-Baha'i. How you doing?
We're meeting with somebody from the Baha'i faith today,
and I don't know anything about the Baha'i faith
except Rainn Wilson,
who founded SoulPancake, is a Baha'i
and the guy we're meeting with today is the producer
of one of my favorite shows on SoulPancake,
called "My Last Days."
It is the most life-affirming show,
and it's about death.
If any of his Baha'i beliefs made this whole thing,
then it must be pretty great.
So, we're here at Justin's house.
Not only am I gonna be learning about the Baha'i faith,
talking to somebody I really admire,
but my good friend John from the University of Texas
is here because he's also a Baha'i!
What are the chances of that?
Apparently, pretty good.
Hey! -What's up, buddy?
-Am I supposed to recite poetry to you or what?
Good to meet you, sir.
-Can I give you a hug? -Yes, absolutely.
-What's up, buddy?
-Good to see you, man?
-Ah! It's been forever.
I heard that we're going up to your place.
-Which unfortunately is not wheelchair-accessible.
-Look. Now it's like I'm a normal person.
All right.
With this show, what we're trying to do
is sort of dispel misconceptions,
but Baha'i is a little different
because when we bring it up to people,
the most common response we get is, "What?"
So, if you could just tell people
what the Baha'i faith is.
-The Baha'i faith is the most recent of the world religions.
Baha'i faith was founded by the prophet Bahá'u'lláh,
who we believe is the most recent manifestation of God.
Bahá'u'lláh brought this message of world unity,
of understanding that all the religions fundamentally agree.
Women should be seen as equals.
Actually, there's a quote in the Baha'i writings
that says, "Until women are seen as completely equal to men,
then war will continue to exist."
In the Baha'i faith, we're taught
that work can actually be like prayer.
As an actor now turned filmmaker,
it's my job to find a way to be of service through my job.
And it can be anything. It can be, like,
a seamstress to a chef
to a television host like you.
-How did you come from,
you know, being in "Spring Break Shark Attack"
to directing something like "My Last Days"?
It's a question.
-It's just a question, just a question?
"My Last Days" was an idea that came to me
based on a quote in the Baha'i writings.
Bahá'u'lláh, he says, "I have made death a messenger
of joy for thee.
Wherefore dost thou grieve?"
I thought to myself, "What is it about death
that makes us angry and sad and afraid?"
So, that's how "My Last Days" was created.
-So, thanks for having me to your home.
What's going on tonight?
-There's no clergy in the Baha'i faith.
There's no church. So, the Baha'is
hold things in their own home.
We believe that it all starts in the home
and it spreads out to the community
and then out to the world.
So, tonight we're just having our friends over
and we're gonna pray together
and we're gonna read a couple things
and laugh and eat and sing
and, you know...
-Awesome. Just make sure
you don't expect anything good from the singing.
Once the singing starts,
you'll throw me down those stairs.
-I will not, 'cause I'm --
-Just be prepared to do something horrible
that you never expected you could do.
-So, don't sing. -No. We'll sing.
-All right.
-I'm Zach! How's everybody?
Hello! -Whoo!
-Oh, you went for the shake
and I went for the hug, and we made it work.
It's a hug fest! All right!
Hey, Rocky! How's it going?
-Give him a good hug. Aww.
-I still can't believe
that you guys went to film school together.
-It's crazy.
He was the star of the first scene
I ever directed -- my swingers scene.
-Oh, yeah, that's right. Did I ever watch that?
-I think you did, and if you did,
you probably tried to forget about it.
-All right, guys, can we make our way into the room?
You'll hear a lot of us read, like, Baha'i prayers and stuff,
but anything from the heart is awesome.
-Oh, God, make me a hollow reed,
from which the pith of self hath been blown,
so that I may become a clear channel
through which Thy Love may flow to others.
-I lay all my affairs in Thy hand.
Thou art my Guide and my Refuge.
-[ Speaking foreign language ]
-When I saw Justin's work on "My Last Days,"
I thought, "This is what television can do."
It's inspired me to appreciate
the gifts that I've been given
and the responsibility that I have to use them.
It's just been so wonderful to be able to meet you.
I don't think I would be making this show
if I hadn't seen your work,
and it's just beautiful
that we've been able to come together.
So, thank you.
-You're making me cry, buddy.
-We're all ready for the tears here.
-That is the highest compliment I could ever receive.
-[music] Thy name is my healing [music]
[music] O, my God [music]
-[music] O, my God, O, my God O, my God [music]
[music] Thy name is my healing [music]
[music] O, my God [music]
[music] O, my God, O, my God, O, my God [music]
[music] Thy name is my healing [music]
[music] O, my God [music]
[music] O, my God, O, my God, O, my God [music]
[music] Thy name is my healing [music]
[music] O, my God [music]
[music] O, my God, O, my God, O, my God [music]
-Have you been a Baha'i your whole life?
-I was born into a Baha'i family.
You don't just become a Baha'i because your parents are Baha'i.
When I was 15 years old, which in the Baha'i faith
is the age of maturity, I decided to become a Baha'i.
But it wasn't until my 20s
that I really understood
what it was like to try to live a Baha'i life.
Everything changed when I started
to really walk the walk --
or try to, at least, because I fail all the time.
-I fail 100% of the time to walk any walks.
It took a while. -I think
it's gonna take my whole life to really understand it.
It's a practice, just like anything else.
-You just got married. -I just got married.
In the Baha'i faith, your marriage partner
is supposed to be your helpmate,
someone that you can navigate all of the trials of life with
and someone that can bring up our child
in a way that teaches them spiritual virtues.
Our whole marriage is founded on the belief that,
like, God is in the center.
Prayer is a big part of our marriage, and service
is a big part of our marriage, and it's awesome.
This summarizes what the Baha'i faith is more than anything.
It's like a -- a solid, written reminder
of what we can strive to live our lives like.
-To live the life is to be no cause
of grief to anyone,
to be kind to all people,
and to love them with a pure spirit,
to be humble, to know that our love,
our unity, our obedience must not be by confession,
but of reality,
to be a cause of healing for every sick one,
a comforter for every sorrowing one,
pleasant water for every thirsty one,
a light for every lamp,
a herald to everyone who yearns
for the kingdom of God" -- 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
-It doesn't matter what religion you call yourself.
If that can happen, then...
it's pretty amazing.
-I have a question --
because I agree with everything
that has been said in this room.
The one thing that I have trouble with is,
I don't know for sure if there is a God.
-I don't try and think about God necessarily
as one entity or one being,
because our minds can't really fathom that.
I look at it as truth.
I'm listening to the writings,
and I'm feeling what it does to my heart.
I'm feeling what my relationships
with everyone in this room does to my heart,
and that all is truth.
And I think that, once you've identified
what that truth is for you,
then you see God in everything and everyone.
-Oww!
-Wh-- Ah.
Is this the best way to carry me?
I don't know if anybody's ever carried me this way before.
Bye, guys.
"Baha'i"-bye!
I just had a beautiful evening
with a bunch of "ba-handsome" Baha'is.
I feel like I've made like 30 new friends.
There's a wonderful night "Baha'i"-nd me.
"Baha'i" everybody!
[ Laughter ]