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[Page 297]

WORLD ORDER

The Bahá’í Magazine

VOLUME X   JANUARY, 1945   NUMBER 10

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God Passes By

A SUMMARY BY HORACE HOLLEY

I

“GOD PASSES BY” is the first historical study of the religion heralded by the Báb in Persia one hundred years ago which carries the survey through the four stages of the development of the Faith associated with the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the administrative order which has arisen since the death of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921. The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh today has adherents in seventy-eight countries, representing thirty-one races, and its literature is spread throughout the world in works translated into forty-one different languages.

Whatever their particular merits or degrees of accuracy, no previous historical study is comparable to the present work. In The Traveller’s Narrative: The Episode of the Báb, translated and edited by the late Professor Browne of Cambridge University, we have a text written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself, but in that presentation ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was addressing the people of Persia many years ago in order to explain the true nature of a Faith whose adherents in that country were officially condemned both as heretics of Islám and rebels against the civil state. He therefore emphasized the spiritual character of the Revelation and the pure motives of its Herald and Founder, dealing with events up to only about 1870, and moreover limited by prevailing circumstances from unfolding the whole glory of the rising Sun. The Faith was then still in the second of the four historical stages considered by Shoghi Effendi in this book. As sources of information and explanation, the [Page 298] works of Professor Browne and Comte de Gobineau are important in some passages, which present vignettes of enduring significance, but neither they nor any other contemporary student was endowed with perception of the full panorama of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, not merely because they lacked the perspective of time possessed by a student today, nor because they lacked knowledge of Tablets and texts now available, but fundamentally because no other student or historian can duplicate the capacity, power, understanding and devotion of the Guardian of the Faith. He had been chosen by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from the entire world as the one fitted to execute the provisions of His will and testament, maintain the unity and fervor of a growing world community, and discharge the function of chairman of the House of Justice as well as sole Interpreter of the Holy Book.

Indeed, the historian of a spiritual cause must be far more than a collector of facts and observer of events. The true history of a religion is the conscious expression of the religion in all its spiritual aims, its written truths and principles, its sacrifice and devotion, and the activities of its body of adherents. Religious history is nothing else than the religion itself made articulate at a given time. The time represented by God Passes By is the Centenary of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.

The author of God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi, is Bahá’u’lláh’s great-grandson and likewise descends from the family of the Báb. He was brought up in the household of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, his grandfather, and by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá appointed Guardian of the Faith. Since 1921, Shoghi Effendi has directed the activities of the Bahá’í community in East and West from the Bahá’í world center in Haifa, Palestine, adjacent to the shrines where the remains of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are interred. Since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, Shoghi Effendi has been the sole authorized interpreter of the Bahá’í sacred writings. The present work, therefore, is unique in that its author has in himself been the leader and inspirer of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh and the chief participant in the history of the Faith for more than twenty years.

Shoghi Effendi’s previous works, published in English by the American Bahá’ís, include: Bahá’í Administration (1927); The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh (1938); The Advent of Divine Justice (1938); The Promised Day Is Come (1941). His exposition of the spiritual significance [Page 299] of the Faith and his summary of its essential teachings, set forth in The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh (one of the chapters of The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh) is the authoritative commentary in use by believers throughout the world.

In addition, Shoghi Effendi has translated into English and compiled a number of Bahá’u’lláh’s works: The Hidden Words; Tablet of Íqán (Book of Certitude); Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh; Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh; and Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. His translation of The Dawn-Breakers written by Nabíl has made available the most complete eye-witness record of Bahá’í history during the time of the Báb. Since 1927, Shoghi Effendi has edited a biennial record of international Bahá’í activities entitled The Bahá’í World, volume nine of which is now on the press.

In addition to the Foreword written by the author, God Passes By has an Introduction contributed by Dr. George Townshend, Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, and Archdeacon of Clonfert. Dr. Townshend has already shown his personal participation in the spiritual life of this Faith by writing two books, The Promise of All Ages and The Heart of the Gospel, and many articles published in The Bahá’í World and in World Order, the Bahá’í Magazine.

Examining the structure of the book, we note that the 412 pages of text, plus the xxiii pages of introductory material and list of contents, are divided into four historical periods: The Ministry of the Báb, 1844-1853; The Ministry of Bahá’u’lláh, 1853-1892; The Ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1892-1921; and The Inception of the Formative Age of the Bahá’í Faith, 1921-1944, concluding with a chapter entitled Retrospect and Prospect in which the author, chosen and appointed spokesman of the Faith, stands upon the boundary line dividing past and future, summing up what has been and confidently outlining what is still to be.

II

The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh were first mentioned in America in 1893, at the time of the Columbian Exposition. They became prominent and influential through ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s public presentation of the Faith in lectures delivered at universities, churches, synagogues and race conferences between April and December, 1912, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited the Bahá’í groups by that time founded in some thirty-nine cities of the United States and Canada. Widespread interest has also been aroused by [Page 300] the beautiful and impressive House of Worship constructed by American believers with the cooperation of Bahá’ís of other countries.

In these addresses, as the present work states (pages 281-282), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá “expounded, with brilliant simplicity, with persuasiveness and force, and for the first time in His ministry, those basic and distinguishing principles of His Father’s Faith which . . . constitute the bedrock of God’s latest Revelation to mankind.

“The independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition; the oneness of the entire human race, the pivotal principal and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; the basic unity of all religions; the condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national; the harmony which must exist between religion and science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of humanity is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extreme of wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations; the exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of worship; the glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society, and of religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations; and the establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of mankind—these stand out as the essential elements of that Divine policy which He proclaimed to leaders of public thought as well as to the masses at large in the course of these missionary journeys.”

The attitude of many persons that these principles represented nothing more than a vague and ineffective ethical philosophy, and that its adherents might be dismissed as followers of an offshoot of Islám, is refuted both by the nature of this Faith and the spiritual power demonstrated throughout the course of its history. In God Passes By, the challenging claim is advanced without reservation that Bahá’u’lláh inaugurated a new spiritual cycle and in Himself fulfilled the purpose and promise of all prior revelation. “Already in the space of less than a century the operation of the mysterious processes generated by its creative spirit has provoked a tumult in human society such as no mind can fathom. . . . In the convulsions of contemporary society, in the frenzied, world-wide ebullitions of men’s thoughts, in the fierce [Page 301] antagonisms inflaming races, creeds and classes, in the shipwreck of nations, in the downfall of kings, in the dismemberment of empires, in the extinction of dynasties, in the collapse of ecclesiastical hierarchies, in the deterioration of time-honored institutions, in the dissolution of ties, secular as well as religious, that had for so long held together the members of the human race . . . we can readily recognize the evidences of the travail of an age that has sustained the impact of His Revelation” the author (page xi and xii) declares.

As Dr. Townshend states (page iv): “The mightiest proof of a Prophet has ever been found in Himself and in the efficacy of His word. Bahá’u’lláh rekindled the fires of faith and of happiness in the hearts of men. His knowledge was innate and spontaneous, not acquired in any school. None could gainsay or resist His wisdom and even His worst enemies admitted His greatness. . . . As a divine physician He diagnosed the malady of the Age and prescribed the remedy.”

III

The weight of Shoghi Effendi’s spiritual exposition consists in the fact that Bahá’í history parallels and demonstrates in action the Bahá’í teachings and principles. In successive chapters he unfolds the story of the greatest religious drama of all time resulting from the proclamation of the message of spiritual and social unity to an age which had brought nationalism, racialism, class movements and sectarianism to their climax of separatist organizations.

In this drama the first act is the Báb’s declaration of His mission, its heroic promulgation by followers in Persia, the leader’s imprisonment and early execution, followed by an orgy of persecution and torture inflicted upon thousands of martyrs.

The next act discloses the potent spirit of Bahá’u’lláh establishing the new Dispensation heralded by the Báb, His imprisonment and eventual banishment with a few followers from Tihrán to Baghdád, from Baghdád to Constantinople, thence to Adrianople and at last to the prison city, ‘Akká, where Bahá’u’lláh left this world in 1892.

Bahá’u’lláh confronted official enemies armed with the authority of the government of Persia and Turkey and the venomous hatred of the heads of Islám. His Tablets addressed to the kings and religious rulers of the earth created the fundamental moral and spiritual issue of the present age, the inescapable decision between taking the way to peace and continuing the way to war and ruin. The year 1844 signalizes, [Page 302] to the Bahá’ís, the dawning light of a universal and world truth upon which alone a world unity can rest, for the meaning of the oneness of God is revealed in the oneness of truth, law and order for all mankind.

The next act of this drama witnesses the freeing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from confinement as result of the downfall of the Sultan, His consolidation of the Bahá’ís of East and West in one spiritual organism, His public mission which bore Him not only to North America but to England, France, Germany, Austria and Hungary, the enrichment of the literature of the Faith by publication of His addresses and His Tablets written to individual Bahá’ís, the formulation of the Bahá’í peace program in letters sent to the First Races Congress in London, the Committee on Durable Peace, The Hague, and in His discourse at the Lake Mohonk Peace Conference in New York, and His passing on November 28, 1921, at Haifa, honored and lamented by a great host of admirers and followers from various sects and creeds. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s nobility of character, His utter sacrifice to the mission of promulgating the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh, and His vision and understanding of spiritual and also practical affairs, made Him the true Exemplar of the Spirit of World Faith.

IV

With the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the basis of Bahá’í unity is maintained through the provisions of His will and testament which established the station of Guardianship, explained Bahá’u’lláh’s institution of the House of Justice, and called for the formation of elective bodies known as Spiritual Assemblies, hundreds of which now exist throughout the world. “The moment had now arrived,” Shoghi Effendi writes (page 324) “for that undying, that world-vitalizing Spirit . . . to incarnate itself in institutions designed to canalize its outspreading energies and stimulate its growth.” “The Administrative Order which this historic Document has established, it should be noted, is, by virtue of its origin and character, unique in the annals of the world’s religious systems” (page 326). For the application of Bahá’u’lláh’s truth to human life produces not a church or denomination but a community. The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh manifests itself through a social organism in which the individual finds his fulfillment in a loyalty to the highest interests of mankind. The function of religion as a society-building force has been restored to earth, but its goal in this age [Page 303] is the attainment of world order and world civilization.

The energies released by the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh increase as the Bahá’í community enlarges its scope and becomes representative of the varied races, nations and creeds of humanity itself. In North America alone, the Bahá’í accomplishments achieved during the seven years culminating in the Centenary celebrations this year are well-nigh equal to what was done in the four preceding decades: the completion of the exterior ornamentation of the Bahá’í Temple, the establishment of Spiritual Assemblies in over thirty new states and Canadian provinces, and Assemblies or groups in twenty-two countries of the West Indies, Central America and South America.

The old order has disintegrated and can never be restored. Mankind has no balance, no equilibrium, no repose this side of world unity. The Bahá’ís acclaim, in terms of this historical record, the rise of a new order emanating from the prophetic teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and disclosing the movement of social evolution from family to race, from race to nation, from nation to mankind. For not only are the Bahá’í teachings and principles the adaptation of spiritual truth to the vital needs of the world today: they are forces acting within the soul to change men themselves, transforming personality from the tribal man to the citizen of the world. The continuous opposition, persecution and betrayals encountered by this Faith identify religion with heroism, sacrifice, steadfastness and understanding. “The days of idle worship are ended,” the Báb declared to His disciples as they went forth to die.

In all the annals of religion, there is no book or record equivalent to this history of the Bahá’í Faith in its first hundred years, written by one who stands at the very central point of this great far-ranging movement in the life of mankind. The individual reader who may reject the basic claim of this revelation will be completely unable to ignore the tempest into which humanity has been drawn, and if he asserts the ability of the old institutions to extricate the world from its overwhelming problems he must found his contention on reasons why the old institutions were unable to prevent the problems from developing. The answer set forth in the sacred writings of the Bahá’í Faith is that the Prophet is God’s intervention in human affairs. The Prophet comes when the light of faith has grown dim and society is in dissolution. Each Prophet gives the world the pattern of conduct and [Page 304] the social goal it requires at the time. Revelation has never restored the past nor maintained the human substitutes for truth and love. It has created a new order in every age, and Bahá’u’lláh is the manifestation of this eternal process in and for our time.

“He Who in such dramatic circumstances,” Shoghi Effendi has written concerning Bahá’u’lláh (page 93), “was made to sustain the overpowering weight of so glorious a mission was none other than the One Whom posterity will acclaim, and Whom innumerable followers already recognize, as the Judge, and Lawgiver and Redeemer of all mankind . . .”

V

God Passes By is not a book to read and lay away; it is a world to enter and learn with all one’s power. For here we have the only coherent, unified, reliable and hope-sustaining picture of human life in this crucial age; its motivating forces, its aims and goals, its worship, its truth, its future civilization; the working out of divine cause and human effect in the whole body of mankind.

Of fundamental importance are those passages which establish the station of the Báb, His rank among the Prophets and His mission in abolishing the former Revelation and heralding the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh; the station of Bahá’u’lláh as the fulfilment of former religions and the unification of humanity in one faith and one order; the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, Interpreter of the Book and Exemplar of His teachings; the significance of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s will and testament as the Charter of the new, world-civilization; the rise of the Bahá’í administrative order under the guidance and authority of the first Guardian in the line of hereditary Guardians confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s testament; the impact of the Revelation upon rulers and ecclesiastics, creating moral responsibility for the present wars and desolation of earth; the victory of the Faith over its enemies who sought to betray it from within, naming or clearly describing these even down to the present hour in America, and recounting their evil acts; and the power of the Bahá’í community to develop the institutions and broadcast the teachings of their religion, continuing the spiritual heroism of the thousands of martyrs who endured torture and death in the early days.

Innumerable passages will be marked by each earnest reader for particular study, as for example: Declaration of the Báb’s Mission, 5, 6; Station of the Báb, 6, 7, 54, 55, 57, 58; The Báb’s [Page 305] Examination by the Ecclesiastics of Tabríz, 21, 22; The Báb’s Writings, 22-31; Extinction of Islám, 33, 34; Execution of the Báb, 51-55; Leadership of Bahá’u’lláh in the Bábí community, 66-70; Mission of Bahá’u’lláh, 91-93; Station of Bahá’u’lláh, 93-101; Transformation of the Bábí community, 132-134; The Kitáb-i-Íqán, 138, 139; The Hidden Words, 139-140; Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration to the Bábís, 151-155; His Proclamation to the Kings and Ecclesiastics, 158, 172-176, 206-213; The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, 213-216; Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, 216-219; Fate of the Kings and Ecclesiastics, 224-233; Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, 237-240; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Exposition of the Teachings, 281-282; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will and Testament, 324-328.

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THE MAN OF TODAY

Edwinna Powell Clifford

FAITH must be restored in the man of today,

That the power of his God may be known.

Blindly he gropes among sensuous things,

And his search is for lucre alone.

Greed, the unmerciful, leads him on,

And has blinded the eye that might see

Beauty and peace, and life’s ultimate goal—

Great truths that would set his soul free.

Trembling he stands, confused and afraid,

As the crash of the market he hears.

Wondering he stands as the sod from the spade

Like the call of doom falls on his ears.

Flowers in beauty may cover the mound,

Soft music may draw forth a sigh,

But hope folds her wings; no happy bird sings,

For ’tis plain man was made but to die.

Science and reason have flooded his world,

And the senses have had their full sway;

Machine guns and airplanes have armed him with power,

Sweeping faith, in confusion, away,

But the rare moment comes when she calls to him still,

And a thought of his God bids him stay.

A transcendent spark has flashed through his soul,

And he finds himself kneeling to pray.

[Page 306]

The New Dispensation

‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ

Talk of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, given at 519 Grosse Building, Los Angeles, Saturday evening, October 19, 1912.

THIS is a good gathering, a good meeting. This assemblage is the assemblage of God, for it is not convened for any worldly purpose; it is not organized because of any commercial purpose; it is not held because of any political purpose; nor is it held because of some material end or purpose. It is held purely for the sake of God. Therefore I am very pleased. I am very glad to find such a meeting in this city—an assemblage, the members of which are in the utmost unity; an assemblage which does not entertain any desire save the good pleasure of God; an assemblage which has responded to the call of the Kingdom of Abhá, saying Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá; an assemblage, the purpose of which is the illumination of the world of humanity; an assemblage, the purpose of which is universal guidance. Surely, such an assemblage is blest. Today, the various nations of the world are submerged in the sea of materialism, having no purpose except material profits, and they are working for naught save the realization of their own ends. An assemblage which is turned to the Kingdom, which is possessed of the spiritual subtilties; which is possessed of attractions of the conscience, which is directed to God —this is a Bahá’í assemblage. Outside of that, all the others are submerged in the sea of materialism. Therefore, you must thank God that—Praise be to God!—the sun of reality has shone upon you, the breezes of favor have blown toward you, heavenly Manna has descended upon you, the Signs of God have been revealed to you; the hosts of the Blessed Beauty have surrounded you. You have hearkened to the admonitions of God and you are pursuing the straight pathway. Therefore, you must thank God for the manifestation of such boundless bestowals.

I hope that you may act in accordance with the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh; that you may conduct yourselves in accordance with the behests of the Blessed Beauty. If you do so, I have no doubt that the lights of this assemblage will shine upon the world; this assemblage will be the cause of guiding a goodly [Page 307] number of people; this assemblage will be the cause of uniting the people of the world; this assemblage will be assisted to establish the peace of the world universal.

Do not look at your small numbers. Plurality of numbers is not important. It is, rather, the Bounty of God that is essential; it is the confirmation of the Heavenly Kingdom. Consider past times. How often it has happened that a limited meeting, a small number, has finally widened its circle and grown in proportion to the extent of including all nations and regions. Therefore, the hearts must be looked at, not the pluralities. If a limited number of souls are possessed of hearts which are pure and tender, that limited number is equivalent in strength of character to the whole population of the earth. Consider how, after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, fifty days thereafter, a limited number of disciples gathered together on the Mount of Transfiguration, not far from Joppa. The number of these was eleven; but because they gathered with hearts pure, with intentions sincere, with spirits exhilarated, in the utmost sincerity, without greed, without any intentions save the desire to do the Will of God, this limited number gathered there and held a meeting upon the Mount. Because of the purity of the hearts of those souls, because of the trustworthiness of those souls, because of the reliance of those souls, because of the attraction of the hearts of those souls, the world was illuminated, Christianity advanced; the Roman empire became Christianized; the Greek nation was Christianized; the Egyptian nation was converted; the Assyrians were converted, also the Chaldean nation. In other words, the illumination of His Holiness Christ illuminated the whole region. All these were the blessed results of that meeting of eleven souls on the mountain.

They held that meeting in the utmost of purity and sincerity, in the utmost of faith and assurance; in the utmost of attraction and zeal was that meeting held. And these colossal results were accomplished; these wondrous light were expressed; this heavenly affair was promulgated. Therefore, do not look at your limited number, that you are not capable of having a meeting the same size as other people. Remember that importance is not attached to numbers; rather what is most important concerns faith, concerns assurance, it concerns veracity, concerns firmness, concerns attention to the Kingdom of Abhá; concerns self-sacrifice in the path of God. If you attain [Page 308] to this, though there be but two people, remember those two people are equivalent in strength and character to the whole world. Therefore I pray, asking for your confirmation and assistance, that the aid and uplift of Bahá’u’lláh may reach you, the hosts of the Kingdom of Abhá may reinforce you, that the powerful angels of God may assist you. Be assured of the victory; rest assured that you will be confirmed. That which is of essential importance is your unity and agreement. You must be in the utmost state of unity and agreement. You must love one another; you must be self-sacrificing for one another. If you observe any shortcomings on the part of any, as much as you can, be forgiving and do not be hard. Even if you wish to admonish let your admonition be with justice; let your admonition be in symbols; do not express explicitly lest any heart should be saddened. Remember that in the world of existence there is nothing so bad as injuring the heart, for the heart of man is the place of the descent of the Merciful, and man must not at all disquiet or harm the place of the Merciful. Man must ever strive to make the hearts grateful, to rejoice the spirits, to render the thoughts radiant, to be the cause of comfort and ease of others. This is the station of the Bahá’ís, and this is the utmost desire of those who are divine. Now the friends of God in Persia have reached such a stage that each is willing to sacrifice his life for the others, each one accounting himself the servant of the others. How many of the nobles are occupied with the service of the poor! How many of the dear ones are most humble and submissive in the presence of the lowly! What is this for? It is for the Love of God. It is for sincerity. It is for faith. It is for certainty.

I came from San Francisco to see you and to visit Mr. Chase’s grave. Truly Mr. Chase was a glorious personage, having no desire save the good pleasure of God. His attention was directed to the Kingdom of God. He served during his life time. He was not at all wanting in service. He compiled certain books proving the validity of the Movement. As much as he could he endeavored to guide the people. You will never forget him. May you ever pray for him, be ever respectful to his family and be a source of comfort to them. As many times as possible—at least once a year—you should make a point to visit his tomb, for his spirit will be exhilarated through the loyalty of the friends, and in the world of God will he be happy. The friends of God must [Page 309] be kind to one another, whether it be in life or after death.

The Blessed Beauty appeared in Persia, in Tihrán. He was in the utmost ease and affluence. He was most influential and surrounded with luxury. All the pleasures of the transitory world were provided for Him, and all the grandees of Persia longed to enjoy the influence and affluence, the things of wealth and position of Bahá’u’lláh. But consider that He suffered all these things to be separated from Him. He sacrificed His Honor, His fame and His station among men; sacrificing all, even His life. Ever was He subjected to the sword, and many were the ordeals which He endured, and numerous were the disturbances to which He was subjected. How many nights He passed beneath chains, and many were the days He passed in dark dungeons. When I visited the dungeon in Tihrán, as a child, in order to see Bahá’u’lláh— when the door was opened there were some steps leading down into the place. They took me as far as midway. I peered through the darkness; I could not find any one; it was exceedingly gloomy. Then I heard the Blessed voice saying: “Take him away.” When I heard His voice I tried to see the Blessed Beauty, but because of the great darkness I could not. Then I was taken out; they seated me. They said it is customary, about midday, to take the prisoners out for their meals; so there I sat. About noontime the jailers were all ready and the prisoners were taken out. I saw Bahá’u’lláh’s neck in chains, bound to another, both of them chained to the same link, one about His neck and another about the person who was chained to Him. The weight of the chains was so excessive that His neck was bent and He walked with great difficulty, and He was in a very sad condition. His clothes were tattered and battered; even the hat on His head was torn. He was in the utmost of ordeal and His health was quite visibly failing. They brought me and seated me, and they took Him to the place where there was a pond, in order that He might wash His face. After that they took Him back to the dungeon, and I, although I was a child, was so overcome I was unconscious. And then Bahá’u’lláh said: “Take the child away to the house,” and therefore I was taken away.

This shows one of the ordeals of His life, and you can judge of the others accordingly. During fifty years, many were His vicissitudes. He suffered all these ordeals for us. He suffered all these catastrophes for us, that we may attain to faith; that we [Page 310] may attain to certainty; that we may turn to God; that we may act in accordance with His Teachings; that we may be the cause of the illumination of the world; that we may be the means of guiding the people. And now I wish that you—in the light of these sufferings of the Blessed Beauty for our guidance, for our illumination—likewise may be self-sacrificing. We must not forget His favors; we must not forget His troubles; we must not forget His catastrophes. We must ever remember them, striving that, perchance, in thanksgiving for these favors, we may offer worthy service; we may be the cause of guiding the people; we may act in accordance with His instructions; we may live in accordance with His behests; we may forget ourselves; and that, like these holy souls who have sacrificed their lives, we may likewise sacrifice our life; we may be the cause of the heavenly peace; be the cause of the spread of His fragrances; be the cause of the spread of His teachings. For His Teachings are the Spirit of the world; His Teachings are the cause of the order of the world; His Teachings are the cause of the life of humanity; His Teachings unify mankind; His Teachings render eternal honor to men; His Teachings are the cause of the sublimity of human nature; His Teachings cause men to attain to progress and prosperity. His Teachings are conducive to man’s entrance into the Kingdom of Salvation.

All the people of the world look at us to see how we act; what our characteristics are; what our attributes are; what our mode of procedure is. They all look toward us, and we must act in such wise, we must live in such wise that we may not be the cause of the degradation of the Cause of God. Nay, rather, we must be the cause of the glory of God, and if we do not do so, how can we behold His face in His Kingdom? What shall be our apology? Did He not teach us according to His deeds? Did He not teach us through His self-sacrifice? Did He not teach us through His ordeals and difficulties? Is it meet that we should forget them? No, indeed, it is not meet; it is not loyalty and it is not behooving at all. Thank God that He has suffered you to attain to this great bestowal. Let us praise God that He has suffered us to be sheltered beneath the Tree of Life. Let us thank God that He has accepted us in His Kingdom. Let us offer thanks to God that He has specialized us for the favor which was the utmost aim of the Holy saints. Let us thank God that, notwithstanding the lack of capacity, every [Page 311] favor did He bestow upon us, every grace is showered upon us, and every bounty is revealed to us. He prepared for us the good of both worlds; He prepared for us eternal honor; He gave unto us the Life everlasting; He chose us out of all the nations of the world, and He caused us to attain to that which is the sublimity of the human world. Praise God for such an attainment as this! Thank ye God that such guidance is yours! And strive with life to hold aloft the banner of the Great Guidance; to be the cause of the illumination of the East and the West; the cause of the unity of all nations: that ye may be instrumental in spreading the heavenly morals; that ye may be the cause of manifesting spiritual attributes; that you may become characterized with the characteristics of the Bountiful, that you may become imbued with the qualities of the faithful; that you may be distinguished in all virtues; that you may be set aglow with the Fire of the Love of God and attracted by the Love of God.

This blessed dispensation is distinguished from all other dispensations. There are special features of it which are not to be found in all the other dispensations. In the other dispensations the doors of differences were opened, but the Blessed Perfection, in this great dispensation, closed the doors of all sorts of differences, so that no more shall there be a Catholic sect, or a Greek orthodox sect, or a Protestant sect or an Arian sect, or a Nestorian sect. All shall be in the same faith, all shall follow along the same way. During the Christian dispensation, as recorded in the glorious Gospel, there was no distinct standard given whereby you could differentiate the false from the true. That is to say, if various sects were created it was unavoidable, as there was no standard to show what was right and what was wrong. At most, Jesus said to Peter: “Who dost thou think I am?” His Holiness Peter said: “Thou art the Son of God.” And then Christ said to Peter: “Verily thou art the Rock, and upon this Rock will I build My Church.” This was the confirmation of Peter’s faith; that the faith of Peter in Christ was perfect; but He did not say, if any differences should arise, you should refer them to Peter, and whatever he says is right. He did not say that Peter was the promulgator or expounder of the Gospel. He did not say: “Turn to Peter.” Therefore, there were differences caused; there were various sects created; there were alienations. But the Blessed Perfection in this great dispensation, in order to close the doors of [Page 312] differences, and in order that no one should create any new sect, according to the explicit text of the Holy Book of Akdas, has clearly recorded that “after I depart, turn to Him who is the Branch extending from this ancient Branch, from this Preexistent Root.” And in the second verse, likewise, and most explicitly does He state in the Book of the Covenant, in His own handwriting, He has recorded as to whom He meant and what His purpose was regarding the “Branch extended.” All the Branches, all the twigs, all the relatives were addressed by Him explicitly saying that all must turn to the personage, and that personage is the expounder of the Book: that is, no one has a right to say that Bahá’u’lláh said this or that. Where in the Gospel is anything recorded like this? Now He is the expounder; whatever He expounds is correct, and beyond that it is incorrect. Likewise, in all the Tablets He says: “O God, help those souls who are firm in the Covenant! O Lord, render radiant those who hold to Thy Testament! O Lord, those who are infirm, meet them with Thy wrath! O God, be an assistant to him who is an assistant of the Center of the Covenant; help those who help Him! O God, avenge him who is wrathy to Him,” and such statements in all the Tablets and Prayers which He revealed. The Blessed Perfection saw that no dissension should take place in this dispensation. Lest there should be any dispute, He appointed a Center to ward off differences, and whatever He was to say was to be right—just to ward off differences. Now my purpose is this, let there be no difference here; there shall he no difference of opinion or any person. The friends who are to be the cause of the oneness of the world of humanity should they thus disagree: just as His Holiness Christ says, “Ye are the salt of the earth, and if the salt loses its saltness, wherewith shall it be salted?”

And now, God forbid that any inharmony or disagreement should exist among the friends. How could there be unity amongst the people of the world if the friends of God are not in unity? If the friends of God be not attracted to the Kingdom of Abhá, who are to be attracted? Praise be to God! In this age the doors of disagreement have been entirely shut. He has even said, “Whatever the International House of Justice decides upon, that is the Law of God.” Why? In order that no discord shall be created; in order that the friends of God shall be united and agreed. For this no soul shall [Page 313] have any opportunity. He has said: “Whatever of the texts is not explicit, the International House of Justice is the Lawgiver, and the Law given by it is the Law of God, and its prohibition is the prohibition of God. Whatever the International House of Justice shall decide, if any soul should dispute, he is deprived of God’s Mercy, and I verily shun him, because the demands of the House of Justice are final.” Thus He has emphasized this fact, lest in the future times there should be discord and differences of opinion, and that when these differences obtain there shall be a House of Justice to refer to. Whatever it decides upon, that is ever the Law of God, and there will be no room for disagreement. Consider how distinguished this disposition is! This dispensation is one people; it presents one pathway. Therefore, I admonish you for God, if any souls here should disagree amongst themselves, know that these disagreements are not accepted at the Threshold of Bahá’u’lláh. If anything should happen to you, you should ask, in order that it may be decided according to the Law of God.

Again, here in America I hear so many reports and traditions attributed to me, of which I know nothing. For example, it reaches me here that I have said such a thing that the city of New York was to be inundated at a certain time and this city should be destroyed. Of this my spirit never dreamed. Therefore, if any soul should say anything, should prophesy, you must say: “Let me have a writing on that subject; let us have some trace of His pen concerning this.” If he should present you a written statement of such a thing, then it is worthy of credence, otherwise you may know it is not from me. This is a tradition and it is an imagination. It is a dream of the person speaking. Would I ever say such a thing as that the city of New York is to be drowned, or part of the country destroyed? Such a thing never emanated from my tongue. That which I have to utter has to do with the Blessed Writings, with spirituality.

I am not an astrologer, nor am I a sorcerer, nor a fortune-teller, to speak about mountains, seas and the happenings of this world. This is only the work of astrologers; it is the function of sorcerers. It is not worthy a conscientious man, to say nothing of those who believe in God. The purpose is this, that, Praise be to God! Bahá’u’lláh did not leave anything latent. He uttered that which He should and must, and we must act in accordance with His utterances; we should act in [Page 314] accordance with His Teachings; we must be like a pen in the writer’s hand, so that, whatever emanates from the pen must be from the writer. We must act according to the explicit texts of the Blessed Beauty, and to that which is explicit we must direct our attention. If any discord should arise, the matters must be referred to the Expounder, and whatsoever He says, it is His explicit text and it is correct. Otherwise He has said that, if two people disagree, both are wrong. Beware lest ye have any disagreements, beware lest you have any lukewarmness, beware lest you have any vain thoughts. Strive with your hearts to promulgate the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh; to be the cause of the illumination of the world; to be the cause of the guidance of the people; that you may be the cause of honoring the world of humanity and winning hearts to this firm purpose.

(Final word, after He turned to the door)

We talked a great deal. Goodnight to you all. Perchance I will leave tomorrow. I did not even have time to come as far as this, but out of love for you I came. I am hastening back to the Orient, perhaps day after tomorrow. Therefore, I beg of you not to forget me at all. Pray for me! Ask from God confirmation in my behalf. Beg for me this assistance of the Blessed Beauty, for I have a weighty burden. No one could bear what I bear. I can do nothing unless the power of His confirmation should assist me. Hence I beg of you to pray for me ever. Supplicate, asking assistance, for my days are numbered. Ere long I shall have to say good-bye—a few days left for me in the world. May the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty, may the assistance of Bahá’u’lláh be mine! Perchance I may breathe in His service. Perchance I may offer worthy service. Hence I request you especially to pray for me ever, asking confirmation in my behalf.

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The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System— the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.

Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its depths.

—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH

[Page 315]

Editorial

SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

IT IS interesting to observe the current trend toward a religious theme in printed matter. Not only are there many best sellers in fiction with such a theme, but newspapers and magazines as well are printing an increasing number of articles of religious interest. Indifference to religion and the tendency to hush any expression of people’s viewpoints on religious faith which for so long have been the custom are changing. It appears as though the unyielding materialistic point of view which has so firmly gripped the more civilized people for the past several decades shows signs of being softened by the infiltration of a spiritual consciousness.

About twelve years ago Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í World Faith, wrote to an American Bahá’í that the literature and letters concerning this Faith which were being sent to eminent men in different parts of this country would have the desired effect and that the word of God would gradually penetrate into their hearts and would win them. It, however, would take time; for such men are generally captives in the hands of cherished ideas and principles which they cannot give up so quickly. The mere fact that a person is learned does not mean that he is free from prejudice. The academic life also has its fashions and fads even though they are of different nature from the fads of the man in the street.

The Guardian went on to say that these fashions are not permanent; they are bound to change. Today the fashion is a materialistic point of view of life and of the world. A day will soon come when the world will become deeply religious and spiritual. In fact we can discern the beginning of such a change in the writings of some of the most eminent souls and liberal minds. When the pendulum will have started its full swing then we shall see all such eminent men turn again to God.

At the present time we do see glimmerings of this change actually taking place. In both art and science there is an apparent awakening and realization that this new day has a spiritual significance. The prevailing World Wars have curtailed the spread of the twentieth century music [Page 316] and fine arts but they have helped the expansion of inventions and progress in science with great rapidity. The progress of the arts is delayed by military battle, while the advancement of science appears during the time of conflict and is hastened by it.

Scientists are giving their discoveries to mankind with the hope that their penetration of the mysteries of this world is for the betterment of human existence. It is true that war blinds most men’s visions of peace time living but there are those men who see the benefits of scientific progress and also understand the futility of its development solely for war. The humanistic interests of many scientists must be appreciated, but the real transformation from a material to a spiritual consciousness is only brought about by the study of the word of God for this day.

The change to a spiritual consciousness is gradual but certain. The knowledge of God has been revitalized in this time and it is this knowledge of God which is the means of awakening humanity to a new civilization. The overemphasized materialistic point of view brings a pressure of dissatisfaction and unrest which destroys itself and the result is supplication for spiritual aid. The pendulum seems to be starting its swing the other way, for many men’s hearts are realizing that the knowledge of God is necessary for true brotherhood.

The Bahá’í definition of brotherhood is not just the acceptance of fellowship and tolerance since these presuppose a superior view point and a condescending attitude. The Bahá’í principle is not one of just enduring or forgiving human brothers but rather one of unity through one common faith engendered by love and understanding, safeguarded by ordinances divinely prescribed which all mankind must obey.

God has been most merciful both materially and spiritually, for He has given mankind a Revelation to utilize this great materialistic age. But man is slow to comprehend, slow to lay down the outworn ways for the new and slow to understand and practice the teachings of the Manifestation of God. Meanwhile the world is actually becoming a factual unit through scientific progress. But if one looks with a discerning eye he can see the growing spiritual consciousness in the world today.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, “. . . although material civilization is one of the means for the progress of the world of mankind, yet until it becomes combined with Divine civilization, the desired result, which is the felicity of mankind, will not be attained.”

—G. K. H.

[Page 317]

Love and Justice

ERNA SCHMIDT

Translated by Olga K. Mills

THE knowledge of God, to which mankind can attain only through the revelation of His manifestations, must express itself in love to God. “Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee.” If it is our desire to reach out after God’s love we must open wide the doors of our hearts to receive Him, the Most Glorious, with devotion and yearning. Only in such wise can God’s love enter our heart. If the door of the heart is closed, and man has turned away from God, it is impossible for God’s love to enlighten and bless him. Bahá’u’lláh says further: “Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation, cleanse it for My manifestation.” “If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee.” Love of God is the complete surrender to God, to yield one’s self and to find existence in God. But in order to give proof of our love of God we must love His creatures, our fellow-beings. “If you desire to love God, love your neighbor. In him you can behold God’s image and likeness. If you desire to serve God, serve humanity. Renounce self in God’s reality.” Christ says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Neighborly love must therefore be as profound and strong as love of self. The man who loves himself in the real sense of a creation of God will likewise love his fellow-creatures, all of whom are also creations of God. In regard to love of self ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us that it can also lead to higher development when it is understood that man is God’s creation.

Hence self-love is evident in two different forms, one which is concentrated only on the personal ego and on one’s own welfare, which invariably causes man’s stagnation and degeneration, and robs him of true evolution; and the other of self-love which, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, realizes man as God’s creature, and therefore concerns himself also with the [Page 318] welfare of his fellow men, who are the same entities created by the Great Creator. Accordingly self-love can serve as a standard for neighborly love, for it is said “Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.”

Love for our fellow creatures can manifest itself in many various ways. Many little tasks of daily life demand of us a fundamental attitude of loving kindness, which, in higher stages of development, will expand to utmost selflessness and self-abnegation. We must not pay back in the same coin. Loving and kind we must be to all, friend or foe. It is not difficult to show kindness and to do good to friends, but to love our enemies often requires the greatest self-restraint. “We must love our enemies for God’s sake, for He has created them; we must love them even though we cannot love them for their own personality’s sake.” Our conduct shall therefore be charitable and forgiving towards our neighbor, always prompted by love. In the attitude of the “I” toward the “you”, a principle of retaliation should never be applied. This is but a necessary component of justice.

Love and Justice, these are the two foundation pillars of human life: Love, as aforesaid, in relation of man to man; justice in relation of the individual to the family, community and nation. Christ says: “Seek thou first the kingdom of God and its justice.” Bahá’u’lláh’s words on this subject are:

“O Son of Spirit!

“The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice, turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behoveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.”

Justice is an expression of God’s love to humanity. Justice is the divine order, which is proclaimed by His Manifestations, according to the stage of man’s evolution. When justice, such as it has been divinely revealed, becomes the basis of human society, then will the Kingdom of God be established on earth. As Bahá’u’lláh tells us, true justice must be based upon punishment and reward as essential to the organization of individuals into that social group which we call the community. The hypothesis that love and justice, such as God has ordained, can be attained among men, carries humanity toward [Page 319] higher evolution and ennoblement. It is the duty of every one of us to strive for it and to acquire noble qualities. In order to attain this we must turn to a source of power which will never fail the sincere seeker. This wellspring of power is God, and we can quench our thirst at this source if we turn to Him entirely. Prayer is the connection which forms this turning towards God. Concerning prayer ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us: “Turn your face to God in all sincerity, detach yourself from all save Him, be kindled with the fire of love to God, be pure and sanctified and pray and supplicate to God. Verily, He answers those who beseech Him, and He is near to those who pray to Him. And He is your companion in all solitude and bestows His friendship upon you in every exile. . . . Know that nothing in this world can truly benefit you save calling and entreating God, working in His vineyard and spending your life in constant service to Him with a heart full of love. . . . Draw near unto God and be steadfast in the union with your Lord, that the fire of God’s love may burn brighter in your heart, that its radiance may wax stronger, and give warmth to your world, and the echo of your love may soar up on high to the celestial Hosts.”

The measure of our love to humanity will always prove the degree of our union with God. Prayers are, therefore, on the one hand, the means of receiving power; on the other hand, the means of distributing power in order to translate faith and knowledge into convincing action.

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The foundation of the Kingdom of God is laid upon justice, fairness, mercy, sympathy and kindness to every soul. Then strive ye with heart and soul to practice love and kindness to the world of humanity at large, except to those souls who are selfish and insincere. It is not advisable to show kindness to a person who is a tyrant, a traitor or a thief because kindness encourages him to become worse and does not awaken him. The more kindness you show to a liar the more he is apt to lie, for he thinks that you know not, while you do know, but extreme kindness keeps you from revealing your knowledge.

—‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ

[Page 320]

Steps Toward Post-War Cooperation

ARTHUR DAHL

BOTH in carrying on the conduct of the war, and in planning to meet post-war problems, the nations of the world have been learning in actual practice the value—even, the necessity— for sincere, dynamic cooperation. They are discovering, bit by bit, the oneness of today’s world by finding that various specific problems can be met only on a world basis.

In four fields, particularly: military, food, relief, and finance, beginnings have been made in working out techniques and mechanisms for active cooperation between nations.

It was obvious early in the war that, because of its global nature and the integration of land, sea, and air functions, close working cooperation and pooling of authority must be achieved and maintained both between the various branches of the armed services of one country, and between the forces of all the countries making up the United Nations. At first this came hard to many of the older officers, accustomed to the individualism and independence of the old school of thought. But the lesson was learned, and the outstanding success of the joint commands, and the smooth integration with which the tremendous military undertakings of the past two years have been carried out, represent one of the great achievements of the war, whose broader implications have not been lost on our more thoughtful officials and citizens.

The first non-military problem to be faced on a broadly cooperative basis was that of food. From May 18 to June 3, 1943, representatives from forty-four nations gathered at Hot Springs, Virginia, at a time when most public and official attention was concentrated on the critical military situation, to lay the groundwork for a united approach to the food problem. Though such a conference could only deal in generalities, rather than specific measures, it is significant that the final report represented a general agreement of the entire body, at which the U. S. S. R. was represented, and that it not only accepted the fact that the peoples of the world need more and better food than they are now getting, but urged that the governments represented acknowledge their responsibility for securing improved nutrition for their citizens, [Page 321] instead of leaving it to chance or to the unrestricted working of economic laws under the system of laissez-faire. However, the means for securing this improvement should be by bettering economic conditions generally, in harmony with the principles of free enterprise, rather than through socialization of the food industries. This in turn makes the solution depend upon successful handling of problems outside the scope of this conference, as by tariffs, investment, and employment.

An important outgrowth of the conference was the appointment of the United Nations Interim Commission on Food and Agriculture, on which all forty-four were represented, with big-four domination carefully avoided. Its first job was to draft and submit to the various governments a formal declaration in which each nation recognizes “the obligation to their respective peoples and to one another, henceforth to collaborate in raising levels of nutrition and standards of living of their peoples, and to report to one another on the progress achieved.” These reports would subject to international reviews matters previously of strictly domestic concern. If this formal declaration is passed, it will be one of the first examples of limitation of sovereignty considered collectively by the United Nations.

In addition, the Commission has prepared the structure for a Permanent Organization on Food and Agriculture, which it is hoped will become a model for United Nations boards in other fields. Ultimately it would be expected that all these boards would be gathered under the supreme authority of an overall United Nations organization, which might eventually become a world government.

The question of post-war relief was obviously of immediate concern, and was the next to receive collective attention by the United Nations. This led to the formation of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, under the direction of Herbert Lehman, which held its first meeting at Atlantic City in December, 1943. At that time the following basic policies and purposes were agreed upon:

1: The UNRRA will confine itself to furnishing, in areas liberated from enemy occupation, essential consumer goods for immediate needs, materials to enable a recipient country to produce and transport relief supplies, and essential services, such as health and welfare, repatriation or return of displaced persons, and rehabilitation of public utilities to meet immediate [Page 322] needs. The Council will not be concerned with enemy or ex-enemy territories, or with countries not occupied by the enemy.

2: The UNRRA will so organize its activities as not to impede the prosecution of the war. This particularly means that the Council’s need for shipping will be coordinated with that of the other intergovernmental agencies.

3: Distribution of relief shall at no time be used as a political weapon, and no discrimination shall be made in the distribution of supplies because of race, creed, or political belief. A certain flexibility is allowed, however, to give special attention to groups particularly discriminated against by the Nazis. In general, the relief supplies should be distributed by the government or administrative authority within the particular area.

4: UNRRA should assist in the repatriation of citizens of the United Nations to their countries of origin, and also of United Nations nationals and stateless persons who were driven from their homes by war conditions, even where their homes were not in their countries of origin. The Council shall not be concerned with the repatriation of war prisoners unless requested by the member government concerned.

5: UNRRA will be financed by contributions from each member nation whose home territory has not been occupied by the enemy, approximately equivalent to one percent of the national income of the country for the year ending June 30, 1943. Provision is made for discretionary adjustments where hardships result. It is estimated that for a two-year period UNRRA will cost between 2 and 2½ billion dollars, of which the United States will contribute about 60%, United Kingdom about 15%.

Herbert Lehman has indicated he considers the function of the Council distinctly temporary. Its success “must be measured by the speed with which it is able to liquidate itself; the sooner it becomes unnecessary, the greater will have been its accomplishments.”

If UNRRA carries through its project on the high plane achieved to date, it should stand as a shining example of altruistic international cooperation at its best.

The fourth, and most difficult, field in which efforts at international cooperation have been made is finance. This is the most complex and controversial field of all, the one least understood by government officials and the public at large, and therefore subject to the greatest number of irrational prejudices and preconceived ideas.

[Page 323] The objective is to stabilize the various currencies of the world, so as to eliminate the wild fluctuations that have characterized past eras and have wrought such internal economic havoc.

Most technical experts agree that such stabilization can be achieved only through the joint and organized effort of the important financial powers. Such an organized effort will not guarantee stabilization, for much depends upon the handling of such related problems as trade and tariff policies and international investment. Such an organization, however, would give control within limits, and would permit a greater coordination of these policies as they affect world finance.

The discussion started more than a year ago with the publication of plans proposed by the influential British economist, John Maynard Keynes, and by Dr. Harry White of the U. S. Treasury Department. The plans differed in their technical application, particularly as regards voting control, but they both in effect advocated the setting up of a world bank, to which all members would contribute, which would establish a separate currency of its own, and which would attempt to keep the trade balances of member nations from getting too far out of line.

These plans stirred up a great deal of discussion, much of it acrimonious. However, the general idea of organization in International finance gained ground, leading to the conference at Bretton Woods in July, 1944. Here 1,300 financial experts worked hard for three weeks in an atmosphere that was outstandingly rational, serious, and cooperative, and emerged with two important proposals for stability in world finance:

1: An International Monetary Fund of 8.8 billion dollars, to which each nation will contribute in proportion to its financial size. Each member nation may draw on this Fund in the exchange of some other member nation of which it is temporarily short. This is merely a shock absorber, but if the nations generally follow a wise policy in developing international trade, it should be of great help in overcoming temporary difficulties.

2: An International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with capital of 9.1 billion dollars, 80% of which will not be paid in, but will be on call. Purpose is to finance importation of materials for post-war reconstruction in devastated areas. The Bank will guarantee loans made privately for this purpose, and will handle loans too big for the [Page 324] private market. This again is more a shock absorber than an all-out program for achieving the vast amount of reconstruction needed, but it will be of great benefit, both for the funds it makes available, and for the precedent it sets for cooperative procedure.

These proposals are now being returned to the member nations to be ratified. There is considerable doubt as to whether they will be acceptable to the governments of some countries, particularly the U. S. Congress. If they are accepted, they will represent a great step forward toward international cooperation, and in any case the conduct of the Bretton Woods conference sets a splendid example of what can be accomplished by high-minded and informed men of many different countries when they approach a problem with a conciliatory attitude.

This, is the first article in a series which will present signs of progress in world affairs.

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The world is, in truth, moving on towards its destiny. The interdependence of the peoples of the nations of the earth, whatever the leaders of the divisive forces of the world may say or do, is already an accomplished fact. Its unity in the economic sphere is now understood and recognized. The welfare of the part means the welfare of the whole, and the distress of the part brings distress to the whole. The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh has, in His own words, “lent a fresh impulse and set a new direction” to this vast process now operating in the world. The fires lit by this great ordeal are the consequences of men’s failure to recognize it. They are, moreover, hastening its consummation. Adversity, prolonged, world-wide, afflictive, allied to chaos and universal destruction, must needs convulse the nations, stir the conscience of the world, disillusion the masses, precipitate a radical change in the very conception of society, and coalesce ultimately the disjointed, the bleeding limbs of mankind into one body, single, organically united, and indivisible. . . .

Then will the coming of age of the entire human race he proclaimed and celebrated by all the peoples and nations of the earth.

—SHOGHI EFFENDI

[Page 325]

Etchings

Amy Brady Dwelly

O SON OF BEING!

With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have doubt thereof.— BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.

A LITTLE child had been cast away and left to die. Even its parents put no value upon its life. They considered it feeble-minded; furthermore it was sickly and it was a girl. In this far away country such an one was not considered worth feeding especially where food was scarce. There she lay where they had put her, crying feebly, unable to stand and her eyes so weak they could only blink in the light. A government doctor seeing her plight, lifted her into his arms and took her to a hospital.

Time passed and through proper care it was discovered that she was not feeble-minded but indeed was very bright and alert. The doctor’s family brought her to the United States. There began her many years of education. Hours she sat sightless at the piano practicing difficult music. This delighted her soul. She spent years working toward a college degree, dependent upon others to read to her all that she studied. Gradually she developed into a very intellectual being with many doubts where religion was concerned.

Then came a teacher, a reader, a mother all in one, and best of all a Bahá’í, who gave her the Teachings. Great was her interest; equally great were her doubts, her questions, her misgivings. Day after day she listened to readings from the Bahá’í writings. She meditated silently; she pondered aloud; she expressed her doubts. Many were the questions that came freely from this sincere seeker after truth. Then one day with a radiant smile upon her face—a radiance which shown forth even though there were no eyes to reflect it—she exclaimed, “I accept the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, I do, I do.”

Now her ambition is to go back to her far away native land carrying the Message. This little girl who was left to die seems destined to bring to the people, who in their ignorance turned their backs [Page 326] upon her, the greatest Message that they can ever have—the source of greatest strength and illumination.

* * *

If poverty overtake thee, be not sad; for in time the Lord of wealth shall visit thee. Fear not abasement, for glory shall one day rest upon thee.
—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH

She was a little old lady with a kindly face and bright eyes. To the Feasts she always came traveling many miles. She would sit in a corner smiling shyly at the friends; neat and clean and unassuming. The years went by and the friends were never invited to her home for a Feast. Then one day a speaker came and discussed poverty and riches and their real meaning. She mentioned a Bahá’í friend who lived in a tiny bedroom alone but never the less she would serve tea made from water heated over a gas jet. She served it graciously and happily. There was no thought of embarrassment. The little Bahá’í lady listened.

The following month she invited the friends to her home for a Feast. “I live in a little house off the road, a bit of a way from town,” she explained when she gave her address.

That evening the friends flocked to that little house. “a bit of a way from town.” Indeed what a little place it was but how cheerful it became inside. Candlelight glimmered everywhere so that altogether it was very bright and cheerful. Flowers stood in cans which had been painted a warm green. There were only a few chairs. One was badly worn but a bright covered pillow made it comfortable. When there were no more chairs, the little lady brought forth apple boxes which she had covered with scraps of creton. Then came her wash bench over which she spread a little Indian rug. How bright it all looked. How hospitable it all was. It was everywhere. Everybody was extremely happy and a beautiful spirit prevailed.

People remarked about the happiness and unity that they felt and they remembered it long afterwards. To the few who lingered after the others had gone the hostess confessed, “I have always wanted the friends to come but I felt ashamed of my poverty. I do not even have electric lights and not nearly enough chairs for them to sit comfortably upon, but after Mrs. ——— spoke I knew I had been mistaken. I shall never be ashamed again.” And from that night forward her humble little house became one more of the ever increasing number of truly Bahá’í homes.

Verily through meekness, man is elevated to the heaven of power.
—BAHÁ’U’LLÁH

[Page 327]

WITH OUR READERS

WHAT happened in Berkeley, California, is of interest to all our readers. It shows the strength of the Local Spiritual Assembly in that city and the respect with which it is held by city officials. As the Bahá’í Faith grows and its high ethical and spiritual standards are recognized, local Assemblies will exert more and more influence in their civic communities.

The Bahá’í Assembly in Berkeley was asked, along with other organizations in that city, to submit suggestions for future civic development to the City Council Committee on Postwar Planning. The following excerpts from the reply sent to this request show how our fundamental Bahá’í principles served as a basis for suggestions:

“Our present contribution as Bahá’ís is not so much in the form of detailed solutions of specific problems as in the nature of general concepts—a statement of objectives, and a consideration of basic principles and policies which must underly any plan, if Berkeley is to do its part in building a better world after this war.

“The following is respectfully submitted . . .

“1. Joint study and action with neighboring cities and with state and federal agencies.

The social and economic problems that will face Berkeley will not be local in scope but nation-wide in their ramifications, and even worldwide. Any effective and lasting solution must therefore be based on a broader treatment of the subject and should fit into the pattern of a just and progressive world order.

“2. Gradual elimination of want and poverty.

There should be preventive measures and emergency action. Prevention or elimination of poverty will require a long-pull program based on social and economic study in cooperation with other cities, and with state and federal agencies. It could include a well-balanced settlement of various peace-time industries, a plan (and provision for funds) for necessary improvements in times of depression, a postwar resettlement program for the transportation of surplus population to other areas and its employment in agriculture or new industries, and many other possibilities. . . . Emergency measures must be planned to provide facilities through insurance, special taxes, or the setting aside of reserve funds to give help to the needy and the unemployed whenever necessary.

“3. Fostering racial harmony.

This should be done by endeavoring to eliminate prejudice and discrimination through community projects and the education of the races involved, and by discouraging any attempt to set residential restrictions on basis of race alone. If there must be restrictions, the same standards should apply to all races.

“4. Fostering class harmony.

Class harmony should be fostered by encouraging labor-management cooperation, and by systematic education to make all classes work for the welfare of the community rather than for one class against another.

[Page 328] “5. Building a healthy, active community.

This should be done through a well prepared and carefully executed program to develop Berkeley’s children into healthy and useful members of the community. Such a program might include a more comprehensive system of recreation and cultural development outside of school hours, better housing and sanitation, and medical facilities for those who need them. It should encourage a more widespread religious teaching for the character building and spiritual development of the coming generation. . . ”

* * *

Our leading article this month is a summary by Horace Holley of Shoghi Effendi’s long-awaited book, his survey and interpretation of the first hundred years of the Bahá’í Faith, entitled God Passes By. Interest in Mr. Holley’s study and survey of the book is assured by the fact that there were no less than 1,000 advance orders for the book. This study will he an aid to those already studying the book and will stimulate those who are as yet unfamiliar with this almost overpowering history of the birth and early growth of a new religion to give it their serious attention. The editors announce this appreciative summary of God Passes By as the first in a series of similar surveys or studies of other Bahá’í books which is planned for the magazine during the coming year.

The words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá printed under the title “The New Dispensation” were spoken by Him in Los Angeles in 1912 and we believe have not been published before.

The editors plan to print from time to time brief articles which indicate progress in world events along some of the lines which Shoghi Effendi has said the world must eventually reach. The first in this series, which we speak of as “Formation of a World Society” is by Arthur Dahl entitled “Steps Toward Post-War Cooperation”. Mr. Dahl sends us book reviews and other articles from time to time from his home in Palo Alto, California. One of these reviews appeared in our October issue.

In her editorial Gertrude Henning encourages us to realize that spiritual awakening is quietly taking place here and there. The Bahá’í teachings awaken souls and enable us to discover seeking souls.

Readers will be interested in the piece “Love and Justice” since it is a translation of an article written in German some years ago by Erna Schmidt, and printed in the Bahá’í magazine, Sonne Der Wahrheit. This magazine was published monthly for many years in Stuttgart but its publication is now suspended.

“Etchings,” contributed by Amy Brady Dwelly, are, she tells us, true incidents. Mrs. Dwelly’s last previous contribution to World Order was “Bahá’í Children in War Time” in November, 1943. Her professional work is organizing and supervising nursery schools and her residence is in Detroit.

* * *

The librarian of one of our new Assemblies writes: “We are proud to tell you that every Bahá’í family here now subscribes for World Order. That means nine copies come to our city each month and we have only fourteen Bahá’ís here.” Is your community doing as well as this with subscriptions to World Order?

—THE EDITORS