Bahá’í Community Life/Living the Life
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Feasts, serve on committees, give firesides and public talks, and help teach children’s classes. They cannot, however, serve on a Spiritual Assembly or vote for its members until they are twenty-one.
Parents are responsible for the spiritual as well as intellectual education of their children. The whole community, however, may share in carrying out this responsibility. The Local Spiritual Assembly will usually organize children’s classes and may ask several believers to teach the classes. Thus children can be brought together to learn from each other and from other adults and youth. Young people watch and imitate the actions of those around them. If they see kindness and justice, they will become kind and just themselves. Bahá’ís teach by their actions all the time.
7. Living the Life[edit]
The Bahá’í Faith is an entire way of life, not merely something one practices on a certain day of the week or in a particular place. Being a Bahá’í means trying to follow Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings every minute of one’s life, no matter where, or with whom, he may be. If someone says he believes in Bahá’u’lláh but does not live a Bahá’í life, his faith is not alive. His deeds must match his words. When one studies the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he begins to understand what a true Bahá’í life is. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is the Perfect Exemplar. His life and teachings show each Bahá’í how to become more spiritual.
There are many good qualities which each Bahá’í can strive to gain. Some of these qualities are:
Courtesy: Bahá’ís must try not to offend or hurt anyone.
Truthfulness: Bahá’ís should always speak the truth.
Reverence: Bahá’ís should show humility before God and His Messengers.
Obedience: Bahá’ís must obey the laws of God for this day.
Cleanliness: Bahá’ís must be clean, as one’s outward appearance affects his inner life.
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Justice: Bahá’ís must be fair and just in their dealings with all people.
Mercy: Bahá’ís must show compassion to both friends and strangers.
Patience: Bahá’ís must be patient with others and with themselves.
Love: Bahá’ís must love God, His Messengers, and all mankind.
Fellowship: Bahá’ís must show love and friendliness to each other and be united at all times.
As one begins to show forth these qualities in his daily life, he will attract others to the Faith. When one becomes a Bahá’í, his life should begin to change. As he understands more of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings, he tries more and more to follow them. He tries to be loving, just, and kind, and to have more patience with others. As he prays and deepens, his life does change—he becomes the spiritual being he was created to be. His friends can see the change, and they realize that it is the Bahá’í Faith which is having such an effect on him. The change in one’s character will attract others to the Faith. They will see
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that the Bahá’í Faith has the power to change human weaknesses into spiritual strengths. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, “Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world. . . .”18
People everywhere are looking for a force which can change the world and make it a better place in which to live. If one is living the Bahá’í life, his conduct can become a guide and example to the rest of humanity.
8. Service to the Community[edit]
One demonstrates his love for God by the way he treats others. Serving others is an important part of Bahá’í life. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains: “This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people.”19 Bahá’ís need not wait to go to an established place at a certain time to worship. One’s daily life is worship if he lives in service to others.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the perfect example of a life of service to humanity. He spent much of His time visiting the sick and was a welcomed visitor in the homes of the poor. The needy often came to Him for assistance. He always had a kind word and a warm smile to lighten their burdens. Once when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s entire family was sick, He cared for them, washed them, and fed them, taking no rest until He finally fell ill Himself. During the first World War He instructed the Bahá’ís to grow extra crops, which He distributed to hundreds of people who otherwise would have starved. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s whole life was devoted to serving mankind.
Each individual must try to serve others, and the Bahá’í community as a whole must become known for its generosity and concern for all people. The Local Spiritual Assembly should try to become aware of the problems and needs of the people in its town. It can then organize the believers to fill some of those needs. The Bahá’ís can visit shut-ins and people in nursing homes with no family of their own. If there are needy