Befriended Stranger

So, who cares that only two people came? I love hosting a devotional gathering! It nurtures my soul in more than one ways — the saying of prayers itself but also being with others who enjoy saying prayers too. Baher came and so did his friend Armin. I am enjoying having guy friends. It should be totally not surprising but it has been years since I have had the opportunity to enjoy getting to know people who might be very different from me yet are so similar. We said prayers, listened to music, chanted, ate, talked about growing up, about living, about being. How cool is to have a network engineer who can cook chicken biryani and an internet entrepreneur who can play Persian melodies on Yamaha synthesizer come to your place, chant prayers in Arabic and Farsi, tell you about the beauty and dangers of riding a sports bike, share stories about the mischief they did while growing up and inspire the certitude of service and humility of devotion. Life can be so rich and beautiful with friends.

Here is the program from last nights “Prayer Station”

“All Things Are of God“, from “A Family Affair” featuring the vocals of Tara Ellis and Sean Gilmer:

So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth
Say, all things are of God (4)
The first remedy of all is to guide the people aright, so that they will turn themselves unto God
Say, all things are of God (4)
The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His Glory, and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestation.
Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face.
Say, all things are of God (4)

In case you wonder where these gorgeous lyrics come from (and you should wonder), I made it easy for you and researched it all by using Ocean:

The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The One true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.
(Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 14)

Say: O servants! Let not the means of order be made the cause of confusion and the instrument of union an occasion for discord. We fain would hope that the people of Baha may be guided by the blessed words: ‘Say: all things are of God.‘ This exalted utterance is like unto water for quenching the fire of hate and enmity which smouldereth within the hearts and breasts of men. By this single utterance contending peoples and kindreds will attain the light of true unity. Verily He speaketh the truth and leadeth the way. He is the All-Powerful, the Exalted, the Gracious.
(Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 222)

The first remedy of all is to guide the people aright, so that they will turn themselves unto God, and listen to His counsellings, and go forth with hearing ears and seeing eyes. Once this speedily effective draught is given them, then, in accordance with the Teachings, they must be led to acquire the characteristics and the behaviour of the Concourse on high, and encouraged to seek out all the bounties of the Abha Realm. They must cleanse their hearts from even the slightest trace of hatred and spite, and they must set about being truthful and honest, conciliatory and loving to all humankind — so that East and West will, even as two lovers, hold each other close; that hatred and hostility will perish from the earth, and universal peace be firmly rooted in their place.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 244)

The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His Glory, and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestation.
(Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 156, from “Words of Wisdom“)

Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.
(Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 93)

Then, to reinforce the unity message, we heard another chant by Tara Ellis, “Unity” from her “Devotions“:

God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, “the Kingdom is God’s”, may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 11)

Last but not least, to prepare us for the refreshments, we enjoyed the Afro-Cuban-Colombian-Spanish version of “So powerful is the light of unity…”, “Tan Potente” from the “Talisman” album by Leonor Dely & Millero Congo:

¡Tan potente es la luz de la unidad que puede iluminar toda la tierra!

If you ever want to cheer yourself and dance, treat yourself to this beautiful song! Tan Potente!

Sometimes an insight comes immediately after hearing an inspiring thought; sometimes it takes time. Yesterday I attended a wonderful tutor encounter — a gathering of people who facilitate Baha’i classes and share thoughts and inspiration of how to become better at sharing Baha’u'llah’s healing message. I was particularly struck by Riva’s observation that the institute process is a tool for spiritual transformation on an individual and community level and how the litmus test of faith is having it become your daily life.

It was exactly 18 years ago (probably to the day) that over a phone call to Odessa, the former Soviet Union, I declared: “I want to be a Baha’i”. This morning I was reflecting on the meaning of that declaration and the fact that the declaration of Faith starts with the belief in Baha’u'llah. But it does not stop there. The declaration card itself emphasizes the importance of recognizing principles, institutions and laws that must be obeyed. So my reflection this morning was on how critical it is to bridge the gap between intent and action. How different a belief would be if left as a belief alone, with no action. How being is more than just believing.

Now symbolically entering the age of spiritual maturity, 18 years after that fateful declaration, I am reflecting on it again and confirming that yes, I do want to be a Baha’i, in the being sense of the word, just as Abdu’l-Baha advised upon his departure from this country:

Now the time has come when we must part, but the separation is only of our bodies; in spirit we are united. Ye are the lights which shall be diffused; ye are the waves of that sea which shall spread and overflow the world. Each wave is precious to me, and my nostrils shall be gladdened by your remembrance. Another commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another even as I love you. Great mercy and blessings are promised to the people of your land, but on one condition; that their hearts be filled with the fire of love, that they live in perfect harmony and kindness like one soul in different bodies. Never forget this; look at one another with the eye of perfection; look at me, follow me, be as I am; take no thought for yourselves or your lives, whether ye eat or whether ye sleep, whether ye are comfortable, whether ye are well or ill, whether ye are with friends or foes, whether ye receive praise or blame; for all these things ye must care not at all. Look at me and be as I am; ye must die to yourselves and to the world, so ye shall be born again and enter the kingdom of heaven. Behold the candle, how it gives light. It weeps its life away drop by drop in order to give forth its flame of light. The time has come when we must part, but the separation is only of our bodies; in spirit we are united forever.

I say unto you that any one who will rise up in the Cause of God at this time shall be filled with the spirit of God, and that He will send His hosts from heaven to help you, and that nothing shall be impossible to you if you have faith. And now I give you a commandment which shall be for a Covenant between you and me: that ye have faith; that you faith be steadfast as a rock that no storms can move, that nothing can disturb, and that it endure through all things even to the end; even should ye hear that your Lord has been crucified, be not shaken in your faith; for I am with you always, whether living or dead; I am with you to the end. As ye have faith so shall your powers and blessings be. This is the standard — this is the standard — this is the standard.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i Scriptures, p. 503)

Tonight, after a wonderful opening of the Bulgarian School and a farewell party for a couple of great Baha’is who have truly inspired the whole community with their tireless service, I had a chance to talk on Islam and the Baha’i Faith, as part of the conclusion of the Wilmette Institute course I had taken.

… the Guardian would certainly advise, and even urge the friends to make a thorough study of the Qur’án as the knowledge of this Sacred Scripture is absolutely indispensable for every believer who wishes to adequately understand and intelligently read the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh.
(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 561)

I am, of course, no expert on Islam, so I focused instead on the story of how I overcame my prejudice against Islam and what struck me the most about the spiritual truths of Islam as elucidated by Baha’u'llah.

To put my story in context, it is worth explaining that Bulgarians as a general rule are quite prejudiced against Islam because of the historical experience of surviving for 5 centuries under the rule of the Ottomans. This prejudice permeates traditions, folk songs, folk tales, education, anything. What is interesting about such prejudice (maybe it is typical of any prejudice?) is that I was not aware of it — it had become so much the norm of my environment and life, that I never questioned it. How I faced this prejudice and over time overcame it, is one of the gifts of the Baha’i Faith:

It all started on a sunny summer morning, when I was sitting on a blanket at the Sea Garden in Varna, the Black Sea capital of Bulgaria, surrounded by Baha’i pioneers who had come to the first teaching project in my country. What I thought to be a German family had invited me to partake in their breakfast - muesli. It was the first time in my life that I had that delicious European cereal with dried fruits and nuts. As I was enjoying the meal, I asked my hosts what part of Germany they were from. They answered that in fact they were not from Germany but from Turkey…

The following happened in a split second but I still remember it clearly as if happening in slow motion in front of my eyes… As I heard these people saying they were from Turkey, I almost choked. My first thought was — “I can’t believe I am eating this food”. My second thought was “Shame on you! These people are extending their hospitality! Who are you to judge them!”. That is all it took — recognizing that in a split second from a wonderful host family I had turned them into objects, “them”, “the enemy”; and then recognizing that thought as a total non sense. That of course was the beginning of a journey. But I am enormously grateful to God for helping me make that first initial step in overcoming my prejudice because without that first step there wouldn’t have been the next ones.

The degree of my prejudice was so profound that for years I would be embarrassed to bow during obligatory prayer because that reminded me of Islamic prayer; for years I would not fast because the Baha’i Fast so reminded me of the Muslim fast; for years I would cringe at questions if the Baha’i Faith was rooted in Islam.

Today I can proudly say that just as Christianity started as an offshoot of Judaism, the Baha’i Faith had its beginning in  the cradle of Islam, whose laws it abrogated and spiritual truths renewed.

That initial step of overcoming a prejudice allowed me in time to have a wonderful roommate from Istanbul, to benefit from the wonderful help of a Lebanese professor, to appreciate delicious Turkish and just about any Middle-eastern food, and to be able to face a Muslim and see them as a human being.

That initial step enabled me to reach out and talk to my building’s apartment manager and invite her to an interfaith devotional gathering. And even though she did not come the other day, I know she will — she left a note on my door that she was hesitant to enter because she did not want to interrupt our prayers but she wants to come next time, on time.

So, thank you, Baha’u'llah, for the wonderful fruit of overcoming one of my prejudice!

I ask you all, each one of you, to follow well the light of truth, in the Holy Teachings, and God will strengthen you by His Holy Spirit so that you will be enabled to overcome the difficulties, and to destroy the prejudices which cause separation and hatred amongst the people. Let your hearts be filled with the great love of God, let it be felt by all; for every man is a servant of God, and all are entitled to a share of the Divine Bounty.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 27)

Today I had an unexpected flood of happiness flow through me. A flood of one kind was averted and replaced by a flood of another kind. As the Hanna tropical storm was blasting over Northern Virginia and the rain was washing everything on its way, Justin had the good intuition to check if the basement was in good shape, just seconds before it would have been flooded by the water covering the foundation of the back yard stairs. We worked in tandem, using buckets to take the water out and cleaning all the leaves that were preventing the water from being flushed down the drain. We were wet as kittens but we felt happy. I was truly immersed in a very palpable happiness, so much so that when I was done working, I stretched my hands to the heavens and in the midst of the torrential rain voiced the short obligatory prayer:

I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

I am starting to realize and experience that there is no better way of averting the flood of selfish thoughts than the opportunity to work in service to another human being.

Verily, I pray to God to aid thy children in the service of the Word of God, the furtherance of His Covenant and the spread of His fragrances, for this is the great happiness of this life and that to come.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha v2, p. 265)

And in the afternoon, I had another pleasant experience, of meeting wonderful people at Dessi’s birthday party — she should truly be proud with how wonderful her friends are, which should not be surprising of course since she herself is wonderful.  There was a lovely young family uniting Albanian, American and Persian heritage, and an Illinois young woman who had passionately argued with her catholic priest at the age of 7, in her ambition to become a priest as a prerequisite for becoming a Pope! It was fascinating to observe once again how many things unite us — not only our faith but also our experiences. How, while way back in Bulgaria I would have never considered an Albanian as a particularly close to my culture, here in the U.S., blessed as I have been to be enlightened by the Baha’i Faith, now I can consider a young Albanian man as a virtual cousin.
Life can be so fascinating. The world can be so amazing. All it takes is to open one’s eyes and take a deep breath to notice the present moment. Finding peace in every step, as Thich Nhat Hahn reminds us, is all it takes. And then, all of a sudden, you start noticing the little joys of life — the buckets full of rain water, the hard work done next to a loved one, the deep connection felt in a talk with a new friend. And before you know it, these little joys truly grow — just as my beautiful Juliet who tomorrow turns 3!

This morning I was wondering what to write about and thought of sharing a brief review of a wonderful little book I’ve been reading, called “Heart to Heart”. It is a teaching handbook by Jenny and Grant Hindin Miller (yes, the amazingly talented New Zealand songwriter and singer), dedicated to the memory of Martha Root, the itinerant Baha’i teacher. The book starts with a disclaimer: “This is a booklet about sharing the Baha’i Faith. It is not about fancy techniques or salesmanship. It is really a love story. Teaching is an affair of the heart.”

While this book focuses on teaching and connecting the hearts, what touched me the most were the stories of Martha Root’s humility before God and the sense of urgency she had about teaching:

Every minute belongs to God, not every other minute. If you begin tomorrow, it may be too late.

But that urgency alone was not what made Martha Root such an example of sharing the message of love. Hers was truly a genuine love and recognition for the nobility of the heart of everyone she met.

So, thinking of this ability — of connecting with others on a deeper level — provided an interesting backdrop for another reading this afternoon: an intriguing New York Times article called “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy”, which explores how the development in social networking has created a new sense of ambient presence, expanded the social circles of people we keep in touch with, and provided a new impetus for reflecting on how we feel, what we do, and who we are.

I am not sure yet how to connect or contrast these two concepts — of connecting the hearts and keeping in touch with friends and strangers alike — but I feel the link is more than superficial. For while I have benefited (and suffered) from the ease of social connections online, I have been reflecting lately on how the heart yearns for a deep, true connection, which seems impossible online. Indeed, the overexposure online has inspired me lately to reflect on, and appreciate, the joy of seeing and noticing the “real life” human beings that surround us every day — the lady at the grocery store counter, the guard of the office building, the postman, the children playing in the park. I have been challenging myself to truly see each one of them and try to connect with their heart by imagining what their soul looks like — perhaps as my daughters would say “a rainbow soul”…

I beg of God to strengthen these spiritual bonds as day followeth day, and make this mystic oneness to shine ever more brightly, until at last all shall be as troops marshalled together beneath the banner of the Covenant within the sheltering shade of the Word of God; that they may strive with all their might until universal fellowship, close and warm, and unalloyed love, and spiritual relationships, will connect all the hearts in the world.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 19)

The time came to implement the idea of hosting a Prayer Station. Baher and I had sent invitation to the participant of the Ruhi 1 study circle on “Life of the Spirit”. I also wrote invitation cards and put them on the door of each of my floor neighbors. Nobody of the neighbors came but three other souls came — Baher, Steve and a friend of his.

The program was pretty much a rip off of the wonderful prayer meeting friends of mine have been hosting in Falls Church. We started with listening to a beautiful poetry and song performance by Tara Ellis and Ruth Forman, “Prayers Like Shoes” from Tara’s “Best of Devotions“.

Then we read a selections of writings from different religions somewhat focused on the power of prayer:

And now, I pray Thee, let the power of the LORD be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying: The LORD is slow to anger, and plenteous in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.
(Judaism, Torah, Numbers)

Hear, Lord, my prayer; let not my soul faint under Thy discipline, nor let me faint in confessing unto Thee all Thy mercies, whereby Thou hast drawn me out of all my most evil ways, that Thou mightest become a delight to me above all the allurements which I once pursued; that I may most entirely love Thee, and clasp Thy hand with all my affections, and Thou mayest yet rescue me from every temptation, even unto the end.
(Christianity, Confessions of St Augustine, Book  1)

And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: and whatever good ye send forth for your souls before you, ye shall find it with Allah; for Allah sees well all that ye do.
(Islam, The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.
(LDS, The Book of Mormon)

If thou be a man of communion and prayer, soar up on the wings of assistance from Holy Souls, that thou mayest behold the mysteries of the Friend and attain to the lights of the Beloved, “Verily, we are from God and to Him shall we return.” [1]
[1 Qur'án 2:151.]
(Baha’u’llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 17)

O God, Who art the Author of all Manifestations, the Source of all Sources, the Fountain-Head of all Revelations, and the Well-Spring of all Lights! I testify that by Thy Name the heaven of understanding hath been adorned, and the ocean of utterance hath surged, and the dispensations of Thy providence have been promulgated unto the followers of all religions.

I beseech Thee so to enrich me as to dispense with all save Thee, and be made independent of any one except Thyself. Rain down, then, upon me out of the clouds of Thy bounty that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Assist me, then, through Thy strengthening grace, so to serve Thy Cause amidst Thy servants that I may show forth what will cause me to be remembered as long as Thine own kingdom endureth and Thy dominion will last.

This is Thy servant, O my Lord, who with his whole being hath turned unto the horizon of Thy bounty, and the ocean of Thy grace, and the heaven of Thy gifts. Do with me then as becometh Thy majesty, and Thy glory, and Thy bounteousness, and Thy grace.

Thou, in truth, art the God of strength and power, Who art meet to answer them that pray Thee. There is no God save Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
(Baha’u’llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah, p. 59)

Then each of us offered prayers: for nearness to God, forgiveness, steadfastness, unity, peace and prosperity for all humanity, and closed with listening of another beautiful song, “Let All Associate”, by New Creation / TaliaSafa:

Let all associate, therefore, in this great human garden even as flowers grow and blend together side by side without discord or disagreement between them.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 69)

Then we moved from the spiritual back to the physical — sharing banitza (Bulgarian homemade spanakopita), cake and tea. Best of all was of course the fellowship with three wonderful souls. I look forward to next Thursday, and the next Prayer Station!

What prompted my thoughts on how to shape one’s identity was the realization that without action all we could do is absorb — through osmosis — whatever the environment has to offer. And if we don’t like what the environment offers — if we want change — we need to be prepared to swim against the tide, to be ready for action and work, systematic and tireless.

Bulgarian Identity

As any parent, the question of what identity I want for my kids is on my mind quite often. As a Bulgarian living in the U.S., naturally I want them to speak Bulgarian thus I want some of their identity to be Bulgarian. I’ve been taking them to a Saturday afternoon Bulgarian school but I realize that this alone cannot guarantee their knowledge of Bulgarian. The reality is, they live in an English-speaking, American culture and if left alone, all they will learn is whatever they hear and see, and that will not be Bulgarian — not that the environment is hostile to the Bulgarian language, it just does not take proactive role of supporting Bulgarian language. So, my resolution, as the new school year begins, is to use every opportunity I have to teach them some Bulgarian and practice with them, in the hope that one day when they visit Bulgaria, they will not be totally clueless.

Baha’i Identity

Similarly, the question of shaping a Baha’i identity — for myself and for my kids — is one of swimming against the tide, and making proactive effort to counter the materialistic osmosis with spiritual action.

As much as I want my kids to have a Bulgarian identity, I want them most of all to be raised as Baha’is; to have a Baha’i identity. The Universal House of Justice in one of its messages from 1996 has a very specific take on the benefits of having a Baha’i identity: “the capacity to look upon the world and its conditions from the point of view of the Teachings rather than from the standpoint of one’s nationality or non-Bahá’í background“.

When my daughters grow up, of course, they will make their own choice if they want to be Baha’is or not, but for now as they are very little, it is my responsibility as a father to provide the best for them; and the best, as I understand it today, are the Baha’i teachings.

I became a Baha’i 18 years ago and even though my path has not been straight at all, and my practice of the Baha’i teachings has not always been consistent, I have no doubts of my personal commitment to the Baha’i Faith. I firmly believe that the Baha’i Faith can offer my kids the best spiritual defense they would need to deal with life’s challenges as they grow. For we live in a society so materialistic and so confused about its priorities (I know it from my own multiple trials and errors), that unless provided with clear guidance and principles that are practiced on a daily basis, it is so easy to lose one’s bearings. Not that our society is proactively hostile to spirituality — on the contrary, America is significantly more religious than Europe — but to foster spirituality in my children’s (and my own) identity, I need to dedicate time for spiritual education. Thus my commitment to persist in offering spiritual education for my children (and others when appropriate).

The long weekend provided many opportunities to reflect on what an identity I want — for myself and for my children. I will write more on the identity question but for now few reflections on the Labor Day weekend… We went to the Shenandoah Baha’i Summer School and it was wonderful for many reasons:

Being among true friends

First of all was of course the joy of being among true friends. It is always nurturing — and inspiring — to be among people who are clear on the priorities of their lives, and to follow their example. Among true friends even tests are easier to handle: within seconds of being overwhelmed by petty and self-pity feelings, I received a call from an old friend who himself needed help, and sure enough, God’s medicine worked — I offered my friend a  prayer, sharing which helped both him and me:

O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.

O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Music, Ladder for the Soul

The Saturday night concert was truly outstanding. The performance of the Washington Metropolitan Baha’i Chorale was great and it was wonderful to be able to join them for an improvised reunion and sing together once again — they were so generous to let me sing even though being in blue jeans certainly did not fit with the all black outfit. It was wonderful to have Van Gilmer once again as a soloist, but Dori and Roya are doing great job directing the chorale. All soloists were stellar — from Van, through Roya, George and Mike, to a refreshingly confident Kim whose voice shined! The personal highlight for me was seeing my 4 year old daughter Sofia jump and sway as an experienced groopie the moment she saw me with the chorale. Her smile was so happy, I could not stop beaming while singing. When the time came for me to start the intro to the closing song, “We have come to sing praises”, Sofia ran onto the stage and jumped on my neck! Singing with her hanging on my neck was so heartwarming even if challenging but it apparently sounded well enough, so I contribute the success of this exercise to her sweet and innocent love.

I was very much looking forward to seeing Ali Youssefi perform and was more than pleased. Ali performed with his sister and a violin player. They were outstanding! I bought Ali’s CD and look forward to his next one. I had the pleasure of meeting Ali’s father and when I congratulated him on raising two wonderful kids, he humble suggested that it was all Baha’u'llah’s work. What a marvel it is to observe the beautiful results produced when one is submissive to God’s guidance!

Teaching, the Greatest Gift

We also participated in a teaching project where we offered that same “Refresh and Gladden My Spirit” prayer to those interested. Justin apparently did a stellar job by offering the visual presentation, first by translating for one Spanish-speaking family and then sharing the message to another family with the help of a flip-chart. The focus on offering a prayer made the whole process very natural and once again reminded me of what the spirit needs the most — a prayer and patient encouragement to grow strong despite the consumerism and materialism permeating society.

Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching. It draweth unto us the Grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves? Nay, our lives, our goods, our comforts, our rest, we offer them all as a sacrifice for the Abha Beauty and teach the Cause of God.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Will and Testament, p. 25)

Children classes

As soon as we came back to Arlington, we explored three places where children classes could be offered and found one that felt just right. We had visited that place on several occasions and now emboldened by a sense of the importance of the work on sharing spiritual education with the kids playing on the grass square between several apartment buildings, asked the parents of a group of kids for permission and once given their thumbs-up . Justin is doing great work in engaging the kids; I help with our kids and the sing along, so it works out into a good team work. The kids asked us when we are coming back — what better reward to ask for!

Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future. They bear the seeds of the character of future society which is largely shaped by what the adults constituting the community do or fail to do with respect to children. They are a trust no community can neglect with impunity. An all-embracing love of children, the manner of treating them, the quality of the attention shown them, the spirit of adult behaviour toward them — these are all among the vital aspects of the requisite attitude. Love demands discipline, the courage to accustom children to hardship, not to indulge their whims or leave them entirely to their own devices. An atmosphere needs to be maintained in which children feel that they belong to the community and share in its purpose. They must lovingly but insistently be guided to live up to Bahá’í standards, to study and teach the Cause in ways that are suited to their circumstances.
(The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 157, 2000)