdom, reminding us that equality is not a gift given by rulers, but an eternal truth flowing from the very order of existence. To deny equality is to rebel against the laws of nature itself, for just as the sun shines on all, so too is dignity meant for all.

Consider the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement in America. Men and women, black and white, marched together, proclaiming that the color of one’s skin cannot diminish the light of one’s soul. The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in tones that harmonize with Bikel’s declaration: that we are bound together in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Here was the cry of the human family, demanding that the forgotten be remembered and the excluded welcomed. This was the universalist spirit in action—an insistence that the circle of equality must have no edge.

Bikel, as an artist and advocate, also carried this conviction in the realm of culture. Through song and storytelling, he wove together the melodies of many peoples, affirming that each tongue and tradition was a thread in the great tapestry of humanity. By lifting up the songs of Jews, of Americans, of the oppressed across the world, he proclaimed that our differences do not divide us but enrich us. This, too, was his passion—to give voice to the silenced, to show that the story of one is the story of all.

Yet let us not mistake his words for mere sentiment. To be a universalist is not easy. It requires one to stand against the winds of hatred, prejudice, and fear. It is to refuse the easy path of tribal pride and to choose instead the harder road of compassion. It is to love not only those who resemble us, but also those who seem foreign, strange, or opposed. True equality demands sacrifice, patience, and courage. It asks us to break the chains of selfishness and to embrace a vision wider than ourselves.

What, then, shall we learn from this? That in our daily lives, we must begin to act as citizens of the world, not merely of one small corner. Let us practice the cause of equality not only in grand gestures but in the smallest acts: in the way we speak to strangers, in the opportunities we extend to the overlooked, in the dignity we grant to those whom others would dismiss. For the human family is not an abstraction—it is your neighbor, your coworker, the stranger on the street, the refugee who longs for welcome.

Practical wisdom follows: travel, if you can, and meet those who live differently; if you cannot, then read their stories, listen to their music, break bread with those outside your circle. In every encounter, affirm the truth that their humanity is equal to your own. And when injustice rises, whether in your city or across the sea, let your voice not remain silent. For silence is betrayal to the family to which we all belong.

Thus Bikel’s words ring out as both song and summons. To be a universalist is to walk with eyes wide open, seeing no stranger, no enemy, but only brothers and sisters. To be “passionately devoted” is to let no apathy take root in the soul, but to live each day as a servant of dignity and justice. This is the wisdom we pass to the next generation: embrace the whole human family, and in doing so, become fully human yourself.