A few weeks ago, a friend posted on Facebook a short message which lead me to the FotoWeekDC exhibition — a remarkable display of journalistic photography — which was followed by an equally fascinating presentation by PechaKucha presentation. Among the ten presenters two particularly intrigued me because of their attempt to build bridges among neighbors and enable community building on a very organic, local level. One of them, Spacious, particularly inspired me with its idea of inspiring and enabling unusual friendship, very much like the idea of the befriended stranger.

To make the long story short, I am going to try to invite my neighbors to the house concert of classical music which I will host on Friday. Let’s see what happens!

On my left side was a young mother of three girls who was curious about the book I was reading, “Between Two Worlds” by Roxana Saberi. We ended up talking about how we cannot judge people by their appearance, about Bulgaria and the Baha’i Faith of which she had never heard before.

On my right side was a very intelligent and attractive recent college graduate who was named by her mother after an opera character, had majored in economics and philosophy, was peacefully reading Hemingway and had beautiful eyes and brows reminding me of Brooke Shields.

As I was leaving the airplane, and earlier as I was looking at the audience during the concert at the Baha’i House of Worship, I marveled at the beauty of the strangers in front of me.  It only takes a peaceful heart and an open mind to realize how beautiful the world is, and the people who cross our path. And that there are no strangers, only potential friends:

Wherefore, O ye beloved of the Lord, bestir yourselves, do all in your power to be as one, to live in peace, each with the others: for ye are all the drops from but one ocean, the foliage of one tree, the pearls from a single shell, the flowers and sweet herbs from the same one garden. And achieving that, strive ye to unite the hearts of those who follow other faiths.

For one another must ye give up even life itself. To every human being must ye be infinitely kind. Call none a stranger; think none to be your foe. Be ye as if all men were your close kin and honoured friends. Walk ye in such wise that this fleeting world will change into a splendour and this dismal heap of dust become a palace of delights. Such is the counsel of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, this hapless servant.

(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 279)

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 of 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, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 285)

“I noticed your  email address name — do you have a blog with this name “befriended stranger”? I’ve seen this before.”

So, befriended strangers,welcome back

Tonight the Prayer Station was selfishly tuned to the theme of the Saints because it is my name’s day, but Wil, the kind gentleman who has been attending my devotional gathering every other week, asked me if the reason was the approaching All Saints’ Day. We ended up talking about what sainthood means and Wil was surprised to discover that the Apostles were indeed called Saints in the Bible. Funny how traditions become such ingrained habits that we tend to not even notice their meaning — Wil grew up the son of a Lutheran priest and is currently alternating this Christian denomination with Universalist Unitarian church but was first introduced to the Baha’i Faith in 1968.

We talked about the prospective of one day being in the company of the soul of saints in the next world:

Grant, then, O my God, that Thy servant may consort with Thy chosen ones, Thy saints and Thy Messengers in heavenly places that the pen cannot tell nor the tongue recount.
(Baha’u'llah, Baha’i Prayers, p. 42)

But we also reflected that as we turn to God, even in this world we can join the saints:

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.
(Christianity, King James Bible, Ephesians, 2:19)

I shared with Wil about the suffering of Baha’u'llah and that of His followers even today in Iran, then we listened to MANA‘s song “They Suffered”:

…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)

Then we shared prayers and Wil read a couple of Baha’i prayers, commenting how beautiful they were…

Prayers as guiding lights; Saints as lamps of God.

Lady: Is this one?
Me: Is this one what?
Lady: One shot?
Me: ? (I look puzzled as we both enter the elevator)
Lady: One shot of vodka or gin?
Me: No, it is just water (thinking to myself, is water unrecognizable anymore unless in a branded bottle?). I am a Baha’i and Baha’is don’t drink alcohol…
Lady: You are a what?
Me: I am a Baha’i, a member of the Baha’i Faith…
Lady: What is that?
Me: The Baha’i Faith is an independent world religion aiming to unite all, considering that we are all one human family belonging to one country, the world (thinking to myself, where did my Ruhi 6 definition go?)
Lady: Oh, ok. At my company everybody drinks so I was wondering if you were getting tight early.
Me: No, I am not. Have a blessed day…

As to thyself, whenever thou art enraptured by the vitalizing breaths of the revealed verses and art carried away by the pure, life-giving water proffered by the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the sovereign Ruler of the Day of Resurrection, lift up thy voice and say:

O my God! O my God! I yield Thee thanks that Thou hast directed me towards Thyself, hast guided me unto Thy horizon, hast clearly set forth for me Thy Path, hast revealed to me Thy testimony and enabled me to set my face towards Thee, while most of the doctors and divines among Thy servants together with such as follow them have, without the least proof or evidence from Thee, turned away from Thee. Blessing be unto Thee, O Lord of Names, and glory be unto Thee, O Creator of the heavens, inasmuch as Thou hast, through the power of Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, given me to drink of Thy sealed wine, hast caused me to draw nigh unto Thee and hast enabled  me to recognize the Dayspring of Thine utterance, the Manifestation of Thy signs, the Fountainhead of Thy laws and commandments and the Source of Thy wisdom and bestowals. Blessed is the land that hath been ennobled by Thy footsteps, wherein the throne of Thy sovereignty is established and the fragrance of Thy raiment is diffused. By Thy glory and majesty, by Thy might and power, I desire not my sight save to behold Thy beauty, nor my hearing save to hearken to Thy call and Thy verses.
(Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, p. 110)

One of the main organizers, Collis Ta’eed, says the concept of Blog Action Day fits well with his Baha’i beliefs and his understanding of Baha’i teachings about social action.

“Our idea is to give bloggers a platform and enable them to take a day out of their schedule to do something socially positive,” said Mr. Ta’eed, an Australian who works internationally as a professional Web designer.

Similar is the topic of Aaron Emmel’s book “Taking Action in a Changing World” which he will discuss at a fireside this Friday night in Arlington. A quick check with Ocean confirms that prayer and action very much can go hand in hand:

‘Should Prayer take the form of action?’

‘Abdu’l-Bahá. — ‘Yes: In the Bahá’í Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are (counted as) worship. The man who makes a piece of notepaper to the best of his ability, conscientiously, concentrating all his forces on perfecting it, is giving praise to God. Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his  heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer. A physician ministering to the sick, gently, tenderly, free from prejudice and believing in the solidarity of the human race, he is giving praise’.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 176)

Monday’s Prayer Station once again reminded me how much the question of the meaning of life is on people’s minds.

I was reflecting last night on the value of journaling one’s thoughts. There is a qualitative difference between when I journal my own thoughts and when I journal my reflections on inspired thoughts and Holy Writings. Life is so much easier when there is a guiding light to follow. I am so blessed to have this light in the Baha’i Faith.

This morning Gmail randomly selected a quote for me:

Robert Byrne: The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

Baha’i Readings sent me a message too:

The most important thing is to polish the mirrors of hearts in order that they may become illumined and receptive of the divine light. One heart may possess the capacity of the polished mirror; another be covered and obscured by the dust and dross of this world. Although the same Sun is shining upon both, in the mirror which is polished, pure and sanctified you may behold the Sun in all its fullness, glory and power revealing its majesty and effulgence, but in the mirror which is rusted and obscured there is no capacity for reflection although so far as the Sun itself is concerned it is shining thereon and is neither lessened nor deprived. Therefore our duty lies in seeking to polish the mirrors of our hearts in order that we shall become reflectors of that light and recipients of the divine bounties which may be fully revealed through them.

‘Abdu’l-Baha

Staying out of trouble, making sure not to do the wrong things, is so much less than a life of inspired service.

Being not the center of the universe but of service to others is so much more fulfilling than consuming whatever others might provide or might be manipulated out of.

Becoming a father was one (or rather two) of those pivotal moments in my life that very dramatically showed me that the meaning of life is in serving God and His creation. I am happy for Phillipe for experiencing this joy and blessing as well!

Blessings to you all!

Last night I started reading a fabulous book, “Big Mind / Big Heart“, which talks about the disowned voices we have hidden deep in our subconscious because they talk of things we are not proud of — I sure have a lot of those voices. The ability to embrace them is a key to giving them voice in a healthy way. But the book talks also about other voices of which we might not be aware — the voices that speak of something bigger than we limit ourselves to be.

This morning I woke up from a series of dreams which spoke to me of being embraced in the love and grace of God; which gave examples of strength and courage — an austrian swimmer champion in the Olympics who had only one arm (?!), and which sent me a message that a friend who wants and wills to help me has arrived in Arlington. I can’t shake the feeling of joy that sense of being immersed in God’s mercy!

So, now I am getting ready to go back to the Arlington County Fair where I went last night to be at the Baha’i booth with another wonderful friend. At some point I wandered around checking other exhibitors and then saw the competition tables — of vegetables grown, of jams canned, and of photographs taken by Arlingtonians — and I realized that I too, could participate in these competitions. The zucchini I grew were at least as big as the winner; the sour cherry jam is probably not much worse than those shown on the winners’ table; as for my photography, who knows, I am new in it but surely willing to learn.

This all takes me back to the question of the authentic self. It seems to me I have limited my perception of who I am for such a long time that it has been disservice to both myself and my creator. Time to say hello to the world. World, say hello to Mitko

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)

Here is the original story that prompted the idea for the title:

One evening, as I was putting my younger daughter to bed she was playing a bit rough, poking me in my face as I was laying next to her in the dark room. In my attempt to protect myself, I covered my face with two hands. As I did that, she got very concerned that I had disappeared and started calling on me “Daddy, Daddy!”. I was, of course, just there with her, but you know how little ones react — if they don’t see your face, they think they are not there. The moment, I opened my two hands and she could see my face, she sighed with relief and exclaimed “I love you Daddy!” It was a very sweet moment and I tried it again — she started poking my face, I hid it behind my hands, she started asking where I was even though I was next to her, and the moment I uncovered my face, she would say with relief and joy that she loved me.

So, that story made me think about our love for the heavenly Father and our need to see Him in order to make sure He loves us too. Of course, He does love us, and not seeing Him does not mean He is not there, next to us, lovingly supporting us in our growth. Yet, immature as we are spiritually, we want the proof He is there.

But then even when He does show us He is there, we pull back and pretend He is not.

So, we play this pick-a-boo game with God…

Now, I don’t object the idea of playfulness in our interaction with God — I am pretty sure God has a good sense of humor, and A LOT OF LOVE for us all (otherwise we would all be in deep trouble). What I am thinking of is the delusion that God is not there when we don’t look at Him; I am talking about the delusion that God is not seeing when we are not seeing Him.

The only mature response to this is the constant reminder that God is indeed, near us, every second of our life:

O My servants! Deprive not yourselves of the unfading and resplendent Light that shineth within the Lamp of Divine glory. Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within your radiant hearts. Feed it with the oil of Divine guidance, and protect it within the shelter of your constancy. Guard it within the globe of trust and detachment from all else but God, so that the evil whisperings of the ungodly may not extinguish its light. O My servants! My holy, My divinely ordained Revelation may be likened unto an ocean in whose depths are concealed innumerable pearls of great price, of surpassing luster. It is the duty of every seeker to bestir himself and strive to attain the shores of this ocean, so that he may, in proportion to the eagerness of his search and the efforts he hath exerted, partake of such benefits as have been pre-ordained in God’s irrevocable and hidden Tablets. If no one be willing to direct his steps towards its shores, if every one should fail to arise and find Him, can such a failure be said to have robbed this ocean of its power or to have lessened, to any degree, its treasures? How vain, how contemptible, are the imaginations which your hearts have devised, and are still devising! O My servants! The one true God is My witness! This most great, this fathomless and surging Ocean is near, astonishingly near, unto you. Behold it is closer to you than your life-vein! Swift as the twinkling of an eye ye can, if ye but wish it, reach and partake of this imperishable favor, this God-given grace, this incorruptible gift, this most potent and unspeakably glorious bounty.

(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 325)

The reason I started thinking of this again was my reading for an online class I am talking now at the Wilmette Institute on Islam. One of the fascinating things I am discovering is the gentleness of Islam (in its original message as conveyed in the Qu’ran), where there is no concept of original sin but awareness that man is forgetful. Thus, the need for the constant Remembrance of God.

I am a Baha’i and mercifully God has ordained only one daily obligatory prayer rather than five of them, but the concept is the same: the need to remind myself of God’s constant presence is a key to my spiritual advancement. When I read Tablets of Baha’u'llah or Abdu’l Baha, and even memoirs of early Baha’is, they always start with the invocation of God’s majesty. It is only now, in my spiritual adolescence, that I am starting to understand the reason — the need for the Remembrance of God.

LXXV. Tear asunder, in My Name, the veils that have grievously blinded your vision, and, through the power born of your belief in the unity of God, scatter the idols of vain imitation. Enter, then, the holy paradise of the good-pleasure of the All-Merciful. Sanctify your souls from whatsoever is not of God, and taste ye the sweetness of rest within the pale of His vast and mighty Revelation, and beneath the shadow of His supreme and infallible authority. Suffer not yourselves to be wrapt in the dense veils of your selfish desires, inasmuch as I have perfected in every one of you My creation, so that the excellence of My handiwork may be fully revealed unto men.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 142)

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy mercy that hath surpassed the entire creation, and Thy generosity that hath embraced all created things, to cause me to turn my face wholly towards Thee, and to seek Thy shelter, and to be steadfast in my love for Thee. Write down, then, for me what Thou didst ordain for them who love Thee. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou pleasest. No God is there beside Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations