| ←Index | Advent of Divine Justice by Preface |
Paragraphs 51-100→ |
From the earliest years of his ministry as the divinely appointed Guardian of the Cause of God, Shoghi Effendi conferred upon the Bahá’ís of North America a very special bounty in addressing to them a series of inspiring and challenging messages, carefully delineating the tasks they were called upon to discharge, and emphasizing the relationship of these goals to the fulfillment of their destiny as the chosen instruments for the execution of the Divine Plan of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Of all these communications, perhaps the one most directly related to the life of the individual Bahá’í was The Advent of Divine Justice, written in 1938, in which the Guardian set forth the spiritual prerequisites for success in every activity for the advancement of the Faith. Special emphasis was placed not only upon the imponderable factors associated with the inner life of the spirit, but also upon the human and social relationships which must be cultivated and made an integral part of the daily life of every Bahá’í.
Describing with amazing accuracy the basic ills afflicting the American body politic, as well as indicating the probable course of world events which were destined to create new challenges and opportunities for the American nation, Shoghi Effendi in this portentous message clearly defined the role the American Bahá’ís would be called upon to play in the years ahead.
At this time, when so many of the prophetic utterances of both ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi relating to America have a deeper meaning and significance than ever before in their impact on the activities of the American believers, it is particularly befitting that a new edition of The Advent of Divine Justice be made available, providing the opportunity for every Bahá’í to glean from a careful study of its pages a clearer understanding of the true purpose of our Faith, of America's spiritual destiny, and of the manner in which the individual believer is called upon to contribute to the achievement of this destiny, both on the homefront and in foreign fields of service.
- -Paul Haney
- Bahá’í World Centre
- Haifa, Israel
- November 1968
