Befriended Stranger

When a year ago I was greeting 2008, I made three wishes none of which came true. We sometimes wish for things that might not be good for us or things whose time might not have arrived yet. Either way, I trust that God provides what is right for us but it takes faith and certitude to discern and accept it. The past year has been a very big test in detachment for me. Thankfully, despite all the things I lost (or maybe because of them), I’ve been gaining a new sense of self rooted in the belief that I was created noble and was given a gift that no one can take away from me:

For every one of you his paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which no other may infringe and none usurp from him. Such a thing — and to this the Almighty is My witness — is the love of God, could ye but perceive it.
(Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 261)

I wish for all of you noble souls who read my musings, a healthy and happy 2009 — a new year filled with the love of God!

Interesting things happen when one allows the mind to be peaceful and the heart centered on the love of God. For the first time in many years I wrote a song. The melody came to me as I was about the enter the shower, giving me inspiration for more shower singing. I opened a book of daily readings from the Baha’i Writings and voila, I had the words for the song:

O My servants! Be as resigned and submissive as the earth, that from the soil of your being there may blossom the fragrant, the holy and multicolored hyacinths of My knowledge.

If the song sees the light of day, it will be probably called “Multicolored Hyacinths”. In the mean time, enjoy the full quotation from the Blessed Beauty:

CLII. Thine eye is My trust, suffer not the dust of vain desires to becloud its luster. Thine ear is a sign of My bounty, let not the tumult of unseemly motives turn it away from My Word that encompasseth all creation. Thine heart is My treasury, allow not the treacherous hand of self to rob thee of the pearls which I have treasured therein. Thine hand is a symbol of My loving-kindness, hinder it not from holding fast unto My guarded and hidden Tablets…. Unasked, I have showered upon thee My grace. Unpetitioned, I have fulfilled thy wish. In spite of thy undeserving, I have singled thee out for My richest, My incalculable favors…. O My servants! Be as resigned and submissive as the earth, that from the soil of your being there may blossom the fragrant, the holy and multicolored hyacinths of My knowledge. Be ablaze as the fire, that ye may burn away the veils of heedlessness and set aglow, through the quickening energies of the love of God, the chilled and wayward heart. Be light and untrammeled as the breeze, that ye may obtain admittance into the precincts of My court, My inviolable Sanctuary.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 321)

It was less than a week ago when I heard one of the speakers at the Atlanta conference, Mr. Ken Bowers of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the U.S., talk about the need for stay focused lest we risk getting sickened by the fast changing scene around us all, not unlike when driving at high speed it is wiser to keep looking ahead rather than to the side. Having long suffered from motion sickness, I can relate to the wisdom of this advise.

Another of the speakers called to mind a quotation by Baha’u'llah exhorting us to not be discouraged by whatever might have happened in the past but to stay the course. Here is this quote, a source of comfort and inspiration:

Whatever hath befallen you, hath been for the sake of God. This is the truth, and in this there is no doubt. You should, therefore, leave all your affairs in His Hands, place your trust in Him, and rely upon Him. He will assuredly not forsake you. In this, likewise, there is no doubt. No father will surrender his sons to devouring beasts; no shepherd will leave his flock to ravening wolves. He will most certainly do his utmost to protect his own.

If, however, for a few days, in compliance with God’s all- encompassing wisdom, outward affairs should run their course contrary to one’s cherished desire, this is of no consequence and should not matter. Our intent is that all the friends should fix their gaze on the Supreme Horizon, and cling to that which hath been revealed in the Tablets. They should strictly avoid sedition, and refrain from treading the path of dissension and strife. They should champion their one true God, exalted be He, through the hosts of forbearance, of submission, of an upright character, of goodly deeds, and of the choicest and most refined words.

(Baha’u'llah, Fire and Light, p. 10)

Focusing on the vision, the horizon, and not getting distracted by the insignificant details of life or whatever challenges might take place along the road reminds me of another inspiring quote, also by Baha’u'llah:

The essence of true safety is to observe silence, to look at the end of things and to renounce the world.
(Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 156)

Wishing all a safe ride!

Have you been on a road never traveled before? Where you have to trust the directions or you risk getting overwhelmed by the fear of the unknown and turning back too soon, before reaching the goal. Now imagine that 4000 others are on the same road. Or to be more precise, imagine that 6 million others are heading in the same direction, following paths as unique as each one of us is.

That to me was the essence of the Regional Baha’i Conference I attended last weekend, in Atlanta, Georgia; one of 41 announced in a fashion illustrating the world embracing vision of the Baha’i Faith, for in the letter of the Universal House of Justice calling for these conferences, the 41 host cities were listed with no country indicated. We do live in one world, after all, and if you don’t know where Yaounde or Antofagasta is, too bad; go check your friendly Google

There was an exciting anticipation in preparing for the trip to the conference. Nobody knew exactly what it was going to be, although we all sensed it would be important. There was a sense of gratitude in being able to trust the wisdom of this call by the governing institution of the worldwide Baha’i community to gather together and celebrate the achievements in a plan which as contemporary and ambitious as it is, is still a humble response to the Tablets of the Divine Plan which Abdu’l-Baha, the Son of the Prophet-Founder of the Baha’i Faith, revealed some 90 years ago to exhort the American Baha’is to share with their compatriots and the whole world the healing message of Baha’u'llah.

Going by bus to Atlanta was an adventure on its own. 50 people intoxicated by the spirit of love (with no alcohol involved, thank you very much) shared stories and songs in anticipation of a family reunion with 4000 others from the Southeastern States and the Bahamas. The few hours of sleep were of no consequence; we were too elated to notice.

The vision of us all arriving at the Georgia World Convention Center was that of rivers of people merging into an ocean of love. Then the African drums started the call to togetherness.

That one of the two counselors delegated by the Universal House of Justice to speak and inspire us, American Baha’is, was from Kenya was, personally to me, very poignant and appropriate for a global religion in learning mode whose followers are doing their best to trust the call to unity — we all learn from each other.

We all studied two messages from the Universal House of Justice, some of the whose inspiring words follow:

Undeflected by the turmoil and distractions of the world around you, direct your energies to the task at hand with expanded vision and renewed consecration.  New achievements invariably bring new challenges.  Every steadfast believer is called to a faith and determination, a commitment to unity and sacrifice that will lift the Cause to a new stage in its development.  May all find a part to play.  May all appreciate the contribution of others.  May all pour forth time and resources to support the advancement of your clusters, to foster the capacity of your co-workers, and to quicken the spirit of love and devotion that propels you forward.
~ The Universal House of Justice, 6 December 2008

We then discussed how to practically help communities throughout the Southeast achieve a sustainable growth in activities that nurture the spirituality of every human being by aligning us all to the noble goal of our Creator to build an ever advancing human civilization. And we were encouraged to not be discouraged if along this road we occasionally fail:

If, however, for a few days, in compliance with God’s all-encompassing wisdom, outward affairs should run their course contrary to one’s cherished desire, this is of no consequence and should not matter.
(Baha’u'llah, Fire and Light, p. 10)

Wouldn’t you want to join us on the road never traveled?

When I was in the 7th grade, I dreamed of being a journalist and covering major events for the Bulgarian National TV. I would follow on a map the war between Iran and Iraq and “cover” it, in a brief summary, for my classmates. The way I perceived the world then, very much shaped by what I saw on TV and in my classroom, was about the nonsense of wars and the desire for peace. I could not have imagined then being part of the answer to humanity’s desperate call for peace.

For reasons that are of no consequence today, that same year I decided to switch my field of study from English language to… mathematics and computers. That was of course the end of my journalistic pursuits.

Today something I had always thought to be cool but impossible became a reality with practically no effort and a little help from Facebook. Last night I was asked for permission to use in an article by the Baha’i News Service the photos I had taken during the Atlanta Baha’i Conference. I gladly provided the high resolution version of the photos and the news editors chose to use eight of them for the article!

So, there you have it: I helped to cover a major historic event (and that conference was exactly that) for a major news organization (Baha’i News Service)!

A dream has come true — and all simply because I was obedient to the Universal House of Justice!

God is kind and glorious and His confirmations are pouring in. Thank you, Baha’u'llah, and thank you, dear Baha’i brothers and sisters!

How can you even attempt to describe what only the heart and soul can experience as a flood of gratitude and all-embracing love and elation?

It is too late now to write in detail but I am back from the Atlanta Baha’i Conference. We traveled by bus so we came back home at 5 am. I had to go to work and prepare after work for the Prayer Station devotional gathering (the usual salad, banitsa, banana bread and to spice things up in the cold winter night, a hot compote made of dried fruits). It all worked out fine. Nancy brought along Mariama and her neighbor, Julia, who so loved the quotations from Abdu’l-Baha’s “Paris Talks” that I gave her a copy of the book to read, after of course, going with her through the visual (Anna’s) presentation on the Baha’i Faith.

The fire of love is spreading and that was the theme of the devotional gathering. But that fire was sparked by being among 4000 other Baha’is in Atlanta to study the message of the Universal House of Justice calling us each to play our role in the establishment of world unity:

Undeflected by the turmoil and distractions of the world around you, direct your energies to the task at hand with expanded vision and renewed consecration. New achievements invariably bring new challenges. Every steadfast believer is called to a faith and determination, a commitment to unity and sacrifice that will lift the Cause to a new stage in its development. May all find a part to play.

And that fire of love was nurtured by witnessing the most diverse concert one could imagine: Ali Youssefi and his sister, Nasim, and friends, the Baha’i Youth choir which literary rocked the house, New Creation with Talia Johnson, One Human Family choir with Tangela Stanley, Devon Gundry and friends, and last but not least a joint choir with David Guillory and the youngest guitar player (see the photo) singing a joyful reggae “We are one, under the sun”.

Spread the fire! Baha’u'llah has come to unite humanity!

I have seldom acknowledged the inspiration I get from reading the blogs of other souls. In reality, I am grateful for so many people sharing their insights and encouragement through blogging.

Last night I reflected on a post by Laura who is at that singular crossroad of life, deciding to become a Baha’i or not. I am, of course, past that question although my challenge is trying my best at being a Baha’i. But there is so much in common between all of us, people who have certitude and people who are only beginning on the path of search.

So I was reflecting on the question of re-creation. Not recreation as in recreational activities although these, when you think of it, have the same purpose of renewing our true self; re-creation as what we observe when a root from a dying plant is replanted and then blossoms in all its glorious beauty (I got that from a talk this morning with a colleague, about office plants).

Baha’u'llah in a Tablet recalling the Festival of Ridvan, praises the re-creation of the whole creation:

This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the splendors of the Light that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful. Verily, We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of Our irresistible and all-subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into being a new creation, as a token of Our grace unto men. I am, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 27)

In another tablet He states:

Thus have We created the whole earth anew in this day, yet most of the people have failed to perceive it.
(Baha’u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 24)

As I opened my prayer book this morning, I was guided to a long and profound prayer for service. Although it is worth reflecting on each single paragraph of this prayer, I am quoting here the one that deals with recreation because it addresses exactly the question of when recreation happens — in every single moment of my life, as long as I cleave to the cord of His grace:

Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what will set me, at all times, towards Thee, and enable me to cleave continually to the cord of Thy grace, and to proclaim Thy name, and to look for whatsoever may flow down from Thy pen.  I am poor and desolate, O my Lord, and Thou art the All-Possessing, the Most High.  Have pity, then, upon me through the wonders of Thy mercy, and send down upon me, every moment of my life, the things wherewith Thou hast recreated the hearts of all Thy creatures who have recognized Thy unity, and of all Thy people who are wholly devoted to Thee.

God is all glorious! Have a blessed day!

Purify, O my God, the hearts of Thy creatures with the power of Thy sovereignty and might, that Thy words may sink deep into them.
(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 197)

I beseech Thee by Thy Lastness which is the same as Thy Firstness, and by Thy Revelation which is identical with Thy Concealment, to grant that they who are dear to Thee, and their children, and their kindred, may become the revealers of Thy purity amidst Thy creatures, and the manifestations of Thy sanctity amongst Thy servants.
(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 228)

Last night I hosted the commemoration of the Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha. Since getting people to come at 1am after Thanksgiving is probably unrealistic, I decided to host a Baha’i movie marathon.

We started by watching a gem I had been totally unaware of, a one man performance called “The Noble Thief”. This is a very touching story of spiritual transformation; a wonderful showcase of the convincing power of the arts. Since for the movie marathon Alissa let me use her video tape of “The Noble Thief”, I ordered my own DVD copy of the performance. I highly recommend it! I can’t wait to show it to the next seekers whose presence will blessed my home.

All I need to know about any place is whether there are people who have not yet heard of Baha’u'llah!

Next was the full length documentary “The Promise of All Ages”. it has a totally different mood than “The Noble Thief” — also professionally made but in the fashion of a History Channel program. A very informative and respectful portrait of the life of Baha’u'llah and the diversity of the community of His followers.

Since we still had some time until the start of the devotional program, we also watched “Pilgrimage: A Sacred Experience”,  a DVD which beautifully illustrates what happens during a Baha’i pilgrimage to the Holy Land, as expressed through visually-stunning vistas and the response of the pilgrims to being at the Most Holy Spot on Earth. Very appropriate for the closing of a Thanksgiving night, showing a different kind of pilgrims, and a different kind of pilgrimage.

Even though a few of the group of seven had fallen asleep, everybody was fully awake for the devotional program which we started with “Let All Associate” by New Creation:

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. 68)

Around that time the clock showed 1 am, so a beautiful Arabic prayer by Shoghi Effendi was chanted by Ramin, followed by a selection of readings from the The Book of the Covenant of Baha’u'llah, the Covenant of Abdu’l-Baha and several of His tables, including His farewell talk given at the time of His departure from the United States:

These are the days of my farewell to you… I must, therefore, give you my instructions and exhortations today, and these are none other than the teachings of Bahá’u'lláh.

You must manifest complete love and affection toward all mankind. Do not exalt yourselves above others, but consider all as your equals, recognizing them as the servants of one God. Know that God is compassionate toward all; therefore, love all from the depths of your hearts, prefer all religionists before yourselves, be filled with love for every race, and be kind toward the people of all nationalities. Never speak disparagingly of others, but praise without distinction. Pollute not your tongues by speaking evil of another. Recognize your enemies as friends, and consider those who wish you evil as the wishers of good. You must not see evil as evil and then compromise with your opinion, for to treat in a smooth, kindly way one whom you consider evil or an enemy is hypocrisy, and this is not worthy or allowable. You must consider your enemies as your friends, look upon your evil-wishers as your well-wishers and treat them accordingly. Act in such a way that your heart may be free from hatred. Let not your heart be offended with anyone. If some one commits an error and wrong toward you, you must instantly forgive him. Do not complain of others. Refrain from reprimanding them, and if you wish to give admonition or advice, let it be offered in such a way that it will not burden the bearer. Turn all your thoughts toward bringing joy to hearts. Beware! Beware! lest ye offend any heart. Assist the world of humanity as much as possible. Be the source of consolation to every sad one, assist every weak one, be helpful to every indigent one, care for every sick one, be the cause of glorification to every lowly one, and shelter those who are overshadowed by fear.

In brief, let each one of you be as a lamp shining forth with the light of the virtues of the world of humanity. Be trustworthy, sincere, affectionate and replete with chastity. Be illumined, be spiritual, be divine, be glorious, be quickened of God, be a Bahá’í.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 452)

We concluded with a reading of Abdu’l-Baha’s Visitation Tablet (Whoso recitheth this prayer with lowliness and fervor will bring gladness and joy to the heart of this Servant; it will be even as meeting Him face to face) and a marvelous recording of the angelic vocal trio SKY (Shirin, Karen, Yasmin) set to these words of Abdu’l-Baha:

Love is the light that guideth in darkness, the living link that uniteth God with man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 27)

SKY’s CD aptly named “A Cycle of Divine Love Songs” deserves a full review. Let me for now just briefly state that it is among the most beautiful Baha’i music I have ever heard! Buy it and enjoy it!

Counselor Rebequa Murphy was an outstanding teacher — of the Baha’i Faith, of human dignity and honor, of loving hearts. She had a sweet voice, a very pleasant intonation that reflected the warmth of her heart. You can hear her encourage the Baha’i youth (and every other Baha’i) to share the healing message of Baha’u'llah; If you don’t have an hour to listen to the full talk, seize your chance and listen to the last 10 minutes of it — you will be glad you did! She passed away to the Kingdom of Eternal Glory yesterday but her gentle lessons shall forever stay with us.

Rebequa Murphy was known for her public talks but 12 years ago I was lucky to be given a very silent, very personal lesson by her. I think the story of that lesson is worth remembering… Here is how I met Becky Murphy:

It was the spring of 1996 and I was a graduate student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. I was also in the midst of my second investigation of the Baha’i Faith which resulted in my actual signing a Baha’i registration card (my first declaration had happened during a phone call from Bulgaria to Ukraine in 1990 but had not involved signing a card as there were no such cards then). I had become a regular attendant at the firesides hosted by Debbie and Bob Rosenfeld, who had told me that after declaring my Faith the main thing was to study the Covenant (I am writing this on the Day of the Covenant).

One Sunday morning I had arrived early and while waiting for the fireside to start I made myself comfortable and sat next to a very unassuming lady with skin darker than mine and curly hair, humbly dressed and sitting peacefully.

If this blog were a video, here it would go into slow motion in order to be able to capture my thought process…

Since at that time I was at that turning point in life where the Baha’i teachings from an abstraction were becoming a guidance for living, I had decided to start applying them. Being somewhat aware that to overcome racism I needed to practice fellowship with people of other races, I approached that lady thinking to myself that I should be kind to her… The reason for that kindness was, of course, because I was now enlightened, and she seemed to be African-American. I am sharing my thoughts here because moments later I realized how prejudiced they had been; there was a certain arrogance in my desire to be kind to a strange lady because she happened to be of African decent…

I approached the lady and we started talking. I am not sure what my expectations must have been but they were clearly not high. I very well remember how within the first sentences of our conversation I was amazed and humbled by that lady’s poise and natural dignity. And I was very embarrassed of having realized my prejudice but since the embrace of her love was so inviting, there was no time for self-beating. Seize your chance seems to have been the theme of Rebequa Murphy’s life. For Rebequa Murphy was the name of the lady sitting next to me.

She asked me where I was from and where I studied, and soon after I had told her about my studies in the former Soviet Union, she told me about her childhood as the daughter of the Ethiopian ambassador to the Soviet Union and about her adventures in the Kremlin at the time of Khrushchev. The Soviet leader had held young Rebequa in his arms during a certain state dinner and had told her that if she was ever in trouble she could always ask him for help.  She had taken Khrushchev’s advice to heart and later on when her own mother had scolded her about something, Becky rushed to the Kremlin where she insisted to the Red Army guards that they should let her in to talk to Krushchev because that is what he had told her to do! She must have been invincible from early childhood on.

Becky spoke to me in fluent Russian that day but now that I look back on that event, I know she must have spoken to me in the language of the heart. I will remember that day forever. That was the day, when the former Baha’i representative to the United Nations (for that is who the unassuming lady sitting next to me was) taught me silently how to recognize and overcome at least two of my major prejudices.

That day Becky Murphy taught me a lesson in spiritual transformation — silently, lovingly and effectively. And for that I shall be forever grateful to her. Please pray for the progress of her radiant soul:

O Thou Kind Lord!  This dearly cherished maidservant was attracted to Thee, and through reflection and discernment longed to attain Thy presence and enter Thy realms.  With tearful eyes she fixed her gaze on the Kingdom of Mysteries.  Many a night she spent in deep communion with Thee, and many a day she lived in intimate remembrance of Thee.  At every morn she was mindful of Thee, and at every eve she centered her thoughts upon Thee.  Like unto a singing nightengale she chanted Thy sacred verses, and like unto a mirror she sought to reflect Thy light.

O Thou Forgiver of sins!  Open Thou the way for this awakened soul to enter Thy Kingdom, and enable this bird, trained by Thy hand, to soar in the eternal rose garden.  She is afire with longing to draw nigh unto Thee; enable her to attain Thy presence.  She is distraught and distressed in separation from Thee; cause her to be admitted into Thy Heavenly Mansion.

O Lord!  We are sinners, but Thou art the Forgiver.  We are submerged in the ocean of shortcomings, but Thou art the Pardoner; the Kind.  Forgive our sins and bless us with Thine abundant grace.  Grant us the privilege of beholding Thy Countenance, and give us the chalice of joy and bliss.  We are captives of our own transgressions, and Thou art the King of bountiful favors.  We are drowned in a sea of iniquities, and Thou art the Lord of infinite mercy.  Thou art the Giver, the Glorious, the Eternal, the Bounteous; and Thou art the All-Gracious, the All-Merciful, the Omnipotent, He Who is the Bestower of gifts and the Forgiver of sins.  Verily, Thou art He to Whom we turn for the remission of our failings, He Who is the Lord of Hosts.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá