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[Page 377]

WORLD ORDER

THE BAHÁ’Í MAGAZINE

VOLUME VI   FEBRUARY, 1941   NUMBER 11

Youth and a New World Order

THE NEW SPIRIT OF RELIGION GATHERS FORCE

IN THE DESPERATE HEART OF YOUTH

I

THE NEW WORLD

Margaret Swengel

YOUTH and the New World! An amazing statement! What does the analysis show? Who are the youth today? What are their characteristics? What are the features of this New World?

We youth? We are the disillusioned, the cynical, the irresponsible offspring of that World War period of twenty-seven years ago—of that jazz period which followed that war—of that depression period of the early 1930’s. We are the youth who have nothing in which to believe. We have had no religious training. We aren’t on speaking terms with the great religious legends. We don’t believe in the value of manual [Page 378] work. We are the youth who have gone through schools where old pedagogical disciplines have been abolished. Very little has been demanded of us, and we have given very little. We have been busy, rushing ourselves doing insignificant things. We know nothing, and we have been given no stimuli to learn.

We are the youth who have had no moral training. Our parents lost their moral standards in the period of repercussion following the war. Schools have not helped us as there was no agreement as to what moral truths could be taught. Sunday schools for us meant not moral guidance and study, but rather they signified cut-out and color pictures.

We are the youth!

And the New World? The world of war, of hatred, of suppression, of economic viciousness, of industrial madness. Nothing is right, and the changes in progress are not attractive.

Thus it is—or almost. One factor has been omitted. We youth, in spite of our disillusionment, our cynicism, our irresponsiveness, have a groping, a wanting for something better. We don’t know from where such a groping comes—we can’t analyze it—we don’t rationally believe in it; but there it is.

We want to believe. We want a religion which we can follow. We want to know moral truths and to guide our lives by them. We want war to cease. We want to disentangle and solve the economic troubles. We want to reform society.

We want to see that New World in which racial prejudice will be no more, in which economic inequalities will be unknown, in which war will be an impossibility, in which men and women will have equal recognition and rights.

We will most willingly give up our cynicism, our disillusionments, we will assume responsibilities. We aren’t pleased with ourselves. We aren’t happy. We want to help, to learn, to believe.

[Page 379]

II

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE

Pari Zia-Walrath

JAZZ, discordant, confusing, symbolizes the state in which youth finds itself today. Youth is faced with the problem which its elders could not solve. Youth is experiencing the condition of the world precipitated by its preceding generation. Youth has become heir to a world which is economically, socially, politically and religiously in a state of complete collapse. What now? How can youth hope to rebuild our broken-down civilization? Will it be worth rebuilding; can it be rebuilt so that it will not fall into ruin again in a few decades?

Innately youth is full of enthusiasm, courage, love of adventure, anxious to conquer new frontiers, ready for every challenge. The establishment of a “New World Order”— this is the greatest challenge which has been presented to youth. Not a World Order built upon the present foundations, but a World Order based on the teachings of the Prophet for this day. A World Order inspired by the faith of a religion which fulfills the needs of this ailing civilization—a religion which youth can accept, a religion which is practical, logical and scientific in its teachings and yet is capable of lifting man to his highest spiritual capacity.

The youth who follows the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh has the power to accept this challenge. The youth of the Bahá’í Faith is capable of answering the questions presented by modern problems. Civilization can and will be rebuilt. When man is motivated by the teachings of true religion, the barriers which now stand in the path of World Unity will entirely disappear. Prejudice, hatred, the thirst for power, will be things [Page 380] of the past. Then can the nations of the world unite under the banner of one standard.

Bahá’u’lláh’s plan for a New World Order does not merely mean the brotherly relations and good will of the peoples of the world. It is the binding together of the nations into a World Commonwealth working for the benefit of all mankind: —a World Order in which the departments of Government will be represented by a World Legislature and an International Tribunal, making and enforcing laws which will benefit and satisfy the needs of the individual Nations. This is a crusade in which youth can fight. This is a challenge which will answer the question: Can peace and order arise from the chaos of present conditions? This is the note which will bind together the discords of current inharmonies.

To youth, the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh are as a Great Symphony rising out of a jumbled, jazzed era, fulfilling to them the promise of God that all mankind shall live in peace and harmony in a unified world.

III

A SPIRITUAL REGENERATION

Betty Scheffler

As YOUTH we are constantly being reminded of the responsibilities we shall be called upon to assume as future participants in world affairs, but are we considering seriously enough the nature of the problems we shall meet? Surely we all agree that world conditions are becoming no less complex. All authorities must agree that the coming few years will see either the destruction of civilization as we know it, or the revelation of a new spirit of unity and cooperation among the peoples of the world, which seems to be the only answer if we would save ourselves from self-annihilation. Thus far no such bulwark [Page 381] has been erected against wars that are rapidly involving all of the countries in the world. Man seems to be unable to find escape from the plague which, if it is allowed to spread, will destroy the happiness and life of every human being. Society today, a victim of the greed and selfishness of a materialistic age, finds itself groping for the solution, which we are coming to realize is not to be found in any of the plans or schemes which the human mind has been able to devise.

We are realizing too that until individuals can, first of all, combine upon one plan of action and agree that therein lies the only genuine solution, all hope of peace and harmony must be abandoned. But along With this agreement upon an idea must be the development of an ability in men to make a spirit of love and service to their fellow men a motivating force in their lives, so that their very natures and characters become changed.

The Bahá’ís believe that a secure and permanent foundation for peace in the world can only be established through a great spiritual regeneration touching the very soul of humanity. The Bahá’ís, as believers that the power of religion to establish Divine Law is a master force in human affairs, are confident that this regeneration in the hearts of men is already taking place. They believe that this spirit, because it is a part of Divine inspiration and revelation, is the only power equal to the task of effecting a real change in human nature, making unity and agreement possible. A new understanding of moral and ethical standards must come again through the establishment of the spirit of religion as the guiding force in human will. Only through the recognition of the true civilizing influences and obedience to spiritual law as commanded by the Messengers of God, can humanity find the solution to the problems which in the past have seemed unsolvable.

[Page 382] The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh do not constitute a utopian plan that will overnight banish war and suffering from the face of the earth. They are not a magic formula which we can only verbally accept and experiment with. Our belief in these teachings can be demonstrated by our deeds alone. Only through the kind of life we lead can we effectively prove our acceptance of the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, and only then can they become an unassailable foundation for world order. Bahá’u’lláh has said, “The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life.” And again, “The essense of religion is to testify unto that which the Lord hath revealed, and follow that which He hath ordained in His mighty Book.” The Bahá’í restatement of religion should be studied by every youth in the world today, for nowhere else has there appeared any plan for world stabilization and reconstruction.

IV

A WORKABLE PLAN

Annamarie K. Honnold

TODAY the majority of our thinking youth stand puzzled to the point of pessimism. This pessimism creates the inability to act with certitude in any constructive channel. The present forebodes a gloomy future. The forces of evil are on the march. Youth asks, “Where do we go from here?”

But there is a group, known as Bahá’ís, who, though as yet in the minority, do not share this despair. Anyone who has not studied deeply into the lives and writings of the Bahá’í Leaders may brand this group as being foolishly optimistic. How can these Bahá’ís talk with such joy and assurance about a coming world order when our planet is falling into more and more disorder?

[Page 383] A thorough study of the Bahá’í teachings has solved for Bahá’í youth many of the baffling problems of the day. They have come to regard Bahá’u’lláh as God’s modern Manifestation and Teacher; and this Manifestation already in the last century conceived a workable plan for a new world order destined to establish at last “peace on earth.” And so today the Bahá’ís see the forces of destruction eradicating an old order of imperialism and nationalism, while simultaneously there evolves a new order of internationalism and world federalism. Bahá’ís expect that periods of transition are fraught with difficulties, and so they are not surprised at present-day happenings. They are not concerned with momentary victories and defeats on the battlegrounds of the world. They side with no partisan interest. To align themselves with any political groups would defeat their ultimate purpose; their undivided attention is on the well-being of the entire human race. To them this goal can be achieved only through true cooperation and the unification of all peoples, regardless of who they are or where they live. The present wars do not shatter their belief in God. Indeed, belief is strengthened by the realization that a just God is educating man by permitting him to taste the bitter fruits of his own sowing. Bahá’í youth are aware that the world is an organism, either it must function for the good of the whole or the innocent will suffer with the guilty. There exists for these youth no conflict between obedience to their religion and to their governments; for their religion teaches them the virtue and necessity of order. To defy their governments would be to create anarchy. In addition, they find no conflict among the fundamental teachings of the “various religions”; for in reality these are only one. By the process of progressive revelation, man has gradually become more educated, until today, he is ready to [Page 384] learn of his essential unity with all other human beings.

In like proportion as the mind is freed from perplexities, so also the body, mind, and heart are made ready to act constructively and with certitude. Since society is no better than the sum total of the individuals composing it, the first work of Bahá’í youth is to perfect their inner selves, in the same way that the scientist constantly strives to perfect his instrument. As far as possible they must make themselves the embodiment of justice, equality, purity, love, and unity— prerequisites of a stable and enduring world order. With absolute trust in God and in His will, and with the knowledge derived from experience of the efficacy of prayer, they strive to overcome their shortcomings. Accompanying their process of self-education, they, however, see also their duty to proclaim and put into effect Bahá’u’lláh’s world-embracing plan for world order—a plan with social, religious, economic, racial, and political reforms.

This two-fold educational process leaves no time for modern boredom. In the twentieth century, worlds lie waiting to be conquered, and time is precious. Today Bahá’í youth are more keenly aware than ever before of the great privilege that comes with the knowledge of Bahá’u’lláh and His plan. Their whole beings, freed from the inertia of perplexity, know their fullest joy only in constructive activity to erect the new world order of Bahá’u’lláh.

V

THE STRAIGHT PATH, NOT THE SHORT CUT

Mae G. Dyer

IN THESE turbulent times, the ranks of the youth of the world are being invaded by those who would capitalize on the enthusiasm [Page 385] and the tireless devotion of the youthful spirit that has been aroused in the name of justice.

Short cuts and so-called simplified methods are being offered to the earnest young person who desires to make this a better world in which to live. How often, though, these plans prove to be for only a very small world, a personal world, in which the selfish interests of a few are considered! And the short cuts and simplified methods of attaining peace and happiness involve so much in the way of personal attachment that even the most alert young person may find himself enmeshed in a web of political intrigue, although his own motives be entirely idealistic.

The plan for the realization of an abundant life, for great happiness in a world at peace, has been in existence ever since the Divine Creator gave the precious ingredients into the keeping of man. And, through all the countless fires and floods that man has blindly brought upon himself and his fellow beings, this plan has survived. Because of His great love for His creation, God has sent His Divine Messengers who from time to time have brought the plan to light again, and further explained its ingredients, and how to use them wisely. Such simple ingredients, love, faith, honesty, devotion to God. So simple, in fact, that they must have been overlooked by those who would interrupt the fulfillment of the Divine Plan.

In a very recent communication, Shoghi Effendi has told the Bahá’í Community that the time has come to close ranks. To every Bahá’í youth, and to every young person everywhere, this is a challenge, to be met with all the fiery determination, all the tireless devotion that characterizes the youthful spirit.

Young people everywhere, and the young in heart, all in fact who are still progressing, may unite in a great dynamic [Page 386] effort to indeed close ranks against negative forces, and with eyes front and on a very definite goal, march forth confidently. Bahá’u’lláh has called us all to unity and the Bahá’í Message is described in words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as . . . “the ancient path cleared of the debris of imagination and superstitions of men, of the debris of strife and misunderstanding and again made a clear path to the sincere seeker, that he may enter therein in assurance and find that the Word of God is one word, though the speakers were many.”

The brilliance of this “one word” can and will light the path and with its assurance, the ranks of the youth of the world can be freed from the confusion of doubt and disillusionment, can shoulder responsibilities of building a New World Order, even in the face of the man-made destruction that is burning its way into the very core of the old world.

VI

LIVING THE LIFE

Roberta Kaley Christian

“LIVING THE LIFE” is a phrase common among Bahá’ís. It means, exactly, to follow the instructions of Bahá’u’lláh for individual conduct.

There are, roughly, five ways in which the individual may attain to the spiritual kingdom, namely: Love, Devotion to God Without Compromise, Purity, Humility and Obedience, and Self-Realization, or Perfect Attunement.

Does it seem too altruistic to try to love all humanity? All are of God’s creation; by loving and serving the greatest of His works, man, we may demonstrate our great and consuming love for Him.

To love God and to become a living example of such love brings us to our second point, Absolute Devotion to God. The [Page 387] surest method of acquiring this devotion is, initially, through prayer and meditation, which are the sustenance of the spirit. Without them, there can be no spiritual life. This prayerful attitude becomes habitual, so that every act, every thought, is a thing of the spirit. When this occurs, we have attained the boon of “Radiant Acquiescence” to the will of God. This attribute is present in all the beloved of God. Christ demonstrated it, as did the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, and the thousands of martyrs whose lives have been a sacrifice down through the ages to the Cause of God.

The third step in living the life is Purity. Here again we find it almost impossible to accomplish save through prayer and consecration. All that is not pure within us becomes an obstruction in the path of the Holy Spirit and serves only to cloud our horizons and blind us to Truth, so that we become less perfect reflectors of the attributes of God. Only by constant effort are we able to discard all that is not of God within us. But this we must do, to make room for the bounty and grace which is ours because of God’s great love for us. We must be instruments in His Hands and in His Service, and as such must contain no unclean or imperfect aspect, in thought, word or deed.

We come now to Humility and Obedience. In America, the individual personality is over-emphasized. How then can we learn humility and unquestioning obedience to authority— traits which are absolutely foreign to our conditioned temperaments? First of all, through application of one of the basic principles of the Bahá’í Faith, the independent investigation of truth, we become convinced of the divinely inspired authority of the Manifestations, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, and of the “perfect Exemplar,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and of the successor whom He appointed first Guardian of the Faith in His will, [Page 388] Shoghi Effendi. Once we become convinced intellectually as well as instinctively of this authority, learning to be humble and obedient is a matter of acquiring a new set of habits. Recognizing this Divine authority we learn to accept suggestions and directions from this source without question. It is simply learning how to submit one’s ego to the Divine Law as indicated to man through God’s Mouthpieces. Once we realize that of ourselves we are nothing, humility becomes an essential part of our character; through it, we become glorified and achieve that Purity and that Love and that ability to serve which is the Bahá’í Glory.

Self-Realization comes to the Bahá’í in an entirely new aspect. The more we strive for perfection, the closer we come to God. The desire of the Bahá’í to live the life becomes the motive force which lends meaning and significance to his existence and makes of him a shining light in darkness, a beacon to all the world. Through this way of living, he becomes a stone upon which the foundation of a New World Order may be established. He is a rock to the weary, and healer to the sick; eyes to the blind and voice to the dumb. He is a mirror to reflect the Glory of God into the lives of men. Knowing that he has come from God, he sets his face to his origin and returns to it, fulfilled, complete and sanctified.

VII

A UNIQUE POSITION

Margaret Kunz Ruhe

AS BAHÁ’Í YOUTH, we today occupy a truly unique position in the world. We belong simultaneously to two entirely distinct orders. We are a part of that new, glorious World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, and at the same time we are a part of the dying, crumbling order which is disintegrating all about us. Bahá’í [Page 389] youth have challenging responsibilities in each of these orders —the new and the old. Let us examine our respective roles in each.

Today we stand at the threshold of the New World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and we can look ahead to the bright lights of the future. What do we see? We see our Faith, which we recognize as the pivot around which the new order will evolve, slowly emerging from its present “unmitigated obscurity,” passing through the stage of “active repression” until it reaches “complete emancipation.” From an independent Faith, it will become the World Religion. Finally the culmination will be reached with the emergence of the world-wide Bahá’í commonwealth “animated wholly by the spirit, and operating solely in direct conformity with the laws and principles of Bahá’u’lláh.” Bahá’í youth will necessarily play an important part in bringing about this growth and progress within our Faith. Ours is the task to guard the Faith, and to prevent it from being influenced by or in any way reflecting the outside world with its meannesses, prejudices, and injustices. Bahá’í youth must constantly strengthen their faith in Bahá’u’lláh, and completely absorb themselves in the Bahá’í art of living so that they can withstand the cold winds blowing from the outer dark areas. We must “close our ranks” and promote unity within the Bahá’í community if we would further its ascendancy.

Within our Bahá’í groups, it is perhaps relatively easy to show forth a spirit of love, fellowship, and friendship. Bahá’í communities are oases of light and warmth in a black world, and while in their atmosphere, we can hold aloft the torch of noble living. But when we find ourselves in that other world, the dying, troubled, confused world about us, we meet a new challenge, for as Bahá’í youth it is our task to spread [Page 390] constructive, positive ideas in a world festering with destructive, negative, hopeless concepts. It is the duty of each of us who calls himself a Bahá’í youth to be a focus of faith, confidence, hope, and joy. We must spread reassurance and hopefulness, and by our lives prove that we do belong to that new race of men of which Shoghi Effendi speaks in The Advent of Divine Justice. It is well to remember that mental states are as infectious as physical conditions. Just as you can pass on a good strong case of whooping cough to your neighbors so likewise you can transfer a spirit of hope and faith in the coming new world order. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes, “Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world—.” Again He says: “The beloved of the Merciful must show forth such character and conduct among His creatures, that the fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world, and may quicken the dead . . .”

Always in our endeavors, within the Faith and without, we turn to our Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, who gives our efforts direction and meaning, and who stimulates us to greater heights of achievement. Bahá’í youth are included in our Guardian’s latest plea: “I appeal to the New World champions of the New World Order of Bahá’u’lláh to stand fast at this tragic hour in the fortunes of mankind and the challenging state of the evolution of the Faith. I beg them to close their ranks jointly, severally, and vow themselves to the incomparably sublime task whose operation must hasten the ascendancy of the beloved Faith and the spiritual redemption of a reconstructed mankind.”

[Page 391]

SUPPLICATION

O GOD! O GOD! Thou seest that black darkness hath encompassed all the regions, all the countries are burning with the conflagration of dissension and the fire of war and carnage is ignited in the Easts of the earth and the Wests thereof. The blood is being shed, the corpses are outstretched and the heads are decapitated and thrown on the ground in the battlefield.

Lord! Lord! Have pity on these ignorant ones, look upon them with the eye of forgiveness and pardon. Extinguish this fire so that these gloomy clouds covering the horizon may be scattered, the Sun of Reality may shine forth with the rays of conciliation, this darkness be rent asunder and all the countries be illumined with the lights of peace.

Lord! Awaken them from the depths of the sea of animosity, deliver them from these impenetrable darknesses, establish affinity between their hearts and enlighten their eyes with the light of peace and reconciliation.

Lord! Rescue them from the fathomless depths of war and bloodshed! Arouse them out of the gloom of error, rend asunder the veil from their eyes, brighten their hearts with the light of guidance, deal with them through Thy favor and mercy and do not treat them according to Thy justice and wrath through which the backs of the mighty ones are shaken!

Lord! Verily the wars have prolonged, the calamities have increased, and every building hath turned into ruin.

Lord! Verily the breasts are agitated and the souls are convulsed. Have mercy on these poor ones and do not leave them to do with themselves that which they desire!

Lord! Send forth throughout Thy countries humble and [Page 392] submissive souls, their faces illumined with the rays of guidance, severed from the world, speaking Thy remembrance and praise and diffusing Thy holy fragrances amongst mankind!

Lord! Strengthen their backs, reinforce their loins and dilate their breasts with the signs of Thy most great love.

Lord! Verily they are weak and Thou art the Powerful and the Mighty, and they are impotent and Thou art the Helper and the Merciful!

Lord! Verily the sea of transgression is waving high and these hurricanes will not be calmed down save through Thy boundless grace which hath embraced all the regions!

Lord! Verily the souls are in the deep valleys of lust and nothing will awaken them save Thy most Wonderful bounties.

Lord! Dispel these darknesses of temptations and illumine the hearts with the lamp of Thy love, through which all the countries will be enlightened. Confirm those believers who, leaving their countries, their families and their children, travel throughout the regions for the sake of the love of Thy beauty, the diffusion of Thy fragrances and the promulgation of Thy teachings. Be Thou their companion in their loneliness, their helper in a strange land, the remover of their sorrow, the comforter in their calamity, their deliverer in their hardship, the satisfier of their thirst, the healer of their malady and the allayer of the fire of their longing.

Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Possessor of Mercy, and Verily Thou art the Compassionate and the Merciful.

‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ

Haifa, Palestine, April, 1917

[Page 393]

The Divine Art of Living

A Compilation

CHAPTER ELEVEN

OBEDIENCE AND HUMILITY

OBEDIENCE TO GOD

THE FIRST DUTY prescribed by God for his servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Day-Spring of His Revelation and the fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. . . . It behooveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the World. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.

They Whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples. . . . We, verily, have commanded you . . . not to transgress the bounds which the pen of the Most High hath fixed, for these are the breath of life unto all created things. . . .

O ye peoples of the world! Know assuredly that My commandments are the lamps of My loving providence among My servants, and the keys of My mercy for My creatures. . . . Were any man to taste the sweetness of the words which the [Page 394] lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he would, though the treasurers of the earth be in his possession, renounce them one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His commandments, shining above the day spring of His bountiful care and loving-kindness. . . .

Think not that we have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice wine with the fingers of might and power. . . . Meditate upon this, O men of insight! (Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, pp. 330-333)

OBEDIENCE THROUGH FEAR AND THROUGH LOVE

Schools must first train the children in the principles of religion so that the Promise and the Threat, recorded in the Books of God, may prevent them from the things forbidden and adorn them with the mantle of the commandments. But this in such a measure that it may not injure the children by resulting in ignorant fanaticism and bigotry.

The people of wealth and men of honor and power must have the best possible regard for the respect of Religion. Religion is a manifest light and a strong fortress for the protection and tranquillity of the people of the world. For the fear of God commands people to do that which is just and forbids them that which is evil. If the lamp of religion remain concealed agitation and anarchy will prevail, and the orb of Justice and Equity and the sun of Peace and Tranquillity will be withheld from giving light. Every man of discernment testifies to that which is (here) mentioned. (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 53, 125, 126)

O Son of Being! Walk in My statutes for love of Me. . . .

O Son of Man! Neglect not My commandments if thou lovest My beauty, and forget not My counsels if thou wouldst attain My good pleasure. (Hidden Words)

[Page 395]

HUMILITY

Verily, through meekness, man is elevated to the heaven of power; and again pride degrades him to the lowest station of humiliation and abasement. (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 49)

We are all poor at His door, weak before His power, lowly at His threshold, and we possess the power of neither good nor harm. He is indeed the Confirmer, the Strengthener, the Benevolent! (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 314)

Verily I supplicate God to confirm thee in that which He desireth, to protect thee from conceit and self-exaltation and from selfish concerns, to make thee devoted unto Him and resigned unto Him. (Idem, p. 137)

If thou art seeking everlasting glory, choose humility in the path of the True One. (Idem, p. 214.)

O Son of Man! Transgress not thy limits, nor claim that which beseemeth thee not. Prostrate thyself before the countenance of thy God, the Lord of might and power.

O Son of Man! Humble thyself before Me that I may graciously visit thee. (Hidden Words)

They who are the beloved of God, in whatever place they gather and whomsoever they may meet, must evince, in their attitude towards God, and in the manner of their celebration of His praise and glory, such humility and submissiveness that every atom of the dust beneath their feet may attest the depth of their devotion. . . . They should conduct themselves in such manner that the earth upon which they tread may never be allowed to address them such words as these: “I am to be preferred above you. For witness, how patient I am in bearing the burden which the husbandman layeth upon me. I am the instrument that continually imparteth unto all beings the blessings with which He Who is the Source of all grace hath entrusted [Page 396] me. Notwithstanding the honor conferred upon me, and the unnumbered evidences of my wealth—a wealth that supplieth the needs of all creation—behold the measure of my humility, witness with what absolute submissiveness I allow myself to be trodden beneath the feet of men. . . .

Beseech ye the one true God to grant that ye may taste the savor of such deeds as are performed in His path, and partake of the sweetness of such humility and submissiveness as are shown for His sake. (Gleanings, pp. 7-9)

If a person humbles himself for the sake of God before the friends of God, this is humbleness shown to the True One Himself; for this is done by the one as consideration of the other’s faith in God. Hence to be humble for the sake of God before another means to be humble before God Himself. In this case, if the other does not behave in like manner, or if he shows forth haughtiness, the discerning man will attain to the loftiness of his own action and to the reward thereof; while the detriment in the action of the other will return to the latter himself. Likewise, if any one acts with haughtiness, that haughtiness will be directed to the True: One. (Tablet by Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í' Scriptures, p. 134)

Beware that ye swell not with pride before God and disdainfully reject His loved ones. Defer ye humbly to the faithful, they that have believed in God and in His signs, whose hearts witness to His unity, whose tongues proclaim His oneness, and who speak not except by His leave. Thus do We exhort you with justice, and warn you with truth, lest perchance ye may be awakened. (Gleanings, p. 128)

If ye meet the abased or down-trodden, turn not away disdainfully from them, for the King of Glory ever watcheth over them and surroundeth them with such tenderness as none can fathom except them that have suffered their wishes and [Page 397] desires to be merged in the will of your Lord, the Gracious, the All-Wise. O ye rich ones of the earth! Flee not from the face of the poor that lieth in the dust, nay rather befriend him and suffer him to recount the tale of the woes with which God’s inscrutable decree hath caused him to be afflicted. By the righteousness of God! Whilst ye consort with him, the Concourse on high will be looking upon you, will be interceding for you, will be extolling your names and glorifying your action. Blessed are the learned that pride not themselves on their attainments, and well is it with the righteous that mock not the sinful, but rather conceal their misdeeds, so that their own shortcomings may remain unveiled to men’s eyes. (Idem, pp. 314, 315)

O Son of Spirit! Vaunt not thyself over the poor, for I lead him on his way and behold thee in thy evil plight and confound thee for evermore. (Hidden Words)

O Son of Being! How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me. (Idem)

O Son of Dust! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. (Idem)

He (the seeker) must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vain-glory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endure a century. (Íqán, p. 193)

[Page 398]

SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD

l beseech Thee . . . to graciously aid Thy servants and Thy loved ones . . . to fix their gaze at all times upon Thy pleasure, and to yield Thee thanks for the evidences of Thine irrevocable decree. For Thou art, verily, praiseworthy in all that Thou hast done in the past, or wilt do in the future, and art to be obeyed in whatsoever Thou hast wished or wilt wish, and to be loved in all that Thou hast desired or wilt desire. Thou lookest upon them that are dear to Thee with the eyes of Thy loving-kindness, and sendest down for them only that which will profit them through Thy grace and Thy gifts. (Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations, pp. 238, 239)

If it be Thy pleasure, make me to grow as a tender herb in the meadows of Thy grace, that the gentle winds of Thy will may stir me up and bend me into conformity with Thy pleasure, in such wise that my movement and my stillness may be wholly directed by Thee. (Idem, p. 240)

Thine is the command at all times, O Thou who art the Lord of all names and mine is resignation and willing submission to Thy Will, O Creator of the heavens! (Idem, p. 320)

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CAN I DOUBT?

Martha M. Boutwell

When I see a delicate flower

Opening its face to the light,

When I glimpse the golden sunshine

Pushing away the night,

When I hear the beautiful music

Which radio swiftly sends,

When I grasp with calm assurance

The hands of loyal friends,

Can I doubt that there is a God?

[Page 399]

Children of the Half-Light

A MESSAGE TO YOUTH

Marcia Steward Atwater

“And it shall come to pass in the last days that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh—and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” (Joel, chapt. 2, v. 28)

Today is the period of these last days, of which Joel speaks—and the young people of today are those young men and women. Is this verse, then, the key to Youth’s amazing imperturbability? For it is the older people, Fathers and Mothers, who, surveying the strife and turmoil of the world, ask, for children, “what is there for them to grow up to?”

Youth does, not ask that question for itself—it faces with remarkable calm and fortitude the spectacle of a swiftly changing world. Does it sense the unfolding of a drama that older eyes and ears are unaware of? I think it does—and I believe it has a sense of destiny more forceful and profound than the pressure of appearances would indicate and which otherwise would crush their very spirit. For the youth of today has a destiny—a great—an inconceivably great destiny— that of fathering and mothering the seed of that New Race which Bahá’u’lláh told us would appear “after the wars”— that Race which He wrote would be so marvelous that “it is not meet to discuss it now—the people would not understand.”

Is this why youth surveys a dying civilization with a calm that older people mistake for indifference and apathy? Does it dimly sense a visionary future of such strange beauty that they dare not talk about to their elders?

[Page 400] The young people of today combine in a unique way a quality of vision with a healthy Realism. If they do not ask any questions it is because they realize that there is no one capable of giving an adequate answer. They see their parents and teachers helpless and bewildered—but, being young, and having hope, youth needs a Cause!

Youth needs a Cause because the very essence of youth is the crusading principle. If it can’t find something worth crusading for in a constructive way, it will crusade in search of adventure in a destructive one. For this energy must find a channel of outlet—and too often that outlet is crime or allegiance to movements calculated to appeal to their idealism but which are based on absolutely erroneous hypotheses and manipulated for selfish and subversive ends.

But the Truth can be an adventure! It can be just as dangerous—just as full of soul-stirring risk and high courage —just as demanding of loyalty and heroism and dauntless spirit as the pursuit of any adventure—. For Religion is the great adventure! I speak of true Religion—It is not dry and formal and tired and for old people! It is Fire and Light and heroic living every moment of existence! The greatest tales of heroism and martyrdom are found in the annals of every great Religion! Why? Because the Fire of the Love of God is a consuming flame. Youth wants God—Youth wants a crusade— Youth wants Livingness, not dead forms. Youth wants Truth —but where is it to find it? Where it has to be sought, at its very source—the Manifestation of God!

Today a cycle is finished and a new cycle has commenced —the cycle of God’s latest Manifestation of Himself to mankind. This is the cycle of The Glory of God, Bahá’u’lláh. It is the springtime of that cycle—the period of sacrifice and service and heroism. It is only just past the period of martyrdom, [Page 401] when thirty-thousand human beings gave their life joyously that this Holy Cause of God might become a Light in the increasing darkness of the ebb-tide of former tradition and forms.

Everything grows, and every growth has a cyclic form. Religion is no exception to this law of God. The Sun of Truth, the Manifestation, rises, like the phenomenal sun, in the East, and spreads its radiance over the West. It is a faint glow of Promise in its dawn—it rises slowly, red with the blood of martyrs, growing brighter and more intense in its warmth until it reaches its zenith where it is the evident Life of mankind —and slowly again it sets—. Again it rises in another preordained period of time—a New Sun, and yet the same Sun. Another Name, yet manifesting the Light and Heat of the same God. Speaking His knowledge, radiating His Love, energizing anew the earth of men’s hearts with His energy.

Today youth can understand Religion, for Religion is young again!

Youth understand radio, and can comprehend the principle of the Manifestations of God through this analogy—for They are human radios, chosen by God, through Whom the Divine Voice speaks.

Youth can understand God’s great Message of today, Oneness—for it has grown up in an age where the airplane, fast ships, wireless and telephone are uniting the entire world of man into one great family.

Youth can understand the new Law of God, abolition of all prejudice, for it is independent and honest and intellectually free and has shown itself impervious to the pleas of tradition and convention—outworn habits of thought and blind imitation.

[Page 402] It welcomes with laughter and interest the new, the different, the fresh!

But above all, today, youth is seeking—for unconsciously it realizes that there is, somewhere in the universe, something worth seeking for. With the unspoiled fresh impulse of young and growing things, it is not hopeless—though to the older thoughtful man or woman, it has little enough to encourage it.

Bahá’u’lláh cries out to youth today, “Come and Crusade for Me—listen to My Words, learn My Laws—new Laws for your Age—to make your living a glorious privilege. Enlist under My Banner and know the ecstacy of serving your Lord!”

Children of the Half-Light, poised on the brink of two worlds, the old and the new, step from the darkness into the light of your dreams, for this is the Day when they shall all come true!

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DEDICATION

Ruby Dunn MacCurdy

I ask, O Lord, that Thou wilt make my path so clear to me

That even in my faltering way my footsteps turn to Thee.

I ask Thee, Lord, that Thou wilt make my lips to sing Thy praise,

And every word that I may speak, in exaltation raise.

I ask, O Lord, that Thou wilt take the service of my hands

And bless the work that they may do in this or other lands.

Then take, O Lord, my feet, my hands, my lips, my mind, my all,

And mould me in Thy wisdom, prepare me for Thy call.

[Page 403]

BAHÁ’Í ANSWERS TO WORLD QUESTIONS

DO BAHÁ’ÍS HAVE SPECIFIC ETHICAL STANDARDS?

A CHASTE AND HOLY LIFE must be made the controlling principle in the behavior and conduct of all Bahá’ís, both in their social relations with the members of their own community, and in their contact with the world at large. . . . It must be upheld, in all its integrity and implications, in every phase of the life of those who fill the ranks of that Faith, whether in their homes, their travels, their clubs, their societies, their entertainments, their schools and their universities. . . . It must be closely and continually identified with the mission of the Bahá’í youth, both as an element in the life of the Bahá’í community, and as a factor in the future progress and orientation of the youth of their own country.

WHAT ARE SOME BAHÁ’Í VIRTUES?

Such a chaste and holy life, with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean-mindedness, involves no less than the exercise of moderation in all that pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary avocations. It demands daily vigilance in the control of one’s carnal desires and corrupt inclinations. It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to trivial and often misdirected pleasures. It requires total abstinence from all alcoholic drinks, from opium, and from similar habit-forming drugs. It condemns the prostitution [Page 404] of art and of literature, the practices of nudism and of companionate marriage, infidelity in marital relationships, and all manner of promiscuity, of easy familiarity, and of sexual vices. It can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits, and the excesses of a decadent age. Nay rather it seeks to demonstrate, through the dynamic force of its example, the pernicious character of such theories, the falsity of such standards, the hollowness of such claims, the perversity of such habits, and the sacrilegious character of such excesses. (Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, p. 25)

Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasurer to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them who walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm for the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humanity. (Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p. 285)

[Page 405]

The Idea of a Christian Society

BOOK REVIEW

Garretta Busey

IN A TIME when several of the most powerful nations of Europe have declared themselves officially hostile to Christianity and have organized themselves on avowedly pagan principles, the contrast which seems to present itself between Christian and pagan societies has led to the examination of our “Western Democracies” in order to see whether or not they are really Christian. Four years ago a group of Canadian clergymen raised such a question in their book “Towards the Christian Revolution,” and answered it in the negative. More recently the question has been asked again by T. S. Eliot, best known as the poet who depicted the aridity of modern culture in The Wasteland, one of the most important poems of our times. Subsequently Mr. Eliot became a member of the Church of England.

In his book Mr. Eliot examines the subject coolly, disavowing any attempt at evangelism. He sets out merely to state what he believes a Christian society to be and asks whether we of the western democracies are not deceiving ourselves when we refer to ourselves as “a Christian Society, in contrast to that of Germany or Russia.”

A Christian Society, he postulates, is one which is organized in such a way as to make it easy to live according to the teachings of Christ. It is dependent upon a culture and a social attitude consonant with Christian principles. Our present society tolerates Christianity. It is not Christian. Its culture is mainly negative and therefore will not long be able to resist the more positive and thus more forceful cultures to which it is opposed. We shall be faced with the necessity of choice between adopting a pagan or a Christian culture.

What, then, would a Christian Society be? Mr. Eliot defines it in terms of its aim. “It would be a society in which the natural end of man—virtue and well-being in community—is acknowledged for all, and the supernatural end—beatitude—for those who have eyes to see it.” Such» a society he divides into three elements:

[Page 406] 1. The Christian State, governed by rulers not necessarily chosen because of their eminence as Christians. “It is not primarily the Christianity of the statesman that matters, but their being confined, by the temper and traditions of the people which they rule, to a Christian framework within which to realize their ambitions and advance the prosperity and prestige of their country.”

2. The Christian Community, that is to say, the great mass of humanity. These are all those men and women who have little time to think about their religion. They realize it chiefly in their unconscious behavior. The structure of their society must be such that their religious and social life will be integrated and the difficulty of behaving as Christians “will not impose an intolerable strain.”

3. The Community of Christians, the cream, so to speak, of practising Christians, those of intellectual and spiritual superiority, whose function it would be to “form the conscious mind and the conscience of the nation.” This is the element which, in the pattern set down by Bahá’u’lláh, should be elected to rule.

The State, as Mr. Eliot envisions it, is Christian only by reflection from the people which it governs. The purity of its Christianity must be guarded by the existence of a Church to which the great majority of the people would belong, a Church “established” as is that of England. It would have a hierarchical organization related officially to that of the state; it would reach the smaller communities and their individual members by means of a parochial organization; and in matters of dogma, of faith, and of morals, it would speak with final authority. At times it would be the duty of such a church to rebuke the state for derelictions of policy.

Up to this point, we have been considering a society organized on national lines solely. And yet some sort of supra-national Christianity exists and must be taken into account. The idea of a national church, Mr. Eliot points out, must be balanced with that of a universal church, which he thinks of as something like a supernatural League of Nations. He says: “Unless the National Church is a part of the whole, it has no claim upon me: but a League of Nations which could have a claim upon the devotion of the individual, prior to the claim of his country, is a chimaera which very few persons can even have endeavoured [Page 407] to picture to themselves.”—Very few persons aside from Bahá’ís, we might rejoin.

There seems to be little essential difference between the Society so far outlined and English society of today, except in the degree of Christianity of its members. For its establishment there would be required only the task of making the great majority of the people Christian, not by profession only but in truth and in deed. Once established, such a society would still be faced with problems which Christianity, even at the height of its power, did not solve. The ancient conflict between church and state would still exist. (“This tension,” Mr. Eliot says, “is essential to the idea of a Christian society, and is a distinguishing mark between a Christian and a pagan society.”) There would continue to be war between nations, for Mr. Eliot’s idea does not transcend nationalism. On the face of it, a state of war seems to be one which imposes an intolerable strain on those who wish to behave as Christians. Moreover, to remove the specific ills of our present society, which Mr. Eliot merely mentions in passing, would require, even with a changed social attitude, a selfless fervor and an extraordinary wisdom on the part of the people. Christ gave no specific teachings for the remedy of such evils, speaking as He did to individuals who lived under conditions very different from those of the modern world.

If we are to depend for the basis of our social structure on revealed Truth, as Mr. Eliot says we must, would it not be wiser to turn to the revelation for this age, which provides specific remedies for many of our problems, and which, in its freshness, brings with it the spiritual impetus for their application. The idea of Bahá’í society exists, well-defined in structure, unified within itself, and world-embracing—a society which will bring to mature fruition the teachings of Christ.

[Page 408]

BAHÁ’Í LESSONS

Immortality

I. What is Immortality?

The soft flowing river of immortality, Gl 33.

The chalice of immortality, Gl 107.

The Day of Resurrection, Íqán 143-144.

The water of eternal life, BS par. 50.

Eden, HW (Arabic) 6.

Death as glad tidings, HW (Arabic) 32.

Immortality of martyrs, HW (Arabic) 46.

Wine of eternal life, HW (Persian) 55, 62.

God as Source of, Gl 14.

This is eternal life, BS par. 819.

Stream of everlasting life, HW (Persian) 37.

Meaning of eternal life, SAQ 281.

II. Assurance of Immortality.

Proofs of, Prom 237-238, 253-255, 300-302, 410-413.

Proffered to man, Gl 34.

Must needs be other worlds, Gl 157-158.

Re-born in this Day, Gl 213; BS 743; D. Art of L. 2.

a. Fate of those not re-born, Gl 213; SAQ 259.

In this world and hereafter, Gl 329.

To God we shall return, Gl 345.

What death proffereth, Gl 345.

Divine supernatural kingdom, BS 736.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá on immortality, Prom 83-88; BS 717.

Paradise and Hell, SAQ 259.

Rewards of, SAQ 260.

Logical proof of, SAQ 261-266.

After destruction of body, SAQ 264.

Immortality of children, SAQ 279.

Spirit will live forever, Prom 413, 258, 300; HW (Arabic) 61.

Imperishable glory, HW (Persian) 21.

[Page 409]

Immortal sovereignty, HW (Per) 39, 41.

Freed from death, HW (Per) 70.

Destiny of true believer, Gl 140-141.

III. How and When to Prepare.

Must be taught by Prophets of God, Gl 156-157; Íqán 143.

a. Steps in path, Íqán 192-195.

b. Mission of Prophets, B. Proofs, 198.

Depends on faith and conduct, Gl 170.

a. Souls of infidels, Gl 170.

b. Eyes toward Manifestation, Gl 171-172; BS 649.

c. Requirements, Prom 221; BS 647.

d. Re-birth through faith, Íqán 118-120; Gl 337-8; SAQ 149.

Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Gl 183; Íqán 144-148.

a. He that faileth, Íqán 145.

b. Death is unbelief, Íqán 114.

c. Bahá’u’lláh as teacher, Prom 223.

Forsake mortal kingdom, Íqán 3-4; BS 203, 206, 252; HW (Arabic) 54, 63.

Must attain Divine Presence, Íqán 138, 142, 169-170.

Entrance into, SAQ 282.

Must prepare in this life, Prom 220-221; DAL 9-10; HW (Per) 44.

Fellowship with righteous, HW (Per) 58.

IV. Concerning Next World.

Individuality after death, Gl 153-155.

Body and spirit after death, Prom 301; DAL 18.

Soul after death,

a. Its companions and form, Gl 155-158.

b. Its evolution, SAQ 270-271.

c. Its progress, SAQ 272-274, 278.

Souls conscious of each other, Gl 169-170.

Rose-garden of unfading splendor, Gl 319.

Must remain a mystery, Gl 345.

Not a material place, SAQ 280.

Mysteries of other world, S. Valleys: Knowledge.

[Page 410]

WITH OUR READERS

WHERE do copies of WORLD ORDER go? We answer that as far as present conditions of transportation and communication allow they go all over the world. Within a few months three significant letters have come to WORLD ORDER’s business manager —one from the University of Heidelberg, one from the Sorbonne, University of Paris, and one from the University of London. All three stated that they missed WORLD ORDER and asked why it had stopped coming. Is it not significant that these three centers of learning in the midst of warring Europe should be inquiring for the little magazine WORLD DRDRR? And why was the subscription stopped? Regular readers will remember that we have mentioned the fact that many library subscriptions were stopped because an annual gift of some size designed for library subscriptions to WORLD ORDER had been stopped. Is there any one among our readers who would like to sponsor the renewal of any or all of these three subscriptions?

And while we are speaking of library subscriptions we want to mention that a friend in Batavia, New York, is doing her bit to renew library subscriptions. WORLD ORDER needs many more subscribers and the world needs the message which WORLD ORDER carries. Mrs. Wood, our business manager, is working to enlarge the subscription list. Are we all helping?

Direct word from our pioneers is always more than welcome and now we have our first word from Alaska. Miss Janet Whitenack writing from Fairbanks mentions especially the value of the articles on Muhammad in the September issue of WORLD ORDER and then adds: “I am very much interested in your book reviews and plan to stock the books which I think will be interesting to my customers. Security for a Failing World and Character by Stanwood Cobb are fairly popular, and I have found some current books by non-Bahá’ís useful in leading up to a discussion of the Bahá’í Faith. For instance, H. G. Wells’ books, and Not Peace but a Sword, Union Now, and Wind, Sand and [Page 411] Stars. I expect to have my first fireside meeting tomorrow night and am terribly excited about it. Have given the Message to many people. But most of them have left Fairbanks.”

How much nearer just these few lines make us feel to the writer. Fairbanks becomes something more than a dot on the map —people live there—and not so different from ourselves.

From quite the opposite direction, San Antonio, Texas, comes a warm and appreciative note. Mrs. Katherine Frankland writes: “I cannot tell you how pleased I am with everything about this precious publication; its size, its continued growth, and the splendid study material which we hope to use in our study class which is soon to be resumed for the fall and winter months. This afternoon I am taking the last two copies to the public librarian with whom I have an appointment to discuss the feasibility of displaying the Temple model in the library sometime during November.”

In connection with these bits of news from pioneers it seems fitting to reprint the following letter from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá first printed in Star of the West, volume I:

To the Editors of the Star of the West,

O ye firm ones! O ye steadfast ones!

The publication of The Star of the West is conducive to the happiness and beatitude of the friends, for it is a clear mirror in which the pictures of the events and happenings in the Cause, and the news of the progress of the Kingdom throughout the world are reflected and can be observed. Praise flows from the tongue of every growing and firm believer after reading it, for he becomes informed of the events and thoughts.

Unquestionably this publication shall serve the world of humanity. If it is continued, its arena shall become broadened, and it shall attain to such a station as to bring about the unity of the East and of the West.

Do not become discouraged, nor yet dispirited. Show ye firmness and steadfastness, and if possible publish it in larger size and more legible characters.

Upon you be Bahá El Abhá!

(signed) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbás

How grateful we are to the two believers, Albert Windust and Gertrude Buikema, who had the vision and faith to start the Star [Page 412] of the West. They were pioneers indeed! Bahá’í News has taken over part of the function of the “Star” for it gives us most of the “news of the progress of the Kingdom,” but we reserve space in this column for personal bits which inspire and draw us nearer together and make us “informed of the events and thoughts.” What experience have you had which might help someone? It does not have to be a success story.

This month the editors are featuring a symposium on the Bahá’í Faith by seven of our Bahá’í youth. Margaret Swengel, secretary of the National Bahá’í Youth Committee, lives in Urbana, Illinois; Pari Zia-Walrath of Chicago is a student in Northwestern University and a member of National Bahá’í Youth Committee; Betty Scheffler, an art student in Evanston, Illinois, heads the regional work of Bahá’í youth in the Middle West; Annamarie Kunz Honnold of Brooklyn, New York, is the editor of Bahá’í Youth; Mae Dyer is the business manager of Bahá’í Youth and lives in Brooklyn also; Roberta Kaley Christian heads youth regional work in the East and lives in Morrisville, New York; Margaret Kunz Ruhe of Philadelphia is chairman of the National Bahá’í Youth Committee. By the way, do you subscribe to Bahá’í Youth? It is well worth while whether or not you are classified as youth. Send forty cents to Mrs. Dyer, 119 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, N. Y., for a year’s subscription.

Mrs. Marcia Stewart Atwater, who contributes Children of the Half-Light, has recently left her home in Southern California and gone as a volunteer teacher to Latin America. Mrs. Mabel Paine continues the compilation “Divine Art of Living,” Miss Zoe Meyer of Peoria has prepared the Bahá’í Lessons and Mrs. Bertha Kirkpatrick Bahá’í Answers. We are glad to include poems by Martha M. Boutwell of Portsmouth, N. H., and Ruby Dunn MacCurdy of Buffalo. Miss Boutwell has contributed her musical gift to Green Acre on many occasions. Miss MacCurdy is a member of the youth group. The book review by Garreta Busey completes the issue.

THE EDITORS