The American Bahá’í/Volume 3/Issue 4/Text
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Riḍván: The Festival of God[edit]
The holiest day of the Bahá’í year, April 21st, the first day of the Riḍván Festival, acclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh as the “Most Great Festival,” the “King of Festivals,” and the “Festival of God,” begins a twelve-day period of joyous celebration commemorating Bahá’u’lláh’s first announcement of His Station and Mission to a few companions in Baghdád in 1863. This historic event took place on the eve of the second cruel banishment of Bahá’u’lláh, from Baghdad to Constantinople, which opened the darkest period of Bahá’í history.
For several years prior to this second exile, Bahá’u’lláh had exhibited in Baghdád a sadness and heaviness of heart which had caused great concern among the friends there. This was a time of continuous danger, with bitter enemies of the Cause ready to seize upon any pretext for fresh persecutions. Many Bábís were forced to flee from Persia and seek refuge near Bahá’u’lláh. Yet, He many times referred, in Tablets and in converse, to a period of great trial and hardship which was to come.
On the fifth of Naw-Rúz in 1863, in a garden on the outskirts of the city of Baghdad, Bahá’u’lláh revealed the “Tablet of the Holy Mariner” in which He prophesied the severe afflictions He would suffer. The gloomy forecast and mournful tone of this Tablet served to confirm the fears and misgivings of those who were present to hear it.
“Oceans of sorrow,” Nabil, author of THE DAWN-BREAKERS, has witnessed, “surged in the hearts of the listeners when the Tablet of the Holy Mariner was read aloud to them.... It was evident to everyone that the chapter of Baghdád was about to be closed, and a new one opened, in its stead. No sooner had that Tablet been chanted than Bahá’u’lláh ordered that the tents which had been pitched should be folded up, and that all His companions should return to the city. While the tents were being removed, He observed: ‘These tents may be likened to the trappings of this world, which no sooner are they spread out than the time cometh for them to be rolled up.’ From these words of His, they who heard them perceived that these tents would never again be pitched on that spot.” (GOD PASSES BY, p. 147.)
Before the tents had been carried away, a messenger arrived from Baghdád with a communication from the governor of the region requesting an interview with Bahá’u’lláh. The next day, the order for Bahá’u’lláh’s second banishment was delivered to Him. Six weeks later, the Blessed Beauty had departed from that city forever.
The ten years of Bahá’u’lláh’s exile to Baghdád had worked a miraculous transformation among the believers there. He had arrived in 1853 at a time when the Faith of the Báb was in the midst of a grave internal crisis and when the morals, no less than the numbers of the persecuted believers, had sharply declined. Slowly, through the evidences of His wisdom, strength, and unerring guidance, Bahá’u’lláh definitely established His leadership among the Bábí community. Slowly, through years of patient consolidation, He infused a new life into the body of the faithful, at the same time winning the respect and devotion of many important Muslim friends.
As Bahá’u’lláh’s power and prestige began to rise in Baghdád, He gradually prepared His companions for the coming announcement of His Mission. In Tablets and poems which were revealed almost every day, through hints and allusions in private and public talks, and by the noted change in His outward behavior, Bahá’u’lláh anticipated the joy and glory of His Declaration at Riḍván. So definite and numerous were the signs of this awaited announcement that a few Bábís even guessed the glorious secret which Bahá’u’lláh held within His breast—a secret which they were charged by Him to keep well hidden.
The little band of Bábí exiles, so patiently nurtured and guided by Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Iráq, were crushed and overwhelmed by the news of His impending removal from their midst. A desperate tumult and commotion broke out among these devoted friends. On the first night after the news spread, many renounced both food and sleep, and some resolved that they would take their own lives should the order for banishment ever be carried out.
Only the calming words of Bahá’u’lláh Himself and the prophetic Tablets which continually streamed from His Pen could gradually still the consternation of the friends and cause them to resign themselves to the Will of God. Yet, believers and non-believers alike continued to call upon Him in a steady flow to pay their respects and express their regrets.
Twenty-seven days after the ominous and fateful “Tablet of the Holy Mariner” had been revealed, Bahá’u’lláh and a few companions set out on the first day of Riḍván for the place which was to be known thereafter as the Garden of Riḍván (Paradise). Along the way, throngs of people crowded along His path, some only curious, others weeping and lamenting, and still others stunned and shocked. To the poor among them, Bahá’u’lláh generously distributed alms. He reached the Tigris River, which He crossed, and entered the garden, where He remained for twelve days. Shortly after His arrival, the river rose and overflowed its banks and did not recede until the ninth day, when He was joined by more of His family and followers.
The exact circumstances of Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration of His mission and purpose during those days in the Garden of Riḍván are, alas, lost in the dim light of history. But the significance of this event shines out in brilliant splendor. It represents the renewal of divine guidance to man, the culmination of six thousand years of religious history, and the fulfilment of the Covenants of all the Prophets and Messengers of God. The purpose of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, first announced on this historic day, is none other than the complete transformation of the whole human race and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
Tapping Sources of Celestial Strength[edit]
(Editor’s note: The following is the first part of a three-part condensation of a talk given by Dr. Daniel Jordan, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, December 5, 1970, in Wilmette, Illinois. The remainder will be presented in the next two issues of THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í.)
We are at that point of final reckoning as a community. The affairs of men on this planet will be determined in the next several years by what the American Bahá’í community does in the way of making sacrificial efforts to put the building of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh on a firm, spiritual basis. When this is done, we will be guaranteed a continual flow of material means to translate the blueprint of the new World Order into actuality.
The Universal House of Justice has told us that ours is not a material problem, but a spiritual one, and that as long as we continue to try to find a material solution to that problem we will not be successful.
Each believer, therefore, must strive for a clarity of understanding of the spiritual attitudes and behavior which will tap the sources of celestial strength. This understanding will enable him to play his proper role in building the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and to achieve a life which is in tune with the purpose of God for man in this day.
The spiritual virtues of COMMITMENT, RESPONSIBILITY, and SACRIFICE are of critical importance in building the new World Order. In order to acquire them, we must understand the dynamics of the formation of these virtues.
Shoghi Effendi has told us that, “... the untapped sources of celestial strength from which it [the American Bahá’í community] can draw are measureless, in their potencies, and will unhesitatingly pour forth their energizing influences if the necessary daily effort be made and the required sacrifices be willingly accepted.” (CITADEL OF FAITH, p. 85.) So everything we need in terms of strength and energy is there, just waiting to be tapped! What is required of us is daily effort and sacrifice, and the first important virtue is COMMITMENT.
Commitment involves goal-setting. What is the benefit of commitment in terms of goal-setting?
Goal-setting clarifies our intentions and makes them conscious! Unconscious intentions and goals lead us to drift and be unfruitful. Building the World Order is a deliberative, consultative, and conscious operation. What we intend should be very clear. Every Bahá’í must clarify his intentions in setting goals in terms of his financial obligations.
Goal-setting automatically arranges priorities in our lives. If we do not have a sense of priority we have no guide by which to allocate our resources of energy, time, and money. It is absolutely essential for Bahá’ís to set goals because this step arranges our priorities and guarantees the distribution of our resources in terms of these priorities. The first priority in our lives is to help build the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and to achieve a life which is in tune with the purpose of God for man in this day.
Goal-setting creates self-expectations along the lines of determining our priorities, which reflect our intentions and, therefore, determine our behavior. What is intended is the creation of spiritual habits (repeated kinds of behavior), like giving to the Fund. These habits should reflect our goals, our intentions, and our priorities. Simply setting goals in words does not do too much—we have to carry through to achieve those goals!
This brings us to the virtue of RESPONSIBILITY which will be discussed in the next issue of THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í.
Schools To Stress Improving Quality of Bahá’í Life[edit]
Following the example of the National Spiritual Assembly in its efforts to help in the transformation of American Bahá’í community life, the central theme of all Bahá’í schools for 1972 will be “Improving the Quality of Bahá’í Life.” The urgency of this essential striving on the part of the individual believer, and of the community as a whole, is repeatedly stressed in the writings of Shoghi Effendi. In THE ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE, p. 25, for example, he writes that “... a chaste and holy life,... can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits, and the excesses of a decadent age.” The Guardian further states, however, “that the maintenance of such a high standard of moral conduct is not to be associated or confused with any form of asceticism, or of excessive and bigoted puritanism.”
To further help Bahá’ís learn how to live up to the high standards demanded in the Sacred Writings and in their interpretations by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi is one of the major goals of the Bahá’í schools. There can be no question that this is a vital goal for Bahá’í schools, since these schools present a situation in which Bahá’ís are responsible for the general environment. There, the Bahá’ís have the possibility of living with the least amount of distraction and in accordance with the highest code of conduct.
In spite of this supportive environment, things do not always go smoothly. School attendees, both Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, are at various levels of self-development. Many practices and habits which have been acquired, and which are considered acceptable, in the world around us are brought to the schools. Several days at school may elapse before growth and insight take place in an individual, allowing him to rise above his questionable behavior. The example of those about him, the warmth of Bahá’í fellowship, and close contact with the Teachings of the Faith are necessary.
Sometimes habits and behaviors are so deeply ingrained and at such variance with Bahá’í standards that they cannot be tolerated. At this point, those who are responsible for the operation of the school, namely the appointed councils and committees, must act justly and promptly to protect the school and the Faith, even to the extent of dismissing the offending person.
In order to assist the school councils and committees to function most effectively in the maintenance of a high quality of life at the schools, members of the National Bahá’í Schools Committee have participated recently in a series of pre-session visits with each of the fifteen councils and committees. During these meetings, program plans have been discussed and procedures developed which will assist each school in its own operation.
It is hoped that, as a result of these consultations, Bahá’í schools will offer maximum opportunities to all who attend them for attaining the goal implied in the national theme: “Improving the Quality of Bahá’í Life.”
NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í SCHOOLS COMMITTEE[edit]
(Editor’s note: For information on summer sessions at the various Bahá’í schools, please refer to the NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í REVIEW, April 1972, which is enclosed in this issue of THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í.)
Needed: 1912 Newspaper Accounts of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Visit to America[edit]
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Qualities to Live By
“We have made music a ladder by which souls may ascend to the realm on high. Change it not into wings for self and passion. I seek refuge in God that you be not of the ignorant.” From the KITÁB-I-AQDAS “Among some of the nations of the Orient, music and harmony were not approved of, but the Manifested Light, Bahá’u’lláh, in this glorious period has revealed in Holy Tablets that singing and music are the spiritual food of the hearts and souls. In this dispensation, music is one of the arts that is highly approved and is considered to be the cause of the exaltation of sad and desponding hearts. “Therefore...set to music the verses and the divine words so that they may be sung with soul-stirring melody in the Assemblies and gatherings, and that the hearts of the listeners may become tumultuous and rise towards the Kingdom of Abhá in supplication and prayer.” BAHÁ’Í WORLD FAITH, p. 378 “In regard to the main question you have raised in connection with the singing of hymns at Bahá’í meetings. He wishes me to answer you that he sees no objection to it whatsoever. The element of music is, no doubt, an important feature of all Bahá’í gatherings. The Master Himself has emphasized its importance. But the friends should in this, as well as in all other things, not pass beyond the limits of moderation, and should take great care to maintain the strict spiritual character of all their gatherings. Music should lead to spirituality, and provided it creates such an atmosphere there can be no objection against it. “A distinction of vital importance should, however, be clearly established between the singing of hymns composed by the believers and the chanting of the Holy Utterances.” Letter dated March 17, 1935, written on Shoghi Effendi’s behalf to an individual believer. |
In order to complete the editing on a forthcoming book about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the General Editor of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, is looking for copies of the following 1912 newspaper clippings regarding the Master’s visit to America. Where titles of the articles were available, these are listed; where the titles were missing, something of the article’s content is suggested. Original clippings would, of course, be a welcome addition to the National Bahá’í Archives; however, a Xerox or photostatic copy would be adequate for editing purposes. The Bahá’í Publishing Trust will be most appreciative of any assistance the friends can offer in locating these articles.
CHICAGO DAILY NEWS, May 1: Description of dedication of Temple site.
CHICAGO EXAMINER, April 30 or May 1: PROPHET ABDUL BAHA HERE.
CHICAGO RECORD-HERALD, May 14: “ALL RIGHT,” NATIONS SLOGAN.
CHICAGO RECORD-HERALD, September 12: Announcement of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s return to Chicago.
CHICAGO RECORD-HERALD, November 4: Mentions ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, head of oldest man-made universal peace movement, etc.
CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER, May 5: GIVES NEW CREED TALK.
CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER, May 6: BAHAISTS TO HEAR VENERABLE LEADER.
CINCINNATI INQUIRER, November 5: Mentions Dr. Baha spoke there.
BOSTON EVENING TRANSCRIPT, May 23: LARGEST IN YEARS: UNITARIAN FESTIVAL IN TREMONT TEMPLE.
DENVER POST, September 24: ABDUL BAHA ABBAS—PERSIAN TEACHER—TO CONVERT DENVER (account written by Frances Wayne).
NEW YORK CITY MAIL, April 13: Refers to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as a man of wit.
NEW YORK CITY MAIL, April 29: Letter to the editor.
NEW YORK EVENING SUN, April 11 or 12: ABDUL BAHA ABBAS HERE.
NEW YORK CITY CALL, April 11 or 12: PERSIAN TEACHER TO PREACH UNITY.
NEW YORK CITY HERALD, April 14: Mentions an announcement that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would speak at the Church of the Ascension, and that He drew an overflow crowd, etc.
NEW YORK CITY GLOBE, April 22: Letter to the editor.
MONTREAL WEEKLY STAR, September 7: ABDUL BAHA’S WORD TO CANADA.
MINNEAPOLIS TRIBUNE, September 18 or 19: Mentions not knowing how long ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will stay.
WASHINGTON BEE, April 27: Mentions Bahá’ís refusing to draw the color line, etc.
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THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091. Material must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Black and white glossy prints should be included with material whenever possible. Articles and news written in a clear and concise manner are welcomed from individuals as well as assemblies and committees. Address all mail to: The American Bahá’í Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091. |
Bahá’í Child Education And
Family Life
Planning For Bahá’í Holy Days[edit]
The cycle of the Bahá’í calendar and the course of events in Bahá’í history make the Spring season a joyful and festive time of year for the followers of Bahá’u’lláh all over the world. Beginning on March 21 with Naw-Rúz (the Bahá’í New Year), which is soon followed by the twelve days of the Riḍván Festival (April 21–May 2) and the anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb (May 23), Bahá’ís are continually reminded of the origins of their Faith and called upon to celebrate the most holy and joyous days of the Bahá’í year. This period is followed by a more solemn one during which the anniversary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (May 29) and the Martyrdom of the Báb (July 9) are commemorated with appropriate meetings, prayers, and meditations.
All Bahá’ís will want to begin now to make plans for observing the next three Holy Days, May 23, 29, and July 9. These are days on which work is forbidden, so every effort on the part of the believers should be made to have these days off. If the employer refuses to grant these days off, however, the friends are not required to risk losing their jobs. Bahá’ís who have businesses of their own should refrain from working on these days, and every effort should be made also to have the children excused from school on religious grounds. Strict observance of these laws by the parents, older relatives, and Bahá’ís in general will set a good example and help to establish an important pattern in the lives of the children.
Bahá’í Holy Days no doubt face heavy competition in the lives of many Bahá’í children who are so familiar with the attractions of Christmas and Easter, which are national holidays and have become so commercialized. Bahá’í parents, therefore, have a tremendous responsibility to make the Bahá’í Holy Days deep and significant experiences in the home. Local Spiritual Assemblies have the responsibility to make them deep and significant experiences for the Bahá’ís in general in their respective communities. Children should certainly be involved in the planning of creative, yet meaningful programs, and families should strive to commemorate the Holy Days together whether in the home or at community gatherings.
THE DECLARATION OF THE BÁB[edit]
On certain Holy Days, it is possible to have children participate in activities that are directly related to the significance of the events being remembered. On the night of May 22, for example, which is the anniversary of the Báb’s first meeting with Mullá Ḥusayn, a walk at sunset followed by tea and prayers at home may serve as an exciting accompaniment to the story of the Báb’s Declaration. On May 23, parties of happy celebration are in order.
THE ASCENSION OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH[edit]
May 29 calls for a more solemn observance. Bahá’u’lláh’s Ascension is commemorated at three o’clock in the morning with prayers, appropriate readings from the Sacred Writings, and meditations. During the daylight hours following the commemoration, the children could perhaps be gathered together to learn stories about the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh, or to share stories they already know about Him.
THE MARTYRDOM OF THE BÁB[edit]
Again, a solemn observance should take place. This year, July 9 falls on a Sunday so, in most cases, there will be no need to request the day off work or permission to be excused from school. Where applicable, of course, requests should be made. This is a day on which the turbulence of early Bahá’í history can be made to come alive for the children through stories from THE DAWN-BREAKERS and other materials available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. Special prayers should be said at noon, the time of the Báb’s Martyrdom. Perhaps this would also be a good day to hang a picture of the Shrine of the Báb in the house.
(Suggested reading for the months of May and June: GOD PASSES BY by Shoghi Effendi, which re-creates the actual scenes and events of the first hundred years of the Bahá’í Dispensation. We witness the declaration of the Báb to His first disciple, His imprisonment and martyrdom, the fate of the heroic dawn-breakers, the imprisonment and exile of Bahá’u’lláh, His revelation of books and tablets, the role of the Center of the Covenant, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and His journeys to Egypt, Europe, and America, and the rise of the Bahá’í community throughout the world.)
THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í editors will be most happy to receive reports and pictures of family and community observances of these very special days.
You Are Lovingly Invited[edit]
TO VISIT THE BAHA’Í HOUSE OF WORSHIP AND THE NATIONAL BAHA’Í ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER.
A special program, unique in the history of the American Bahá’í Community, has been designed to offer the friends an opportunity for spiritual enrichment and inspiration at the “holiest House of Worship.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR VISIT WILL BE:
- A tour of the House of Worship and Gardens,
- Periods of prayer and meditation at the House of Worship,
- A deepening program,
- A briefing on the status of teaching and deepening,
- Teaching in the Gardens,
- A viewing of a special exhibit from the National Archives,
- Luncheon at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds,
- Dinner with National Center staff, and
- A tour of National Bahá’í Center offices.
The dates for each visit are:
- June 2, 3 and 4, 1972 - for a group of thirty believers,
- July 7, 8 and 9, 1972 - for a group of thirty believers, and
- August 18, 19 and 20, 1972 - for a larger group of believers.
Housing will be arranged at the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge, Skokie, Illinois; and transportation will be provided, as follows:
- Pick-up at O’Hare International Airport to the Motor Lodge,
- Return trip to O’Hare International Airport for departure.
- One daily trip to the Bahá’í House of Worship each morning, and one return trip to the Lodge each evening.
Rates at the Lodge:
| 1 person | $17.00 | (1 double bed) | $19.00 | (1 double and 1 single bed) |
$19.00 | (2 double beds) |
| 2 persons | $20.00 | " " " | $24.00 | " " " | $24.00 | " " " |
| 3 persons | $27.00 | " " " | $27.00 | " " " | ||
| 4 persons | $30.00 | " " " |
Please note:
There is a 5% tax on all accommodations. Children under 12 - no extra charge.
No babysitting facilities will be available. All housing and meal costs are to be paid by the visitors.
“The time is ripe...[edit]
| MEXICO or BELIZE (BRITISH HONDURAS) or VENEZUELA or COLOMBIA Approximately 35 boys or girls, 20 years and over. Teaching and consolidation projects in villages and towns (details forthcoming). Language(s) required: Spanish preferable. Cost: Approximately $225 plus transportation. |
NICARAGUA 4 boys and 4 girls, 17 years and over. Teaching and consolidation projects in Leon and Matagalpa (university town). Open the Departamento de Madriz to the Faith. Teaching in Belén—goal is to establish an Assembly at Riḍván 1973. Language(s) required: Spanish preferable. Cost: $300 plus transportation. |
FINLAND 12 boys or girls. Teams of American and Finnish Bahá’ís to mass teach in southwestern Finland (Ahvenanmaa Island included) and central Finland (Jyväskylä, and the Kuopio-Mikkeli area). Language(s) required: Finnish and/or English. Cost: $300-400 plus transportation. |
NORWAY 20 boys or girls. Teams of American and Norwegian Bahá’ís on mass teaching and consolidation projects in the Norwegian goal areas of Ås (near Oslo), Bodø, Tromsø, and Lillehammer. Language(s) required: Norwegian and/or English. Cost: $300-400 plus transportation. |
| GUATEMALA 8 boys and 4 girls, 18 years and over. Teaching in villages and towns in the Villa Canales area. Assisting the friends in their teaching efforts in the San Juan Astuncalco area. Mass teaching in Solota and Soloja (Indian villages near Lake Atitlán). Language(s) required: Spanish preferable. Cost: $120 plus transportation. |
COSTA RICA 2 boys and 1 girl, 20 years and over. Expansion project among the Spanish, Negro, and Indian people on the Atlantic Coast. Language(s) required: Spanish preferable. Cost: $100 plus transportation. |
SWITZERLAND 12 boys or girls. Teams of American and Swiss Bahá’ís on mass teaching and consolidation projects in central Switzerland (Lucerne area), Swisse Romande (Lausanne area), and upper Valais. Language(s) required: French and/or German. Cost: $300-400 plus transportation. |
BELGIUM Approximately 8-10 boys or girls. Teaching and consolidation projects (details forthcoming). Language(s) required: French preferable. Cost: $300-400 plus transportation. |
| EL SALVADOR 8 boys and 4 girls, 18 years and over. Mass teaching among Indian and rural Latin population. Language(s) required: Spanish mandatory. Cost: $150 plus transportation. |
PERU 18 young people of either sex. Open new localities in Puno area around Lake Titicaca (elevation 12,400 feet)—goal is to establish many new Assemblies by Riḍván 1973. Expansion project to increase number of Bahá’í communities in Cuzco (elevation 11,500 feet). Work with the local regional teaching committee in expansion and consolidation projects in Huancayo (elevation 10,500 feet). Language(s) required: Spanish preferable. Cost: $250 plus transportation. |
GERMANY 30 boys or girls. Teams of American and German Bahá’ís on mass teaching and consolidation projects in München, Köln, Lübeck, Erlangen, and Langenhain. Language(s) required: German preferable. Cost: $300-400 plus transportation. |
BRITISH ISLES Approximately 40 boys or girls. Mass teaching and consolidation projects with local believers in Wales, northern England, the Midlands of England, southwestern England, eastern England (including London), the Channel Islands, Scotland (including the Orkney and Shetland Islands), Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Language(s) required: English. Cost: $300-400 plus transportation. |
| Contact INTERNATIONAL GOALS COMMITTEE 112 LINDEN AVENUE WILMETTE, ILLINOIS 60091 |
ECUADOR 5 boys and 5 girls, 16 years and over. Reach the high school and college students—groups of teachers will travel throughout the country. Language(s) required: Spanish. Cost: $225 plus transportation. |
FRANCE 16 boys or girls. Teams of American and French Bahá’ís for mass teaching and consolidation projects in Corsica, the Metz-Strasbourg area, the Paris area, and either the Rhone Alps or the Basque area in the southwest. Language(s) required: French. Cost: $300-400 plus transportation. |
ITALY 9 boys or girls. Work with the local Italian Bahá’í youth in mass teaching projects in Sardinia, Sicily, and the Calabria-Puglia area. Language(s) required: Italian and possibly French. Cost: $300-400 plus transportation. |
[edit]
Dear Bahá’í friend,
I want to share this story with my fellow Bahá’ís all over the world. Would you please print this in one of the Bahá’í papers?
DOTTIE’S GIFT TO THE KOKOMO BAHÁ’ÍS
Our Spiritual Assembly was having trouble finding a place for a children’s school. We all wanted a school but were unable to use our homes for one reason or another. There were 15 or more children under 15 in our community and no place to teach them. At a Feast, Dale Keirn told us his non-Bahá’í wife wanted to open their home to the Bahá’í children.
You may ask why this was such a special gift. Dottie Keirn, mother of Jon, 14; Susie, 12; Maria, 10; and Julie, 5, had just found out that she had cancer. Mrs. Keirn had been married before and lost her husband in an airplane crash. She was worried about her children. The older three had lost their dad, and now she was worried about the future. Dottie and Dale both had to plan how to run their family normally while Dottie got well. And somehow they both managed to find time to open their home to the Bahá’í children. On Sunday mornings, Dale, Lou Kinsey, and I taught the children.
Then Dale told us one day that this lovely mother had terminal cancer. Dottie passed from us to God on March 1 at the age of 39. Dottie gave us our school and much more.
Dale and their children gave us an understanding of love, life, and death. The Bahá’í children in our school learned about life and death as written by Bahá’u’lláh from Dale and Dottie Keirn.
Our Bahá’í family asks that you pray for all of them.
My children and the others learned some good lessons from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá just before the Fast, Naw-Rúz, and Riḍván. These Holy Days took on more meaning for all of us because of Dottie.
P.S., Dottie enjoyed the lessons, too, because they helped prepare her children, so we in turn were able to give Dottie a gift.
(Editor’s note: The above letter was sent to THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í by Mrs. Michael Jefferson of Kokomo, Indiana. Mrs. Keirn’s wonderful example of loving care and concern for the spiritual education of the children in the community is one which we hope others will be inspired to follow.)
FROM A VETERAN BELIEVER ON MASS TEACHING: AN HONEST LOOK
Dear Bahá’í friends,
I really don’t know how to begin this letter. Something deep inside me has said for some time now that somehow, some way, I must let the white northern believer, the believers who have been in the Faith for a long time, those of us who have grown comfortable or complacent in the Faith, and anyone who, like myself, strongly questioned all this business of mass teaching, ease their doubts, because Bahá’u’lláh really knows what He is doing. The question is, will we respond?
A little over eight months ago, Bahá’u’lláh saw fit to transfer my husband to Alabama. I was less than excited because I was lifted from a pioneering post up North; however, it seemed obvious that I was being sent down South to help consolidate and deepen the new believers. Perhaps to a limited extent this was true, but what never really crossed my mind was what I could gain and learn from the souls down here. I was willing to give alright, but I wasn’t truly open to being able to receive anything. After all, I was a deepened Bahá’í! I could conduct classes! I was certainly well fixed financially, so I knew my contributions would be a real boost to the local fund, etc., etc., ad nauseam!
I arrived and was ready to meet all the “pure”, “simple” souls I had read and been told about. Souls waiting to be filled with Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings. On my initial contacts, I experienced a culture shock that rocked me to my heels. The poverty level was unbelievable to my white, middle-class eyes, and the lifestyle and the problems which poverty breeds shocked my middle-class morality to the core. The culture gap between these people (I couldn’t yet think of them as Bahá’ís) and myself was so great that I wanted to hide in the suburbs, convincing myself that I was trying to teach the white southerner.
What a lesson Bahá’u’lláh had in store for me. It soon became very clear that you can’t teach anyone until you are unified and/or at least making an effort to become unified with the members already in your community. I now had a choice—either leave the Faith because it wasn’t what I thought it was, or hang on.
I signed up for a course at the local university on the problems of minority groups. This gave me an intellectual handle to hang on to while the things I was seeing and experiencing in the local Bahá’í community were buffeting me to and fro. This helped some, but this old heart was really encrusted in thick ice. Then we received orders...we were to be transferred back to the North. Bahá’u’lláh didn’t have much time to melt this old iceberg. He slapped me down in bed for over a month. I was sick and everything the doctors tried to do was pretty useless. I was scared and I prayed and prayed. Then a strange thing happened. I found that I was beginning to miss being in the company of the believers in the community. During the month, no one came to visit. Occasionally, I received a perfunctory phone call. Let’s face it, these people could read me like a book and if they were a test for me, I was probably a worse test for them in view of what was told to them about the oneness of mankind being the fundamental pivot around which our Faith revolved.
The other night, I felt strong enough to have a small meeting at my home. After the meeting, one of the friends (a product of mass teaching) came over to me and said that she had noticed I had a large pile of ironing stacked up and could she come over and do it for me. I told her, no, I didn’t want to perpetuate the old world order and, more specifically, the old South order, by having her work for me. She looked at me sternly and said, “I didn’t mean to get paid for it. I know you been sick and if you try and take care of this big house all by yourself, you are going to be down in bed again.” I was crushed. Bahá’í love was being extended and I was too blind to see and too deaf to hear. She continued, “You know we are sisters, and we got to help each other. A lot of you white folk don’t know what it is to be poor, so you don’t know how to receive. I don’t want nothing from you, I just wants to help.”
Needless to say, she is helping me, not only with the house, but by teaching me valuable lessons about false pride and those “idle fancies and vain imaginings.” There are still problems as I come face to face with my prejudices, but thank God a few veils have been lifted.
A couple of youngsters from the Operation “Gabriel” team came through the other evening, and when asked about mass teaching one said, “Right now the tide is out, and the oysters are laying there waiting to be gathered. You know that in some of them are pearls. If you try to shuck them down on the beach to discover which one has the pearl, you’ll be drowned by the rising tide before you shuck fifty of them; so, the ‘Army’ is gathering bushels of them, bringing them back on shore and shucking them there. I thank God that He has permitted me to gaze on some of these pearls and benefit from their beauty.”
Youth and Student Activities[edit]
High School Goal Won![edit]
There are now 50 clubs in existence which meets a goal of the Five Year Youth Program! And there is a possibility of 30 more, but we won’t know until we receive their constitutions. Congratulations to those Bahá’í youth in high schools whose dedication, perseverance, and enthusiasm have led to the accomplishment of this important goal.
Junior High School Clubs: 2 Formed, 8 to Go![edit]
The second junior high school club has now been formed. The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Olympia in Washington has announced that a club has been formed at Washington Junior High School where four Bahá’ís are students.
College Clubs: 277 Formed, 23 To Go![edit]
Bahá’ís on college campuses should not give up trying to form their Bahá’í clubs even if it is late in the school year. They should continue and increase their efforts until the last day of school, if necessary, to achieve their goal.
Requisites for a Bahá’í Club[edit]
If there are two or more believers on campus, a Bahá’í club could be formed. If, however, the school administration will not allow the formation of a club on campus, then a Bahá’í club may be formed off campus. There are many off-campus Bahá’í clubs doing a tremendous job reaching the student population.
Bahá’í clubs must be sponsored by either a Local Spiritual Assembly or a District Teaching Committee, depending on the location of the school. In order to form, a Constitution is required, and this can be obtained by writing to the Office of Youth and Student Activities, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
College students would easily enter the Cause if...[edit]
“As to teaching work in colleges and universities, this is very important, for students as a whole are open-minded and little influenced by tradition. They would easily enter the Cause if the subject is properly presented and their intellect and sentiments satisfied.” (Shoghi Effendi through his secretary, April 1932.)
The Bahá’í clubs at Morehead State College in Kentucky, and the University of South Florida, are examples of clubs which are striving to satisfy both the intellect and the sentiments of students on campus.
The Morehead State College Bahá’í Club held a most successful proclamation on campus which yielded five new believers. The proclamation was simple and direct, and exemplified love, fellowship, and unity. It was well arranged, many of the responsibilities having been delegated in the early planning stages. Invitations to view the film “It’s Just the Beginning” were made and distributed, and the Bahá’ís from nearby communities were invited to assist. After viewing the film, everyone moved into the lobby of the Student Union where some of the Bahá’ís and their guests formed a circle and started to sing. Before long, some students who were just walking by joined the circle and shared in the fellowship. After they had received the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, the students were asked if they would like to become Bahá’ís. Some hearts were touched, and the meeting ended up with five new believers, most of whom had not heard of the Faith until that evening.
The Bahá’í Club of the University of South Florida also held a successful proclamation on campus. During a lengthy consultation on how to devise a different, more positive and powerful approach to teaching, the club decided to hold a panel discussion on the Station of Christ and to entitle it “Jesus: Messiah, Man or Myth?”
They thought the subject might interest people who are generally concerned with theological issues and those who are non-committal, as well as those who are either liberal or conservative Christians. The panel was composed of the campus priest, a campus minister who represented the inter-denominational chapel fellowship, the faculty advisor for the Campus Crusade for Christ, and a Bahá’í. The members of the panel gave a short presentation of their respective viewpoints and responded in turn to the penetrating questions posed by a Bahá’í moderator. The floor was then opened to the audience, and the discussions ended only when the University Center had to close its doors for the night. After three hours of lively and sometimes heated discussions, one member of the audience on his way out was overheard to say: “If they keep this up, they’ll have this place filled every time!”
The Office of Youth and Student Activities staff looks forward to receiving reports of teaching activities on other campuses. “Vie ye with each other in the service of God and of His Cause.”
THE ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE[edit]
The above book by Shoghi Effendi can be considered as a supplement to the TABLETS OF THE DIVINE PLAN written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Both texts give the American believers clear and specific instructions as to what the goal of the American Bahá’í community is, how to achieve that goal, and what behavior change is going to be necessary. It is essential that every youth fulfill the goal of reading THE ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE and to be able to answer and comprehend the answers to the following questions:
What is the spiritual destiny of America?
What is the special role which the American believers are asked and will be asked to play?
What are the inherent characteristics of Americans that the American Bahá’ís are asked to overcome?
What special talents has God blessed the Americans with to enable them to fulfill their role?
What are the specific objectives the American believers are required to meet in their personal and social lives so that America’s spiritual destiny can be advanced?
It will be impossible to deal successfully with a collapsing social order without an appreciation of what the beloved Guardian has written, and without an understanding of the situation from the Bahá’í perspective.
We urge every American Bahá’í youth to study THE ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE and meditate upon what he has read. Pray for a clear understanding. As soon as you have read this book, we would appreciate receiving a postcard letting us know. Please address it to the Office of Youth and Student Activities, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Start Planning Your Summer Youth Projects Now![edit]
Now is the time to begin planning a summer youth project as one way of responding to the Message from The Universal House of Justice dated February 14, 1972, in which we are asked again to increase our efforts to reach all minority groups. Local Spiritual Assemblies and District Teaching Committees are urged to plan their projects now and to send us a brief description as soon as possible for publication in THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í. Please include dates, information on housing, and requirements such as age, number of youth, and what they will need in the way of expenses, transportation, etc.
Guidelines for organizing summer youth projects and sample application forms can be obtained by writing to the Office of Youth and Student Activities, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Mark Your Calendars Now![edit]
YAH-AH-TEH (Hello in Navajo)!
The friends in Ganado, Arizona, warmly invite you to attend a
BAHÁ’Í UNITY CONFERENCE
to be held at the home of Mrs. Athnabah Net on the Navajo Reservation
JUNE 2-4, 1972
You will need sleeping bags and some food. There will be a special proclamation on Saturday, June 3, with speakers, slide shows, and entertainment. There will also be a traditional Navajo meal served Saturday afternoon which will cost $2 per person or $3 per couple or family.
The South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee is planning another
VICTORY CONFERENCE
to be held at Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
JULY 14, 15 and 16, 1972
Lodging and food costs per person will run about $6 per day.
Further information forthcoming.
CHILD’S WAY[edit]
is interesting, attractive, and useful.
Have you considered giving a subscription to a new community?
Would a friend who is pioneering abroad appreciate a gift subscription?
Have you subscribed?
BAHÁ’Í NEWS[edit]
And What They Say About It
“BAHÁ’Í NEWS...means so very much to those of us who are rather isolated, and serves as great inspiration when the teaching efforts become a bit difficult.” (Ethiopia)
“I got the three latest issues of BAHÁ’Í NEWS a few days ago—maybe some latent force therein has just escaped, they were awfully powerful issues. Wow, what reports!” (Dan Williams, Finland)
“Thanks for the excellent job you are doing. BAHÁ’Í NEWS seems to get better with every issue. The friends here were especially pleased with the coverage you did on Bolivia....” (Stephen W. Pulley, Bolivia)
FOR GIFT-GIVING OCCASIONS, have you thought of a subscription to BAHÁ’Í NEWS? The recipient (who must be a Bahá’í, since it is a publication for Bahá’ís only) will be notified of your gift. The giver will also receive an acknowledgement.
World Order A Bahá’í Magazine
A subscription to WORLD ORDER magazine makes an excellent choice for a relative or friend expecting an anniversary gift.
Give WORLD ORDER magazine when you want to keep the recipient of your gift reminded and informed about the Bahá’í Faith all year long.
Order WORLD ORDER now.
Bahá’í Youth Counselors Needed[edit]
Approximately 10 Bahá’ís are desired for summer employment at a Baptist Camp in up-state New York. Program Director is a Bahá’í. Salary for the July 2 to August 31 period is $250 plus room and board. Camp is for youth from inner city, predominantly Black and Puerto Rican. Contact: Mr. Bunch Washington, 66 Stagg Street, Brooklyn, New York 11206 (Telephone No. 212/963-3739).
Recruits Needed In South Carolina[edit]
The South Carolina Regional Teaching Committee will continue to recruit volunteers for the “Army of Light” between Riḍván and the Victory Conference in July. Special training sessions will be held beginning June 17-18. Anyone considering volunteering their services in South Carolina should first contact Mrs. Alberta Williford, 140 Clarine Drive, Hanahan, South Carolina 29405 (Telephone No. 803/797-1024).
BAHÁ’Í BOOKS AND MATERIALS[edit]
BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE[edit]
The Priceless Pearl
By Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum
The first book-length biography of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith for thirty-six years, written by his widow. The Priceless Pearl contains chapters on the childhood and youth of Shoghi Effendi; the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and its immediate consequences; the early years of the Guardianship; Martha Root and Queen Marie of Romania; facets of Shoghi Effendi’s personality; intimate glimpses; the war years; the writings of the Guardian; the development of the international institutions of the Faith; the rise of the World Center; the rise of the Administrative Order; the prosecution of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan; and Shoghi Effendi’s unique ministry. Amply illustrated with photographs of the Guardian taken throughout his life. Contains a general index as well as an index to Shoghi Effendi’s life and work, his personal attributes, statements, and guidance. 451 pp.
Cloth................$5.50 NET
The Reality of Man
By Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Reprinted with attractive new cover design in rich brown on cream stock and with brown end sheets. The Reality of Man contains selections from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the soul, mind, and eternal life. Essential for those wishing to probe more deeply into the true nature of man. Makes an excellent gift for seekers and for new Bahá’ís.
Cloth (new price).....$1.50
Prophecy Fulfilled
By Elisabeth H. Cheney. The much-used pamphlet on Biblical prophecies fulfilled by Bahá’u’lláh has been redesigned with a brown and cream cover featuring a Bible opened to Isaiah 63 and with text set in an easy-to-read type. Biblical quotations are in italics for quick reference.
New Price........10/$.75 100/$5.00
From Adrianople to ‘Akká
By A. Q. Faizí
A talk by Hand of the Cause A. Q. Faizí, delivered to the Oceanic Conference called by The Universal House of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, in August 1968, to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s voyage from Gallipoli to the Most Great Prison. Mr. Faizí’s talk describes Bahá’u’lláh’s last days in Adrianople, the events preceding His exile; His departure to Gallipoli; episodes in Smyrna and Alexandria (the latter involving Nabíl); and the Blessed Beauty’s arrival at Haifa and ‘Akká. The talk movingly recounts the prophecies fulfilled by Bahá’u’lláh’s banishment to the Most Great Prison and challenges us, one hundred years later, to meditate on the fate of Bahá’u’lláh’s enemies and to “renew the pledge of love and devotion” we have made to Bahá’u’lláh and to determine to “raise the cry of ‘Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!’ in all climes, countries, lands and plains and on all seas and the mountain tops.” 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches. 30 pp.
Paper..................... $.30
Bahá’í Teachings for a World Faith
A basic pamphlet introducing the Bahá’í Faith through quotations from Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi. Newly reprinted with vivid gold and green cover and with text redesigned for more attractive appearance and easier reading. The brief history of the Faith concluding the pamphlet has been expanded and brought up to date. Excellent for seekers.
LITERATURE IN SPANISH[edit]
Las Palabras Ocultas
A Spanish edition of The Hidden Words is now available. Bright rose cover.
Paper....................$.50 NET
Bahá’u’lláh y la Nueva Era:
Una Introducción a la Fe Bahá’í
Now available, a Spanish edition of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.
Per copy.................$2.50 Net
SPECIAL MATERIALS[edit]
6-69-19 Bahá’í Date Book
Provides a full Gregorian calendar for the 13 months from March 1972 to March 1973 and a full Bahá’í calendar for B.E. 129. The Date Book includes Feast days shaded in yellow; Bahá’í months and days of the week in Arabic and English; Holy Days marked with a nine-sided rosette; information on special observances and days on which work should be suspended; excerpts from the Writings. Also included in the Date Book is information about the Bahá’í calendar; the Feast of Naw-Rúz; the Riḍván period; space for addresses; and full Bahá’í calendars for 1972, 1973, and 1974. Bright, leather-grained yellow cover. 3 3/4 x 6 1/4 inches. 32 pp.
Paper.....................$.35 NET
HOW TO ORDER
Literature and Special Materials items must be handled separately. Using the order blank below, total each category in the space provided, and add the appropriate postage and handling charges before figuring the amount of your remittance. Personal orders must include full payment.
If possible, always order through a Bahá’í Community Librarian for postpaid handling on Literature orders of $5 or more and Special Materials orders of $10 or more.
Special Two-Week Institutes To Be Held Next Summer[edit]
Two institutes lasting for two weeks each will be sponsored next summer by the National Spiritual Assembly as part of a special program to improve the quality of Bahá’í life in the United States.
These institutes, to be held simultaneously at Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine, and at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, are intended especially for serious-minded believers willing to devote themselves to two weeks of intensive study of the Bahá’í Teachings in order to prepare themselves for better service to the Faith.
July 1 to 15, 1972 is the time set for these institutes.
The curriculum will comprise:
1) Bahá’í Fundamentals—a serious examination of basic Bahá’í belief as expressed in the Teachings on the relationship between God and His Manifestation, the relationship between God and man, the purpose of man, the Covenant, and on ethical and social conduct. 2) History, including a survey of progressive revelation, the beginnings of the Bahá’í Faith, the works of the Central Figures and Shoghi Effendi, and the development of the Faith in America. 3) Bahá’í administration, its principles and current practice.
Students will be required to do three hours of classwork and three hours of reading daily.
The faculties for these institutes will include National Assembly members, Auxiliary Board members, and other seasoned teachers of the Faith. Special programs involving the participation of Continental Counsellors are being planned. Hopefully, Hands of the Cause will participate, too.
The fees for the institutes will be: $125 for Green Acre Bahá’í School, and $150 for Lewis and Clark College. The fees will cover room and board.
Applications for admission are due no later than May 1, 1972. Beyond this date, applications will be accepted only to fill last-minute vacancies. Please apply early as the number of admissions to each institute must necessarily be limited in order to ensure the high quality of the program.
Applications to the Green Acre Institute must be addressed to: Mrs. Kathleen Javid, 43 Lockwood Road, Scarsdale, New York 10583.
Applications to the Lewis and Clark Institute must be addressed to: Mrs. Valerie Rassekh, 10500 Southwest 11th Drive, Portland, Oregon 97219.
Please note that these special institutes will not take the place of the regular summer school sessions to be announced later.
The American Bahá’í
112 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILLINOIS 60091
APRIL 1972
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY TO SPONSOR SPECIAL TWO-WEEK INSTITUTES
BAHÁ’Í HOLY DAYS
HOUSE OF WORSHIP ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES PROGRAM FOR VISITING BAHÁ’ÍS
TAPPING SOURCES OF CELESTIAL STRENGTH
YOUTH AND STUDENT ACTIVITIES
LETTERS TO SHARE
