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[Page i] TRUTH HELPING LOVE LOVE GIVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

january-february 1985

Brilliant Star [Page ii]

Dear Children

Dear Children,

If you've been learning about numbers, then you've probably learned some special things about the number nine. For example, nine is the biggest of the numbers, isn't it? To make a larger number than nine, you must go to two numbers, as in 10. Because nine is the biggest number, all the smaller numbers can be included inside of the number nine.

And if you can multiply, you'll know that every time you multiply a nine, the answer also adds up to nine For instance, 9 x 2 = 18. The 1 and the 8 in that answer, when added together, like this: 1+ 8 = 9, also make nine. Try it yourself!

Nine has other special meanings, too. Nine is the number of Bahá, as in Bahá’u’lláh’s name. Nine stands for unity, which is the purpose of the Bahá’í Faith. Nine is like a clue, or a secret code. Nine is the magic number which unlocks a hidden mystery.

This issue of Brilliant Star is about mysteries, and how we discover their meaning, gradually. As you discover the meaning of progressive revelation, let us know what you find out! That's the best mystery of all.

Love, your Editor

About the cover

Our cover artist is seven year old Jared Domin from Rochester, NY. The original painting is four feet by six feet! Jared's mother writes: "The painting is a tree adorned with the qualities we look for in our friends and try to develop in our- selves so we can be good friends to others. All of this came about when my son asked me 'How does friend- ship happen?' "

Look for Jared's picture in the "Letters From Our Friends" Section.

Brilliant Star invites you to send creative expressions such as this one from Jared to our art director for con- sideration. She prefers good quality transparencies or slides of the work. Her name and address is Rita Leydon, Box 127, Lahaska, Pa. 18931. Thanks!

Brilliant Star is a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. It is pub- lished six times each year, in January, March, May, July, September and November. Copyright 1985 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved.

Address manuscripts and other editorial contributions to Brilliant Star/Radpour, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Rd., Hixson, Tn. 37343. Manuscripts should be typewritten and double-spaced throughout. Brilliant Star does not offer monetary compensation to its con- tributors. Return postage should be included if manu- script is to be returned. Single copy $2.50; 6 issues (one year) $12.00; 12 issues (two years) $23.00; foreign, surface mail, one year $15.00, two years $28.00; foreign, air mail, one year $25.00, two years $47.50. An index for the preceding year's issues is available for $2.00.

For subscriptions, change of address and adjustments write to Brilliant Star Subscriber Service, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Rd., Hixson, Tn. 37343. All other cor- respondence should be addressed to Brilliant Star/Richards, 4 Village Dr., Yardville, N.J. 08620. Printed in the U.S.A.

Brilliant Star is intended for children of all ages and strives to:

• develop the child's awareness of the oneness of humanity
• increase the child's conscious awareness of his spiritual nature and the need for its development
• provide practical approaches to viewing life's difficulties
• develop the child's reasoning power and stimulate his love for the order of the universe
• provide a standard by which the child may learn to relate to others with love and justice
• assist parents and teachers in developing all of the child's hidden talents and virtues

Brilliant Star Editorial Board

Mary K. Radpour Managing Director

Mary K. Radpour Editor-in-Chief

Deborah Bley Assistant Editor

Mimi McClellan Music Editor

Rita Leydon Art Director

Rita Leydon Production

Janet Richards Secretary

Keith Boehme Consultant [Page 1]TRUTH HELPING LOVE GIVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

january-february 1985

Brilliant Star [Page 2]

Dear Children

Dear Children,

If you've been learning about numbers, then you've probably learned some special things about the number nine. For example, nine is the biggest of the numbers, isn't it? To make a larger number than nine, you must go to two numbers, as in 10. Because nine is the biggest number, all the smaller numbers can be included inside of the number nine.

And if you can multiply, you'll know that every time you multiply a nine, the answer also adds up to nine For instance, 9 x 2 = 18. The 1 and the 8 in that answer, when added together, like this: 1+ 8 = 9, also make nine. Try it yourself!

Nine has other special meanings, too. Nine is the number of Bahá, as in Bahá’u’lláh’s name. Nine stands for unity, which is the purpose of the Bahá’í Faith. Nine is like a clue, or a secret code. Nine is the magic number which unlocks a hidden mystery.

This issue of Brilliant Star is about mysteries, and how we discover their meaning, gradually. As you discover the meaning of progressive revelation, let us know what you find out! That's the best mystery of all.

Love, your Editor

About the cover

Our cover artist is seven year old Jared Domin from Rochester, NY. The original painting is four feet by six feet! Jared's mother writes: "The painting is a tree adorned with the qualities we look for in our friends and try to develop in our- selves so we can be good friends to others. All of this came about when my son asked me 'How does friend- ship happen?' "

Look for Jared's picture in the "Letters From Our Friends" Section.

Brilliant Star invites you to send creative expressions such as this one from Jared to our art director for con- sideration. She prefers good quality transparencies or slides of the work. Her name and address is Rita Leydon, Box 127, Lahaska, Pa. 18931. Thanks!

Brilliant Star is a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. It is pub- lished six times each year, in January, March, May, July, September and November. Copyright 1985 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved.

Address manuscripts and other editorial contributions to Brilliant Star/Radpour, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Rd., Hixson, Tn. 37343. Manuscripts should be typewritten and double-spaced throughout. Brilliant Star does not offer monetary compensation to its con- tributors. Return postage should be included if manu- script is to be returned. Single copy $2.50; 6 issues (one year) $12.00; 12 issues (two years) $23.00; foreign, surface mail, one year $15.00, two years $28.00; foreign, air mail, one year $25.00, two years $47.50. An index for the preceding year's issues is available for $2.00.

For subscriptions, change of address and adjustments write to Brilliant Star Subscriber Service, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Rd., Hixson, Tn. 37343. All other cor- respondence should be addressed to Brilliant Star/Richards, 4 Village Dr., Yardville, N.J. 08620. Printed in the U.S.A.

Brilliant Star is intended for children of all ages and strives to:

• develop the child's awareness of the oneness of humanity
• increase the child's conscious awareness of his spiritual nature and the need for its development
• provide practical approaches to viewing life's difficulties
• develop the child's reasoning power and stimulate his love for the order of the universe
• provide a standard by which the child may learn to relate to others with love and justice
• assist parents and teachers in developing all of the child's hidden talents and virtues

Editorial Board

Mary K. Radpour Managing Director

Mary K. Radpour Editor-in-Chief

Deborah Bley Assistant Editor

Mimi McClellan Music Editor

Rita Leydon Art Director

Rita Leydon Production

Janet Richards Secretary

Keith Boehme Consultant [Page 3]

what’s inside

Letters From Our Friends 2 Kim’s Big Test 4 a story by Janet Bixby The Most Great Detective Story 8 by M.K. Radpour ‘Alí Khán, the Warden 10 a story by Susan Allen

The Tree 12 a poem by June Gerard What’s wrong with this picture? 14 a silly activity Kitchen Chemistry 16 by Rita Leydon Malachi Rohrbaugh and the Harmony Road 18 a story by R. Gregory Shaw

Prophets and ‎Prophesies Prophecies‎ 22 by M.K. Radpour Big Cook, Little Cook 24 a photo essay by M.K. Radpour Dot to Dot 27 by Rita Leydon The Mirrors 28 a song by Mimi McClellan The Candles 30 a poem by Janet Bixby Book Nook 32 Parents’ Page 33

[Page 4]

Letters from our friends

Dear Brilliant Star,

Thank you for the letter very much. Please give me some more letters like that so that I can learn some more and be smart. I’m beginning to like Brilliant Star very much that I could kiss it. Only if it was a real human being.

I like Brilliant Star because of its people and its booklets and letters. I hope I can come and see some of the people over there.

As if you didn’t know I do not live in Oklahoma any more so don’t send them there. Send them to Houston, Texas. I will appreciate it if you did. Thank you and bye-bye.

Bye, your friend, Vahid

Michael Flannery, age 8, is from Hamlet, North Carolina, and he sent us this scary alligator about to catch a fisherman.

Here is a poem by Elizabeth Worthington, Age 9, from Greenville, South Carolina:

LOVE

Love, honor, respect, and joy, Are given to each girl and boy. Love takes you to fairy land, Honor isn’t frozen, cooked or canned. Joy and respect are so great, They can even overcome hate! That was a lesson I think you should know; Bring it with you wherever you go.

Here is a picture by Gabe Williams, six years old. This is a horse going inside a barn. He is pushing so hard and he can’t get out because a tree is in the way. Gabe is from Jackson, Tennessee.

Daniel Filstrup, age 8, sent us this beautiful picture of the Shrine of the Báb. Daniel is from St. Joseph, Michigan. [Page 5]Borhan Sobhani from Santa Barbara, Calif., is quite an artist. Here are two portraits of his cousin Meena Ramchandani from Los Angeles. One is by Borhan, one by a camera. Borhan also drew this fearless mountain climber.

Dear Brilliant Star

C.G. is my bird. She is one year old. She's learning to talk. She tries to say hi. When she hears other birds, she whistles and sings. She wakes up my mom by singing very loud. We buy her treats like a bell made out of bird seed. When she's ready to go to bed, she jumps on her swing and we cover her up with a towel. We hang her up outside and birds whistle at her. C.G. is green with a yellow head. I give her fresh water every day. She picks at her wings every day to clean them.

by Theresa Michelli, age 8 Pearl River, Louisiana

Smoky was a kid who knew only one religion-Christian. Then one day his mom and dad came back from a meeting. They were happy and excited! They said that they had learned about someone called Bahá’u’lláh. In three weeks Smoky had become a Bahá’í. He heard that tee-ball season was coming and he asked if he could sign up and his mom said yes. When the season finally came, Smoky was very good at it. He hit a home run on the first try!

He was called Tee-ahá’í because of his religion. He was also the only Bahá’í in tee-ball league.

by Gabriel Maxwell Billington, age 7½ Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Jared Domin (left) is seven and lives in Rochester, N.Y., Hajer Mogaddam (right) is nine and lives in Springfield, Mass. They became good friends at Green Acre Bahá’í School last summer. Hajer escaped from Iran with his family about a year ago. Jared painted the picture on the cover of this issue of Brilliant Star.

Happy Ayyam-i-Há!

The Campbell family made for themselves an Ayyam-i-Há banner using an idea from Brilliant Star. Here they all are with their banner. Each family member designed his own pocket. Three year old Blake did a happy face (with Dad's help); Robin, age 6, made a house like his own happy home; Dad made a moon with three stars for the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; Ryan made an Ayyam-i-Há present; and Mom traced little Blake's hand as a sign of service. [Page 6]4

Illustrated by Pat Colburn

Kim’s big test

by Janet Bixby

It was spring, and the whole first grade class was restless. The sun was shining, and everybody’s mind was on the playground. Kim’s mind was partly on the playground, too, but she was also listening to the story her teacher Ms. Hill was reading. Kim thought Ms. Hill was the most wonderful teacher in the world. She was so pretty and kind, and Kim loved to listen to her read. Kim wanted to grow up just like her.

When Ms. Hill finished her story, she put down her book and began to talk to the class. “Tomorrow we are going to have some tests,” she said. “I don’t want you to be afraid of them, even if they seem long, and you don’t [Page 7]know all the answers. We don't expect you to know all the answers. This is only to help us know if you are ready for the second grade. Also, it will help your new teacher know where to begin. I think you will all do very well. You are a good class, and your new teacher will be lucky to have such a nice group to work with."

Kim hadn't thought about second grade much at all. She was having too much fun in first grade. Now that she was thinking about it, her thoughts weren't a bit happy. "Oh dear!" she thought. "I don't want to go. I want to stay with Ms. Hill. I don't even know the second grade teacher. Maybe she's mean and cross. She couldn't be as nice as Ms. Hill anyway."

At recess, she went to Ms. Hill. "Do I have to go to second grade?" she asked.

"Don't you want to go to second grade?" Ms. Hill asked. "You'll get awfully tired of studying the same things over and over."

"But you could teach me second grade things, couldn't you?"

Ms. Hill smiled. "Yes, dear, of course I could, but I will be very busy teaching the new children all the things you learned this year."

"I could help you, and I don't think I'll like the second grade."

"Sure you will. You're one of my best students, and I'll bet you'll like all your classes."

Kim thought all day about how she could keep from going to the second grade. Finally, she knew what she had to do. She was afraid it was maybe a very bad thing to do, but she just couldn't leave Ms. Hill and the first grade. So, the next day when she took the test, she gave wrong answers to all the questions she knew and guessed as wrong as she could on the ones she didn't know.

That was Friday, and all weekend long, Kim wondered what Ms. Hill would say on Monday, and whether she would tell her right away that she could stay in first grade. On Sunday, she went to Bahá’í Sunday school. To her surprise, her regular teacher wasn't there, and, in her place, was someone Kim had never seen. She was very young, and she had a warm smile. Kim liked her instantly. "Your teacher is sick this morning," she said, "so I'm going to teach you instead. My name is Judy. I'm new in your community, so this way I'll get a chance to get acquainted with you. Maybe next year I'll [Page 8]have some of you in class all the time."

Then she asked one of the older girls in the class to read a healing prayer for the teacher. After that, she taught the class two brand new songs. Kim loved to sing. She hoped she would have Judy all the time next year.

The lesson that day was about Jesus, and Judy asked everybody what they could tell the class about Christian beliefs. "They don't like Bahá’ís," Kim told her. "My grandma won't even let us talk about Bahá’u’lláh when we're there. She thinks He's bad. Why is that?

Judy smiled sadly. "Well, it's because they don't understand what prezio Jesus really taught. They learned about God first from Jesus, and, because they love Him so much, they won't try to learn more about God from anyone else, even though He told them they should. They are like children who want to stay in kindergarten all their lives because they have a nice teacher. They really miss out on a lot of exciting things, and we must pray for them."

"No one wants to fail a class," laughed one of the boys.

Kim didn't say anything. She was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. She wondered if Judy somehow knew.

The next morning, Kim got to school early. Ms. Hill looked very sad. "I am really disappointed, Kim," she said. "You usually do very well on your work, but you did very poorly on your test. I may have to keep you in the first grade. I thought I had done a better job of teaching you."

Kim felt a big lump come into her throat, and she couldn't say anything. Soon she found out that all her best friends had done very well on their tests and were all excited about being big second graders and having new books with harder words and more pictures. Kim thought about what Judy had said about missing out on things. She was beginning to feel more and more miserable about what she had done.

At the end of the day, Ms. Hill gave Kim a long note for her parents. When they read it, they looked surprised and sad, and Kim felt worse.

That night Kim lay awake for a long time. She was beginning to understand her grandma's problem as well as her own. Before she went to sleep, she [Page 9]had made up her mind what to do.

In the morning, she was early at school again. "Ms. Hill, I learned something in Sunday school," she began. "I learned some people love their old teacher so much they're afraid to try to learn anything from a new one. That's bad, and that's how come I didn't do well on the test. I just wanted to stay with you. I'm sorry, but could I please take it again?" Just then, all the tears she'd been saving came pouring down her cheeks. Ms. Hill patted her shoulder, and gave her a Kleenex.

"I'm sure we can work something out," she said. "I knew there was something very funny about that test. And now, because you did something very brave and very grown-up by telling me the truth, I have a special surprise for you. I just saw your second grade teacher out in the hall. Would you like to be the first person to meet the new second grade teacher?"

"Oh yes, yes, yes!" Kim said, excitedly.

Ms. Hill left the room, and soon came back. There beside her stood Judy. Kim squealed and jumped up and down.

"This is Ms. Ross," said Ms. Hill. "I think you know her. Our principal, Mr. Jacobs, just told her yesterday what class she'd be teaching."

Kim thought about Mr. Jacobs. Her mother had told her that he was the man who found teachers for all the classes. She liked him because he reminded her of her grandfather. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"I know why I'll always have nice teachers in this school," she said.

"Why is that?" asked Ms. Hill.

"Because the same person picks them all," Kim said.

Kim's teachers smiled at each other. "I think Kim has passed a very important test," said Ms. Hill.

Kim ran into her classroom to tell her friends the good news. She hardly knew which of her teachers she was happier about. [Page 10]

the Most Great Detective Story

by Mary K. Radpour

I was playing "twenty questions" the other day with my young friend Darnell and having lots of trouble guessing the answer. (Darnell is pretty tricky!) After I gave up completely, Darnell said the answer was "Wealth". That would be pretty hard to guess, wouldn't it? After all, wealth could be dollars, yen, or tomans, or it could be diamonds, rubies and emeralds. It could even be big buildings, or yachts, or land. And if we think in spiritual terms, wealth could be happiness, or closeness to God, or contentment. But the funny thing is this: all the answers are right! If Darnell had known that, I wouldn't have lost that game!

Anyway, as I was thinking about all the answers being right, I began thinking about all the ways in which people think about God. Some people call God a Force (like in Star Wars!) and some say Christ was God, while others say that God is not a person, but something infinite. Interestingly enough, Bahá’u’lláh says that they are all right. So I began to wonder why.

Finally, I figured out that understanding God must be like understanding "wealth." God is real, but God is greater than all the things we can see with our eyes or hear with our ears. Bahá’u’lláh says that God only lets us know about Him gradually, as we grow able to understand more about Him. He calls that progressive revelation. Those are very big words which mean that we learn about things gradually, and that as we learn, we are right, but only partly right, just as I was when I asked Darnell if the answer was "gold."

Religion seems to me to be like a super detective story, or like playing "Clue," except that when I play sometimes I lose, and, with religion, everybody wins! [Page 11]Illustrated by Stefani Galaday [Page 12]

‘Alí Khán, the Warden

by Susan Allen

The Báb was a Prophet of God. He was sent by God to teach us how to live, and so, He was perfect. Are we perfect? We all know that children and even mommies and daddies are not perfect and sometimes make mistakes. God sent us the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh so that we could learn to be better and better.

One time, God showed a man named ‘Alí Khán a miracle. A miracle is something very wonderful that happens, but we can’t understand how it happens. This miracle showed that the Báb was God’s Prophet. This was a sign of God’s love for ‘Alí Khán.

At this time the Báb was in a terrible prison up in the mountains far from His home. His warden, the man who takes care of the prison, was this ‘Alí Khán. He wouldn’t let anyone come and see the Báb. This was a sad thing because so many people loved the Báb and they couldn’t speak to Him or know if He was well. The Báb had only His secretary who would write down the Báb’s precious Words as He spoke, and the secretary’s brother who would buy things in the town.

There was a man who, because he loved the Báb very much, was called a Bábí. This man had traveled a long way just to see the Báb, but when he got to the town near the prison the warden wouldn’t let him see the Báb. Not only that, he wouldn’t let him sleep in the town. But this Bábí wouldn’t give up. He wanted to see the Báb so much he stayed by the town and slept outside the gates.

The Báb knew about this Bábí. One day He told His secretary that the next day this Bábí would come into the prison to see them. His secretary was very surprised. How could he come into the prison? The warden wouldn’t let anyone come in to see them!

The next morning very early, the warden ‘Alí Khán was riding his horse outside of the prison. All of a sudden he saw the Báb standing outside by the river saying prayers. How did the Báb get out of the prison? He was very angry and he rode straight up to the Báb to ask Him how he got out and to make Him get back in.

But when he came near the Báb his heart was touched, he could feel that the Báb was very close to God in His prayers. Perhaps you know that when God’s Prophet prays everyone near Him can feel these wonderful prayers in his heart. When the warden felt the power of these prayers he was afraid. He left the Báb alone and rode his horse very quickly to the prison. He was angry with the guards and he was going to ask them why they let the Báb out.

When he got to the prison door he saw that it was shut tight. When he yelled at the guards they were surprised; they said that no one had come out and that the Báb was still in His room.

The warden walked the long way to the Báb’s room. All of the guards he met said that no one had come out. Finally he opened the door to [Page 13]the Báb’s room and what did he find there? He found the Báb sitting quietly in His chair waiting for Him. ‘Alí Khán wondered, How could the Báb be in His room and outside at the same time?

The warden, ‘Alí Khán, got on his knees before the Báb. He knew that this was a miracle from God and this was a Special Prisoner.

He told the Báb how sorry he was that he had made His life difficult. From now on he would change and would do anything He, the Báb, wanted. ‘Alí Khán now remembered the Bábí he had chased out of town. He got up and went as fast as he could. He brought this Bábí who had been sleeping outside of town to the Báb he loved so dearly.

It was a happy time. From then on the warden would do anything he could to help the Báb. Sometimes he would come and bring him sweet things, or just listen to the wonderful voice of the Prophet of God. Don’t you wish that we could be able to listen to this Voice, to be near Him, to feel His prayers in our hearts? ■

Filstrup

Illustrated by Elizabeth Filstrup [Page 14]

THE TREE

by June Gerard, age 14 Launceston, Tasmania

The shadow of the gnarled tree creeps across the grass, Growing longer and longer as the sun goes down. The knotted wood, the twisted branches sway in the winter wind. All is still. The moon rises, the shadows grow shorter and shorter, till they fade. All that is left is darkness, the blowing wind, and a tree without a shadow. [Page 15]P. Van Horn Illustrated by Patti Van Horn © 1985 [Page 16]

What’s wrong with this picture?

Bahia Angela Ruth Scott Brown is getting ready for Ayyám-i-Há and decorating her house to make it beautiful. But she’s having some problems! What’s gone wrong?

14 [Page 17]HAPPY HOLIDAY

HAPPY AYYÁM-I-HÁ

BOX ONION COLA

CANDY

BE MINE

Illustrated by Carla Harvey [Page 18]

Kitchen Chemistry

by Rita Leydon

you all know that the animal and vegetable kingdoms possess the power of growth. But did you know that the mineral kingdom also possesses this same power? It does. Minerals grow crystals. I'm going to tell you about an easy experiment you can do to illustrate one form of crystalline growth.

You will need a small glass or plastic bowl (the kind that fresh chicken liver comes in is good), small pieces (one or several) of porous brick, tile, broken cement or sponge (I used cement), measuring spoons, salt and liquid bluing. Bluing is found in the supermarket with the laundry things. Bluing was a mystery to me, so it might be to you as well.

Day one:

Put cement piece or pieces in the bowl. Mix together two tablespoons each of water, salt and bluing. Pour this over the contents in the bowl.

Day two:

Sprinkle two tablespoons salt over the contents of the bowl.

Day three:

Mix together two tablespoons each of water, salt and bluing. Pour this around the edges of the bowl, not directly on the base material (cement).

At this point you can sprinkle some food coloring over the base material if you want to.

The third part can be postponed if your crystals are growing well.

Add liquid mix when your project starts to dry out. [Page 19]Beautiful floral shapes should be growing in your bowl by this time. If not, add two tablespoons of household ammonia (carefully, around the edges) to aid in growth promotion.

Your experiment has to be out in the open so it gets plenty of fresh air that isn’t too moist. On the kitchen counter is fine. The crystalline growth will continue indefinitely if you occasionally add more bluing, salt and water.

Good luck with your experiment. Let me know how it works for you. Send pictures! ■ [Page 20]

Progressive Revelation

by R. Gregory Shaw ©1985 R. Gregory Shaw Illustrated by Keith Kresge

Friends, my name is Malachi Rohrbaugh and you’ll just have to take my word on that, because the courthouse burned down when I was still a boy in short pants, and all my birth papers went up in smoke. Not that it matters one way or the other to my story, since the folks hereabouts all call me Mr. Banjo-man. Most every summer night the neighborhood kids come up on my front porch, and once we get it settled whose turn it is to sit in the rocker, we sing the night away, making enough noise as to drown the crickets out. We sing some good songs, too—“Ol’ Dan Tucker,” “Froggy Goes A-courtin,” and “Li’l Liza Jane.”

Well, it’s a good time for sure, but it’s not just always singing; sometimes we get to talking things over, too. And that’s how Danny Pete with the rusty red hair and Susie whose ma makes the rhubarb pie, that’s how they got started arguing religion one night. Now I just let them go around for awhile, letting them see how these sorts of discussions never get you where you want to go, and then I asked them hadn’t they ever heard of progressive revelation. Progressive revelation? I got so many blank looks I might just as well of asked them to name the last two of the twelve commandments. So I set out to tell them a story that just might make the matter clear, and that’s the story I’m gonna share with you right now.

When I was a boy, sixty some years ago, already living in Camden-on-Gauley, my Uncle Sam Rohrbaugh and my three cousins [Page 21]lived over the river and up the woods in the town of Harmony. I can't say I ever saw much of them, because the only way to get to Harmony was on a road that wasn't much more than a mule trail, and since you had to wade across the river, between the snows in winter and the floods in spring, there wasn't much traffic on that road.

By the time I was of marrying age and working in the Cat-eye Number-nine coalmine, progress had come along and the road had gotten widened and a layer of black-top put down, and they'd built a wooden bridge over the river. I still remember that bridge being opened up for cars on the fourth day of July with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a big sign saying, "Harmony Road," with an arrow pointing the way. And we were mighty glad for it.

Well, what happened next, you might expect it. Time rolls on by and the cars start rolling the pot-holes in. Trucks kept getting bigger, so as one had to get off the road when another's coming at him. The West Virginia winter buckled up the black-top, the wood rot away on the bridge, and the road plum wore out. Like it says in the Book of Ecclesiastes, "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven." Well, that road's time had passed and then some. It finally come to the point where no one dared to drive that rickety bridge anymore, and Harmony might just as well have been a thousand miles away.

So that's the way it stayed for longer than anyone would of liked; the whole town with nowhere to go. But just a few years back, the road engineers got to building a whole new highway from scratch, going right up over the mountains, and when they come to the river valley they stretched one of the world's longest bridges from mountaintop to mountaintop. Some sight to see. To be sure, all this work took awhile, but now we got a road that everybody and his brother can ride on, and Harmony is just a hop, skip and a jump over the hill.

Now you'll be thinking that the town is gonna be grinning from ear to ear and cranking up the car for a Sunday's drive-but the darndest thing is, it ain't so.

I've been hearing some of these old timers complaining that the new road should've followed the same route as the old road. Then there's the others that don't like it being a toll road. "Used to be free," they say, and they don't never think about who was paying for all the tires they tore up in those days. And the hot-rod boys say it's six-of-one, half-dozen-the-other, because Harmony's a town that ain't worth going to anyway. And just how do they know, never having seen for themselves?

A lot of confusion brewing, and it might surprise you some, but all this trouble over a road sets me to thinking of religion. The way I see it, we all got to travel on the Highway of Life. And if you look back to Moses' day, the teachings of the Old Testament were made-to-order for the [Page 22]Sons of Israel, walking across that desert. Eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth, yessir, those were rough times. Just like that rough old Harmony Road, wading cross the river, was what got my Grandpa around. But my Dad was a happy pappy on the day he could drive his Buick up over that new wooden bridge and follow the arrow on over to Harmony, black-top all the way.

Now isn’t that what Jesus did for us when He came teaching the Gospels? Everybody was still going to the same happy land of harmony, but He broadened the highway, smoothed out the path, and pointed out the way.

"I am the way," He said, "None cometh to the Father save through me." That was the truth for the time He was teaching, just like in my Dad's day there was only one road to Harmony.

But the calendars change and the world do, too. In the Bible, Book of Hebrews, it says, "What is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." You can say it about a road, and you can say it about a religion, just the same!

And the Bible says too, God makes all things new. That’s what this progressive revelation is all about! Each time the Highway of Life starts getting too many potholes, God sends us a new messenger to make everything new, even better than before.

But you know you can’t please everybody, and folks are always going to find some reason to complain. "This new religion," they say, "don’t sound like the same way I’m used to." And don’t that sound like these local boys, fussing that the new road’s not like the old one? Never mind it’s just what we’ve all been needing, they’re going to retire back in their rocking chair, rather than admit there was something new worth getting.

Do you think the Lord’s going to let the world make a mess of it, and He’ll not have something to say? Well, I do believe the good God spoke through Moses, and He spoke through Jesus, and it says in the Psalms, "Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart." So you can keep your little ears open, for this is a time when the Spirit’s going to speak again, and Mr. Malachi Rohrbaugh, he’ll be listening! [Page 23]I guess at the end of all that Danny Pete and Susie and the whole kit-and-kaboodle were letting some of what I said sink in, and I'm happy to say there's been no more arguing of religion. No man can name all the religions God's sent down at one time or another, just to suit His purpose, and every blessed one of them said love was the way to do your fellow man. I hope you'll all remember that.

I also hope you'll remember to come on by one of these nights for the singing. We'll have us some lemonade, just to keep our whistles wet, and if you sit real still, I'll pick out "Sally Good-un" on my banjo. Still sounds right fair for an old feller like me, with my knuckles all in knots. Guess they don't call me Mr. Banjo-man for nothing. ■ [Page 24]Notes from the artist: The images on the oriental carpet are all symbolic. The middle figure, the chinese symbol of the phoenix represents the Báb. The hummingbirds in the corner designs represent Bahá’u’lláh. The cross designs stand for the two trumpet blasts and the black border indicates the year 60. There are nine birds on the carpet.

Prophets & Prophesies

by Mary K. Radpour

the days of Muḥammad, the Prophet of God, the people were very excited, for two reasons. The first was that God had again sent them His own Messenger, to change their hearts and bring light to their minds. The second was that they knew Muḥammad was the Seal of the Prophets. A seal is what you put on a letter after it is finished, to keep someone from opening it, which shows who the letter is from. Muḥammad was the Seal on God's message, showing that He was the last One Who would prophesy about the Promised One to come after Him. A prophet is one who tells about the future, and a prophesy is that clue or hint about what will happen later. Since Muḥammad was [Page 25]the last Prophet, He would give them many clues about the Promised One.

Now you are going to ask a good question: if Muḥammad knew all about the Promised One, why didn't He tell everyone very plainly what to look for? Why did He give them hints or clues which were difficult to understand? You really know the answer already, if you will think about it. Knowing the Promised One when you see Him needs spiritual eyes and a tender heart. Knowing your geography or your alphabet just needs a good mind. The clues which the Prophet of God gave couldn't be understood with only our minds; but if the lamp of our heart was lit we would see what they meant.

Let's look at some of the clues given by Muḥammad in the Qur'an (His Holy Book), or by His descendents, the Imáms:

1) The Qur'an says that on the day of judgement, there will be two blasts on the trumpet to awaken mankind to the new Day.

You and I know that in this new Day, there are two Manifestations of God—the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, Who, like two trumpets, call us to God's new religion.

2) The Imám Ali (Muḥammad's cousin and son-in-law) said that God's new Teacher would appear in the year "Ghars," which stands for the number sixty.

You and I know that it was in 1260 A.H. on the Muslim calendar when the Báb announced His mission.

3) His Holiness Muḥammad said that all the companions of the Qá’im would be killed except for One Who would reach the plain of ‘Akká.

You and I know that the Báb, Who said He was the Promised Qá’im, and all of His followers were martyred, and of them, only Bahá’u’lláh lived to be exiled to ‘Akká, the prison-city in Israel.

4) In the traditions of Islam (Muḥammad's religion), many clues were given about the Qá’im. He would be a descendent of Muḥammad, young, of medium height, beautiful, and he would not smoke. He would be two years younger than His Lord. In His name, the name of the Guardian, Alí, would come before the name of the Prophet, Muḥammad.

What was the Báb’s name? You're right. It was Alí Muḥammad. He was born in 1819, exactly two years and a day after Bahá’u’lláh's birth in 1817. And He was young, handsome, a descendent of Muḥammad. And He did not smoke.

5) Clues were even given in Islam about who the first followers of the Promised One would be. A great Muslim teacher said they would be the people of Persia.

Would you and I know about the Faiths of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh if it were not for the people of Persia? Even today, the Bahá’ís in Persia (which is now called Iran) are teaching us by their example.

Well, what do you think? If you had been born in the time of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, would you have understood these clues? If you had prayed and hoped to be His follower, perhaps you would.

Knowing how to be a good Bahá’í today needs prayer too. Light the lamp of your heart and you will discover many mysteries! [Page 26]

Big Cook Little Cook

by Mary K. Radpour

1. Ayyám-i-Há is coming! Aria’s favorite party treat is Baba’s almond cookies, and this year she will help him make them. When Baba was a little boy, he chopped almonds for these cookies, but now they are dropped into the food processor. Aria pushes a button, and there is such a noise! Then the sugar is added, again the button is pushed, and out ‎comes come‎ the almonds and sugar all crumbed together.

2. Into the bowl it goes! Aria tries breaking an egg into a cup, but the shell goes everywhere, broken into little pieces. So Baba adds the egg himself, so the cookies won’t be full of little crackly shells.

3. Now comes the fun of mixing it all together. [Page 27]4. It is very gooey! So Baba decides that it needs a little more almonds and sugar. The mixture must be just right—not too gooey and not too dry, or it can’t be formed into little balls.

5. Now it is time to get the pan ready for the cookies. Aria rubs the bottom of the pan with a big stick of butter to make it greasy.

6. The cookies are still a little gooey, probably because we used a big egg! So Baba scoots them off of a big spoon into little balls on the pan. [Page 28]7. Almond cookies must be made special with a little pistachio decoration. So Baba shells the pistachios and breaks them into little pieces.

8. Aria and Baba make each cookie into a treat by putting a pistachio in the center! The cookies will go into the oven, and we must wait for them to be ready.

They smell wonderful! They look wonderful! How do they taste? Aria wants you to enjoy these marvelous almond cookies as much as she does, so here is the recipe:

Baba’s Almond Cookies

1. Chop up enough almonds to make two cups of crumbs.

2. Add 1½ cups of sugar to the almonds and mix together.

3. Add one egg. Mix well. If gooey, add more ‎almontl almond‎-sugar mixture, if too dry, add a bit more egg.

4. Butter a glass pan.

5. Roll the mixture into balls or drop by spoons onto the pan.

6. Top each cookie with a pistachio decoration.

7. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

8. When the cookies are brown on the bottom (you can see this through the glass) place them under the broiler until the tops are just golden brown.

9. Now eat them all or save some for your Ayyám-i-Há party. There should be about thirty cookies. [Page 29]

DOT to DOT

by Rita Leydon

START

STOP [Page 30]

the Mirrors

Text and music by Mimi McClellan Illustrated by Winifred Barnum Newman © 1985

Adam and Noah, Abraham and Moses, Krishna and Zoroaster, Buddha and Christ, Then came Muḥammad, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. These are the Prophets and They are ONE! These are the Mirrors and God is the SUN!

note: This can be sung as a two part round. The second voice comes in at the star.

Group 1 claps hands: etc.

Group 2 slaps thighs: etc. [Page 31]GOD

THE BÁB

MUHAMMAD

BUDDHA

CHRIST

ZOROASTER

KRISHNA

ABRAHAM

MOSES

NOAH

ADAM [Page 32]

Ten Candles

by Janet Bixby

Ten candles stood in a tall, proud row, And each had inside a special glow Given by the hand of power and might, And each one waited to become a light.

Illustrated by Louise Taylor

Said the master of the candles, "There's a truth to be learned. If you want to give light, then you must be burned, For to light the world takes a sacrifice. You must pay with yourselves. It's the only price."

Nine candles said, "We give up our will." And they waited to be lit, all calm and still, And one by one they were set ablaze, And they melted away singing songs of praise.

As one flickered out and the night grew dark, The next would catch fire from a dying spark, So they all burned brightly with a single light, And guided the wanderers through the night, And forever after, they were glorified By the thankful people they were able to guide.

But one candle said, "Why should I give my light To help some fool in the dark of night? I don't want to light 'cause I don't want to burn And the fool in the darkness isn't my concern." In a box with some papers, it hid away, And was thrown in the garbage the very next day. [Page 33]--BLANK-- [Page 34]

Serendipity Books

by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James, Price/Stern/Sloan Publishers, Inc., Los Angeles

by Joyce Block

Leo the Lop has a problem: Leo is a rabbit with droopy ears. They drag in the dirt as he walks around, and they droop in his soup! But worst of all, Leo’s friends laugh at him because he isn’t normal. Leo has quite a problem to solve, and to find out how he does it, you can read Leo the Lop, which is just one of a collection of short books called Serendipity Books.

Each book features a different lovable creature like Creole, who isn’t very pretty on the outside, but has a beautiful heart, and who needs to find a way to get the other forest animals not to be afraid of her. Kartusch, a blind, green snake, teaches the “Furry Eyefulls” to “see” with more than just their eyes. Serendipity, the pink sea monster, shows us how to respect other living things.

The books are not long, and are easy to read. So look for Kartusch, Creole, Serendipity and Leo alongside their friends Hucklebug, Flutterby, Catundra, Shimmeree, and many others, at bookstores and libraries.

And I think you’ll like how Leo solves his problem with the droopy ears! ■

[Page 35]

Spiritual Nurturing: Toward Steadfast Families..

.by Deborah L. Bley

elping our children become Hattracted to and attracted to and enamored of the fundamental parental duty 1.2 which assists the development of our children's spiritual natures, and prepares them for coping with the tests and bounties of life in this world. The challenge of how to do this confronts Bahá’í families and communities everywhere.

Because education of children is first a parental function, the family will be used as the example in this discussion, but the issues raised here can be extended to the Bahá’í community as well.

Much of a child's identity is shaped by subtle factors within the family: what the family shares when together, what they. discuss at meals, how they handle crisis and stress, how they resolve family conflicts, where they turn for guidance and comfort. If turning to the Writings is a natural part of daily family life, then the child will be more likely to internalize the truth that the Creative Word is a resource of infinite range and value.

In aiding the child to become well-versed in the Writings, two elements. would seem to be essential to his experience: habit or routine, and parental nurturing as a part of exposure to the Writings.

Children seek to make sense of the world around them. This is part of what makes them such eager learners. Because they are absorbing so much new information, habits, traditions or routines within the family can give them a sense of security. These routines establish the priority of things we do each day in life. and free us from the tyranny of a momentary impulse. If, for example, the family has a habit of reading the Writings together every evening, or praying together in the mornings, the child identifies himself with that pattern, and carves out his place in it. If he observes his parent turning to the Writings for consolation or guidance, he relates himself to that model.

Inseparable from those habits and family traditions is the quality of nurturing. In a recent letter to the editor of a woman's magazine, a grandmother wrote that when she lay down with her grandchild for a nap in the afternoon, she would put on a record of classical music, and tell the child what was playing as they cuddled and went to sleep. Within weeks, the three year old was asking for the Beethoven sonata or the Rachmaninoff variations on Paganini!

If the times within the family when we study the Creative Word and pray together are times when children feel cherished and nurtured, they will look forward to those moments with happy anticipation, and will learn for the joy of the total experience.

Sometimes it seems that we hesitate to introduce our children to the Writings, for fear of "imposing" the Writings upon them. If we as parents take this position, we are neglecting a fundamental truth: "The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God..."3 In not giving our children the opportunity to study the literature of our faith, we are withholding from them the most sustaining of all things. While study requires discipline and structure, it does not need to be drudgery! Especially for younger children. or children for whom reading the Writings is a new experience, it should be a happy and even a fun time. Adults whose experience as children evokes memories of rigidity, repression and pain associated with religious study, will value even more the importance of providing activities which will be enticing and pleasant for the child. With an eye always toward reverence, games and exercises, experiments and adventures can be built around the Writings.

When the opportunity arises, what is being studied can have applicability to family experiences, problems and decision-making. What the Central Figures have to say about a particular area that a child is studying in school can also be a way of connecting the child to the variety of subjects discussed in Bahá’í literature.

Beginning to familiarize the child with often-quoted Bahá’í passages, and engaging him in activities which help him discover meanings for himself can increase his sense of identity as a Bahá’í child, and enhance his feeling of competence as a Bahá’í.

We are blessed to have volumes of Bahá’í literature, with authorized translations and numerous commentaries approved by Bahá’í institutions. From this tremendous repository of Bahá’í literature, we can draw countless concrete examples for our children. Within the Sacred Writings, here are just a few examples of resources which are full of analogies which make abstract concepts more accessible: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh; Bahá’u’lláh’s Words of Wisdom, found in The Reality of Man; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talks-such as Paris Talks or Promulgation of Universal Peace, Memorials of the Faithful, and of course the prayers. These are only a few illustrations of Writings which evoke vivid impressions for the reader.

Bahá’u’lláh also tells us that "Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation. within it of the attributes and names of God.. When we encounter abstract concepts in the Writings, or when our children confront us with questions about abstract subjects, we can look to the world around us for physical counterparts of spiritual principles, and help our children. see natural phenomena as manifestations. of spirit.

If we share the study of the Writings with our children regularly, creatively and in a spirit of joy, an evolutionary process may be set in motion for the child. As a young child, he will experience. parental nurturing inseparably from the study of the Creative Word. As he becomes older, reading the Writings will be more likely to hold memories and associations of parental love, even when he studies on his own. Finally, we would. wish for our children that the loving guidance and direction gained from daily study of the Writings will become an additional, independent source of parenting for them, and that they will experience the ultimate, divine nurturing which the Writings alone can provide. ■

1 Bahá’í World Faith, p. 383 2 Bahá’í World Faith, pa. 398 3 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 5 4 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p 177

[Page 36]Isn’t reading together one of the nicest things?

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