Bahá’í Community Life/Individual Devotion
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Bahá’ís to get to know each other better and to grow into a loving Bahá’í family. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says the believers must “associate with each other in the utmost love, joy and fragrance.”³ Such association and fellowship, He says, should make the hearts “become perfectly united. . . .”⁴
Every Bahá’í should attend the Feasts regularly, unless he is ill or out of town. Because attendance at the Feasts is so important, everyone should make plans ahead of time not to miss them. By sharing ideas during the consultation and contributing to the loving atmosphere, one helps his community grow. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has said that, when an atmosphere of fellowship, love, and unity exists, the Feast is like the Lord’s Supper. Who would want to miss such a meeting?
One person or a group of Bahá’ís may be asked to make the arrangements for the Feast. This means choosing the Writings to be read during the devotional portion of the Feast, providing some refreshments, and finding a place to meet. The Feast may be held in a home, a Bahá’í center, or some other convenient place.
2. Individual Devotion[edit]
A very important contribution to healthy Bahá’í community life is each individual’s devotion to God. Bahá’u’lláh says that man’s basic purpose in life is to know and to love God. One of the obligatory prayers states, “I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee.”⁵ All men depend on God for spiritual life. Man’s soul longs for nearness to God. One cannot be happy until he recognizes his need for God and begins to reach out toward Him. Bahá’u’lláh warns that God’s love cannot reach man and change him until he begins to love God: “O Son of Being! Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.”⁶
Man’s natural love for God increases when he remembers gratefully that God has sent Bahá’u’lláh. God has promised always to give His guidance to mankind and never to leave man
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alone. He has sent many great Teachers: Moses, Jesus, and Muḥammad. A little over a hundred years ago God sent Bahá’u’lláh.
One’s love for God should grow to embrace all of God’s creatures because in each person one sees reflections of God’s nature. When one sees a loving person, he is reminded of God’s great love and is attracted to that person. If he knows someone who is just, he likes to be near him because he remembers God’s justice to all people. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes the believers in this way: “Each sees in the other the beauty of God reflected in the soul, and finding this point of similarity, they are attracted to one another in love.” 7 Such love for each other enriches Bahá’í community life.
When a Bahá’í is devoted to God, he will support his Bahá’í community in every way possible: giving firesides, teaching children’s classes, bringing refreshments for meetings, hosting Feasts, giving rides to people who have no cars, working on
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committees. If each believer tries to do his part in the work of the Faith, the community as a whole will be strong and healthy. But if no one contributes much time, love, or energy, the community will be weakened. An individual may have a talent which no one else in his community has, such as playing a musical instrument. If he does not contribute this talent, the community is deprived of his gift. Even if one is unable to do more, he can pray. Prayers are a great assistance to the growth of the Faith. A healthy Bahá’í community needs the support of each individual’s devotion to God.
3. Universal Participation[edit]
It is important that every Bahá’í participate in the life of the Bahá’í community. The work of building God’s Kingdom on earth will go much faster if each does his part. The Bahá’í community is like a body. Each muscle and bone has a job to do. If any muscle is crippled, the whole body is affected. It cannot perform as well as it could if all the muscles were working together. The Universal House of Justice reminds us of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wish that Bahá’ís "work together, be as one soul in one body, and in so doing become a true, organic, healthy body animated and illumined by the spirit."8
Every Bahá’í should perform certain tasks to help the Faith grow. Every believer must teach. Since there are no paid ininisters in the Bahá’í Faith, every Bahá’í must spread the message of Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’ís have wonderful news to share with all people. Bahá’u’lláh, the Promised One of all Ages, has come. His Teachings are the remedy for a sick world. It is the duty of every Bahá’í to share this Message with friends and strangers. Each person can teach in his own way. Some people teach best when they are talking with one person at a time or with a small group of friends. Others speak well to large groups and can give talks at public meetings. Each believer also teaches by the way he lives the Bahá’í life. Other people watch to see how the Bahá’í teachings affect one’s behavior. Teaching the Faith is one of the most important parts of Bahá’í life. Bahá’u’lláh has