Transcript:US Bahá’í Newsreel/Volume 18/No 1 (Fall 2008)
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The word of the day is consolidation. Consolidation is a mysterious process of combining elements into a solid mass. The act of combining into an integral consolidation of two corporation integration, compounding merger, uniting the combining of two in or into one body amalgamation, whole centralization, something that has consolidated into a compact mass. Hold on, hold on, wait a minute, you know, it doesn't have to be that mysterious or complicated. According to another dictionary definition, consolidation is an occurrence that results in things being united. Well, that's something behinds understand as Baha'i communities move ahead of the implementation of programs directed at growth. The process of expansion and consolidation operates as twin organic principles. First we invite people to learn who Baha'i Allah is and that his message is unity. Baha'i Allah said that which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal cause One common faith as teaching is an ongoing effort. So too, is the process of consolidation, consolidation is multifaceted. On the one hand, it's a process of systematic follow up in the teaching work. On the other hand, consolidation is nurturing the spark of faith in the newest members of the community and accompanying them step by step until they are fully confirmed in their spiritual journey. These two processes, expansion and consolidation not only go hand in hand but are simultaneous due east of phoenix Arizona sits the East Valley cluster. The city of Mesa is one of a handful of Baha'i communities here, the focus for Mesa, Baha'i highs has been reaching out and inviting more and more people to join their community. During the first few months of 2008, the membership of the Baha'i community exploded from 120 members to 300. We essentially doubled the size of our community in the course of three or four months. Mesa say an expanding Baha'i community is different than a growing church. They are not forming a congregation where people receive religion. Rather, they are learning to build a dynamic community life that embraces the diversity and gifts of each person and where everyone is inspired to be a part of that community building process. Many individuals in Mesa are nurturing friendships with new Baha'i eyes the involvement of the members of the local spiritual assembly stands out. The Mesa Assembly has partnered with the auxiliary board and the area teaching committee to cultivate a warm community atmosphere, the A. T. C. Uh, the area teaching committee is there to uh, to guide the teaching work and to set plans along with the community is really the plans of the grassroots and the Assembly's role is to support that process. While the auxiliary board and area teaching committee make teaching plans. The Mesa Assembly is focused on responding to the needs of the newest members of the community. It's the Assembly's purpose to nurture and lovingly guide and protect the community and that is now more than ever, something that has come to the forefront in the assembly's consultations, a big job for the mesa assembly to be nurturing and protecting not only the Baha'is that already had declared, but all the new believers and I'm sure it's daunting at times and and and and probably even you know, mind boggling visiting the newest members of the community is important in fostering friendships, studying the Baha'i riding together is often a part of home visits, studying together, not only deepens the bonds of intimacy, it also ignites the desire to act and apply what is learned to community life, family and personal challenges. Okay, I must um there is more respect amongst my girls with me, I can relate with my daughter because my daughter has been distant from me thanks to this that we agreed to Baha'i that I prayed, I feel like another person because I'm so happy. No, come on. Um it's not economically, but in my heart there is peace, there is love, there is everything in my family when someone is new, like so many in our cluster are nuba highs, they are just now experiencing that the beautiful words of the hawala and they are so touched by that that sitting home reading a prayer book by them so is not enough, they want to share it with someone, whether it's a high or a neighbor or another family member, every question has an answer and you look for the answer first and truthfully every question that we do and don't answer. It's like I want to know more ask me because I want to know more and more While all community members are encouraged to visit Nuba highs, the mesa assembly devotes two meetings a month to making home visits. Well, it completely transformed the activities and the vision of the assembly, there's a different, a different spirit in the assembly chambers. Through these home visits, the assembly has also learned a great deal about the challenges facing the newest members of the community. The House of justice says people will come into the community uh and the community a refuge for them and I think that that is just continually happening in every assembly. Certainly our assembly uh being confronted with this level of growth and everything that comes with it, all the good and all the little challenges that we, that's what we're there for. The pioneer park neighborhood is where most of the new Baha'is in Mesa live, it has a thriving community life with devotions, Children's classes, junior youth activities and study circles happening on a daily basis. So it was a logical next step for the assembly to establish a neighborhood feast to bring everyone together. This is in addition to the longstanding centralized feast in another part of mesa, The centre of Baha'i community life has always been the 19 day feast. This is the monthly gathering where the members of Baha'i communities can come together, Heart and soul. The Baha'i riding, say that the object of feast is fellowship That through this hearts may become United and love and mutual reciprocity be established. More than 40 people attended the first feast in this neighborhood, their own community. So this way the assembly thought if we go to their own neighborhood, it's just much, you know better to have all in one area. Esperanza Sanchez was the first host for the new feast in her neighborhood. She continually expressed her joy about opening her home for the activity. I am happy, she says that she likes it when you're coming. I never hear her complaining that she's tired. I'm number one witness that she likes it when you come. I won't. The evening began with devotions in spanish and english, distinct in this neighborhood is the presence of an active junior youth group. The voices of the junior youth were prominent throughout the consultative portion. Feast gave them an opportunity to share with the adults about their community projects rosa boss to is a new Baha'i who enjoyed participating in the consultation. You have more freedom to ask questions and well you can be more open than if you go to church because I have attended church and well here you have more freedom to express what you feel what you want some long time behinds were concerned that the new feast would be different than what they were accustomed to. It went beautifully. So it's apparent that that's not the big challenge that some might think some longtime behinds think, oh my goodness, how do we quickly bring them up to speak? Well, maybe it isn't up to us a long time, but highs to show these new Baha'i is what feast looks like. Perhaps they need to show us what feast looks like. The high communities all over the country are embracing the dynamics of growth. The Baha'is of mesa are learning to welcome many new members. The local spiritual assembly is setting the tone and learning to adjust quickly to the new realities of an increasingly more diverse community bonds of love and friendship are key to the process. We are becoming friends with people. Uh we're not just there to say a prayer with them or to give them a deepening theme. We become their friends, we've seen already in our community that just the spiritual outreach to them, the caring about them, the appreciation we have for the wonderful dynamics within their families, how warmly they interact with their Children has been very touching to all of us. I'm not telling you anything you don't know, but this five year plan is a chapter in the Divine Plan conceived by Abdu'l-Baha penned in his tablets of the Divine plan and you are co inheritors of that plan. So I have no doubts about your ability, your capacity, your determination and your spirit of devotion to achieve that goal. Each plan is like a blueprint, that brings us a step closer to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. That's the that's the plan we're working on. We are sacrificing and you are sacrificing for for a world we may never see, but we do it because we know it is the truth and we would give up our lives for that. But there is also that impatience because we know that the message of the Holla is the salvation for humanity and we care deeply about our brothers and sisters all over the world and we want a different kind of world. We want a different kind of society. So we are impatient and that should drive us to be the best possible teachers of the faith that we can be. We're working together on changing the planet the Baha'i. Faith is unique in the way that it really gives us very concrete and very practical steps towards achieving world peace. We can start in our own neighborhoods, these small efforts that in their cumulative effect has a huge, huge influence. I truly believe that there are many people who are just out there wanting what is here. They need an invitation and that's all they need. We keep going because we know the fruits are coming. Abdu'l-Baha assured us that even in the places where he traveled, he said he had spread the seeds, but they need the gardeners, they need that nurturing, they need that loving care. They need the power and of the and influence of the holy spirit when we fill up our the living room with people of all faiths, all backgrounds, all socioeconomic backgrounds and it's just unity right there. We're all praying together, we're breaking bread together, we're happy. Nobody's, you know, higher or lower than the other. That's a microcosm for what we're trying to do. Children are such a key factor in the whole faith and it's really um I think showing now I just love coming up. It's like a unique place for me to speak. I feel fine when I've been here talking in front of everybody and looking at everybody's faces, smiling faces. These kids are not social projects, raise the bar, expect big things from them. It's so easy because the people there are now becoming behind, they are so receptive to what the behind have to offer they have been looking for. It's just, I don't know, it's just getting yeah, very, very special people that are joining the faith here very special. It's amazing for me to dedicate myself to him. Like jesus christ. They are men who had the power of God in their lives. Once you do teach you taste that sweetness and that's what sparks the enthusiasm to you know, just have the bounty of being at the right place at the right time and setting up the conditions so that here you have this beautiful soul person who is already really good people. You know, it's just real happiness empowerment is the is I think what we see in this plan, we go from community to community in all different parts of the world and you're hearing a similar conversation and it's, it's about teaching and it's about service and it's about participation and that's what this faith is all about. It's hearing everybody in all parts of the world from all kinds of backgrounds, from villages and towns and cities of all races of all educational levels saying I can do this too. And I'm always reminded of what Khanum said at that 1970 youth conference, which I was also at and she said, you know, friends, the new world, the World order of Baha'i Allah is not what we have and she said, it's not what the american Baha'is have, it's not what the Persian Baha'is have, it doesn't exist. It's beginning to poke its head above the surface is just put its head above the ground in our administrative order is the german of the world order. And perhaps when the day comes that the american indian the african Villager, the Asiatic Villager has come forward in the service of the faith and his voice is more often heard in our councils, then perhaps we will begin to get a glimmering of what the outline of the future world order is. We feel that we have the healing message of Allah for this world and we would like to construct a better society and we would like to give many people the opportunity to be a part of it. Baha'i Allah says that he has come for the unification and pacification of the nations and peoples of the world And what we have been spending our time over all these years from his arrival in the world from in 1863 until now is putting in place the building blocks for that. Up until now we have been learning to create a culture of learning what is needed from here and out is to create a culture of sacrifice and service. And I believe that as a Baha'i if we can internalize that, what does that look like for me as an individual sacrifice and service, then every single projected goal that we have made to the universal House of Justice will not only be met but will be superseded. And once we have love then we can sacrifice our time, our energy and to help the growth of the faith. Just do it and be passionate about teaching, no matter what happens, just go for it, share this message with the entire world, share this message with America, you know, in terms of fulfilling goals, you know, Shaggy Efendi was always so supportive and always, you know, there was that encouragement, but there was one letter with um where apparently you could, you could see from the response that the National Assembly and this is decades ago, of course had had written that they really didn't know how they were going to be able to achieve something and show you. Effendi wrote back and said that it was unthinkable that the american believers would not achieve this goal. It was unthinkable. That was the word he used. And he sent a cable shortly thereafter which said Bear All, B E a R, Bear All Dare All if anyone knew the capacity of this community, Shawki Efendi did. And he was basically restating the trust and the faith that Abdu'l-Baha had put in the american believers, you know, Abdu'l-Baha wrote, he said, release yourselves from all distracting thoughts, deliver the message.
