Speaking on the Seven Year Plan
Marion Hofman
1982
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Beloved friends. I'm sure it has happened to you, as it has to me in this beautiful singing of the dawn breakers who our gift to Europe to carry you back to the most holy spot on our planet, the Shrine of the Hollow and to the shrines on Mount Carmel. I'm sure that many of you have been in those shines and all of you have been in them and spit it. And I hope you will stay there. No. When we talk about what is God's method for establishing his religion Throughout all ages, The beloved Guardian called it pioneering. It was his term. But every dispensation of God's religion would not have been established in the world to have its great effect upon civilization if it were not for pioneering. The master has told us how the exile of Abraham two que non was a movement from place to place which established the Jewish religion. The master has told us about Christ and his apostles. In his will and testament, the Bob sent his letters of the living Baha'i, Allah and Abdu'l-Baha could not pioneer, but they wanted to. And I want to read you the words of their longing heart to do what we are free to do. Muhammed Ali on the Tablet of Carmel said, Oh, how I long to announce unto every spot on the surface of the earth on to carry to each one of its cities the glad tidings of this revelation the marital Bihar in the Divine plan Tablet said. Oh, that I could travel even though on foot and in the utmost poverty to these regions and raising the call of young Baha'i Allah-u-Abha in cities, villagers, mountains, desserts and oceans promote the divine T changed this. Alas, I cannot do how intensely I deplore it. Please God, you may achieve it Baha'i Linda has told us and one of his tablets in the new collection we have brought the into being to serve me to glorify my word and to proclaim my cause center vine energies upon that. Wherefore thou hast been created by virtue of the will of the supreme or Dana the ancient of days. In the message of the House of Justice to this confidence, we are reminded by the house of the effects of the pioneering of the early on Later Christians and the Irish Christians and all the others. And he says that from that from the teachings of Christ, there is in Europe a deep seated spirituals, vitality. It's now over laid by materialism. But it's there, and he says yours is the toss. The house says to arouse that response. There is a wonderful statement of Abdu'l-Baha Abbas in the secrets of divine civilization. I want to share a few lines with you after the ascension of Jesus to the realm of glory. These few souls, they were 11. These few soul stood up with their spiritual qualities and with deeds that were pure and holy. And they arose by the power of God and the life giving brush of the Messiah to save all the peoples of the earth. Then all the idolatrous nations rose up in their might to kill the divine fire. Under the fiercest tortures, they did every one of these holy souls to death. In spite of this agonizing Rick wittle, the Christians continued to teach the cause of God, and they never drew a sword from its scabbard or even so much as graced the cheek. Then, in the end, the faith of Christ and Compass tw the whole earth so that Europe, in Europe and America no traces of other religions were left in the master in his will and testament. Writing about them says, Let them that are men of action follow in their footsteps? Is this not the call of the House of Justice to us at this conference? Beloved friends We heard yesterday of that message of the house of the time we had until the 100th anniversary of the ascension of Baha'i. That time is he rode ID to just over no less than 10 years. At this moment, we are free. We are amongst here in Europe, Very few free people left in the world. How long will we be free? Every day something happens that we didn't expect. My husband speaks of a couple American couple who wrote recently to the house that they wanted to get out of America. They wanted to go to a quiet place, and so they went to the Falkland Islands. Now we don't know what will happen in these 10 years, but we have been warned. We have been warned and we know that it is within this century, which is only 18 years. This is nothing that within this century the lesser piece is to come about and the buildings on the Ark will be completed. Two. Sim pron eyes with it It's nothing. I have lived in England for 36 a half years. It's half of that. And we, uh, still at this moment free. We have in Europe and in the whole world, a glorious heritage of behi pioneers. There is no time to speak of most of these, but let me mention a few great heroes of Europe, which is where we are our first martyr. Adam Banky. Perhaps you didn't know we had a martyr of our tone that we have who went from Germany. I think I may be wrong. Two. Sofia, Bulgaria. My husband and I were privileged to visit his grave a few years ago. It says on it that he is the first behind martyr of yours. We have the outstanding shining example to all pioneers. She was Canadian, marrying Jack, who also went to Sofia and would not leave it even when the beloved Guardian offered her sanctuary out of it during the World war. She died there at the age of 88 and the beloved Guardian held her up to all of us as the outstanding shining example of pioneering. We have honor Hampton, who went from post to post in Europe, especially in Luxembourg. Even in her very old age. I'm not sure how old she was when she died, but certainly well into the eighties. I visited her in 1978 and spent a night with her. I was with honor when she decided to go to Alaska. That is the morning after she was frail. Yeah, strong and spit it. And she said to me how unhappy she waas, that she couldn't do more for the faith. But I believe after that she moved to one more goal. That was in 1977 that I know 78 that I was with her. We have Eskil Loon bag who has been mentioned to you. We should remember that s still from Sweden was the first of the European pioneers after the war, in the second, uh, seven year plan to reach his goal. This goal in Pharaoh was inconceivably difficult. Never in my life have I met children anywhere else. Where if I smiled at him and spoke to them. They wouldn't smile back. But I met um, in feta and toys happened. S still has been there since August 1953 until now. And you heard that he is 96 years old and I am told by one of our Icelandic friends at lunch that he is still going strong. We have my beloved hand of the cause, Adelbert Mu Schlegel, who died in Athens in the room rule here. Khanum has written or spoken. Rather, she says the service is that man rendered. I went to Athens last year, particularly to see him. I think he was going on 90 as frail as a feather and as clear as a bell. And he said, I have failed. I have come here to Greece to teach the behi eyes and deep in the Baha'i eyes, and I feel that I'm failing them. I am not able to do what I want to do. But I, she said, pointed out to him what everybody but addle bet would have seen quite clearly, which was the fact that at his age and in his state of health, Adelbert had gone to Athens that he had gone at his age to pioneer and serve the cause in another country. I think, she says, that we don't understand the importance not only a pioneering, but a persevering, she said. As we hands travel around two different countries, we run across pioneers who are still at their posts to May. They are just towering giants. I am thinking of others in Europe still at their posts, but I won't take the time to name them. But I'm sure you know that. And finally, we have a central figure at this conference. A moving spirit at this conference. George Townshend, who at the age of 70 resigned his orders in the church, gave up his pension rights, moved from a beautiful home and country side in a scrap and Galway into a little bungalow and done drum Dublin, and was a member of the first spiritual assembly with members of his family of Dublin. And you know what caused that and everything else he did in life? It's so simple. When he got his first booklet sent from a friend in America, he had been he had lived there many years about the faith, he said. When I read Abdu'l-Baha word that it was the end for me. Beloved friends. I want to share just to a few sentences from a wonderful book. Canada is getting its plays today. Quick winners of mankind. If you I want a companion, the pioneering, or to decide to pioneer get this book, I'm sure it must be outside. I haven't had time to look quickness of mankind. It's about nothing else. And this is our beloved guardian, who said neither the threatening world situation nor any consideration of lack of material resources of mental equipment, of knowledge ought of experience, desirable as they are, should deter any perspective pioneer teacher from arising and in another place. And this was in the 1st 7 year plan of the Divine Plan, which is to go on until every soul on this planet is in our cause, he said. There is no time to lose. There is no room left for Vaz Elation, multitudes hunger for the bread of life. The stage is set, the firm and irrevocable promises given God's own plan has been set in motion. The powers of Earth and heaven mysteriously assist in its execution. Let the doubter arise and himself verify the truth off such assertions. That is his challenge to us. You know, dear friends, from my small experience of pioneering in the British Isles in several places, David and I know one thing. There's absolutely nothing to pioneering except a spiritually decision, that's all. You have to decide in your heart that you are going. It is not a spiritual decision to say I will go. If I find a job, I will go. If I can find a house, I will go. If there's good education for my children, I will go if they have the theater in the opera, which I like. No, that's not a spiritual decision. The spirits of decision is so easy. Three words. I will go and everything else will fall into place. After that. David and I know that we always found somewhere to live, even with small children, when there really wasn't anywhere. Just off to the war Beloved friends, our God in put in the name of the greatest Holy Leaves At the end of her life, a plea to complete the dome of the temple, and then the rest of it I was share his work you said. And in this fervent plea, my voice is once more reinforced by the passionate and perhaps the last and treaty of the greatest holy leaf who spit it now hovering on the edge of the great beyond. Longs to carry on its light to the ab hoc kingdom and into the presence of a divine on almighty Father. An assurance of the joyous consummation of an enterprise, the progress of which is so greatly brightened. The closing days of her earth Lynn life. Dear Friends, this was March 21st 1932 and she died in mid July. And do we suppose that she isn't with us now? Of course we don't. This conference is dedicated to her and so I will let her close this these words have no fear and be not down hearted trust in him. Be sure you will be successful at the end, for he has sent you and he will surely be with you and help you always. And lastly, it is my hope that we all shall arrive. Thus, to prove our gratitude for all these rich Bastos and gives and serve the cause of God and spread the Holy teachings and speedily carry out the instructions of Abdu'l-Baha. So that day by day, the limits of the faith will be extended on, the seekers will find their goal, and the lovers reached the beauty of the beloved on the thirsty Come to crystal waters and spiritual joy's embrace, man kind and every heart be gladdened.
