Befriended Stranger

What an unexpected gift I got today from my capable team! Over the past months they worked hard on launching a new Intranet at my place of gainful employment  and now that the web workplace is up and running, I get to use it and brag about it! How cool is that! And how surprised I was today, to go to my team’s home page and see this:

Yes, that is the right — the quote of the day is from these words of Baha’u'llah:

CXXII. Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God’s holy Will, have revealed, he would readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing the words “The Kingdom shall be God’s” may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind. The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity harm Him. The Bird of the Realm of Utterance voiceth continually this call: “All things have I willed for thee, and thee, too, for thine own sake.” If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure. Were the earth to attain this station and be illumined with its light it could then be truly said of it: “Thou shall see in it no hollows or rising hills.”
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 259)

You might wonder, how did such words end up on a corporate Intranet? Here is the story:

For the past year and a half, I have made it a rule to invite my team mates’ contribution for our team meeting by having each of us submit an inspiring quotation as food for thought. We all take turns and anyone is free to pick whatever quote they want. Of course, we try to be sensitive to the fact that ours is a very diverse team. That of course makes for a fascinating collection of quotes.

One Sunday in February 2008, I was particularly moved by the song “Education” from Julie Rosser’s CD “Beloved”, and decided to use its words for my next team meeting. Now I have to admit that at the time I was very careful of not overstepping my managerial boundaries so I opted to not share who the author of the quotation was. Today, though, when I saw this quotation on the Intranet listing “anonymous” as its author, I felt that needed to be corrected. Besides, among the other quotations submitted since then by the team there were words of the Buddha, Confucius, and so many others. When I had shared Baha’u'llah’s quote with my team I never thought it might end up being shared with others; now that I see it on the Intranet accessible to all coworkers, I felt it would be important to identify its author, so I just asked my colleague to update the SharePoint tool (yes, our new Intranet is based on the SharePoint technology) and indicate that these are Baha’u'llah’s words.

Another lesson how we never know when teaching the word of God can take a life of its own. And let’s hope if I hear from HR, it is not an official reprimand

I love music. I love it live but I also love it recorded. I’ve always loved the feeling of getting a new CD in my hands, unwrapping it with anticipation of the joy of hearing the music for the first time. Years ago, in Bulgaria, I used to run a small business selling tapes and CDs on the main street of my home town. I started the business the year after I became a Baha’i, and it turned out to be a nice venue for introducing those who walked by my music table to the Baha’i teachings by directing them to the other table covered with Baha’i brochures. The Baha’i travel teachers visiting from the U.S. thus introduced a number of dear friends to the Baha’i Faith and invited them later to discussions and prayer meetings. From those days of new music and new faith, I love the feeling of receiving my shipment of CDs and anticipating the joy of introducing others to the music.

Today I received my shipment of 30 brand new CDs by MANA, the Baha’i inspired Pacific Island music and cultural performance group based in Australia. The word MANA means ‘The Almighty’ or ‘The Powerful’ and signifies strength of spirit in most languages of the Pacific. As their website indicates, the members of MANA are originally from Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti and the Cook Islands, so the songs on their CDs are in a mix of English and their native tongues.

My introduction to the music of MANA coincided several years ago with my plunge into the study circles based on the courses developed by the Ruhi Institute. MANA had recorded a joyful CD full of songs based on the quotations from the Ruhi 1 book “Reflections on the Life of the Spirit”. We all participants of the study circle so loved it that the songs became a favorite way of memorizing the quotations. A few years later MANA assisted by their new manager, Naysan Naraqi, produced a beautiful video based on the song “Backbiting“:

MANA’s creativity is put to service with the aim of assisting the spread of study circles, so they are not in the business of making money. Just as the other day New Creation and TaliaSafa indicated, most Baha’i musicians do not make profit from their recordings but strive to invest whatever proceedings they might have from selling the CDs into the recording of subsequent albums. That is exactly the case with MANA too. You too can help them by ordering their CDs. If you prefer download version you will have to wait a couple of more months until the MP3 versions of the songs becomes available on iTunes and possibly on DivineNotes. But holding the CD in your hands is always nice, plus you get to read the gorgeous CD cover. That is why I decided to order the CDs. And since MANA do not have a distributor in the U.S. yet, I sent an email around asking friends from the DC area if they would be interested in making a joint bulk order, and as a result I was able to order 30 CDs directly from the producer. Do not be scared by this number, though — ordering a set of 10 CDs would still make it economical, and you can mix and match your order from all 4 CDs MANA have produced so far.

Today, as soon as I received the shipment, I immediately opened “The Twin Manifestations” CD because I have always loved the Ruhi 4 book. My favorite songs from the first run are “They Suffered” and “No Time To Lose”:

…they suffered the most grievous difficulties and severe ordeals. They withstood the tests with wonderful power and sublime heroism. Thousands were cast into prison, punished, persecuted and martyred. Their homes were pillaged and destroyed, their possessions confiscated. They sacrificed their lives most willingly and remained unshaken in their faith to the very end. Those wonderful souls are the lamps of God, the stars of sanctity shining gloriously from the eternal horizon of the will of God.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 138)

There is no time to lose. There is no room left for vacillation. Multitudes hunger for the Bread of Life. The stage is set. The firm and irrevocable Promise is given. God’s own Plan has been set in motion …. The powers of heaven and earth mysteriously assist in its execution …. Let the doubter arise and himself verify the truth of such assertions. To try, to persevere, is to ensure ultimate and complete victory.
(Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America, p. 17)

I will listen to the “Teaching Children” CD tomorrow but in the meantime I encourage you all to contact MANA and order their CDs. Not only you will enjoy their music but you will also help them continue producing beautiful CDs for the whole sequence of Ruhi Institute books. And while you are at it, please order TaliaSafa’s CD as well as “Let All Associate” by New Creation!

Last night’s Prayer Station was the most special I have ever hosted. Why? Because not one but two outstanding Baha’i bands came to perform and bless my humble apartment not only by  praising God but by sharing their talents with us as well!

New Creation and TaliaSafa performed a selection of their songs starting with the beloved “Let All Associate” and continuing with a musical presentation on the fundamental verities of the Baha’i Faith. They are truly talented musicians and it was wonderful to hear them perform such a diverse set of songs, from a bluesy-rock piece dedicated to the Covenant of God through tender acoustic songs based on the Writings of Baha’u'llah:

This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 6)

We had a chance to reflect and comment on a song called “The Conversation” imagining a talk Lua Getsinger had with Abdu’l-Baha on sacrifice. We had a chance to sing along New Creation’s rendition of “We Are One”, in honor of Dan Seals. We had a chance to hear the story how the  remarkable song “Let All Associate” was created — I will let the musicians to tell the story in their own words soon but let’s just say that someone from the Abha Kingdom was helping them all along. We had a chance to share refreshments (Conchita brought some very delicious potato and egg frittata to complement my traditional menu). We had a chance to simply be in the company of remarkable souls and praise God together.

Five musicians, ten listeners, and a lot of spirit and joy to be shared by all — God is all glorious indeed! And God loves when we all associate:

Let all associate, therefore, in this great human garden
even as flowers grow and blend together side by side.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 68)

Love ye all religions and all races with a love that is true and sincere
and show that love through deeds.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 69)

The Tongue of Grandeur hath,however, in the day of His manifestation proclaimed:
“It is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the world.”
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 95)

The first time I had any intellectual curiosity about religion was when I came across an old book my grandfather had. Literally translated as  “Biblical Events”, I believe it must have been “The Bible as History” by Werner Keller. This was during the days of “mature socialism” in Bulgaria when religion was viewed, thanks to Karl Marx, as opium for the masses, and very few self-respecting and educated young people would consider it beyond the traditional egg painting for Easter or the private Christmas Eve dinner with the family. Thus as intrigued as I was by the idea of a book describing archeological discoveries proving the validity of Biblical events, I was just not brave enough to do more than browsing the maps of the book and reading few paragraphs here and there. This book, however, planted in my mind the idea that Jesus was indeed a real person, who must have been special enough to have people talk about Him some 2000 years later.

One of the most memorable experiences from my 2007 pilgrimage to the Holy Day was from the first day, when our guide pointed to a grove of cyprus trees which indicated the exact place Baha’u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha’i Faith, was standing while instructing His son and appointed Center of His Covenant, Abdu’l-Baha,  on where to build the Shrine of the Bab, His Predecessor. The historical significance hit me so powerfully that right there and then I started sobbing uncontrollably.

Yesterday, I had the honor of participating in a trip which was in a way a pilgrimage. A group of almost 50 people toured in a bus, guided by a very knowledgeable and dedicated individual, Lex Musta, who is writing a book called “DC Talks”, dedicated to the three visits Washington, DC, Abdu’l-Baha had in 1912. The highlight of the tour was visiting the house which used to be the Persian Legation at 1832 16th Street NW. The current owners of the house called themselves its stewards, and were so generous with us, the guests, that treated us all with luncheon and let us stroll around the house while we all reflected on its historical significance — the profound lesson that Abdu’l-Baha gave on April 23, 1912 at that same house.

Abdu’l-Baha had been invited to a Persian dinner, along with 18 other attendees very prominent in the social and political life of Washington, among which were Admiral Robert Peary, who claimed to be the first person (of European decent) to reach the North Pole, and Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. Enlightened as the Baha’is at the time might have been, they were not above the social norms of the day. ‘Abdu’l-Baha, on the way back from His talk at Howard University had come along with Mr. Louis Gregory, an African American lawyer and fervant believer of the Baha’i Faith who years later would be posthumously appointed as Hand of the Cause of God, a title of spiritual significance in this Faith which has no clergy. As ‘Abdu’l-Baha entered the house, the hosts turned the black man away. ‘Abdu’l-Baha, clearly displeased upon finding out about this, sent for Mr. Gregory to be invited back immediately and having Himself rearranged the chairs, put this noble soul who happened to be in a dark-skinned body at his right side, at the seat of honor, practically demonstrating that:

A man’s heart may be pure and white though his outer skin be black; or his heart be dark and sinful though his racial color is white. The character and purity of the heart is of all importance. The heart illumined by the light of God is nearest and dearest to God, and inasmuch as God has endowed man with such favor that he is called the image of God, this is truly a supreme perfection of attainment, a divine station which is not to be sacrificed by the mere accident of color.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 70)

Stories like this are precious reminders of how close to history we are. After visiting this house we went to Howard University to commemorate the 97th anniversary of Abdu’l-Baha’s talk there. I was pleasantly surprised by how truly integrated the program was. For some reason, my memories of past years were that Howard University was a kind host to allow the Baha’i community to have such an event at Rankin Chappel but my impression was of a program dominated by the Baha’is themselves. Last night was different. It was called “Colors of Worship” and the program was a very inspiring mix of participation from Baha’i artists and students from the Howard University Divinity School. The MC, the young but talented Reverent Joseph Smith, rocked the house with his beautiful voice making us all sing a rousing song called “God is my friend”.  New Creation performed two songs, “Let All Associate” and “Conversation” reminiscing a talk between Lua Getsinger and Abdu’l-Baha. The most touching moment for me was a poem by Farinaz Firouzi, written few hours before the occasion which captured the historical moment and the promise of the future brilliantly:

The American continent gives signs and evidences of very great advancement; its future is even more promising, for its influence and illumination are far-reaching, and it will lead all nations spiritually.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 104)

And here goes Farinaz’s poem:

I saw a man here once
On this hilltop
His white hair trailed on his shoulders
His gait was straight
His eyes were sharp
Yet endearing
He looked at you and you knew there was no fearing anything for you were home
And this man,
This man pointed up to the sky that day
To the bright white clouds and to the deep black soil
And said: “Come together”
With a gentle, clear voice
No mistaking
In Whose presence we were in
A voice that drew all in
All textures and colors
All fragrances like roses we were many colors in this garden
That voice, those eyes, that face drew all in
As though to an embrace as wide as heaven

And the oceans of knowledge- till then full of the tears angels had shed for his imprisonment-
Broke the dams of ignorance and prejudice
And guided by those loving hands
Decades bound by prison chains
Unbolted doors that racism had shut on American hearts
And this man,
This Persian with flowing robes
From the East
Who spoke of the need for unity for peace
Who praised the black as the all-penetrating pupil of humanity’s eye
in an atmosphere dead set against mixing black with white I
would have been dumbfounded
But in a land this dry
He… He
Made it rain
Made those soft white clouds and that deep black soil
Collide in a monsoon

And now, almost a century later, those seeds of patience and trust
bloom
In flowers of color
As we work together under one banner
Surrounded by unbelieving eyes
Who can only see the outer skin
We know that if one man
A prisoner weak from age and suffering
Who crossed over a tear-filled ocean
Could stand in this spot
And make the rain of truth to flow
Into closed hearts
We know
that our success was planted here
As sure as those potent seeds by His own hands
We know that we will come together
Before the eyes that see our true colors
The content of our characters
The beauty of our loving hearts
And the power of change and growth that our diversity brings
To overcome division and heal centuries of pain
We know because this man had made it rain.

Let all associate, therefore, in this great human garden
even as flowers grow and blend together side by side.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 68)

Dear friends!

What nurtures your soul? What makes your heart tender? Prayer, music, fellowship, food cooked with love, tea poured in peace, cake shared with smile? Whatever the answer might be, sharing prayers with friends gets us all closer to the Creator and recharges us for the week ahead.

I invite you and your loves ones to a very special interfaith Prayer Station this Monday evening, April 6th, at 7 pm. Two wonderful bands, New Creation and TaliaSafa from Gainesville, FL will come to share their beautiful music at my humble apartment. Here is some information about the musicians:

Since the early 1990’s, New Creation has tantalized its audiences with its own unique blend of classical, folk, country, rock, gospel, funk and children’s songs.

In 2003, they finally recorded their most requested and beloved song, “Let All Associate”, written in one inspired afternoon by band members Brenda Cooper Derry, Michael Derry, and Talia Johnson.

While New Creation has been working to record a full album of its music, a few of its members, Talia Johnson and Safa Paulson, joined forces with, engineer, producer, and musician, Jon Rezin and released some of their own music on an album called “Attract the Hearts”, under the name TaliaSafa in 2007. Their music also draws from a number of musical styles, but leans toward a more meditative feel, with lyrics coming solely from the Bahá’í Writings.

The other band members mentioned are also joined by bassist, Caeli Lohr, another dedicated and multi-talented musician, who plays a number of instruments and composes his own “Intelligent Dance Music”, one of which is featured on the Attract the Hearts album.

Though New Creation and TaliaSafa have recorded their music under different names, the message and purpose is the same: to proclaim Bahá’u'lláh’s unifying message of oneness of humanity, oneness of God, and oneness of religion, and to uplift hearts through music.

Please join me on Monday at 7 pm for some light refreshments after which the house concert will start. If you can, please let me know if you plan on coming so I can plan the food and drinks but even if you can’t, do come. We’ll also say prayers for anyone in need, so if you can’t join us but would like to request prayers please post a comment or send me a message at mitko AT befriendedstranger DOT com.

While God is unknowable and beyond our reach, seeing the beauty of His creation is crucial. For how can we claim to love God, if we do not love His creation? But what about imperfections? A flawed human being as I am, I had to embrace my own imperfections as the current state of my reality, in order to see the potentiality for beauty within me so that, with God’s help, I could start seeing such potentiality for beauty in others. Once I was able to see the beauty of God’s creation in everyone, I felt inspired to start treating them with the dignity they — all of God’s creation — deserve which in turn resulted in starting to treat myself with the humble dignity I always wished to be treated with. But it all started with a loving yet honest look at myself:

13. O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.
(Baha’u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words)

The first Taraz and the first effulgence which hath dawned from the horizon of the Mother Book is that man should know his own self and recognize that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement, wealth or poverty.
(Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 34)

Nothing is more fruitful for man than the knowledge of his own shortcomings. The Blessed Perfection says, “I wonder at the man who does not find his own imperfections.”
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 244)

Tonight’s study circle produced a fascinating discussion on the sacrifice a germinated seed needs to make so that through giving up the only life it has known, it could get a chance at fulfilling the purpose of its life and at reaching its potential for fruition. One might say, well the seed has no choice but to grow. Yet not every seed gets germinated. A seed that has fallen on a dry asphalt would probably not germinate while another one placed in a fertile ground might, based upon the conditions of rain and sunlight it requires, not only germinate but grow into a fruit-giving tree. So, it is all about potential and its fulfillment. None of us chooses the circumstances of the starting point of our lives. But as we grow, we are more and more able to make choices and through discerning the right ones, make ourselves potentially more deserving of being granted the chance to fulfill our potential. It all depends on God’s Will, of course, yet we do play our part in this Covenant through the choices we make — of choosing to sacrifice something that is of lower nature for something of higher nature, or not.

Every man trained through the teachings of God and illumined by the light of His guidance, who becomes a believer in God and His signs and is enkindled with the fire of the love of God, sacrifices the imperfections of nature for the sake of divine perfections.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 452)

Having accepted that we all have potential for both imperfection and perfection, and having realized we are the choices we make, then living a real life becomes a matter of clear vision, attitude and faith. For if we choose to see the world through divine eyes, the way the Creator would look at His creation, yet humbly see ourselves as part of that Creation, we can start exhibiting divine qualities, imperfect as we are, failing as we might, never getting discouraged, never giving up.

So, can you see perfection in imperfection? God can. And I am pretty sure He wants to teach us how to do that too. That is why He’s been sending us Divine Educators in a progressive revelation.