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AUTHOR’S PREFACE
In August, 1956, I was invited to speak on the Bahá’í World Faith from the pulpit of the Congregational Church, Medindie, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. So far as I know, this was the first occasion on which the Message of the Bahá’í Faith has been given from a Christian pulpit in Australia. At the first service the Minister of the church, Rev. Aubrey C. Stevens, M.A., was present and conducted the service. Subsequently, he invited me to deliver to his people a short series of four addresses under the title: Great Themes of Life. I conducted these services throughout March, 1957, and those talks, together with the first one, make up this book.
About half a century ago I was brought to this church as a child. My mother’s family worshipped here for many years. I can recall the seats arranged up there by the organ for the children’s anniversary, and I remember drags lined up in the street at the side of this church with the horses chaffing to be off to the hills for our picnics.
Here is the first thread in a design which I
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feel God commenced to weave in those days, preparatory to these lectures: Rev. Stevens was one of the young men of the church in those days. Later, we met more intimately at the Victor Harbour church, and it was there that I stood beside him in his pulpit and delivered a Christmas sermon.
I wish to record my deep and sincere appreciation of Rev. Aubrey Stevens’ loving cooperation. Few men have the breadth of Vision, tender tolerance towards humanity, and humble trust in God that this Christian displayed. Since commencing the compilation of this book, Rev. Stevens has been called to the glorious Kingdom of God. In his sphere on earth in which he lived and worked a sweet perfume lingers, influencing all it touches, redolent of a crushed rose. It can be said of him, that he appreciated the injunction of Bahá’u’lláh: “In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love.”
I desire, too, to acknowledge my indebtedness to the writings of the late Rev. George Townshend, M.A. (Oxon), former Canon of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, Arch-Deacon Of Clonfort, and, in the latter years of his life, a valiant and devoted servant of the Cause of
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Bahá’u’lláh, serving the Bahá’í Faith with a gem-like brilliance whose luster radiates throughout the world today.
E. B. “Birch Glade” Mount Lofty, South Australia
