Befriended Stranger

O congregation of the Bayan, and all who are therein! Recognize ye the limits imposed upon you, for such a One as the Point of the Bayan Himself hath believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest, before all things were created. Therein, verily, do I glory before all who are in the kingdom of heaven and earth. Suffer not yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from God after He hath revealed Himself. For all that hath been exalted in the Bayan is but as a ring upon My hand, and I Myself am, verily, but a ring upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest — glorified be His mention! He turneth it as He pleaseth, for whatsoever He pleaseth, and through whatsoever He pleaseth. He, verily, is the Help in Peril, the Most High.

The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 168

Asking God for help is probably a standard procedure for anyone in need. Helping God, on the other hand, is clearly not because God is being needy. Is the reason to help God simply as returning the favor? Is it because we are all instruments of His will? Is it because the only way to conquer self is through letting God do the work and while He works, we might as well help? Is it from the awareness that without God, we are lost as a boat with no direction in the vast ocean of life? Is it because helping God is our part of the Covenant with Him?

Whatever the reason for helping God, Baha’u'llah provides very clear instructions on how to help God:

O friends! Help ye the one true God, exalted be His glory, by your goodly deeds, by such conduct and character as shall be acceptable in His sight. He that seeketh to be a helper of God in this Day, let him close his eyes to whatever he may possess, and open them to the things of God. Let him cease to occupy himself with that which profiteth him, and concern himself with that which shall exalt the all-compelling name of the Almighty. He should cleanse his heart from all evil passions and corrupt desires, for the fear of God is the weapon that can render him victorious, the primary instrument whereby he can achieve his purpose. The fear of God is the shield that defendeth His Cause, the buckler that enableth His people to attain to victory. It is a standard that no man can abase, a force that no power can rival. By its aid, and by the leave of Him Who is the Lord of Hosts, they that have drawn nigh unto God have been able to subdue and conquer the citadels of the hearts of men.

(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings From the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 272)

Why do you choose to help God? How do you help God?

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?

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!

I stand, life in hand, ready; that perchance, through God’s loving-kindness and grace, this revealed and manifest Letter may lay down his life as a sacrifice in the path of the Primal Point, the Most Exalted Word.
– Bahá’u'lláh, quoted by Shoghi Effendi on the opening paragraph of The Dawn-Breakers

Today is the day of the Martyrdom of the Primal Point, the Bab, and I am very emotional. I was unable to attend my community’s commemoration of this Holy Day. I had to sit at a dull and rather annoying personnel law training at work, and the only bright light, besides the news that the Baha’i shrines have been chosen as World Heritage sites, was that a colleague sitting next to me asked me about the plans for my departure tomorrow to Bulgaria which lead to a question about the Baha’i Faith and a short conversation on the similarities with the teachings of the Buddha which she tries to practice.

As I am writing this, I am putting together compilations of CDs for my children of audio stories of the life of the Blessed Beauty and soothing music which illustrates artistically these same stories. I will dedicate my life to making sure that my daughters have the spiritual protection of the Baha’i Faith and for this I am infinitely grateful to the Bab and Baha’u'llah.

Which brings me to the point of where I feel I stand today — at a turning point of my life. And the Bab’s Martyrdom and the sacrifice of His followers are a guiding light. May my trip tomorrow be a first step in that new direction. May the Blessed Beauty protects me and my loved ones.

Until man acquires perfections himself, he will not be able to teach perfections to others. Unless man attains life himself, he cannot convey life to others. Unless he finds light, he cannot reflect light. We must, therefore, endeavor ourselves to attain to the perfections of the world of humanity, lay hold of everlasting life and seek the divine spirit in order that we may thereby be enabled to confer life upon others, be enabled to breathe life into others.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 457)

A teacher must proceed in this way: he must first teach himself, and then others. If he himself still walks the path of carnal appetites and lusts, how can he guide another to the “evident signs”[1] of God?
[1 Qur'án 3:91 ]
(Abdu’l-Baha, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 10)

The object of God’s teaching to man is that man may know himself in order to comprehend the greatness of God.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 80)

The teacher, when teaching, must be himself fully enkindled, so that his utterance, like unto a flame of fire, may exert influence and consume the veil of self and passion. He must also be utterly humble and lowly so that others may be edified, and be totally self-effaced and evanescent so that he may teach with the melody of the Concourse on high — otherwise his teaching will have no effect.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 269)

Whoso ariseth to teach Our Cause must needs detach himself from all earthly things, and regard, at all times, the triumph of Our Faith as his supreme objective. This hath, verily, been decreed in the Guarded Tablet. And when he determineth to leave his home, for the sake of the Cause of his Lord, let him put his whole trust in God, as the best provision for his journey, and array himself with the robe of virtue. Thus hath it been decreed by God, the Almighty, the All-Praised.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 334)

You should first equip yourself with the necessary amount of knowledge about the Cause, and then, and only then, try to teach.
(Shoghi Effendi)

The new members of the Universal House of Justice have been elected and announced. Many have posted on this dignified process and momentous event and some have expressed eloquently the things I tried to convey in my own comment at the Arlington Baha’is website, by visually illustrating the difference between the Baha’i electoral process and other such processes.

What makes me reflect today is the gift of continuity this election represents. Recently, I had the honor of talking at a fireside on the Covenant of Baha’u'llah, and one of the guests there was an elderly lady who had become a Baha’i in the 1940s. It was fascinating to listen to her talk about the uncertainty during the days after the passing of Shoghi Effendi. Nobody at the time knew what will happen next. Nobody even had an idea that the Universal House of Justice would be first elected in six more years — most people assumed that this would be something happening in the distant future. Similar thoughts were shared by a veteran Persian believer during a public discussion at the One World Baha’i School — we have no idea what the burden of uncertainty must have been for those who endured in that time of transition, and what the relief it must be to see today a global faith, peacefully organized and illustrating on a daily basis, in words and deeds, that the the source to the healing of humanity are the Teachings of of Baha’u'llah.

We just cannot underestimate the gift of continuity the Covenant of Baha’u'llah has bestowed upon us. In no other time in the history of humanity and organized religion has the unity of the faithful been guaranteed by providing a democratically elected, infallible (because of guidance from Baha’u'llah) body to guide us, and humanity, towards the apex of prosperity. Thank you, Baha’u'llah!

Ya’Baha’ul’Abha!

This morning I witnessed a wonderful discussion on the Wilmette Institute forum and with permission from the participants, I will repost Brent’s response to Ernest:

Ernest observes: “Is it that things of the spirit are not subject to strict mathematical laws?”

I think that’s a good observation. When God decided to give us water, He didn’t say, “Here’s a glass of water, 12 ounces exactly.” He said: “Mountain. Sun. Cloud. Stream.”

When He gave us orange juice, He didn’t say, “Box, sugar, reconstituted semi-palatable juice.” He said, “Tree. Ground. Sun. Leaves. Oranges.”

And likewise in the spiritual realm, when He gives us guidance, it is a growing, organic thing.

Sometimes the Tablets look like the forces of nature:

Compare:

and:

Or maybe it is that the forces of nature resemble the Tablets?

Wow! Indeed one realizes with awe that regardless of our preoccupation with the physical world, the world of the spirit does not limit itself to the laws of the physical. A mention of quantum physics would be an illustration, albeit an inadequate one, of what happens at the point of the intersection of physical and spiritual.

And as Hossein added to the discussion:

I seem to recall from the readings of Abdu’l Baha that since the world of the spirit is not of this world, there are things in that realm which are beyond our ken and understanding; they can not be adequately explained by the tools of this plane of existence, as human words.

Given this back drop, I would think that “strict mathematical laws” will certainly be very wonting in explaining spiritual phenomena, let alone be subjected to it.

What a bounty to realize on a daily basis, through the interaction with the Writings and the marvelous friends, the depth of the wisdom of our marvelous Faith!

The Greater Covenant of Baha’u'llah — the promise that God will never leave us alone and will send yet another messenger — is yet another chapter in “the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future”.

The Bab writes:

“The Lord of the universe hath never raised up a prophet nor hath He sent down a Book unless He hath established His covenant with all men, calling for their acceptance of the next Revelation and of the next Book; inasmuch as the outpourings of His bounty are ceaseless and without limit.”
(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 86)

and:

“The purpose underlying this Revelation, as well as those that preceded it, has, in like manner, been to announce the advent of the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest. And this Faith — the Faith of Him Whom God will make manifest — in its turn, together with all the Revelations gone before it, have as their object the Manifestation destined to succeed it.”
(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 105)

Baha’u'llah Himself quotes His Forerunner, the Bab, referring to The Bayan:

“Glorified art Thou, O My God! Bear Thou witness that, through this Book, I have covenanted with all created things concerning the Mission of Him Whom Thou shalt make manifest, ere the covenant concerning Mine own Mission had been established. Sufficient witness art Thou and they that have believed in Thy signs. Thou, verily, sufficest Me. In Thee have I placed My trust, and Thou, verily, takest count of all things.”
(Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 160)

Just as the Bab was specific in indicating that Baha’u'llah’s mission won’t be revealed until the passing of nine years, Baha’u'llah specifies that there will not be another Manifestation of God before the passing of a thousand years:

“Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor.”
(Baha’u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 32)

Abdu’l Baha confirms:

“O servant of God! We have noted what thou didst write to Jinab-i-Ibn-Abhar, and thy question regarding the verse: ‘Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God, ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying impostor.’

The meaning of this is that any individual who, before the expiry of a full thousand years — years known and clearly established by common usage and requiring no interpretation — should lay claim to a Revelation direct from God, even though he should reveal certain signs, that man is assuredly false and an impostor.”
(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 67)

Shoghi Effendi elaborates:

“That ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is not a Manifestation of God, that, though the successor of His Father, He does not occupy a cognate station, that no one else except the Báb and Bahá’u'lláh can ever lay claim to such a station before the expiration of a full thousand years — are verities which lie embedded in the specific utterances of both the Founder of our Faith and the Interpreter of His teachings.”Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation direct from God,” is the express warning uttered in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, “ere the expiration of a full thousand years, such a man is assuredly a lying imposter. We pray God that He may graciously assist him to retract and repudiate such claim. Should he repent, God will no doubt forgive him. If, however, he persists in his error, God will assuredly send down one who will deal mercilessly with him. Terrible indeed is God in punishing!” “Whosoever,” He adds as a further emphasis, “interpreteth this verse otherwise than its obvious meaning is deprived of the Spirit of God and of His mercy which encompasseth all created things.” “Should a man appear,” is yet another conclusive statement, “ere the lapse of a full thousand years — each year consisting of twelve months according to the Qur’án, and of nineteen months of nineteen days each, according to the Bayan — and if such a man reveal to your eyes all the signs of God, unhesitatingly reject him!”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own statements, in confirmation of this warning, are no less emphatic and binding: “This is,” He declares, “my firm, my unshakable conviction, the essence of my unconcealed and explicit belief — a conviction and belief which the denizens of the Abha Kingdom fully share: The Blessed Beauty is the Sun of Truth, and His light the light of truth. The Báb is likewise the Sun of Truth, and His light the light of truth… My station is the station of servitude — a servitude which is complete, pure and real, firmly established, enduring, obvious, explicitly revealed and subject to no interpretation whatever… I am the Interpreter of the Word of God; such is my interpretation.”
(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha’u'llah, p. 132)

Completing the confirmation of the promised arrival of a new Manifestation, the Universal House of Justice indicates in its Constitution that its authority is absolute until the coming of the new Manifestion of God:

“The provenance, the authority, the duties, the sphere of action of the Universal House of Justice all derive from the revealed Word of Bahá’u'lláh which, together with the interpretations and expositions of the Centre of the Covenant and of the Guardian of the Cause – who, after ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is the sole authority in the interpretation of Bahá’í Scripture – constitute the binding terms of reference of the Universal House of Justice and are its bedrock foundation. The authority of these Texts is absolute and immutable until such time as Almighty God shall reveal His new Manifestation to Whom will belong all authority and power.”
(The Universal House of Justice, The Constitution of The Universal House of Justice, p. 4)

Until that time (of the next Manifestation), we have the bounty and wonderful responsibility of following the teachings of Baha’u'llah as interpreted by Abdu’l Baha, expounded by Shoghi Effendi, and applied to the challenges of today (for at least ten more centuries) by the Universal House of Justice.

This thought reminds me of a conversation with a friend on the bounty of having the Universal House of Justice send us annual Ridvan messages. But you can read about it yourself…

The whole purpose of the Dispensation of the Bab was to prepare the whole world (“TABLET TO THE FIRST LETTER OF THE LIVING This is that which We have revealed for the First Believer in Him Whom God shall make manifest, that it may serve as an admonition from Our presence unto all mankind. – The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 7), and His followers in particular, for the coming of Baha’u'llah.

As the Bab was submissive to the Will of God, He was equally submissive to Baha’u'llah:

“I, indeed, beg to address Him Whom God shall make manifest, by Thy leave in these words: ‘Shouldst Thou dismiss the entire company of the followers of the Bayan in the Day of the Latter Resurrection by a mere sign of Thy finger even while still a suckling babe, Thou wouldst indeed be praised in Thy indication.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 6)

because the Bab was clearly aware of the unique station of Baha’u'llah:

“Know thou of a certainty that whenever thou makest mention of Him Whom God shall make manifest, only then art thou making mention of God.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 80)

Thus to submit to God is to submit to Baha’u'llah:

“And know thou of a certainty that by Paradise is meant recognition of and submission unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, and by the fire the company of such souls as would fail to submit unto Him or to be resigned to His good-pleasure.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 82)