Transcript of: Speaking at the Bahá’í World Congress in London
John Robarts
1963
|
|
Note: the text below this box was generated by a computer and will contain many errors. The computer generated transcript has been added to reduce the work of transcribing the talk, and enable some limited search capability. If you would like to help proofread the transcript you can edit this page and make corrections as you listen.
|
Beloved friends. 110 years ago, Baha'i along I was in the CIA Chow the dreadful subterranean pestilential, pit his feet and start heavy chains about his body suffering untold physical torment. In addition, many of his companions had bean put to death. Others had deserted the cause. He must have bean in even greater mental torment. Then you will remember He heard those words of the Holy Spirit speaking to him, saying Fear not the art In safety air Long God will raise up the treasures of the Earth Man who will give these victory by myself and by thy pan beloved friends. There are some six thousands off these treasures of the Earth registered at this world Congress. And there are innumerable other thousands throughout the world. I think it is our sacred duty, our glorious challenge to really be those treasures of the Earth which the Holy Spirit promised to Baha'i Law No. 110 years later, as Baha'i LA surveys the scene of the whole of mankind, I wonder just how pleased he is with the numbers of the treasures of the Earth. Certainly our beloved guardian must be very happy with a triumphant conclusion off his 10 year spiritually crusade. We can imagine the message of loving gratitude that he would write to us on this glorious occasion, expressing his joy, his pride, his gratitude for the great victories that have been attained, how he must love the pioneers who went all over the world to fulfill his goal, as well as all the workers who did so much to make this great victory possible. How overjoyed show be effendi must be with this most Blier, this most great jubilee with the many races, drives classes represented here to hear the prayers in so many languages. The beautiful singing to hear these thrilling stories of the pioneers, the expressions of devotion to him and to his cause. Suge Effendi was always so happy learning of the learn of the winning of the goals. A pioneer arriving at his post, a new tribe, a new language, a new assembly and Inc the purchase of a temple site has a rattle goods. All these great victories made him so happy. And yet how sad, How often? Very sad. When there was a law. No, the beloved guardian carried a little note in his pocket, and in it he recorded all the goals that had been achieved. And he was proud of this little book. Pilgrims often told of how he would bring it out and explain the victories that had Bean one. And we are told by Tahirih Khanum that one time there waas a goal that was very dear to his heart, which had been lost because through no fault of her own, one of the pioneers was obliged to leave that island. And he didn't cross that off from his books, and when asked why, he said he just couldn't bear to cross it off, so he left it on. While we can be sure of his joy at the triumphant conclusion of a 10 year crusade, I feel that Yogi Effendi is watching us. No wondering just what we are going to do. Are the pioneers going to remain at their goals? Are we going to push forward to greater victories to consolidate our gains? To increase the Mo mentum to reach for fresh conquest, we must remember that the beloved guardians 10 years spiritually crusade It was the beginning of the beginning. The ultimate goal, as we all know is the spiritual conquest of the entire planet. I want to read to you a few quotations from the writings of Shelby Effendi in which he appeals to us to arise, to serve the fate He made so many beautiful, strong, wonderful appeals. But now to re read them is very stimulating. We really should all re read restudy the letters, the messages from Shelby Effendi. We only have to read a few of them to become so inspired that we just must go out to teach the faith. Here are a few very brief quotations. You will remember them all. The field is so immense, period. So critical The cause. So great. The workers so few The time. So short. The privilege So priceless. No follower of the phase of Bahama law worthy to bear his name can't afford a moment. Hesitation. For 36 years, beloved guard in guided inspired implored us in the strongest conceivable language to arise to serve a cause. He gave us the plan. He showed us something of his great vision of a cause. He brought to us many of the inspired writing of Baha'i, Allah and Abdu'l-Baha. He fired us with the determination to arise and go forward to be detached from all. Save him to give our lives. In his service, he reminded us of many of the promises of assistance, the amazing rewards in this world and the next for those faithful servants. He told us of the yearning of the hosts on high, to be able themselves to come back to this earth to serve it in this day. Listen to this one. The Lord of Hosts the King of Kings has pledged on feeling a to every crusader battling for his cause. Invisible battalions are mustered rank upon rain, ready to pour four reinforcements from on high and recorded the hollow Tichy the cause of God. Oh, people of the heart for God has prescribed on to everyone the beauty of proclaiming his message and regarded it as the most meritorious of all day. Should anyone arise for the triumph of our cause him well, God render victorious Though tens of thousands of enemies believed against him again, he wrote upon every participate er, in this concerted effort rests the spiritual obligation to make of the mandate of teaching the all pervading concern of his life. The all pervading concern of his life, and Shoki Effendi Waas so well able to understand the position and the feeling of all the people he knew that there were many devoted, dedicated believers who would give their lives to be able to teach the cause but just weren't able to. I'm sure there aren't any of those in this hall, but in order to give them comfort and encouragement, these people who felt inadequate to teach hearing that they didn't have no enough, he told us in these words, how often have the lowliest it here into the face, unschooled and utterly inexperienced and with no more standing whatever and in some cases devoid of intelligence, been capable of winning victories for their cause, before which the most brilliant achievements of the learned why and the experienced have failed. And, Abdu'l-Baha said, conveying the message or teaching is accomplished today by the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, and not by any fund of knowledge or by persuasion of facts. The confirmations of the Holy Spirit are obtained by the attractions of the heart. Haven't we seen that in these days off this glorious world congress, where we can see that the teaching is done from the heart. At the same time, Suge Effendi made it very clear that we are to study the teachings in these words, he said. They believers must thoroughly familiarize themselves with the various aspects of the history and teachings of their face. They must study for themselves conscientiously and painstakingly, the literature of their faith, delve into its teachings, assimilated laws and principles, ponder its admonitions, peanuts and purposes, commit to memory certain of its exhortations and prayers, master the essentials of the administration and keep abreast of its current affairs and latest development. Friends, The question of teaching is one that is in our hearts. I one time heard a description of just what we are doing when we are serving the cause, which I would like to pass on to you. It was stated that here is a bit and the best of despair. We know that the manifestations of God have come to this earth to uplift man from the Abbas of despair. So here is the abyss on this side is man on the other side of the abyss is gone. We have on this side the darkness of man And here the illumination and the glory of God. What we are doing is to build a bridge across this. At this, every behind the world is called upon to work in the construction off this bridge. Someday it is going to have to carry hundreds of millions of people across from the darkness of man to this glorious illumination of God. Every one of us has some part to play in the constructing of this bridge, Abdu'l-Baha said. I know all your time must be concentrated in teaching the faith. Teaching is like constructing everything else is like drawing a design. What a difference there is between drawing a design and constructing the editors. So beloved friends we are drawing. We are building this editors According to the design given to us by Abdu'l-Baha in his tablets of the divine plan shook, effendi, implemented, elaborated and unfolded them before our eyes. The successive stages of that divine plan with his remarkable writings to guide us with our love for him in our hearts. With the wonderful fields of service now open before us, we cannot but go forth to new victories greater than those ever achieved before friends. When I think about holding the love of our beloved show defending in our hearts. My mind goes back, Do on occasion. Almost 10 years ago, I had the privilege of serving on the Pioneer Committee of the New Delhi Conference in October 1953 you may remember, and there are many of you here who were at that conference and some of you who were on that committee in response to the P to the appeals of the beloved Garden for pioneers to go out to those goals. My recollection is that there were 75 applicants who were ready to go willing to go, many of whom perhaps all of them wanted to go. The committee was set up to interview these Africans. Quite complete descriptions of the goals had bean provided, and some of them to may seem to be desperately desolated. Please, I wondered how anybody could really want to go there, but I remember the joy on the faces of these souls as they were chosen by the committee and assigned a goal. It was as though God himself had embraced them and assigned them to their new territory. When asked if they had any special goal in mind to volunteer for very often. The reply came back wherever the beloved Guardian would wishes to go. One couple I remember so well. They were a peculiarly desirable couple of applicants because they had the right passports because they could go immediately. They had a little money and they could find employment in almost any territory. He was a tailor and she was a cook they had been married for. I think they said 25 years and I remember so well, our chairman asking this dear devoted couple if they would like to go to one goal together or if they would be willing to go to separate gold. Oh, how I groaned at the thought of sending them to two separate goals. And at that time I see the chairman down here in the front row, smiling at me now. But I couldn't bear the thought of having them separated and going to different islands hundreds of miles apart. But they considered it and they came back and said yes. If it were the wish of the beloved guardian, they would be willing to go to separate goals. Friends, this staggered me. I just couldn't accept this as being right. But the chairman turned to me and he said, John, you don't seem to realize that this is the greatest privilege that God has ever given to man. And these people have such a love for God. Baha'i lot for sugi effendi in their hearts that they are glad to go anywhere to serve. So I was comforted but also happy to find later that they both went to the same goal. I often wonder where that couple are, but I'm sure from the spirit they showed they are serving with great devotion but friends. It is this love in our hearts for the beloved guardian. It is a love for how long in our hearts that sent you pioneers all over the world into these gold. And it is the same love that is going to keep you there. It is that same love that is going to know open up new goals. Time is pressing on, so I must head for the conclusion of my address. But I do want to say no. Another thing that is with our beloved show Gaea Fendi's remarkable writings to guide us with our love for him in our hearts. We shall now turn with the abortion and dedication through that infallibly guided institution of God, the universal house of justice. All of it, Abdu'l-Baha wrote. Obedience to it is obligatory, necessary and indispensable whenever it unanimously or by majority vote lays down laws not explicitly revealed in the book, all must obey and whoever says why or wherefore has indeed opposed God in his sovereignty, disputed his proof, challenged his sign and repudiated his commands. I'm afraid my time I had three or four most beautiful favorite stories of mine. But I'll tell him to you in the next world Congress that is, if I'm invited to it, or to speak at it. But finally, friends just one last remaining quotation from the pan of our beloved Shoki effendi. This one says a great deal, and once again I am. I appeal to members of all communities to arise and enlist air. The present opportunity is irretrievably lost in the army. Off Baha'i laws crusaders. The hour is right to dis encumber themselves of worldly vanity. Tomorrow, the steed of steadfastness unfurl the banners of enunciation. Don the armor of utter concentration to God's cause gird themselves with girdle of a chase and holy light unseat the sword of Baha'i Veloz utterance. But Alana Shell of his love Carrie is a solid provisions and pleasant trust in his promise. Flee their homelands and scattered far and wide to capture the unsub. Surrendered territories of the entire planet. Beloved friends. The field is so Romans, the period so critical the cause so great the time so short. The privilege so priceless that no follower but say the Baha'i lot worthy to bear his name can afford a moment. Hesitation, friends. It is our sacred duty. Our glorious challenge really be the treasures of the Earth. Promise, Baha'i.
