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WORLD ORDER
THE BAHÁ’Í MAGAZINE
JANUARY, 1948
Bahá’u’lláh’s Message
and the Germans
Karl Schueck
Knowledge, Poem
Martha Boutwell Garvin
The Sun Illumines
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Panama, Crossroads of Destiny
Duart Vincent Brown
What Is the Bahá’í Faith?
W. M. Firoozi
The Development of a World Society
Fannie Jupnik
Spirit of Faith
Floyd H. Munson
104 Anno Domini and
104 Bahá’í Era, Editorial
Mabel H. Paine
The Fragrance of Letters (Concluded)
Ruhíyyih Khánum
High Lights of the Newer Testament
A Compilation from the Bahá’í Writings
Marion C. Lippitt
With Our Readers
20¢
WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, Ill., by the Publishing Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Garreta Busey, Editor; Eleanor S. Hutchens, Mabel H. Paine, Flora Hottes, Associate Editors.
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Make checks and money orders payable to World Order Magazine,
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class matter April 1, 1940, at the post office at Wilmette, Ill.,
under the Act of March 3, 1879. Content copyrighted 1947 by
Bahá’í Publishing Committee. Title registered at U. S. Patent
Office.
ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE
GERMAN farmers set to work to provide food after the
war. The German Bahá’ís are likewise at work spreading
the universal principles of Bahá’u’lláh, which will prepare
them to take their place in a commonwealth of nations. For
an analysis of the German character, see Karl Schueck’s
article on p. 3.
Photo by Acme
LET no one misunderstand the significance of Unity. It is the principle of the universe and is opposed to Uniformity. Unity requires a difference in all things; Uniformity requires congruency. Unity is strong, beautiful, flexible; Uniformity is rigid and colorless. Unity is achieved through strong bonds of attraction, co-operation, common interest and a realization of the relatedness of all people. It preserves national culture, language and accomplishment; it upholds local tradition and custom, and repudiates excessive centralization; it requires no one to relinquish sane local and national loyalties. It sets the standard of a wider vision, a broader scope, of membership in the human family. It demands the contribution of every nation, every part of the world to the great structure of the temple of mankind . . . Mankind is but one race, but this does not lessen the affection which we feel for our native land. The Unity of the world is the linking together of all its component parts in a single body, each giving something of beauty and worth, so that the resultant harmony is the expression of each part skilfully blended into the strength and majesty of the full symphony.
These are days of titanic spiritual struggle. A new world is coming to birth. As the old one passes, in passion and violence, have no regrets. Be thankful and radiant, confident that the shining day of human brotherhood is here.
Excerpt from
The Renewal of Civilization
By DAVID HOFMAN
WORLD ORDER
The Bahá’í Magazine
VOLUME XIII JANUARY, 1948 NUMBER 10
Bahá’u’lláh’s Message and the Germans
KARL SCHUECK
“Two souls dwell, alas, in my breast;
One tries to tear itself away from the other . . . ”
GOETHE, FAUST, PART ONE
WITH the same divinely inspired
sagacity and faithfulness
with which they transcribed
the Prophet’s austere and
Godly message into more worldly
notions and realistic interpretations,
both ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and
Shoghi Effendi put equal trust
in the great missions of the
American and the German peoples.
America had become, with
all its peoples and races and
creeds from all over the world,
the testing ground upon which,
by the strength of the Bahá’í
Faith of this age, the idea of the
oneness of mankind was to become
a reality. The German people,
on their part, felt, with their
deep and ancient disposition to
advocate the cause of mankind
as their own, the driving force
of the spiritual conquest of the
world.
Deep and ancient, indeed, is this innate dream and yearning in the German soul for a moral and spiritual reality greater than the realities they have been forced to experience throughout the tragic course of their history.
Such an assertion may appear paradoxical in face of the havoc and calamities of war wrought upon the world by these very Germans. But was it merely an unquenchable thirst for destruction that spurred them on to wage war after war, merely an insanely devilish ambition to Germanize and rule the world? How could it be that the same nation which had produced the world’s great geniuses of peace and art and music, inventive masters of patient efficiency in all sorts of crafts, could combine its high ethical considerations and ideals with merciless destructiveness?
[Page 328]
There must be elements and
dispositions in these Germans
to respond to the Prophet’s mission,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s interpretation,
and the Guardian’s wise
appeal to these people. And this
appeal—to what did it call, regardless
of the world’s horror
and distrust of the German possibilities?
To the deep source
of Faith which princelings and
leaders have, time and again,
abused for their own greedy purposes?
To a special disposition
waiting to be roused and directed
towards the very fulfillment of
an ancient German dream?
We know the havoc frustrated dreams can wreak upon man’s inner being. His peaceful disposition will suddenly change into cruel lust for destruction, his ideal of beauty be distorted to the grimace of painful disharmony. Thus, the German history is a chronology of increased frustrations, of snapping tensions, new yearnings and more suppressions.
In the sparse news coming now from Germany, the reports of intellectual and artistic activities in that gutted country, remind us of similar phenomena at the end of the first world war. There was no art exhibition, no theatre, no book, no lecture, or other intellectual manifestation that did not emphatically and most seriously exalt the greatness of the ideal of a unified mankind. People cheered upon hearing such words as “Unification of the World” and “Spiritual Justice.”
Mankind! This, truly, was the ancient, German dream. Mankind, this supreme unity which would eventually deliver the German nation, too, from its so creative and alas! so destructive disunity.
Looking back into history one can see this deep nostalgia, this yet nameless yearning, take root within the inhabitants of strong-walled burghs where they, vassals to lordly knights, emerged from their narrow work-shops and, glancing from the towers into the far lands, dreamed themselves away from this narrowness towards the hazy, blue mountain ridges and star-studded horizons. With eagerness they listened to the errant troubadours telling of cities and lands near and far, which, in their frustrated imagination, took on the fabulous and mystic character of divine beauty and holiness.
Unable to read and to write,
they depended on the veracity of
story-tellers and of monks. And
when the latter spoke to them of
a Holy Grail or roused their indignation
over the pagans’ profanation
[Page 329]
of the distant Holy Sepulchre,
they did not hesitate to
follow their knight on his God-ordained
mission of deliverance.
Whatever made a breach in the
walls of their dark enclosures
and opened to them the gate of
the burgh to emerge and to
roam towards the blue horizon,
was gratefully welcomed and
willingly obeyed. Somewhere,
they heard, there grew a mysterious
Blue Flower. What this
meant nobody much cared, nor
did it matter if one ever found
it; for to possess is to know and
to remain without the fascination
of dream, and possession
stifles further aspiration. Dreaming
was better.
But these exploits for which the burghers had been called upon to serve and die, were not always of unselfish or of saintly character and purpose. The knights and princelings were shrewd enough to abuse for their own frivolous purposes, the people’s untiring nostalgia. They simply cloaked the warlike enterprise with the garment of a lofty mission, called the dwellers of other burghs and lands heathens and sons of devils, thus confusing the aim of conquest, mystifying the uneducated minds of peasants and burghers, and calling this new adventure another Holy Cause. Once their ardor had been aroused, it was easy enough to appeal to and sanctify—with the zealous help of vassal-monks— the quickly roused, baser instincts of the people, who, aiming for beatitude and with an efficiency worthy of the mystic goal, fought for their knights as the appointed representative of God.
They returned, then, to the old, dark steads where the unquelled yearning seeped into the work of carving and molding. But a schism had cleft their beings. Here was the loving attachment to the little hut and small piece of land and there the constantly growing nostalgia for those worlds of which they had barely gained a foretaste. It was impossible to combine these trends, and painful tension was the result. This tension demanded release and called upon the instincts to justify the heedless rush into war and strife.
This dualism grew, notwithstanding
enlightenment and the
expansion of burghs and lands.
The constant yearning for the
Blue Flower in the remoteness
of space had created a deep love
for mysticism which made these
Germans eager and devout followers
of such mystics as St.
Francis, Tauler, Eckehard, while
their own strong and loving attachment
to their proper soil
[Page 330]
and stead had sharpened their
sense of observation and such
efficiency as proved indispensable
to make the most of the
least. Consequently the critical
and rationalistic mind increased
its power. These two dispositions
were uncombinable and
created nothing but unbearable
tension requiring release.
This dualism broke through everywhere. At one moment Christians, they became, at the next moment, critical of Christ as not being German and of Christianity itself, innoculated as an alien thing upon their own pagan nature. They worshipped the idol and the image of the Crucified One and, while one self bemoaned all suffering and was humble, the other ego dreamt of Siegfriedian heroes commissioned to slay the dragon of mischief and grief with the power of a fabulous and mystic sword. And just as the German’s Christianity was, thus, of dualistic nature, his deep-rooted paganism suffered from a similar schism. To him, the complex of nature was inhabited by the ancient gods. He felt in concord with the elementary spirits of trees and fire, of water and winds. But, soon enough, his other, rationalistic self would step into the foreground and go about dissecting what he had just adored. With unemotional aloofness and defiant reason he probed into the mysteries of Nature to discover its laws and exploit them for his prospective inventions. By the same token at one moment he deeply believed in a world-embracing faith, in a mystic and saintly entity of all mankind, and at the next fell back into the medieval narrowness of his burgh. Here he dreamt of a supernatural blend of all nations into one, and there his old vassal—obedience —repudiated such a thought as sacrilegious. Here he was convinced this mankind-ideal would come true by means of organic growth and inner necessity and there he fancied that he, descendant of Siegfried, had been commissioned to this task regardless of the means.
Paradoxical though it may appear, the Germans possess a similar quality, a similar nostalgia to that with which they characterize their “very opponents”: the Jewish people. Both yearn for the Messiah of deliverance, and for unity and station in the world. The Germans hated the Jews for what they themselves had ever hoped to accomplish: world citizenship, overcoming of the old narrowness, and release of their innermost powers of faith.
[Page 331]
This old battle between the
ego and the world was keeping
the German soul in agonizing
confusion and tormenting dualism,
while the search for the
Blue Flower continued despite
the growing mechanization and
materialism all around. This constant
tension kept their forces
awake and vigilant while other
nations merely existed on in old,
though harmonious, patterns.
Then came the great experience when the French revolutionaries of 1789 proclaimed for the first time Humanité, Mankind, as the dawn of a new age. With the power of a storm this word shook the Germans out of a temporary stagnation. Their response was jubilant. What had remained vague and nameless in their souls, suddenly arose, unfurling its banner and pronouncing its destiny. Humanity! Beethoven’s titanic voice proclaimed this jubilation in his Ninth Symphony and its final chorus, “Be embraced, you millions, take the kiss of the whole world.” The Olympian Goethe pronounced the new station of man as that of world-citizenship, and even the austere and sober genius of reason, Immanuel Kant, added his confirmation of mankind’s new morale to the general acclamation of the ancient and reborn ideal.
Here, truly, was the foundation of the German’s self. Here was his destiny. The Blue Flower had its name. Here was substantial food for reason, sufficient inspiration for dreams, legitimate right to turn to the world, ethical justification for a new heroism, the chance of tearing down the barriers between people—
What was more exalting and invigorating! What greater Faith could ever be found!
The great ideal stood beyond
the gate; to reach it one had only
to crash the barrier. But with
what means? He was told to
accept “Germany, Germany
above all” as his national hymn;
philosophers such as Hegel,
whose authority he dared not
doubt, taught him to defy the
State and its representatives or,
like Nietzsche, called on his
grotesquely overdrawn heroic
feeling; and the materialism
of the new age started to absorb
his forces. Unable by nature to
keep balance between mind and
yearning, rationalism and idealism,
and other conflicting antagonisms
within his nature, he
found a new tension growing in
and pulling at himself. And as
the knights in old times called on
his obedience and his deference
for a Holy Cause to inspire him
for warfare, so did now the Kaiser.
[Page 332]
And as the Kaiser failed,
sadness and despair befell the
German who, convinced of the
Divine Necessity of his world-converting
mission, could not
forgive the other nations, not
blessed by such high vocation,
for obstructing his heroic march.
And then Hitler came, the voice
of the confused, inner yearnings,
who shrewdly played on the ancient
mysticism and the new religion
of mankind blending both
into one and bidding for the
throne. The fantastic computation
would have promised success
—if the fundamental essence
had not been forgotten:
the new ethics as the premise
for the new world. The new
ethics, the name of which was
consideration, kindness, and responsibility
of all for all. The
new reality, the name of which
was mankind rather than any
particular or favorite nation!
Here was the deciding error:
mistaking the drive for the aim.
The old medieval pettiness that
grew in the walled burghs could
not be used for a “mission” of
unmaterialistic nature. The fact
that in this colossal gamble the
spiritual station of man himself
was harnessed and subjected to
a military manoeuver, the fact
that this satanic venture was
carried by the misconception of
man as well as by the same old
fatal forces of power, and that
this drive exalted and continued
the old worship of the morale
of power rather than changed to
the worship of the power of morale
predestined the exploit to a
catastrophic collapse.
Now the country is in ruins. For the second time the German has had to wake up to the fact that he has abused the tremendous possibilities within himself, and that every attempt at arbitrarily wanting to change a Godly ordained course of history must by necessity end in tragedy. He has known so long that spiritual history, in contrast to the chronological one, has been developing since the early dawn of man toward just one goal: the awakening of man’s consciousness of his true station and mission and the ripening of the seed of man’s ultimate destiny—Mankind as a reality ordained by God.
This, the German has known
and felt. Of this, he has dreamt.
He has yearned towards that
goal. Only this he has failed
to grasp: the fulfillment of this
final reality is less man’s own
decision or the German nation’s
self-made privilege than it was,
is, and will be God’s will and
postulation. The power of faith
to accomplish this high goal is
there; what he now has to learn
[Page 333]
and to accept is to put the name
of God where he had but seen
the word “Germany.”
And now? There are innumerable indications pointing to the German soul writhing in agony without, however, letting loose of its mankind-vision. The old dreams of Siegfried and Barbarossa are shattered, but the power of faith has not spent itself. Yes, faith, religious faith it was with which the Germans accepted the self-deification of Hitler. They saw in him their own potentialities, their own confusion, and worshipping him, worshipped themselves.
He who has studied German
history and become acquainted
with the usual German disposition
for faith, has no difficulty
in grasping the meaning of
Bahá’u’lláh’s Message to the
German people. Here, for the
first time, they are being offered
a Faith the spiritual aim of
which has been their own. The
romantic ideal of their own has
found confirmation from a Divine
Source, on a realistic foundation
such as their own geniuses
had sometimes dreamt about.
This being a world religion, the
German no longer has to fear
the incompatibility of the remnants
of his pagan inclinations
with an “inoculated Christianity.”
There can be no danger
of a wanton and mystic misinterpretation
nor of leaders using
this Message as a pretext
for a specific German mission.
The holy blue print of Bahá’u’lláh’s
new World Order excludes
the risk of having to ramble
again through the haze and
vagueness of Blue-Flower-Dreams.
Acceptance of this magnificent
and world-embracing
oneness and unity will, by necessity,
lead to the long-yearned-for
consolidation of a German
spiritual unity. The German’s
power of faith will forge the
tools necessary to keep driving
himself and leading other nations
towards the high goal.
There is room for every believer
in heroic living, for all those
finding happiness in and through
obedience. This is the language
of God the German ear and soul
can understand. He will not stay
behind in this universal drive
towards the envisioned Holy
Grail. On the contrary, he feels
he owes it to his very nature
and predisposition to show the
way and to enlighten others. His
ambition will find nourishment
and satisfaction. The mystic and
the real have merged into one
reality thus appealing to his ancient
dualism which, in turn, will
find deliverance and release in
and through this German mankind-service.
Even the antagonism
[Page 334]
between his love for materialism
and for high spiritual
qualities will come to an end,
and triumphant as Beethoven’s
Chorus, “Be embraced, you millions,”
will be the German’s dedication
to the Faith of Bahá as
the reality of his own dream of
mankind which, having now fully
become a property of his consciousness,
will henceforth refuse
to swear allegiance to the
semi-gods and fallible idols of
power.
Thus the World Faith of Bahá’u’lláh will, by necessity, find its most eager and devoted European believers and forefighters in all those who had been forced by fate to understand that their reality is not a world Germanized by force of arms, but a Germany peacefully and faithfully permeated by God’s love of this world as manifested by His beloved Bahá’u’lláh.
KNOWLEDGE
MARTHA BOUTWELL GARVIN
- I have read great books.
- My mind is full
- Of things I ought to know.
- He never looks
- Inside those leaves
- Where gems of wisdom flow.
- I sip my tea,
- Expound ideas
- As if they were my own.
- He brings to me
- Rich, living thoughts
- In unassuming tone.
The Sun Illumines
‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ
YOU are welcome! This is a beautiful day.
There is a good sun; it is full of light. Even as outwardly
the sun illumines the day, and is in the utmost brilliancy,
so in this Day souls are illuminated through the
Light of the Sun of Truth. Just as by Divine permission
this sun gives light to the plants, trees, existent beings
and all things, so likewise, the effulgence of the Sun of
Truth gives life to hearts and souls. Just as this sun confers
delicacy, verdancy, and freshness to the various
gardens, fields and mountains, so similarly the rays of
the Sun of Truth confer verdancy, brilliancy and freshness
to the hearts and souls. In a word, praise ye God
that He has caused you to come into this world of existence,
in this age of the Sun of Truth. During past
ages no such lights existed, no such effulgence shone
forth, no such delicacy and freshness existed, and no
such bounties were showered. These bounties are especially
characteristic of this great Age. This is the
Spring Season, and all of the world of existence is in
motion. The spiritual springtime takes effect within the
hearts and souls and causes the consciences to be revived.
It brings verdancy and freshness to the soils of
the hearts. It covers with leaves and blossoms the trees
of human personalities. Thank ye God that ye are in
this Divine Springtime. Thank ye God that ye are in this
Most Great Day. It is my hope that you will day by day
progress in manners, in spirituality, in peace and in
righteousness, so that you may illumine the world of
morals, and become the cause of advancement to the
world of humanity, and that like unto lighted lamps you
may shine forth in the darkness. This is my hope. This
is my purpose. This is my aim. This is my prayer.
Good morning!
Panama, Crossroads of Destiny
DUART VINCENT BROWN
BEYOND the last trail in the
jungle, beyond the last little
palm-leafed hut standing in
the immense and brooding forest
of Panama, lives a demon. He is
called by the natives “el hombre
con la cara como un tigre,” or
the man with the tiger’s face. He
is not a creature of evil as some
people say who do not understand,
but a “good demon,” a
keeper of the wild places, a guardian
of the heritage of man.
When the natives come on their tree-felling “juntas” into the great hills, when they go back into savage wilderness to where the waterfalls slash snowy foam down the green cliffs of the giants, they walk with fear. Only so far do the tree destroyers come and no farther. They do not see the demon with their natural eyes, but in the eyes of their imaginations he lurks in the shadows under the trailing vines, huge, formless and revengeful. He does not wish to see his forest destroyed. This and this alone keeps the brown men from cutting everything on the mountainsides to the ground. So “el hombre con la cara como un tigre” is a good demon for he is doing his best to save the wilderness for the men of tomorrow, the men of education who do not wilfully and ignorantly destroy what God has given to them.
Panama is a country rising out of the darkness and squalor of its past to the sudden impact of civilization. The town of David in Western Panama, when I knew it first years ago, had streets made of mud or dust, depending on the time of year. Broken down and unsanitary hotels were the principle buildings in the city. Vultures and mangy dogs roamed the streets, fighting over garbage. Today David has a modern university and hospital, paved streets, electric lights, and smooth-running cars instead of loud-squeaking ox-carts.
But the new Panama has become civilized only externally. The ignorance of the natives who destroy their own heritage, the forest, still remains, and the grasping and corruption of the rich and the politicians who have not yet learned the new words: “unity” and “cooperation.” Panama, lying at the crossroads of the world, lies also at the crossroads of destiny. Long ago ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:
“Likewise, ye must give great
attention to the Republic of Panama,
for in that point the Occident
[Page 337]
and the Orient find each
other united through the Panama
Canal, and it is also situated between
the two great oceans. That
place will become very important
in the future. The Teachings
once established there, they will
unite the East and the West, the
North and the South.”
I lived two years among the native peoples of Panama and learned much of their ways and attitudes. Since I came into their huts as an equal and broke bread with them as an equal, they learned to forget that I was an Americano. They forgot sometimes in talking to me that others of my blood acted towards them as if they were inferior people.
How ignorant are some supposedly intelligent men, of the hearts and minds of other people! The simple natives of Panama are men like other men. They have their ambitions, their loves, their vices, their foolish desires like other men. But they also have intelligence, sometimes penetrating intelligence. Thus my good friend Domingo Montenegro told me once:
“If only your people would understand us! Americanos come here and buy coffee ranches. Then they expect us to work for them. But to many of them we are like dogs, not men. They pay us as little as possible to get as much work as they can out of us. That is all the interest they have in us. No wonder many of us become sullen; no wonder many of us do poor work; no wonder many of us hate Americanos. —If they treated us like human beings, how much more they would get from us, not only in work done, but also in love and respect!”
It is the task of the Bahá’ís who go to Panama to win the love and respect of these simple people. Here is fertile ground for the seeds of love and unity to be sown. Here is a place indeed where a Bahá’í may shine like a great light to attract all who see him, for the policy of the past has been so dark and ignorant that good deeds today will shine with greater glory.
In the hills and mountains of
Panama you say “buenas dias”
to everybody you meet. It is a
simple and natural thing to be
invited into a home, to be treated
like one of the family. Goodness
and kindness are already there.
They need only the sweet water
of understanding to rain upon
them and bring forth the flower
of cooperation and unity among
these natural children of God.
This does not mean that one can
dash forth madly among them
proclaiming a new faith and expect
[Page 338]
to get immediate results. No,
this is entirely the wrong thing
to do.
My old friend Don Roberto Corcoran of Chiriqui had the right answer. He was an Irishman who had come to Panama as a young man and taken a native wife. At the time I knew him some 94 grandchildren and great-grandchildren played about him on his ranch, or came to pull his long white beard. But this was not the truly remarkable thing about Don Roberto. What was remarkable was how everyone who came to know Don Roberto loved him, and how he went about the countryside doing good in so many little ways each day that he became the center around which revolved the thoughts of all his neighbors. Don Roberto did not need to use violence to stop a fight. Don Roberto had only to appear. The secret of his magic power was the love that flowed from his heart to all men, so that one felt as natural and at ease in his presence as one would be with a beloved father.
It is from the lips of such a man that the words of the new World Faith would pour into the hearts of men as softly and easily as natural oil, smoothing out their differences, and preparing them for the Promised Day. Panama stands at the crossroads of destiny. May there be many Don Robertos to soon bring to her the love and unity she and the rest of the world so badly need!
LOVE IS NOT PASSIVE
Walter White, executive secretary of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, gives us these words of his father, spoken
as he lay dying in “a dingy, cockroach-infested Jim Crow ward in an Atlanta
hospital”:
“Human kindness, decency, love, whatever you wish to call it, is the only real thing in the world. It is a dynamic, not a passive, emotion. It’s up to you two, and others like you, to use your education and talents in an effort to make love as positive an emotion in the world as are prejudice and hate. That’s the only way the world can save itself. Don’t forget that. No matter what happens, you must love, not hate.”
Walter White, “Why I Remain a Negro,”
The Saturday Review of Literature,
October 11, 1947, p. 50.
What Is the Bahá’í Faith?
W. M. FIROOZI
THE Bahá’í Faith was founded
in the year 1844 in Írán, a
country that in spite of its past
great civilization had reached
the uttermost depths of material
and spiritual disintegration. Notwithstanding
the persecutions,
exile and martyrdom faced by
its early adherents the Bahá’í
Faith is today established in no
less than 74 countries.
For forty years Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of this Faith, was exiled from city to city by the Persian and Turkish governments. During this imprisonment He wrote numerous volumes, many of which have been translated into English and are found in our public libraries.
The unity of the peoples of the world, or in other words, the underlying principle, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God . . . and love thy neighbor as thyself,” the Bahá’í Faith maintains, is indispensable to the happiness and prosperity of the family of the human race. The Bahá’í Faith further conceives that without the support of religion this world unity cannot fully be achieved through idealistic dreams, scientific inventions and discoveries, or the fabrication of social laws and ordinance (such as, for example, the Kellogg Pact, the work on atomic energy and the prohibition amendment) based on human intellect. The Bahá’ís point out that these instruments alone, even when used for the establishment of unity, have always failed, have often been turned into destructive means and used to undermine the purpose for which they were created. The Bahá’ís firmly believe that religion, and religion only, has in the past and will in the future, succeed in educating and elevating the human mind or attitude, and through this unite and weld together the human hearts, and finally on this impregnable foundation build the sorely needed temple of the unity of mankind. This is the goal of the Bahá’í Faith.
To reach this seemingly distant
goal, the Founder of the
Bahá’í Faith has prescribed certain
principles among which is
the independent search after
truth. If we disregard this principle,
the Bahá’ís explain, what
right do we have to blame the
Jews, who have followed their
forefathers, for not having seen
the beauty of Christ, or the Hindus
[Page 340]
for not having recognized
the reality of Moses?
Another Bahá’í teaching is that the foundation of all true religions is one. The material as well as spiritual development and progress of man has been the sole purpose of all and if this were understood by everyone, disagreement in religious philosophies would be eliminated and thereby the road to the realization of world unity shortened.
To eradicate ignorance, which has been one cause of misunderstandings, Bahá’u’lláh has prescribed compulsory education.
Abolition of all prejudices, elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty, adoption of an international auxiliary language, equality of men and women are some of the other important Bahá’í teachings.
The Bahá’í Faith stands for the establishment of an international tribunal, the members of which must be elected by the people rather than appointed by the governments.
With but little analysis we find that all these and many other Bahá’í teachings are basic instruments for the establishment of a united world and a lasting peace, as well as for the spiritual development of the individual. Putting it in another way, we may say these are the means and instruments by which we can reach the ultimate goal: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”
The Bahá’ís have complete assurance that through the assistance of God they will reach this goal. One of their reasons is that the Bahá’í Faith does not alienate the followers of the world religions from the Founders of their own faiths, but rather revives their love and strengthens their belief. This claim can be fully substantiated by numerous Bahá’í writings, among which are Bahá’u’lláh’s words expressing love and reverence for Jesus, the Christ:
“Then know that for the dominion of the reality of Christ there is no beginning and there is no end. Everlastingly that Luminous Entity hath been sitting on the throne of might and everlastingly It will have a penetrating dominion over the worlds of existence. This dominion is eternal and everlasting and has no abrupt end.”
“O Lord, grant me the love of Thee; grant that I may love those that love Thee; grant that I may do the deed that may win Thy love; make Thy love to be dearer to me than self, family or wealth.”
The Development of a World Society
FANNIE JUPNIK
BAHÁ’U’LLÁH, the Universal
Prophet and World Reformer
for this day, states: “He
Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful,
cherisheth in His heart the
desire of beholding the entire human
race as one soul and one
body. Haste ye to win your share
of God’s good grace and mercy
in this Day that eclipseth all
other created Days.”
“In every Dispensation,” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “the light of Divine Guidance has been focused upon one central theme. . . . In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God and the distinguishing feature of His Law is the consciousness of the Oneness of Mankind.”
Thus in this Day, God’s promise to Abraham, “I shall make of Thee a great nation . . . and in Thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed,” is to be fulfilled. From the very beginning, therefore, the evolution of a world society was proclaimed by God.
Approximately six thousand years have elapsed between the time of God’s promise to Abraham and the birth of the world-embracing Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God. In reviewing these six thousand years of evolution, we find that history is indeed, as one of the most original minds of our day, Dr. John MacMurray, British philosopher, points out, “the process by which the intention of God for human life is being carried out.” As we study the evolution of the collective life of humanity, we find that the past sixty centuries have been the prologue to God’s ultimate goal for mankind, the building of a world society.
Before expatiating further on the establishment of our present-day world society, let us briefly review the major material and spiritual contributions of the great cultures of the past six thousand years without which the unification of the world today would be impossible.
The four thousand years preceding the birth of Christ include the rise and decline of five great world empires—Egypt, Babylonia, Media-Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire, out of which were later carved the European nations of today.
Preceding the advent of
Greek culture, the greatest of
the major material contributions
during this period was the
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introduction of writing, for writing
not only facilitated communication,
but also made possible
the accurate recording of
knowledge, which could be handed
down from one generation to
another. The other major material
contributions were the discovery
of metals; the creation of
an alphabet, the invention of the
calendar; the development of a
system of counting and of a
system of weights and measures;
the building of roads and canals
and the development of commerce;
the invention of the sundial
and of the water clock. To
the Greeks we owe the beginning
of scientific inquiry and investigation.
Rome laid the foundation
of legal and political institutions
which have influenced
all later time.
During this pre-Christian era, human unity evolved through the stages of the tribe, the family, the city, the city-state, and the empire. The modern sovereign nation as we know it today was not yet born.
This period also includes the dispensation of four major Prophets, divine Manifestations, or educators: Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, and Buddha.
During this time the greatest spiritual contributions were made by the Hebrews, who led the world spiritually for two thousand years. Because of the divine power released by the divine educators, Abraham and Moses, the Hebrews were able to develop a great civilization, which attracted the finest and most progressive minds of the world of that time and exerted a profound influence on the world which was to come.
Without the concept of monotheism which the divine Manifestation, Abraham, gave to the world, and which taught the oneness of God and the concept of all the people as one family, united under the fatherhood of God, the idea of building a democratic world society could not exist in the mind of mankind today. Within this teaching of monotheism were contained the seeds of the concept of democracy, for democracy is essentially a spiritual, and never merely an intellectual, concept. However, the spiritual law of democracy must be integrated with man’s intellectual powers and be translated into action if democracy is to be realistically established on this earth.
Moses rescued His people
from slavery, gave them a more
complicated spiritual and ethical
code, since their capacities were
greater than those of the people
of the Abrahamic Dispensation,
and, last but not least, began
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the welding of the Hebrew
tribes into a great civilized nation.
The spiritual concepts of
the Mosaic Dispensation later
became part of the universal
Christian impulse, for we must
remember that Christianity is
fundamentally a continuation of
Judaism.
Between the time of Moses and the birth of Christ there were a number of minor, or dependent prophets such as Daniel and Isaiah, whose prophecies foretold the consummation of a world society.
“And in the days of these kings,” states Daniel, “shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof is sure.” Bible students state that Daniel has foretold accurately twenty-five hundred years of history.
Isaiah predicted twenty-five hundred years ago: “And He (the Lord) shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
When the dispensation of
Jesus, the Christ, began, the
Roman Empire, which had destroyed
the temple of the Jews
and dispersed them over the
world of that time, was itself
decadent. Only the divine and
pure teachings of Jesus rescued
a dark and savage world from
complete oblivion and annihilation.
Christ purified the teachings
of his predecessor, Moses,
from man-made accretions, as all
Prophets do, and added new
laws which were necessary to
elevate the people of his time
to a higher spiritual and cultural
level. He completely abrogated
the law of force and firmly
established in its place the law
of love. From now on, all the
problems of man must be solved
through the instrument of love,
for God was love, Christ taught.
Thus He began the task of spiritually
transforming individuals
for the ultimate goal of building
a world society. In His Sermon
on the Mount and in His
parables, He repudiated all the
artificial demarcations which
separated man from man—such
as blood ties, patriotic ties, religious
ties, and class ties—and
stressed those virtues of love
mercy, justice, humility, kindness,
unselfishness, and cooperation
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that would weld men into
one common brotherhood. “Seek
ye first the Kingdom of God and
His righteousness,” Christ declared,
“and all these things
shall be added unto you.”
When the church and state combined in the fourth century A.D. under Constantine, the people began to turn away from the pure teachings of Christ and the degeneration of Christianity began. The “dark ages” comprising a period of four hundred years—from 400 A.D. to 800 A.D.—descended upon mankind. But once again a great and pure light from the East dispersed the clouds of darkness. Through the divine power radiated by Muḥammad, Who taught the unity of God and the unity of mankind, the barbaric Arabians were able to develop a magnificent civilization. In Building the World Society[1], a symposium edited by Laura W. McMullen, F. Mueller-Lyer states:
“After the prolonged quiescence of what is known as the dark ages, new life first stirred at the time of the Crusades when the western lands came into contact with the Arabs. Arabic civilization had directed the treasures of knowledge which they had obtained from the Alexandrians, Byzantines and Persians into quite fresh courses. The Greek and Roman philosophers fostered knowledge exclusively for its own sake, for the enrichment and ennobling of the mind, and rejected with contempt every application of science to actual utility. This magnificent but unpractical enthusiasm was absolutely foreign to the Semitic mind. They recognized knowledge as a power which should serve not only to ennoble the mind, but to help alleviate all human suffering and enhance all human joys. In place of useless subtleties, they advocated useful intercourse with nature, and thereby created a basis on which natural science was built. Thus for the second time did the practical mind of the Semitic race guide the world into a path of progress. The Crusaders who marched forth to conquer or convert the heathen gained from their enemies a treasure beyond price, which in the hands of their descendants, was to unfold magical qualities and bring forth surprising results.”
The influence of this great
Moslem civilization led to the
Age of the Renaissance (1300-1600)
which marked a rebirth
in learning, spiritually, esthetically,
and intellectually. Its invention
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were to destroy feudalism
and enlarge the area of the
known world. The intellectual
movement of the Renaissance
made possible the great technological
culture of today.
Three very important dates mark the beginning of the universal era of our day—the latter half of the eighteenth century, which introduces that phase of the material revolution, or, as it is better known, the industrial revolution, which brought about a change in all technology—and 1844 and 1863, which mark the beginning of the spiritual revolution of the universal era. (The machine age does not refer to the time when machinery first appeared, but to that date when machinery began to acquire such a prominent position that owing to it all former technology had to be changed.)
Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, points out that there is a two-fold process taking place during the present-day formative period of a world society—a disintegrating process and an integrating process. The declaration of the Báb in 1844 as the Forerunner of the Universal Prophet for this day, and the declaration of Bahá’u’lláh in 1863 as the Universal Prophet for this day comprise the beginning of the spiritual revolution which is essentially the integrating process, while the Machine Age—which up to a certain point functioned as an integrating process because it did unite the world geographically —contained within itself the seeds of a disruptive process.
There are two reasons why the Machine Age contained within itself the seeds of a disintegrating process. First—the physical sciences which made possible the inventions of the Industrial Revolution introduced the secularism that destroyed the belief in God, thus creating a grossly materialistic civilization with its concomitant destructive tendencies. Second—the leaders and the people who chose them failed to understand the implications of the great transformation the machine was making over the entire world. As Shoghi Effendi again points out:
“Is it not a fact—and this is
the central idea I desire to emphasize
—that the fundamental
cause of this world unrest is attributable,
not so much to the
consequences of what must sooner
or later come to be regarded
as a transitory dislocation in the
affairs of a continually changing
world, but rather to the failure
of those into whose hands the
immediate destinies of peoples
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and nations have been committed,
to adjust their system of
economic and political institutions
to the imperative needs of
a rapidly evolving age? Are not
these intermittent crises that convulse
present-day society due
primarily to the lamentable inability
of the world’s recognized
leaders to read aright the signs
of the times, to rid themselves
once and for all of their preconceived
ideas and fettering creeds,
and to reshape the machinery of
their respective governments according
to those that are implicit
in Bahá’u’lláh’s supreme declaration
of the Oneness of Mankind
—the chief and distinguishing
feature of the Faith he proclaimed?”
In Something Went Wrong[2], Lewis Browne, also discussing the problem of the machine, states: “Most people it must be realized had never really taken to the machine; they had merely put up with it. They had accepted it with reluctance, even with repugnance, much as an impoverished maiden might accept a suitor who was rich but ugly and stern.
“The convenient buffer of distance had been all but destroyed by the machine. The iron fingers of industrialism had fastened themselves around the planet and crushed it all into one tiny pellet. No advanced country could exist unto itself any longer, for none could provide for all its needs. The whole world had become one small settlement in which all men were next-door neighbors. But most of them did not care to have so many neighbors. They had been willing enough to talk about the ideal of the Brotherhood of Man, but now they were called on to practice it. That hurt.”
But why did it hurt? Why did it fail to bring about the Golden Age which so many of the more progressive thinkers of the Machine Age hoped it would, the age which for so many centuries humanity has been dreaming about. It failed because people forgot, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has pointed out to us, that true civilization is the integration of the material and spiritual aspects of life, that materialism alone cannot create a true civilization. It is like building a house without a foundation. The Machine Age failed primarily because humanity neglected to turn to the great spiritual light released in 1844 and 1863.
(To be continued)
Spirit of Faith
FLOYD H. MUNSON
‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ has declared
that “Faith is an awareness
of the Sovereignty of God.” Outwardly
it is a belief in the Manifestation
of God, acceptance of
Him who is the fulfillment of that
which the Prophets have foretold.
Faith embodies three realities: (1) confession with the tongue, (2) belief in the heart and (3) evident action.
The expression of these realities comes from the love of God. Love of God is the Light that instigates these three realities. It is a sign of their presence.
Peter saw the divine qualities of Jesus, became enamoured, and confessed his belief in Christ. Thereafter he devoted the remainder of his days to promoting His Cause and obeying His precepts.
Christ said “Ye shall know them by their fruits”, that is, by their deeds, their evident actions. Thus this third reality, this evident action, this fruit, these divine qualities, show that true faith is established. If, on the contrary, the individual who professes faith shows forth a spirit of selfishness, he has not a true faith, for his deeds do not conform with his expression of belief. If the fruit is selfishness then the love that nourishes this quality is love of self, not love of God.
We speak of love of self as being egocentric, a revolving toward a center, the center being the self, creating an increasing pressure. Something has to give, and if the pressure is not released, destruction is inevitable.
Nature expresses this process, for example, in the destructive power of a tornado, when the funnel of concentric fury forms, building up power which reaches its climax at the point that touches the earth. In the individual the fire, the nether fire of the love of self, draws to the earth of the heart the narrowing circle of destructive conditions, which paralyze and constrict all creative expression, ending finally in death.
On the other hand, the opposite of this action is what may be called objective—a reaching out, an interest beyond self, love of others, love for the general welfare of mankind, love of God.
This is a radiating, an expanding
principle which is without
limit, for its heat, its power,
is this love. Love, being a universal
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quality, is infinite in degree.
Now the Spirit of faith is acceptance of the source of love and light,—the wandering son returning to his Father’s house, accepting and loving Him for His great bounty and generosity. This is a natural response on the part of the one receiving the bounty and generosity.
Faith in the Scriptures is spoken of as the “second birth.” “Ye must be born again!” said Jesus. Man does not re-enter the womb to be born again; rather is his a spiritual rebirth, a new consciousness, a birth into the spiritual kingdom, the realm of the real, the realm of perfect attributes. This kingdom of God has no place nor is it removed in time; it is a condition, a state of being, which is ever becoming. We move in a sea of lights—vibratory impulses from the cosmic heart. How are we born again, made new, resurrected, when of ourselves we can do nothing?
The very moment we turn to the focal point, the central orb of God made manifest, Bahá’u’lláh, we are turning to the source, the fountainhead of life and all perfections. This is our first requirement. The moment we read His heavenly words of surpassing beauty, words of spirit and power, and believe them, there begins the first stirring of the foetus of a new creation; when love turns from self to His Beauty, a cry of pain and exaltation springs forth: pain of renunciation, of sacrifice; joy in the new life.
This new life is one of broader horizons, one of new vision, new purpose, greater happiness, happiness which no earthly attainments can ever bring. This new life is one of knowledge, a new knowledge, ever expanding from the reservoir of unlimited perfections. The connection has been made, the mirror is turned toward the Sun of Divine Attributes, and the love of God removes the film of the lower nature, self-assertiveness.
The Spirit of Faith is the “assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”; a conviction accomplished by close study of the Revelation of God.
The shining gems of Divine Utterance have unquestioned authority; they are the unleavened bread from heaven, the extended bridge across the gulf of mortality. Knowledge of God is the sign of faith; and love of Him is expressed by action—by obedience to His laws, by good deeds and by the promotion of His Cause.
104 Anno Domini and 104 Bahá’í Era
Editorial
SOME comparison of Christianity
in its early stages
with the development, up to the
present time, of the Bahá’í Faith
may serve to give the perspective
so difficult to obtain in appraising
a contemporary movement.
The Bahá’í Faith, born in 1844,
is now at the beginning of its second
century. Christianity, at the
beginning of its second century,
had followers in nearly all the
countries surrounding the Mediterranean
and was beginning to
spread in other provinces of the
Roman Empire. The Roman Empire,
from the point of view of
the early Christians, was the
world. At the beginning of their
second century the Christians
were infiltrating their world.
At the beginning of the second century of the Bahá’í Era the world is the globe. And we find that the Bahá’í Faith, in this its 104th year, has spread to 88 countries of the globe. There are Bahá’ís in each of the six continents.
The Bahá’í Faith spreads itself much as Christianity did, through the kindling from heart to heart of the flame of the love of God and the love of His humanity. It makes use of modern methods, such as radio, the press, public meetings, but, through all these mediums, the aim is the same, to bring to more and more people the knowledge of God’s love for mankind as shown in this age by His sending again to troubled humanity a Divine Revelation through a Mouthpiece of God.
The work of spreading the Faith was given a great impetus in 1916-17 by soul-stirring epistles written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Bahá’ís of America, in which He not only fired them with an unconquerable urge to carry the Faith to the world, but indicated the different steps in this process and mentioned all the countries and islands to which they should eventually go. This remarkably inclusive plan was of so compelling an inspiration that immediately on reading it two American American Bahá’ís set out for Australia to spread the Faith in this as yet untouched continent.
In our time, the Guardian of
the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, has
given more specific direction to
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Plan in two Seven
Year Plans: one, which culminated
in 1944 and was signalized
by the completion of the external
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decoration of the Temple at
Wilmette, Illinois, and the spread
of the Faith in each state of the
United States, each province of
Canada, and each country of
Latin America; the other, which
began in 1946 with the fourfold
objective of completing the decoration
of the interior of the
Temple, establishing the Faith
in the capital cities of ten countries
of Western Europe, and
forming national Bahá’í organizations
in Canada and in Central
and South America.
Thus, in accordance with the needs of a world community already closely knit in a material way, a comprehensive plan has been laid and is being carried out for uniting it in a spiritual way. In the first and second centuries of the Christian Era the need for so comprehensive and systematic a plan was not felt nor could it have been carried out in that simpler age.
There is another difference between early Christianity and the youthful Bahá’í Faith. By the end of the first century A.D. much attention was being given by leaders in the Church to theological disputes and to attempts to root out heresy. Christianity has never been free from sectarianism and the disputatious mood that goes with it. No such development has appeared in the Bahá’í Faith, for a special provision has been made to prevent the growth of sects. Providence had ordained that the Bahá’í Revelation, in contrast to all previous Revelations, should have an unerring Interpreter. Bahá’u’lláh commanded His followers, after His passing, to refer any matter of interpretation of His writings to His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. And ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His will, appointed His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to succeed Him in this office. Thus the energies of the Bahá’ís, instead of dissipating themselves in individual interpretation and controversy, are to go into the constructive channel of spreading the Faith.
The differences between early Christianity and the Bahá’í Faith do not detract from Christianity, for the Bahá’í teachings provide not only against disputes within the Faith, but make it clear that no one of the great world religions is superior to another. Each Revelation brought to mankind just what it needed at that stage of development. Each was perfectly adapted to the conditions it found. Each “taught with authority, and not as the scribes”, the eternal verities, by which alone mankind is saved from destruction.
The Fragrance of Letters
RÚHÍYYIH KHÁNUM
(Concluded)
MANY young American believers
have been in the
armed forces during this war,
and wherever they went they tried
to serve the Cause in every way
open to them, through deed and
word. What their Faith has
meant to them can be gleaned a
little from the letter (it was forwarded
to Haifa) of a son to his
father: “Being in the army for
quite some time has taught me to
be ready to accept anything that
comes along, and with the Bahá’í
Faith I have found accepting
these different situations to be remarkably
easy and sort of unimportant.
Can’t quite explain it
as I would like to, but with the
Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh as a
basis for our living you are
happy to take any situation that
might come your way, and no
matter what happens it really becomes
sort of secondary to the
Teachings. Living the Faith becomes
all important and you
really care very little, so far as
the every day experiences go, so
long as you are able to obey the
laws of Bahá’u’lláh. It’s wonderful!
I can’t help feeling I have a
very definite advantage over most
of the other fellows, having the
Cause as a background and an
aim.”
Army experience seems to
make our boys do a lot of thinking,
as another extract from this
same believer’s letters home
shows: “Perhaps all this time I
am spending at M——— is
wasted, although it is very interesting.
So far, however, all that
I have seen is not in accord with
the Teachings of the Bahá’í
Faith. Ever since I came they
have taught the most effective
ways of killing and of preserving
one’s life. Everything you
hear is self-preservation, and
self-sacrifice is neglected completely.
It makes it quite difficult
to work hard at something
you could never accept, and this
is what every Bahá’í must do.
When an officer in the field asks
you a question you must answer
correctly, even if you do not believe
it. I am sure all the Bahá’í
boys have had the same experience.
It is because of this
reason that no Bahá’í could ever
really like the army. When the
International Armed Force is
formed, I am sure I will
feel differently as there would be
a goal for which to fight, if need
be, that of maintaining world
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peace. This present war is just
an incident in this great upheaval,
and nothing except the destruction
of the lives and principles
of men can result. Being
a Bahá’í in the army makes one
have a different outlook on the
whole thing. We are fighting for
something much bigger, much
more powerful than democracy
or victory. The Oneness of Mankind
is our goal, and with every
Bahá’í the world over working
for the same thing it will soon
be realized.
“In Betty’s last letter (his sister) she mentions that every Bahá’í must be happy no matter what happens. If a Bahá’í lives according to the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, happiness will naturally result. It all falls back on the fundamental principle of giving up one’s will to the Will of God.”
The youngsters are like this. What about the oldsters? Here are a few sentences that struck me as I read them: “What pleased me so much was the statement that there is no antagonism between religion and science, and between religion and common sense. I was delighted beyond measure because I had been fighting for that all my life. ‘Work done in the spirit of unselfishness, and of service, is accounted as worship.’ That settled it and I made haste to become a member of the Bahá’í Faith. I cannot tell you what joy it has brought me. I feel that I live in heaven now, and that my life has been fulfilled. I have had a very stormy life but I have reached harbor at last, and the peace of mind and rest of soul is more than words can tell.” She is a new believer of seventy-seven!
“I never tire of telling you of
my love for the Blessed Perfection.
I was in the Valley of
Search for so long that to have
found Him means more to me
than all else in the world. My
age, for I am eighty-one, precludes
my giving much physical
effort, but this blessed gospel of
helpfulness and love seems to
have turned my spiritual and
mental age back to eighteen. I
can still speak, carry the Message
to small audiences, in a limited
way, and counsel and advise
when opportunity calls for it. If,
knowing my limitations, you can
find use for me, rest assured I
am entirely at you service.”
There were two other letters I
particularly remember, from
people over ninety, but as I was
not thinking at that time of writing
this article I did not copy the
remarks they made! One expressed
the hope she would live
long enough to see the Most
Great Peace . . . the other, living
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in a home for the aged, was
doing, as I recall, Braille transcriptions
of the Teachings!
It is really touching to see the sentiments called forth by that highest of all emotions the human heart is capable of—the love of God. I was struck by the poetry of one believer’s sentence: “There are phrases, especially in the ‘Prayers and Meditations’ that shine in my heart like stars. I wake in the night and they are there before me, splendid and precious lights in the darkness . . .”
Or this cry from the heart: “Oh . . . if only I might be of greater service to Bahá’u’lláh in this earthly life! The sacrifice of husband, children, home, would mean nothing if I could but serve with greater capacity. And my life itself means nothing to me except in servitude to the Best Beloved.”
During the course of the Seven Year Plan in the United States scores of Bahá’ís left their homes, their work, their relatives, and set out into the blue, not knowing what they would find in a strange city, often thousands of miles from their previous place of residence. Many of them did this more than once. Many of them have had experiences of such a revealing nature that they don’t ever want to go home, but intend to be pioneers right on up till their last breath! Here is what one such says:
“There is no sacrifice too great for the blessed privilege given the believers at this time, yet I am sorry to say a few sticks of furniture hold some back. If we fail here in the West I shall cry for shame. [As we all know now the Plan was a total success, no failures at all. This was written before its triumphal completion.] I know how terribly anxious you must be at this time. It is with this thought in mind I close, promising you E——— and I will stand in readiness to leave on instant notice if necessary, to leave everything behind if need be; to go to the ends of the earth if asked.
“To-morrow two seekers will
be at our home for dinner; it is
the hope and prayer of all that,
God willing, they will arrive at
a decision. If they do then we
will be free to leave immediately
. . .” The facts back of this
letter are even more arresting
than the spirit that it bears witness
to. This Bahá’í and his wife
had already, in response to the
call of the Guardian for pioneers
to complete the Seven Year Plan,
left the East Coast of the United
States and gone to a distant
Western state; he had just succeeded,
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after a hard struggle, in
establishing himself in business
and attracting a group of people
to the Faith; two more were
needed to register as Bahá’ís in
order to form a Spiritual Assembly
and thus enable him and
his wife to go to some other center
where pioneers were still
needed to make up assembly
status. They had a child under
two. It shows what true devotion
is.
The news pulsates. Take these sentences, chosen at random from a Regional Bulletin: “You cannot know the thrill of teaching the Faith until it begins to reach the lives of others.” “Teaching the Cause is a four-letter word that begins with W and ends with K—there is no problem this or any other assembly or group cannot overcome through one word—Work.” “The problem of teaching is the individual problem of your life.” “Our weapons are spiritual weapons.”
This program preamble seemed to me one any Bahá’í centre could use to good effect anywhere in the world:
“The world you will live in —What will it be? And how will you adjust yourself to it? What are some of our post-war problems? How are we to solve them? Should we leave them to chance or start solving them now? If so, how? And what kind of a plan will fit into the kind of a world we will live in after the war?”
That is one way of reaching the public. Here's another!: “Mrs. Rena White (99 years of age), who lives at the Florence Home for the Aged, attended the Tom Breneman Breakfast at Hollywood Show, a coast-to-coast broadcast, from the Paramount Theatre in Omaha, for the Red Cross. Mr. Breneman, in interviewing Mrs. White as the oldest lady present, asked if she had any hobbies. She replied, ‘Yes, the Bahá’í Revelation . . .’ She has received over 100 letters from persons who heard the broadcast.”
And here is yet another, even
more surprising: “Mr. E———,
Master of a boy’s school, while
riding in a New York taxi, discussed
Stevenson’s views on happiness
with the driver. The driver
turned around, almost stopping
the cab, and said: ‘I can tell you
about happiness. I am a Bahá’í,’
and gave Mr. E——— a copy of
Bahá’í Principles. When Mr.
E——— returned to his school, he
told his class about the philosophical
taxi driver and his Faith.
After class Alfred R———, 16-year-old
Bahá’í of West Englewood,
informed Mr. E——— that
[Page 355]
he would be happy to give him
further information or lend him
literature on hand in his room.”
It seems there was no escape for
Mr. E———!
This news from the Geyserville Bahá’í Summer School in California is also most heartening in that it demonstrates so nicely the complete lack of class or racial prejudice that characterizes Bahá’í activity: “Our great joy this year was the relationship established with the Mexican laborers who have, since the war, been permitted to come into the States for work on the ranches . . . The Message was given in two special meetings, by those who spoke Spanish . . . On the last night of the School over ninety . . . came, some of them from ranches over ten miles away. After Bahá’í talks, and after they had sung some original folk songs for us, they asked that a record be made of their names and home addresses so that Bahá’í literature could be sent them. And four asked for letters to the Mexico City Bahá’í Assembly, saying that they had become Bahá’ís at Geyserville.”
From India comes a report of activities similar in spirit, that is, trying to reach the laborers with the Bahá’í Message: “This year the publicity given the Cause has been intense. Lectures have been delivered by different Bahá’í teachers in various parts of India . . . a microphone and two loud speakers have been purchased in order to lecture among the masses of mill laborers and at largely attended meetings. This work has been begun among the mill laborers of Ahmedabad . . . half of which is comprised of mill laborers. It has eighty mills and so far lectures have been delivered by Mrs. Shirin Fozdar to the workers of a dozen mills. The laborers evince deep interest and beg for literature.”
In the annual report of the
work done in India during 1943-4,
in other words, the year leading
up to the Centenary, the
writer makes it quite clear what
to do if you want to succeed. He
says: “Our pioneers formed no
less than twenty-one Spiritual
Assemblies between the 15th of
April, 1943, and the 15th of
April, 1944. This is certainly
an unprecedented number in a
country like India, where the
greatest obstacles are its babel
of languages and its diversity of
religious ideas always at variance
with one another . . . The
process adopted by our pioneers
was very simple. They left their
home city and settled down in
places where there were no
Bahá’ís. Some of them went to
places where there were Bahá’ís
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already and thus completing the
number nine they formed assemblies.”
Likewise from India comes this remarkably apt simile of the relationship between God, the Prophet, and Divine Revelation, published by a believer in the course of an article in defence of the Faith: “What, then, is the continuity of religion? God is the Author of the complete volume; each religion is a single chapter in the volume; each Prophet is the Pen used in writing that particular chapter in the volume; each chapter prepares the reader for the next; each chapter that follows develops the Plan further; the chapters have significance as long as they are read together; but, if they are taken out of the context, they lose the significance that the Author attached to them. For instance, some chapters outline the plan for developing the individual; and Bahá’u’lláh’s Plan reveals the plan for cultivating and developing all the nations together, the whole of mankind as a single unit.”
We Bahá’ís are not extraordinary people; in fact, there is nothing very distinguished about the members of the Faith at present except what they believe in and the effect it has had on their minds and lives. A few amongst us are gifted and brilliant, a few wealthy, a few prominent, but they are in the minority. The majority are just average people. But something about us is extraordinary, and that is what we do and how we do it. We are alive with an aliveness that challenges and surprises outsiders. Where do we get such big plans, such world-encompassing thoughts, such vision, so much enthusiasm and confidence? We get this vital flow by having “tuned in” on the right spiritual wave length for this epoch in human development. The better we make our connection, the more power we receive; that is what strikes one so forcibly in reading the letters and reports in the Guardian’s mail bag. One sees demonstrated the workings of spiritual laws: the sick are so often healed; the weak arise and forget all about themselves in the joy of service; youth shows forth the wisdom of age, and age the boundless enthusiasm of youth. The pulse of the Cause can be felt here, and it beats strong and steady. The news flows in to the Guardian, the heart, and the steadying influence of his inspired vision and judgment flows out again to guide, strengthen and lead the followers of Bahá’u’lláh on their path of service to all mankind.
High Lights of the Newer Testament
A Compilation from the Bahá’í Writings
MARION CRIST LIPPITT
STATION OF MAN
HAVING created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him— a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation. . . . Upon the inmost reality of every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self.
* * *
The heights which, through the most gracious favor of God, mortal man can attain in this day, are as yet unrevealed to his sight . . . The world of being hath never had, nor doth it yet possess the capacity for such a revelation. The day, however, is approaching when the potentialities of so great a favor will, by virtue of His behest, be manifested unto men.
* * *
From the exalted source, and out of the essence of His favor and bounty He hath entrusted every created thing with a sign of His knowledge so that none of His creatures may be deprived of its share in expressing, each according to its capacity and rank, this knowledge. This sign is the mirror of His beauty in the world of creation. . . .
There can be no doubt whatever that, in consequence of the efforts which every man may consciously exert and as a result of the exertion of his own spiritual faculties, this mirror can be so cleansed from the dross of earthly defilements and purged from satanic fancies as to be able to . . . attain the courts of everlasting fellowship.
* * *
Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.
[Page 358]
The purpose of the one true
God, exalted be His glory, in revealing
Himself unto men is to
lay bare those gems that lie hidden
within the mine of their true
and inmost selves.
* * *
The potentialities inherent in the station of man, the full measure of destiny on earth, the innate excellence of His reality, must all be manifested in this promised Day of God.
* * *
First and foremost among these favors, which the Almighty hath conferred upon man, is the gift of understanding. His purpose in conferring such a gift is none other except to enable His creature to know and recognize the one true God. . . . This gift giveth man the power to discern the truth in all things, leadeth him to that which is right, and helpeth him to discover the secrets of creation. Next in rank, is the power of vision, the chief instrument whereby his understanding can function. The senses of hearing, of the heart, and the like are similarly to be reckoned among the gifts with which the human body is endowed. Immeasurably exalted is the Almighty Who hath created these powers, and revealed them in the body of man.
MAN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD
According to the words of the Old Testament, God has said, “Let us make
man in our image after our likeness.” This indicates that man is of the
image and likeness of God; that is to say, the perfection of God, the divine
virtues are reflected or revealed in the human reality. Just as the light and
effulgence of the sun when cast upon a polished mirror are reflected fully,
gloriously, so likewise the qualities and attributes of divinity are radiated
from the depths of a pure human heart. This is an evidence that man is the
most noble of God’s creatures . . .
Let us now discover more specifically how he is the image and likeness of God and what is the standard or criterion by which he can be measured and estimated. This standard can be no other than the divine virtues which are revealed in him. Therefore every man imbued with divine qualities, who reflects heavenly moralities and perfections, who is the expression of ideal and praiseworthy attributes, is verily in the image and likeness of God.
WITH OUR READERS
With the meeting of diplomats
to consider the terms of a treaty for
Germany bringing that unhappy nation
to our attention once more, it
is appropriate that our lead article
this month should be, “Bahá’u’lláh’s
Message and the Germans.” It was
written by Karl Schueck, a new contributor,
who has written articles
on the Bahá’í Faith for several
German periodicals. Mr. Schueck
writes, “It will interest you that
Radio Stuttgart has already transmitted
the first two pieces I wrote
upon its invitation, on Spiritual and
Religious Re-Orientation speaking
about the Holy Cause; that Radio
Munich is preparing similar speeches;
and that Radio Leipzig, (Russian
zone), has asked me, through
the mayor of the city, to write some
pieces presenting the fundamentals.
Besides I am now preparing several
essays on the Faith for German periodicals
which are wide open for
these topics and have asked me for
contributions.”
He was born and reared in Germany, attending the universities of Munich, Leipzig, and Heidelberg. He is a free lance writer whose novels, poems and plays have all received recognition in Europe. He has produced plays and acted as co-editor of an art and literature magazine published in Florence, Italy. In 1939 he emigrated to the United States and has lived most of the past seven years in Hollywood. Karl Schueck has recently completed a novel, Our Time, which he describes as “presenting the confusion of minds and souls, the atomic dread, and the outlooks towards a new order.” It will be published in Switzerland prior to its publication in the United States. He declared himself a Bahá’í just this past summer. We welcome his contributions to the pages of World Order.
The short talk by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is the hitherto unpublished one he gave at the home of Mr. Saffa Kinney, 780 West End Avenue, New York City. His interpreter that day was Ish’te’a’l Ebn-Kalantar, and the stenographic notes were taken by Esther Foster.
This issue also sees the first portion of an historical study, “The Development of World Society,” by a Kenosha, Wisconsin Bahá’í. In response to our request for information about her Fannie Jupnick wrote, “There isn’t much to say about myself . . . Stenography has been my occupation the major part of my life. The vicissitudes of life, particularly those of the underprivileged, compelled me at an early age to ask, ‘Why?’ In my attempt to answer this question, I developed a healthy respect for the truth in whatever form it may appear.”
More of Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s description of some of the correspondence which reaches the Guardian appears in part two of “The Fragrance of Letters.” It was printed in our sister publication, The Herald of the South, the Bahá’í Magazine for Australia and New Zealand.
[Page 360]
N. M. Firoozi answers the question
“What is the Bahá’í Faith?” in
a clear and interesting manner which
will appeal to those sincerely looking
for the answer to the question.
In submitting his manuscript Mr.
Firoozi writes: “A short time ago,
to everybody’s surprise, one of the
Presbyterian churches of the nearby
town, Geneva, asked me to give
an introductory talk on the Bahá’í
Faith to the Young Adult Class. I
did. The response was very good and
we had over an hour of discussion
following the talk.”
A new type of article comes from the pen of Duart Brown in “Panama, the Crossroads of Destiny.”
Since Mr. Brown became a Bahá’í in January, 1945, he has contributed generously to World Order in spite of the fact that as a student and writer in nature and science he leads a full life. His book, The Amateur Naturalist’s Handbook is being published by Little, Brown & Co.
“The Spirit of Faith” was written by Floyd Munson who is an artist now living in Detroit. In November we printed his “Perilous Peace.”
Our poem is by Martha Boutwell Garvin. This is Mrs. Garvin’s first contribution since her marriage, but readers are well acquainted with the poetry of this many-sided musician, story-teller and writer.
The editorial comparing the early years of the Christian and Bahá’í Faiths was written by Mabel Paine, who, like her sister, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, has been an active Bahá’í for many years. She has served as the editor on Bahá’í News and Bahá’í World.
The story of a young Bahá’í prisoner of war in England comes to us through Mrs. Beatrice Ashton of Winnetka and Mrs. Elizabeth Lacey of Ilkeston, England. Mrs. Lacey learned through Susi Grossman, the Bahá’í secretary in Germany, that Gerhard Bender was prisoner of war at Camp Wollaton six miles from Ilkeston. At first Mrs. Lacey and her son, Ernie, were unable to get permission to see Gerhard. However, Philip Hainsworth, an army captain, took Ernie with him one night and asked to see Gerhard and was allowed one half hour. The welfare officer sent for the boy, also for the interpreter. When the boy arrived he knocked at the door and was called in. The poor lad looked scared. When Philip said “Are you a Bahá’í?” he just nodded his head. He only understood the word “Bahá’í”. Through the interpreter Philip explained that they had learned about him through Susi Grossman, the Bahá’í secretary in Germany. The interpreter asked Gerhard if he knew Susi Grossman. His face lighted up and he said he did. It was a wonderful experience for him, and he was so overwhelmed he couldn’t speak when asked what he wanted to say. He could only stare at the three Bahá’ís and smile. He said it was too wonderful and he was too overwhelmed to speak. Philip continued going about once a week to take books and cigarettes. Later Gerhard was permitted to go to the Nineteen Day Feasts for Philip called for him and took him back to the camp.
Bahá’í Sacred Writings
Works of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Distributed by Bahá’í Publishing Committee
110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois
A TRAVELER’S NARRATIVE
The late Prof. Edward G. Browne received this work in manuscript from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at ‘Akká while investigating the developments in the Faith since the Martyrdom of the Báb. Its authorship was not known by Prof. Browne. Translated and edited by him, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s explanation of the meaning of the Báb’s Revelation and the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh was first published by Cambridge University but the rights have been acquired by the Publishing Committee. This text was written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at some date prior to 1892.
SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS
This text is based on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s oral replies to questions addressed to Him by Laura Clifford Barney at Haifa in 1907. Her notes were later approved by Him. The work is divided into sections, dealing with the Prophets, the nature of man, interpretation of prophecy and religious symbol, and some social questions.
THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE
Prepared from stenographic records of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s public addresses in the United States and Canada from April to December, 1912, and His intimate talks delivered to Bahá’í groups during that period. Here is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá confronting the West on the eve of the collapse of its civil, cultural and religious civilization signalized by the outbreak of the first World War, warning the leaders and masses of their peril, summoning them to heed the Advent of the Promised One of all nations, and establishing in America the principles and ideals which have since become the program of the liberal and progressive spirit. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the same time clearly explained the nature of the new spiritual community which alone can apply this program to society and produce a new world order.
TABLETS OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA
For many years ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His outer life restricted by the conditions of exile and imprisonment inflicted upon Him by the Turkish church-state under Islám, shared His spirit and His beneficient wisdom with Bahá’ís of many countries who addressed communications to Him, some as individuals, others as members of Bahá’í bodies. Three volumes were compiled in America based on Tablets dated prior to 19. These pages invited one to enter an inner place, as it were, glowing with the fire of a love sustained by God. (Some other Tablets are found in Chapters VIII and IX of Bahá’í World Faith.)
Words of Bahá’u’lláh
Inscribed Over the Nine Entrances of the
House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois
- The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
- The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me.
- My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure.
- Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner.
- Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent.
- I have made death a messenger of joy to thee; wherefore dost thou grieve?
- Make mention of Me on My earth that in My heaven I may remember thee.
- O rich ones on earth! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust.
- The source of all learnings is the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory.