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[Page 288]WORLD ORDER

THE BAHAI MAGAZINE December, 1943

¢ Frontispiece, Memorial to May Ellis Maxwell...... 289 ¢ Ways to Wholeness, Part One. Raymond Frank Piper 291 e A Solace to Their Hearts........... . Bah@ wlléh 300 ¢ A Baha’i Shrine in Latin America... Amelia E. Collins 301

| ¢ The Creation of a World Society, Editorial Horace Holley. 3409

¢ If You Desire Friendship. .Annamarie Kunz Honnold 311

¢ World Organization, Book Review Florence M. Zmeskal 317

oT he Power of (Prayer ti. Pct sipee Marguerite True 319 | ¢ Baha’i Holy Days, Day of the Covenant........-. 323

e With Our Readers.... 325

FIFTEEN CENTS [Page 289]THE UTTERANCE OF Gop Is A LAMP, WHOSE LIGHT ARE THESE WORDS: YE ARE THE FRUITS OF ONE TREE, AND THE LEAVES OF ONE BRANCH. DEAL YE ONE WITH ANOTHER WITH THE UTMOST LOVE AND HARMONY, WITH FRIENDLINESS AND FELLOWSHIP. Hr WHO Is THE DAY STAR OF TRUTH BEARETH Me witness! So POWERFUL Is THE LIGHT OF UNITY THAT IT CAN ILLUMINATE THE WHOLE EARTH.

—BauA’u’LLAH.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE REPORTED ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE

WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, Ill., by the Publishing Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, Alice Simmons Cox, Gertrude K. Henning, Horace Holley,

Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick,

Editorial O fice 69 AsgotsrorD Roap, WinnerKa, Ii.

Publication O fice 110 LinpEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILL,

C. R. Wood, Business Manager Printed in U.S.A,

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its territories and possessions; for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 15c, Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to World Order Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. Entered as second class matter April 1, 1940, at the post office at Wilmette, Ill., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1943 by Baha’i Publishing Committee. Title registered at U, S. Patent Office.

DeEcEMBER, 1943, Volume IX, NuMBER 9

[Page 290]

MEMORIAL TO MAY ELLIS MAXWELL QUILMES CEMETERY, BUENOS AIRES

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[Page 291]VWORLD ORDER

THE BAHAT MAGAZINE

VOLUME IX DECEMBER, 1943 NUMBER 9

Ways to Wholeness Raymond Frank Piper

A PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY EXPOUNDS SIXTEEN PRINCIPLES OF BAHA’i UNITY

PART ONE Introduction

Tue distinctive mark of the Baha’{ Cause is its pervading theme of unity: “The Oneness of Mankind—the chief and distinguishing feature of the Faith.” (W36)* This is “the pivot around which all the teachings of Baha’u’llah revolve.” (W42) The most fateful problem of our age is “the Most Great Peace,” (G254) which integrates many varieties of unity. This essay is an endeavor to discriminate the sixteen primary unities which compose this “Most Great Unity,” and to quote, from authentic sources, choice passages which illustrate them. The order of treatment will be:-—

I. FOUNDATION UNITIES: A. Spiritual: divine, prophetic, religious, historic, universal unities.

• For explanation of references, see statement in With Our Readers.

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B. Human: biological or racial unity; psychological, mental, or selfic unity.

II. AIDS TO UNITY: C. Social Aids to Unity: political, juridical, economic, educational, linguistic, social-organic unities. D. Spiritual Aids to Unity: scientific, aesthetic, ethical unities.

III. THREE CLASSIFICATIONS OF UNITIES.

I. FOUNDATION UNITIES: A. Spiritual Unities.

(1) Divine Unity is the most fundamental and august of all unities. It is the metaphysical oneness of God, the creative reality of a unitary cosmic Will, the single ultimate Sustainer of all things. (G166) Baha’u’llah declared, “Oneness, in its true significance, means that God alone should be realized as the one power which animates and dominates all things, which are manifestations of His energy.” (Cf. F66-8) “God verily is one and indivisible. .. He in truth hath throughout eternity been one in His essence, one in His attributes, one in His works, .. without peer or equal, detached from all things, everabiding, unchangeable, and self-subsisting.” (G187, 192-3) “This is the true meaning of divine unity. He Who is the eternal Truth is the one Power Who exerciseth undisputed sovereignty over the world of being, Whose image is reflected in the mirror of the entire creation.” (G166; E37) “The Real Speaker, the Essence of Unity, has always been in one condition, which neither changes nor alters, has neither transformation nor vicissitude.” (Q240)

(2) Prophetic Unity follows from divine unity: “In the Word of God there is still another unity, the oneness of the [Page 293]

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Manifestations of God, His Holiness Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha’u’llah. This is a unity divine, heavenly, radiant, merciful; the one reality appearing in its successive manifestations. For instance, the sun is one and the same but its points of dawning are various.” (F67) “All these holy, divine Manifestations are one. They have served one God, promulgated the same truth, . . and reflected the same light.” (F14) Thus every high prophet has a “twofold station:” in the world of creation “each Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, . . is known by a different name,” (G52) but in their spiritual station, in their source and purpose, “Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the prophets of God is one and the same.” (G78)

(3) Religious Unity follows from the preceding unities. The religions of the world are under obligation to form a union through common devotion to one Supreme Power and to the principle of mutual love; that is, their foundations and their purposes are essentially the same.

(a) “The divine religions .. . have one foundation,” which is God. (Fr4) “All [men] are the children of God; all are fruit upon the one tree of His love.” (B348)

(b) “The essential purpose of the religion of God is to establish unity among mankind.” (B335) “The fundamentals, the foundations, of all [religions] are fellowship, unity, and love.” (B275) Oceans have different names but one quality of water; religions differ in name but all seek the spiritual development of mankind through love. (F15) “If religion be the cause of discord and difference, then no religion is preferable.” (B312) “In short, by religion we mean those necessary bonds which unify the world of humanity. This has ever been the essence of the religion of God.” (B448)

This harmonious fellowship among the religionists of the world is a lofty ideal yet to be attained, a “tent of love and [Page 294]

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concord which might be raised over the world of humanity.” (B275) The Baha’is contemplate “a World Religion, destined to attain, in the fullness of time, the status of a world-embracing Commonwealth, which would be at once the instrument and the guardian of the Most Great Peace.” (W196) To indicate the practicability of this idea, ‘Abdu’l-Baha points to the fact that among Persian Baha’fs there exist families and unions of people of many diverse faiths and races who live in harmony and happiness. (B352)

4. Historic Unity means that a single purpose of God creates the ordered sequence of cycles which constitute human history. This basic and wide-ranging Baha’i conception of cycles involves the following component assumptions: (a) that man needs divine revelation to attain spiritual life and maturity; (b) that God reveals Himself most clearly and splendidly in certain “Days” or epochs through high-prophets or Manifestations who dominate their ages and mark the most critical stages of historical time; (G60) (c) that God sends these Manifestations in successive ages or dispensations to fit man’s need and spiritual capacity (W117; G81); (d) that revelation is at once cumulative (each prophet revitalizes and enlarges the everlasting principles of past religions) (W114), progressive (each dispensation makes a distinctive new emphasis and new material applications of old principles), and continuous (there will be new prophets in future ages); (e) that each cycle shows a pattern of evolution: of spiritual springtime, summer, and winter; of the rise, flourishing, and decay of civilization (B478); and (f) that through all cycles God’s purpose remains the same: to assist all men in spiritual evolu-_ tion, for the sake of man’s own increasing joy.

A multitude of passages to support these ideas may be cited (notably: Q: ch. XLI-XLII). “It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation of God hath lived is divinely [Page 295]Ways to Wholeness 295

ordained.” (W167) “The Prophets of the one, the unknowable God, . . . have all been . . . commissioned to unfold to mankind an ever-increasing measure of His truth.” (W118) “Revelation is progressive and continuous. It never ceases. Revelation may be likened to the rain. Can you imagine the cessation of rain? Ever on the face of the earth somewhere rain is pouring down. Briefly; the world of existence is progressive. It is subject to development and growth.” (P373)

“In every Dispensation the light of Divine Guidance has been focussed upon one central theme. . . In this glorious

century ... the distinguishing feature of His Law is the con sciousness of the Oneness of Mankind” (‘Abdu’l-Baha in World Order, 1, 6) “The age has dawned when human fellowship will become a reality.” (P364) “The process of the rise and setting of the Sun of Truth will thus indefinitely continue—a process that hath no beginning and will have no end,” (W117) because “The divine sovereignty hath no beginning and no ending.” (P215)

“Briefly, there were many universal cycles preceding this one in which we are living ... The divine and creative purpose in them was the evolution of spiritual man, just as it is in this cycle.” (P215) “God has sent forth the prophets for the purpose of quickening the soul of man into higher and divine recognitions. .. The mission of the prophets of God has been to train the souls of humanity. .. They are like unto gardeners, and the world of humanity is the field.” (P304) The positive purpose of God in sending his Prophets “4s to insure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.” (G80) “The organization of God is one: the evolution of existence is one: the divine system is one.” (Q231)

Several picturesque analogies make more vivid the idea of cycles of civilization. Just as each of the planets has a definite [Page 296]296 World Order

cycle in which to complete its revolution, “in the same way, for the whole universe, whether for the heavens or for men, there are cycles of great events... When a cycle is completed by the appearance of a new Manifestation, a new cycle begins. In this way cycles begin, end, and are renewed, until a universal cycle is completed in the world. . . His appearance causes the world to attain maturity. . . Afterwards other Manifestations will arise under his shadow” (Q183-4)

Again, “The divine religions are like the progression of the seasons of the year: . . the continuous cycle of the seasons,— spring, winter, then the return of spring... The divine prophets are as the coming of spring, each renewing and quickening the teachings of the prophet who came before him.” (P122-3) “The Faith of Baha’wllah should indeed be regarded ... as the culmination of a cycle, the final stage in a series of successive, of preliminary and progressive revelations, . . . beginning with Adam.” (W103) And through all the spiral-like movement of historic cycles abides the unity of the Primal Will of God, of His desire to bring more abundant life to mankind. (P433-4; B700)

(5) Universal Unity refers to the world-wide commonwealth which is the goal of civilization and the culmination of the Baha’i Faith. It is a “world-embracing, divinely-appointed Order.” (W18) This commonwealth embraces in its totality | all other unities and human values. Some of its names are: the Kingdom of God, the community of the beloved, and especially the Most Great Peace.

The course of history may prove that this ideal is the greatest conception that ever inspired the mind of man. “In this great century the most important of all subjects is the oneness of the world of mankind.” (B345) “That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all [Page 297]

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its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith.” (G255)

The “pattern for future society” embraces “the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds, and classes are closely and permanently united.” (W203) “War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.” (B273)

The qualities of love and amity, of reciprocity and sacrifice, rooted in faith in God, which distinguish this fraternity make it basically spiritual in character (F14, 80). The conception of the Most Great Peace is a way and an end of life which is adequate to offer a place for all legitimate human activities and interests. We have now finished our review of the spiritual foundation unities.

B. Human Unities.

(6) Biological or Racial Unity. The strong and valid human basis for the Most Great Peace is the essential oneness of human nature and human need. “For humanity is one in kind, it is one race, it is one progeny, inhabiting the same globe, and in the original genesis no difference obtains. . . There is no difference as regards creation and kind; .. . all are the fruits of one branch; all are the flowers of the same garden; all are the waves of the same sea.” (B313) “Ye are all the leaves of one tree and drops of one ocean.” (B144)

“All have been created by one God.” (B346) “The incomparable Creator hath created all men from one same substance.” (G81) “In every respect from the viewpoint of creation all stand upon the same footing—all have the same requirements.” (B346) “In the creative plan there is no racial distinction and separation such as Frenchman, Englishman, American, German, Italian or Spaniard; all belong to one household;” and a like relationship holds between the peoples [Page 298]

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of the Orient and the Occident. (F23) “In the intelligence of the rational soul . . . all men are sharers.” (Q252)

“The shepherd is one and all people are of his flock.” (F81) “The earth is but one country; and mankind its citizens.” (Portal inscription at the Temple.) “All the creatures are equal in this one family of God save whosoever is more kind, more compassionate—he is nearer to God.” (B276) The biological unity of mankind is one of the most frequently recurring assertions in Baha’i literature, but it has a religious as well as a biological basis.

(7) Psychological, Mental, or Selfic Unity has two phases: (a) the unity of the central subject or spirit which governs every human being, and (b) the harmony of perfected character which each may achieve if he follows the way of virtue. The first may be called the metaphysical unity of the self; it is natural, primal, and a gift of the Creator; the other, moral unity, must be achieved by human endeavor.

(a) “You know that the spirit is permanent and steadfast in its station,” (B228) “that in the human organism there is a center of intellection, a power of intellectual operation.” (P412) “Examine thine own self, and behold how thy motion and stillness, thy will and purpose, thy sight and hearing, thy sense of smell and power of speech, and whatever else is related to, or transcendeth, thy physical senses or spiritual perceptions, all proceed from, and owe their existence to, this same [rational] faculty.” (G164) “The inner and essential reality of man is not composed of elements and therefore cannot be decomposed. It is not an elemental composition subject to disintegration or death.” (P410) The principle is that the spirit is single and therefore indestructible. In “the reality of man ... there is no change and transformation; there it is immortal and everlasting.” (B365)

(b) Moral or spiritual unity, however, must be achieved [Page 299]Ways to Wholeness 299

by the efforts of man himself. Under earthly conditions, the “eternal spirit” or “rational soul” of man must live in intimate union with a material body. “The rational soul is the substance through which the body exists.” (Q278) “The life of man is from the spirit.” (B225) “The spirit of man has two aspects: one divine, one satanic; that is to say, it is capable of the utmost perfection, or it is capable of the utmost imperfection,” according to whether it acquires virtues or vices. (Q16453 B294) “Success or failure, gain or loss, must depend upon man’s own exertions.” (G81) “The spirit of man is the animus of human life and the collective center of all human virtues.”

(P234)

Perhaps “unity in freedom” means the ideal of self-mastery: the attainment of a triumphant, harmonious personality through the creative and loving search for new perfections. “Perfections are without limit.” (Q267) “See what a marvel man is!” (B364)

(To be concluded)

‘THE DIVINE RELIGIONS were founded for the purpose of unifying humanity and establishing Universal Peace. Any movement which brings about peace and agreement in human society is truly a divine movement; any reform which causes people to come together under the shelter of the same tabernacle is surely animated by heavenly motives, At all times and in all ages of the world, religion has been a factor in cementing together the hearts of men and in uniting various and divergent creeds, It is the peace element in religion that blends mankind and makes for unity. Warfare has ever been the cause of separation, disunion and discord. —‘Appvu’L-Band [Page 300]

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‘A Solace to Their Hearts,a Light on Their Path, a Companion in

Their Loneliness”

WAYFARER in the path of God! Take thou thy portion of the ocean of His grace, and deprive not thyself of the things that lie hidden in its depths. ... A dewdrop out of this ocean would, if shed upon all that are in the heavens and on earth, suffice to enrich them with the bounty of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the AllWise. With the hands of renunciation draw forth from its life-giving waters, and sprinkle therewith all created things, that they may be cleansed from all man-made limitations, and. may approach the mighty seat of God, this hallowed and resplendent Spot. Be not grieved if thou performest it thyself alone. Let God be all-sufficient for thee. . . . Proclaim the Cause of thy Lord unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth. Should any man respond to thy call, lay bare before him the pearls of the wisdom of the Lord, thy God, which His Spirit hath sent down upon thee, and be thou of them that truly believe. And should any one reject thy offer, turn thou away from him, and put thy trust and confidence in the Lord of all worlds. By the righteousness of God! Whoso openeth his lips in this day, and maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine inspiration shall descend upon him from the heaven of My name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse on high, each bearing aloft a chalice of pure light. Thus hath it been foreordained in the realm of God’s Revelation, by the behest of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful. —Bana’u’LLAH

[Page 301]A Bahai Shrine

In Latin America Amelia E. Collins

AT THE TIME of the passing of May Maxwell at Buenos Aires, Shoghi Effendi cabled to her husband, Sutherland Maxwell, “Her tomb, designed by yourself, erected by me, on the spot where she fought, and fell gloriously, will become the historic center of pioneer Baha’i activity.” By June, 1942, the plans for carrying out the wishes of Shoghi Effendi were complete. The design, photographs, drawings and specifications for the monument had been received by the National Spiritual Assembly from Mr. Maxwell in Haifa. A sample of the fine Carara marble which the Buenos Aires Baha’i committee had secured had arrived. It now seemed well that someone go to Buenos Aires as a representative of the National Assembly to consult and work with the committee there rather than to depend upon the slow and uncertain method of correspondence. So it was agreed that I should represent the National Assembly, go to Buenos Aires and help in seeing that all plans were faithfully and fittingly fulfilled. Immediately on this decision a cable was sent to Shoghi Effendi, asking his wishes and advice. His reply confirmed our plans, so request was made for airplane passage to Buenos Aires as well as application for passport papers. In about a month all was ready; but even as farewells were being said a message arrived politely stating that my seat on the plane had been requisitioned by the government. Three times this happened until I felt I must give up. The possibility of travel by boat remained, though friends thought it too dangerous. However

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passage by boat from New Orleans was finally secured; but by this time my passport papers were outdated and it was necessary to renew them. It was only an hour before the departure of my train for New Orleans that these essential

papers arrived. Then came a five days’ wait in New Orleans, but these were happily spent with Baha’i friends there.

Finally on September 24 we sailed out of New Orleans harbor in utter darkness except for the friendly full moon overhead. It was quite a new experience, this starting off without friends waving the usual farewell. Not a soul was to be seen on the dock, not a whistle sounded—just a quiet slipping away down the Mississippi. Most of the passengers were South Americans returning to their own countries and a very thankful

group we were to be on our way, for most had been off-loaded from month to month just as I had.

During the summer as often as I had engaged passage cablegrams had been sent to Baha’f pioneers along the route giving the time of my arrival. But when we arrived at Panama, although we lay in port twenty-four hours, no one was allowed to disembark. Thus it was at Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Callao, the port of Lima, Peru. So I was deprived of seeing our pioneers in these countries.

At last we reached Valparaiso, the port of Chile. My plan was to take train immediately, in company with some American traveling companions, for Buenos Aires. This was not to be, for while walking down the gangplank I looked right into the eyes of our dear pioneer, Virginia Orbison, who had arrived in Santiago only a short time before. She had guessed that I would be on that vessel and had been waiting two days in Valparaiso for the ship’s arrival. So the whole plan was changed and we went by train to Santiago. Five wonderful days followed when I had the privilege of meeting individually and as a group these Baha’is of Santiago who had be[Page 303]A Baha’i Shrine 303

come interested in studying the Teachings through the devoted work of Mrs. Marcia Atwater. Every evening meetings were held at my little suite at the hotel and the daytime was used in becoming acquainted with friends individually. At the meetings and at the Nineteen Day Feast, which occurred while I was there, a real bond of unity was formed with these Chilean friends. The teachings were discussed in their various aspects ~—the depth of their spiritual meaning, their practical application, their significance in the Administrative Order. My visit there made me realize how great is the need of more Baha’i literature in the Spanish language. This lack is a real handicap in teaching the Cause in Latin America.

Across THE ANDES

We left Santiago at six in the morning on the plane which carried us over the Andes. Up, up we went, at one time reaching a height of 19,000 feet. Surely everything one beheld was a reminder of God and His bounties. I recalled dear Martha’s journey across the Andes, by rail, by foot and by donkey and again I was prompted to give thanks to God for teachers like her.

After the snow-capped mountains our eyes beheld lovely meadows and countless herds of cattle. As we neared Buenos

Aires, our landing place, the general aspect of the fertile fields below reminded me of southern California.

At Buenos ArreEs

While standing at the hotel desk filling out the questionnaire required of visitors a momentary feeling of loneliness passed over me as I realized that I was in a country where I did not speak the language of those about me. Suddenly the porter said, “You are Mrs. Collins?” and handed me a cablegram. The message was from Shoghi Effendi and read,

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“Prayers accompany you always, everywhere. Deepest, loving appreciation.” Immediately I felt at home in spite of the fact that on account of my many delays the friends in Buenos Aires did not know of my arrival.

Early the next morning a messenger was sent to Sr. Tormo, the chairman of the Buenos Aires Bahai Assembly, and in a very few minutes he was at the hotel extending me a true Baha’i welcome. In a short time several other believers dropped in and again it was demonstrated that the Faith is one and unites hearts wherever believers come together. At once arrangements were made to visit our beloved May’s grave. Right after lunch we started. How shall I describe the quaint, lovely, simple spot—so well chosen—right out in the open country, some distance from the village of Quilmes. The peace and quiet of the place was broken only by the birds singing their early spring songs. Here it was that Jeanne Bolles and Wilfrid Barton had found the “fitting spot” for the last resting place of May Maxwell’s body, henceforth a place for pilgrimages. We entered the little gate, placed our simple offering of flowers and then gave thanks to Baha’u’ Jah, remembering the many dear friends in many lands, and asking God that they, too, would be permitted to visit this sacred spot.

The first to make a pilgrimage from the United States to this revered place had been Philip Sprague. Not many weeks after the burial he had laid on the grave fragrant flower petals from the sacred shrines in ‘Akk4 and Haifa sent by Shoghi Effendi and Rihiyyih Khanum. There will be other pilgrimages—many—-for the Guardian denotes May Maxwell as one of the “three heroines of the formative age of the Faith of Baha’u’llah” now “living in solitary glory in the southern outpost of the Western Hemisphere.”

Thoughtfully we returned.

The next day, Sunday, many of the friends met at the [Page 305]

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country home of the Tormos. A long table was spread under the grape arbor. As was their custom each had brought his contribution of food and the sharing of these material bounties brought us more closely together. Then all gathered under the trees and as we shared our knowledge of the Teachings of Baha’w’llah the feeling of unity increased. We knew we were one in our purpose to share with others the spiritual bounties showered upon the world by Baha’u’llah.

Monday Sr. Tormo, Sr. Barros and I inspected the block of marble. It was a great satisfaction to see the huge block of Carara marble—the envy, I learned, of all the sculptors in the region who had hoped to have at least some of it to carve. Then began the search for the right artist. An Italian sculptor, Mario Viciani, a Florentine, was finally found and a contract given to him to make first a model in plaster to meet the specifications. In due time the full committee was most gratified to see a fine sample of this sculptor’s art shown in a plaster cast of the proposed monument and the contract to proceed with the work in marble was given to him. On May 30, 1943, several months after my return the beautiful monument was in place at May’s grave and was dedicated with impressive services conducted by the Buenos Aires friends.

The full import of the great significance of this monument cannot now be realized, yet already Mrs. Maxwell’s sacrifice, the planning, erection and dedication of the monument have brought about a closer bond between the friends in Buenos Aires and in the United States. Of the meaning of the monument Mr. Maxwell has written: “The memorial to May is an expression of appreciation and love for one whose life was consecrated to the Baha’i Faith. It is not a family affair as memorials usually are. It is the embodiment in concrete form of the new spiritual ideal that will transform this careworn, stricken world.”

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Tue Cause in Buenos Arres

The kindness, hospitality and cooperation of the Baha’i friends in Buenos Aires during my stay there cannot be overemphasized. Both Sr. Tormo, chairman of the Buenos Aires Bahai Spiritual Assembly and Sr. Barros, secretary, gave unstintingly of their time, energy and good judgment. One or both and whenever possible, Wilfrid Barton, the third member of the committee, accompanied me on the many trips to the sculptor’s studio and to the cemetery it was necessary to make in order that the undertaking be successfully fulfilled. The friends there are deeply devoted to the Faith. Three times a week meetings are held at their attractive Baha’i

center, and feast days and anniversary days are celebrated. Through the efforts of the friends both Spanish and

English newspapers made announcement of my arrival and mission in Buenos Aires. The radio also explained that I represented the Baha’is of the United States and Canada and was in Buenos Aires to cooperate with the Baha’is of that city in the erection of a monument to the memory of Mrs. May Maxwell. For many months Radio Excelsior had given five minutes of their daily cultural hour to a script prepared by one of the Baha’is. One morning I was invited to broadcast a few words of greeting which Sr. Tormo kindly translated into Spanish. Then followed the words of Baha’u’ll4h. We were deeply gratified as these blessed words heard by thousands were broadcast on the twelfth of November, the anniversary of the birth of Baha’w’llah. After this favorable opening we wrote a note of appreciation to the broadcaster and later a photograph of the monument was sent to him with the result that he again explained the nature of Mrs. Maxwell’s visit to Buenos Aires and South America. A photograph of the Bahai Temple at Wilmette was also sent to him and after describing this in his broadcast and explaining its worldwide [Page 307]A Bahai Shrine 307

importance he read the texts carved over the nine entrance doors to the Temple. The newspapers were equally friendly and published pictures of the model of the monument telling of its significance. Pictures and explanation of the Bahai Temple were also published in the newspapers.

During my six weeks’ stay in Buenos Aires it was my privilege to spend several days in Montevideo. The plane trip there was a short and easy one and our ardent pioneer, Wilfrid Barton, and the other believers, made me welcome. Although the stay there was brief the newspapers gave an article on the Faith as connected with my visit to South America.

Journey Home

When all final arrangements for the executing and placing of the monument had been completed, early on a bright morning in December, 1942, the plane took me to lovely Rio de Janeiro with its wonderful harbor, the most beautiful, shall I say, I have ever seen. Happy hours were spent at the home of one of our pioneers, where, on various occasions, I met many delightful young people. I had anticipated no difficulty in getting a plane here for home. I was told, however, on my arrival at Rio, that it was impossible to get a seat without priority. What should I do? Then it was that I prayed, really prayed. “Put your whole trust in God,? were the words which seemed to be blazoned in light before my eyes. In two days a phone call came saying that there was a seat for me on the plane for Miami. It was not until several months later that I realized the source of those words which had penetrated my soul, when, as I was reading once more The Promised Day Is Come, 1 saw these very words in the middle of a page. Carefully I read the whole passage: “Put your whole trust and confidence in God, Who hath created you, and seek ye His help in all your affairs. Succor cometh from Him alone. He succoreth whom He willeth with the hosts of the heavens and

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of the earth.” At the time of my dilemma and prayer for deliverance I had held that book in my hand but was quite unconscious that I had read the words from the book as they had seemed to me to stand out in brilliant illumination.

So again I was on my way. At Bahia only a ten minutes’ stop was allowed but friends were at the airport and we talked fast. The friends there wired Lenore Holsapple Armstrong at Racife of my coming. Thus it happened that while I was registering at the hotel my name was being called and directly the familiar voice of one of our very early pioneers came over the phone welcoming me to Racife. We spent a long full evening together and at four the next morning I was called to take the plane once more. The one overnight stop on this last stage of my journey was at Port au Prince, Haiti, where we arrived quite late in the evening—a beautiful moonlight night. Music, laughter, filled the air. It was Christmas Eve. I had no way of reaching our dear pioneers there as at three in the morning I was called for the last day’s flight. It was Christmas afternoon when I arrived in Miami where I lost no time in getting in touch with the Baha’is of that city. After a three-day’s wait for transportation I arrived in Wilmette whence I had started on my special mission. Now I am impatiently awaiting more normal times that I may repeat my trip and visit every point where there are believers and perchance help to hasten the time when, as promised by Shoghi Effendi, May Maxwell’s tomb “will become the historic center of pioneer Baha’i activity.” [Page 309]

The Creation of a World Society

On Ocrtoser 6, 1943, in a press report issued from New York, one

hundred and forty-four “spiritual and lay leaders of the Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths in America” were reported to have “signed a joint declaration of basic principles of peace for the postwar world. . . The declaration calls for practical recognition of the moral law of God, the dignity of the individual and the rights of small peoples and minorities, establishment of an international society with power to make and enforce its laws, economic collaboration between states, and just order within each state to insure adequate living standards for all.” Five principles follow, the first of which is cited:

“The moral law must govern world order. The organization of a just peace depends upon practical realization of the fact that not only individuals but nations, states and international society are subject to the sovereignty of God and to the moral law, which comes from

God.”

The Baha’is can only take this statement as one more evidence of the spiritual sovereignty of Baha’u’llah in this new age. As the first Baha'i century draws to its close, the power of the new World Faith to assert its revealed truth as the reality of human existence steadily augments. The form and pattern of present-day thinking, when the thinking deals with conditions of our day and not of a past age, reflects the essence and shape of truth established by Baha’u’llah three generations ago. ‘The whole import of the Bahé’i Message to humanity at this time of direst conflict and trouble is that the nations, and also the races, the classes and the religions, must contribute to the establishment of peace or suffer extreme affliction. “Lay not aside the fear of God, O kings of the earth, and beware that ye transgress not the bounds which the Almighty hath fixed. Observe the injunctions laid upon you in His Book . . .”

“Tf ye pay no heed unto the counsels which, in peerless and unequivocal language, We have revealed in this Tablet, Divine chastisement shall assail you from every direction, and sentence of His justice

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shall be pronounced against you. On that day ye shall have no power to resist Him, and shall recognize your own impotence .. . We beseech God to assist the kings of the earth to establish peace on earth. He, verily, doeth what He willeth.” Baha’u’llah, moreover, likewise revealed the impotence of ancient religions: “The vitality of men’s belief in God is dying out in every land; nothing short of His wholesome medicine can ever restore it.”

This is the proof that humanity has entered a new cycle and Dispensation. Yesterday man survived through the struggle of group against group. Today the very possibility of group struggle must be eliminated from the structure of society. Everything of value to human beings—physical life, economic security, social health, spiritual reality—has become utterly dependent upon the union of the peoples of the world.

This transformation of attitude does not mean that the world can now begin to agree upon moral law by examining the Revelations of the past. On the contrary, it means that the new moral law, the law for nations, peoples, classes and all mankind which God has given the world through Baha’u’llah, is beginning to prevail. Today it inspires minds and guides emotions. Tomorrow it will provide guidance for the creation of a World Society.

For the moral law “which comes from God” was not completed in the Decalogue of Moses; it did not terminate in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount; it was not fulfilled in the institutes which Muhammad gave for the tribes of His day. “Can ye imagine”, the Word of God addresses itself to us now through Baha’u’llah, “Can ye imagine that the wondrous works that have proclaimed My divine and resistless power are withdrawn, or that the potency of My will and purpose hath been deterred from directing the destinies of mankind?” ‘The Word which the Son concealed is made manifest”, Bahda’u’llah revealed to the Pope. “Blessed be the Lord Who is the Father! He, verily, is come unto the nations in His most great majesty.”

A new and greater moral law has been established in our day because the nations and the peoples are to be subdued to the supreme principle of the oneness of mankind.

—H. H. [Page 311]If You Desire Friendship

Annamarie Kunz Honnold

‘Abdu’l-Baha said:—

“JT charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your hearts on love and unity. ... A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. . .. Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness. . . .

“If you desire with all your heart friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the minds of all men.”

WITH EACH PASSING Day it becomes increasingly apparent that more positive thinking with its corresponding action isan urgent requisite. Little need today to dwell on the negative aspects of contemporary attitudes. Old hatreds are deepening. New ones are born. Entire nations are being condemned, and races persecuted. Name-calling has become an everyday occurrence. Men freely criticize; and they, in turn, are being criticized. Hatreds of every kind deaden the atmosphere with their bitter gloom. These are indeed times which try men’s souls.

Where is the voice of appreciation? When we find it, it is as balm to our hearts. To read words of appreciation for nations and individuals comes as a most refreshing experience. Recently many of us were cheered to read an open letter in a widely circulated magazine to a people under a militaristic regime—a letter praising the kindness and courtesy of its individual citizens. Inspiring, too, are the stories of men whose lives have been the incarnation of love. We are assured that

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the way of good will is the only one which can in the end prove triumphant. Encouraging it is to find that there are yet those who realize that tomorrow’s world of order can neither stand nor be built on today’s hatreds. Positive thoughts of understanding and love planted today in our human hearts will tomorrow bear fruit in the erection of a world order based on justice and good will.

Often, yes, very often, we gather strength for positive thinking in words we read. We are reminded that “to err is human, to forgive divine.” We like to read about the friendly old Negro who said he had put no one into his “dispisery”. Our own Civil War president said, “Die when I may, I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.” And Jonathan Swift makes us think twice when he speaks of the people who have enough religion to make them hate and not enough to make them love.

The Bahai Writings are filled to overflowing with spacious thoughts, kindly attitudes, and loving reminders of our brotherhood in the common Fatherhood of God. ‘Abdu’l-Baha beseeches us, saying,

“TY ask you not to think only of yourselves. Be kind to the strangers, whether they come from Turkey, Japan, Persia, Russia, China or any other country in the world. Help to make them feel at home; find out where they are staying, ask if you may render them any service; try to make their lives a little happier.”

Baha’u’llah declares that “A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding... . ”

He pleads with us, saying, “Be most loving one to another. Burn away, wholly for the sake of the Well-Beloved, [Page 313]

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the veil of self with the flame of the undying Fire, and with faces joyous and beaming with light, associate with your neighbor.”

But there are those who contend that human nature cannot change. There are those who would maintain that no words or situations, no matter how soul-stirring, could change that which a man is. Yet, most of us could no doubt cite numerous examples of individuals reborn through new realizations. A story comes to mind told me by a dear friend, today a radiant Baha’i. Long before she came into the Faith she harbored a deep-seated prejudice against Negroes. For years she refused to sit by a Negro in a bus or street car. On one occasion when a little Negro woman seated herself beside her, she, as always, got up and left. But this time, she happened to look back. She was gazing at a face which was hurt and dejected, and she had been the cause of it, This was more than she could bear. She went back to her seat. And then the Negro woman looked at her and said, “God bless you, honey.” Soon she noticed another colored woman across the aisle. Somehow she had a feeling that the latter was praying for her. And then she received a large and wonderful smile. In the twinkling of an eye her racial prejudice left her, never to return.

We also gather inspiration as we read of individuals triumphant over negative thoughts. We experience sheer joy as we hear of lives sterling with positive action. Turning back for a moment to the Civil War period, we find two helpful examples. There is the story attributed to Lincoln. While conversing with a rabid northern woman, he spoke in kindly words about the South. She was filled with consternation. And she retorted, in words similar to these, “But how can you speak kindly of our enemy when it is our duty to destroy them?” And Lincoln in his greatness turned to her and, in essence, said humbly, “But do I not destroy my enemy when [Page 314]

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I make him my friend?” There is also an incident in the life of Lee, which today makes us stop and think. In the year 1867 at a gala gathering in the South, all those present were southerners with the exception of a small group of northerners. These intruders, so to speak, were ignored until General Lee decided he would approach them in a kindly manner in order that they might feel more welcome. As he made his way in their direction it at first appeared that he would have to go alone. Then one courageous southern lady stepped up to him, and said, turning to Lee, “General Lee, have you never felt resentment toward the North?” He stopped under a great crystal chandelier, and with great dignity, he replied, “J believe I may say, speaking as in the presence of God, that I have never known one moment of bitterness or resentment.”

Today again political events may test our love and good will. I remember having heard T. Z. Koo of Shanghai, China, on Armistice Day in 1938. An ardent Christian, he desired to love his neighbor. This he strongly advocated. He said he had been a Christian for twenty years. Yet that year was the first in which he was coming to realize what love really meant—for that year gave him an enemy who was virtually camping on his door-step.

In turning to the religious Teachers, the greatest exemplars of positive living, we could cite innumerable examples of love and kindness shown to any and everyone. His Holiness, Jesus Christ, at the hour of cruel death, besought His Heavenly Father saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” This spiritual heroism is the theme everapparent in the life of Baha’u’llah, a life which knew love and patience in the midst of persecution and exile. There is told the story of His praying alone in a tent outside Baghdad. Suddenly a fierce Muhammadan, intent upon killing Him because He believed and taught that Muhammadanism was [Page 315]

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not the only religion of God, slipped into the tent. A javelin was raised, and this evil-wisher was ready to throw it at his enemy, when Baha’u’llah looked up at him. The Muhammadan beheld, to his amazement, a face of love and kindness. He dropped his weapon, but soon picked it up, and again took aim. Once more Baha’u’llah looked at him with eyes filled with love. The javelin for the second time touched the earth, but as before the evil-doer picked it up. This time he determined to muster all his courage and perform what he thought was his duty. Baha’u’llah smiled at him. The Moslem broke down and threw himself at the feet of Baha’u’llah. He could not resist such over-powering love. Yes, for fifty years, we are told, Baha’w’llah faced His would-be enemies like a mountain. His love never failed. His was a love that “passeth understanding.”

His son, that radiant Exemplar of His love, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, showered His kindness on many far and wide. In His farflung travels His heart went out to high and low alike. Many are those who can attest to this. A favorite story of the Master is of His kindness to one who hated Him and wished Him evil because He taught that all the great religions were true. This man was poor, and ‘Abdw’1-Baha, knowing this, supplied him with food and provided him with a doctor when he was ill. Years passed, and the man showed no gratitude toward his benefactor. Instead he wished only to harm Him. After twenty-four years of ceaseless generosity on the part of the Master the poor man came to beg forgiveness. He admitted that he had been wrong.

‘Abdu’l-Baha had a most magnificent way of making people happy. Those who left His presence came away with shining faces. Someone once noticed this strange and mystifying fact and thereupon asked Him about it. ‘Abdu’l-Baha smiled and answered that if that were so it was because he [Page 316]

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saw in every face the face of his Heavenly Father. He knew not condemnation. He was the way of forgiveness. His life

was the greatest sermon ever told. Well might he say, as he did to the Baha’is of America:

“Beware! Beware! Lest ye offend any heart! Beware! Beware! Lest ye hurt any soul!

Beware! Beware! Lest ye deal unkindly toward any person!

Beware! Beware! Lest ye be the cause of hopelessness to any creature!”

Yes, a self-inventory would do well to dispose of all our excess baggage — prejudices, hatreds, misunderstandings — blocking the path to world order; while constant vigilance with ourselves will help avoid additional barriers of hatred. Today’s constructive thought patterns will lay the foundation for tomorrow’s peace.

Tue honor of man is through the attainment of the knowledge of God; his happiness is from the love of God; his joy is in the gladtidings of God; his greatness is dependent upon his servitude to God. The highest development of man is his entrance into the divine kingdom; and the outcome of this human existence is the nucleus and essence of eternal life. If man is bereft of the divine bestowals and if his enjoyment and happiness are restricted to his material inclinations, what distinction or difference is there between the animal and himself? In fact the animal’s happiness is greater, for its wants are fewer and its means of livelihood easier to acquire. Although it is necessary for man to strive for material needs and comforts, his real need is the acquisition of the bounties of God. —‘Azspu’L-BaHA [Page 317]

World Organization

BOOK REVIEW Florence M. Zmeskal

‘THERE is scarcely a person in the world who does not directly have a part in this present war. It is truly a world war. All of us are feeling its effects. All of us wonder what its outcome will be. Some hope for a world just like the one before the war. They long for the “status quo”. Still others are anxious to see that out of this hardship and struggle will come a united world.

Both of these groups will be interested in a recent book called World Organization. It is a balance sheet of the League of Nations. This volume is a compilation of lectures and addresses given at the meetings of the Institute on World Organization held on the campus of the American University, Washington, D. C., in September, 1941. This conference was called to discuss the post-war world in the light of the first great experiment—the League of Nations. ‘The aim of the book is to present to the public a realistic, authoritative, and objective picture of the League and its affiliated bodies.

Those people who are definitely opposed to any form of world government will find in this volume many things which they can point to and say, “See, the League failed. Dreams of world government are doomed to failure. ‘They are too idealistic.”

To those who have faith that some day we will live in a world united, this book is like a door of hope. To those men and women who read World Organization it will be pointed out again and again | that the League was the first stepping stone on the road to a better world order.

Carl J. Hambro, President of the Supervisory Committee and Assembly of the League of Nations, says, ‘““The League was feared and distrusted by what was called in various countries ‘the Ambassador’s Gang’—not because the League had failed, but because it threatened to be too successful, and nothing was more hated in this powerful international trade-union of evil traditions than that the direction of international affairs should pass out of the hands of ‘trained diplomatists’ and be left to a democratic body; than that world problems . should be discussed openly and honestly at public meetings and not in whispered undertones in the elegant chiaroscure of some faded

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salon in an embassy far away from the maddening crowd. ‘They stuck to the time-honored idea of the balance of power, with diplomatists tipping the scales. Although the world had moved on, diplomacy had been left behind and was still the art of the age of Louis XIV.”

We know today that great powers alone are unable to control the affairs of the world. We know that an international consciousness is needed, In realizing the need of, and in attaining this desire for, international cooperation, lies man’s only hope for the future.

World Organization is a storehouse of facts about the League of Nations. The different articles deal with such subjects as the development of international organization, economic and financial issues, health, nutrition, housing, narcotic drugs, social questions, armaments and means of enforcement, communications, mandates, colonies, minorities, Danzig, the Saar, the World Court, international labor organizations, and the revision of the Covenant of the League.

This book makes no attempt to look at the League “through rose colored glasses”. It is a balance sheet giving the League’s successes and failures, Part Six deals with suggestions for improving the Covenant of the League—improvements which should be used in organizing a future League. Ricardo Alfaro, former President of Panama and Minister to the United States, writes in his article, ““There is no doubt that the Covenant contains grave errors which must be corrected, and that equally grave mistakes have been made, especially by the big European powers, in the handling of international cases within the League. But there have been successes too, and the errors that have come about through the selfishness, arrogance, or agpressiveness of those nations cannot destroy the intrinsic value of the League idea, the noble dogma that we live in a world of interdependence, that it is only by universal cooperation that we can attain universal peace and welfare, and that all men and all peoples who intend to preserve their liberties, their rights, their dignity, and their tranquillity, must make a collective effort for the common good, and must organize properly for that collective effort.”

Followers of the Baha’i Faith are convinced that world unity will become a reality. The basic teaching of the Baha’i Faith is the oneness of mankind.

The eighth in a series of articles on the subject of The Evolution of Peace. [Page 319]The Power of Prayer Marguerite True

WE are told that prayer is conversation with God. But in order to converse with Him, we must learn His language, the language of prayer. And this we learn through His Prophets Whom He has sent to us through the ages that we might know more of Him. Perhaps we do not often pray, because we feel inadequate and embarrassed, and do not know how to approach God. One thing we must do, then, is to prepare ourselves. If we were to be granted an interview with a king, how much preparation we would make! We would plan, beforehand, the things we would wear, the things we would talk about, and the things we would hope for. Should we not, then, when we prepare to meet our Creator, spend time to make ready our minds, our hearts, and our thoughts?

In the beginning we will probably pray those things that are on our mind, those personal thoughts that to us seem allimportant. Then, soon, we will run out of them, and begin to think of others as we pray. But after a time, we will exhaust this list and then we will come to what ‘Abdu’l-Baha has said is the highest form of prayer,—praise of God and His works. How true it is that when one falls in love with a human being, he cannot keep from singing her praises, and his greatest desire is to be with her and talking to her. When man learns to love God, even greater will be his desire than this. Then prayer will no longer seem an obligation, but a joy. His heart will soar and he will look forward to those moments spent with the Divine Presence. Man should never feel that he can do without this constant and daily communion, for though God can well dispense with His creatures, we cannot exist except through His Will. And if the great Prophets, the examples

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for mankind, needed hours of communion with God, how much more should we mortals need it!

As man begins to know God through prayer, then will he begin to see the world as a whole, as a perfect product of a Divine Creator, and in this greater vision he will see the progress of the divine plan throughout the ages. He will see that God in His mercy and wisdom has permitted calamities so that man will realize his errors before it is too late, and strive to live in a more God-like way. He will see that after all, humanity is rather like a child in its stage of adolescence, of impetuous, headstrong acts, and that the trials God permits it to suffer are to educate it towards a more mature and beneficial pattern of living. As ‘Abdu’l-Baha said, “Grief and sorrow do not come to us by chance; they are sent by the Divine Mercy for our perfecting. When grief and sorrow come, then will a man remember his Father Who is in heaven, Who is able to deliver him from his humiliations. The more a man is chastened, the greater is the harvest of spiritual virtues shown forth by him.”

So as we pray, we will soon learn to pray each prayer with this thought, “Thy Will be done”; for we forget that in our simple thoughts and requests, we may be asking for something that will bring harm to us either now or in the future. For God, alone, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and He knows better than we that which is best for us. Little wonder is it, then, that so many of our prayers are answered, “No.” And we, in our failure to know what the divine plan for our welfare is, believe that God has not answered our prayer, merely because He has not granted what we asked. How often we have prayed for a car, a radio, or a fur coat, only to find that, after we got these things, we didn’t want them or need them after all.

“But”, one will ask, “if God knows what is best for us, [Page 321]

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why should we pray for it?” We may be given a glassful of rich milk, but it is necessary for us to lift that glass to our mouths in order to drink the milk. Or, it is something like having at one’s disposal a powerful light bulb. We can light the whole room with it if we but turn the switch on the wall. But this slight pressure is necessary to get the light. So it is with the divine power. We must supplicate to God to release the many bounties and blessings that await us.

It is then that we will realize that turning to God brings blessing and turning from God brings disaster, that just as all men are brothers of one human family, and the whole inseparably bound up as a neighborhood, so that the action of each person affects the others. Our greatest example of this reality is in the Prophets who have even suffered death in their sharing of the heavy load of the ills of mankind! How important, then, that we all learn to do good so that we may ever progress and be worthier of our station of maturity.

But, we are told, prayer in this day is not enough. The noble thoughts and ideals of prayer must be translated into daily acts. For what good is it if people of three different denominations go separately to their churches or homes to pray, and then, the next day, refuse to come to any agreement about some business matter? Surely it is better that these people learn to respect each other’s opinions and be willing to sacrifice personal stubbornness, prejudice, and egotism for the sake of harmony than that they pray in private and be uncooperative in their daily life.

So, our prayer must be reflected in all our acts. For “work performed in the spirit of service,” said ‘Abdu’I-Baha, “is the highest form of worship.” What a different picture this statement gives us of that job of scrubbing the floor or greasing the car. Instead of a chore to be done grudgingly, we can make of it an act of worship. For if a man makes even a piece [Page 322]

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of notepaper to the very best of his ability, he is performing worship in the sight of God.

The days of idle worship are past. It is time for us now to translate this worship of God into love of work and love for His fellow-beings. Just as a seed will grow and prosper if it receives the right material care, if it has good soil, water, and sunshine, so each individual will develop and flourish into a more perfect man or woman if he turns daily to God to receive the divine light and guidance for all his works. Thus may we learn to turn to God for our power and source of inspiration,—and translate the power we receive into daily acts of good for our family, or neighbors, our country, and the world. How well this love is expressed in the following prayer, “O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same parents. Thou hast destined that all belong to the same household, and in Thy holy presence, all are Thy servants, and all mankind is sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle. Thy children are gathered at Thy table of bounty and have become radiant through the light of Thy providence. O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, Thou dost harbor all. Thou conferest life upon all, Thou hast endowed each humble being with ability and talent and submerged all mankind in the ocean of Thy mercy. O Thou generous Lord! Unite Thy servants in every land, suffer the diverse religions to be in harmony, make of the nations a single nation, so that they may see each other as one family, denizens of one country. May mankind associate with perfect amity and unity. O God! Raise the banner of the oneness of mankind. O God! Establish the Most Great Peace. O God! Weld our hearts into one heart. O Thou kind father! Exhilarate us through the fragrance of Thy love; brighten our eyes through the light of Thy guidance; cheer our ears with the melody of Thy Word. and shelter us in the shelter of Thy Providence.” [Page 323]

Bah#vi Holy Days Day of the Covenant

Station of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: “Dispensation of Baha’u’llah”—pp. 39-47. Compilation on station of ‘Abdu’l-Baha-— “Star of West,” Vol. 8, No. 15. Compilations on the Center of the Covenant, the Greatest Branch, ‘Abdu’l-Baha Abbas: “Star of West”—Vol. 4, pp. 170, 171-175, 236-241. “Star of West”—Vol. 8, No. 16. “Star of West”—Vol. 9, No. 13. “Star of West”—Vol. 12, pp. 235-237, 227, 229. The Center of the Covenant—by Abul-Fadl—article in “Star of West”—Vpl. 10, p. 259 (also in “Baha’i Proofs”). In praise of the “Greatest Branch”—article by Mirza Abul-Fad1: “Star of West”—vVol. 10, p. 260. Tablet—Protection of the Covenant—by ‘Abdu’l-Baha: “World Order Magazine”—Vol. 8, p. 181. The Covenant Unfolds in the Kingdom of God—compilation in “World Order Magazine”—Vol. 8, p. 194. The Covenant—compilation by Albert Windust. “World Order Magazine”—Vol. 8, No. 7, 8, 9. Stories of Childhood of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: “Star of West”—Vol. 9, No. 18. “Chosen Highway” by Lady Blomfield—p. 22. Description of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in early life: “Abbas Effendi—His Life and Teachings” by Phelps—p. 12. Description of ‘Abdu’l-Bahd in later life: “In Gallilee” by Thornton Chase—pp. 28-29. “My Visit to Acca” by Mary Lucas—p. 30. “A Week in ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Home” by Genevieve Coy, “Star of West”—Vol. 12, No. 11, pp. 179-180. ‘Abdu’l-Baha——“The Center of the Covenant”—World Order, March, 1942. Life of ‘Abdu’l-Baha: 1—Baha’u’llah and the New Era” by Esslemont—Chap. IV.

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2—“Life of ‘Abdu’l-Baha” by Jenabe Fadel—“Star of West” Vol. 15, No. 3. 3— “Abbas Effendi — His Life and Teachings” by Phelps — Chap. I, II, III, IV, V, VI. 4—“Chosen Highway” by Lady Blomfield—Part II—pp. 8083; 87-90; 99-104; Part I[I—Chapter I-V. The Knighting of ‘Abdu’l-Baha—“Star of West” Vol. 13, No. 11. The Tablet of the Branch, by Baha’u’ll4h—“Baha’{ World Faith,” pp. 204-207. Accounts of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in America: i—“Pen Pictures of ‘Abdu’l-Baha” by Juliet Thompson—‘Star of West” Vol. 12, No. 7, 8, 9, 10.

2—“Portals to Freedom”—by Howard Colby Ives—pp. 28-29; 30-33; 36-37; 39-40; 42-43 45, 47-49, 51-59, 60-62, 6368, 70-76, 80-91, 95-97, 114-120, 124-130, 146-148, 193208, 211-216, 227-228.

Accounts of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé in Acca and Haifa by American Pilgrims: 1—“In Galilee” by Thornton Chase. 2—‘An Early Pilgrimage”—-by May Maxwell. 3—“My Visit to Acca” by Mary Lucas.

4——“A Week in ‘Abdu’l-Bahd’s Home” by Genevieve Coy, “Star of West,” Vol. 12, pp. 179-180, 195-198, 212-214.

5—“Interviews with ‘ ‘Abdu’l-Baha” by Anna Kunz, “Star of West” Vol. 13, No. 6.

Tue world of humanity may be likened to the individual man himself; it has its illness and ailments. A patient must be diagnosed by a skilful physician. The prophets of God are the real physicians. In whatever age or time they appear they prescribe for human conditions. They know the sicknesses; they discover the hidden sources of disease and indicate the necessary remedy. Whosoever is healed by that remedy finds eternal health. —Appu’LBAaHA

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WITH OUR READERS

Raymond Frank Piper who contributes the valuable and comprehensive article begun in this issue defining Bahai unity, is acting chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Syracuse University. Among other courses which he teaches at the university is one on Living Religions of the World. In 1932-33 Dr. Piper made a seventeen-months’ trip around the world to study living religions at their sources. In Hawaii he learned of the

Baha'i Faith through the notice °

of a Baha'i meeting in a Honolulu newspaper and through talks with Julia Goldman. Later he visited Agnes Alexander in ‘Tokio and Bahd@’is in Shanghai. At Haifa he met Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’{ Faith. This contribution and _ others which appeared in our January and May issues, 1936, and May and June issues, 1937, as well as other acts of service, show Dr. Piper to be a thoughtful student and friend of the Baha’{ Faith. Part II of this paper will appear in our January number.

Dr. Piper’s sources are indicated by page numbers following

a capital letter, according to the following table:—

B: Bah@i Scriptures, from the utterances of Baha’u’llah and

‘Abdu’l-Bahd, 1923.

E: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf by Baha’u’lldh, 1941.

F: Foundations of World Unity by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, 1936.

G: Gleanings from the Writings of Bah@wllah, 1935.

P: The Promulgation of Univer sal Peace, Discourses by ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, 1921-5.

Q: Some Answered Questions by ‘Abdu’l-Bah4, 1930.

W: The World Order of Baha*wWllah by Shoghi Effendi, 1938.

• Ok Ok

“Mission to Buenos Aires” by Amelia Collins will be read with interest by all who realize that the real bonds which unite people of different countries are spiritual. Mrs, Collins is known to Baha’is as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and of the National Teaching Committee and as one who travels widely in the interests of the Baha’i Faith. We understand that it is only

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rarely that she is at her home in Phoenix, Arizona.

• * x

The cablegram which Shoghi Effendi sent to the National Spiritual Assembly in, March, 1940, enlightens us as to the spiritual significance of May Ellis Maxwell whose Memorial is reproduced as the frontispiece of this issue :—* ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s beloved handmaid and distinguished disciple, May Maxwell, is gathered into the glory of the Abha Kingdom. Her earthly life, so rich, eventful, incomparably blessed, is worthily ended. To the sacred tie her signal services had forged, the

priceless honor of a martyr’s .

crown is now added.”

x * *

Annamarie Honnold is a not infrequent contributor to World Order. Her last previous contribution appeared in our January, 1943, issue. Mrs. Honnold is one of our younger Baha’is and is active in serving the Baha’f Cause. Her home is near Washington, D. C., and she is secretary of the Regional ‘Teaching Committee for that section.

We believe those who are skeptical in regard to prayer as well as those who already have experienced its power will find

World Order

food for thought in Marguerite True’s article, “The Power of Prayer”. This is Mrs. True’s first contribution to World Order. She is chairman of the Bahai Contacts Committee and her home is in Grosse Point, Michigan.

We continue the symposium of articles discussing “The Evolution of Peace” with a contribution, “World Organization” by Florence Zmeskal whose home is now in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Zmeskel is a member of the Regional Teaching Committee for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware and one of our younger Baha’fs. This is her first contribution to World Order.

In his editorial Horace Holley deals with the public announcement made recently by an interreligious group in New York, whose analysis of the principles of peace is a very complete endorsement of the Baha’i Teachings.

We continue references suitable for use for readings on Baha’i Feast and Holy Days which we began in the October issue. We are indebted to Miss Elizabeth Hackley of Urbana, Tilinois for this helpful compilation.

—THE EDITORS [Page 327]Baha’i World Faith

This book contains a representative selection of the Writings of Baha’u’llah and of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and is the largest collection of Baha’i literature in English translation now available in one volume.

A detailed Table of Contents and an Index make the Baha’i teachings readily accessible for study as well as reading and meditation.

The plan of the book arranges the contents in nine chapters, as follows:—

Part One—Writings of Baha’u’llah Chapter One—The Great Announcement Chapter Two—The Promised One Chapter Three—The Life of the Soul Chapter Four—Laws of the New Age Chapter Five—The Mystery of God

Part Two—Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha Chapter Six—The Faith of Bah@wllah Chapter Seven—Soul, Mind and Spirit Chapter Eight—The Loom of Reality Chapter Nine—The Divine Plan

Each of these chapters has been treated as a unit of significance, and the sequence of the nine chapters conveys a sense of the unfoldment of the Baha’i Dispensation in the Tablets of Baha’u’llah, His Will and Testament, the Tablets and Addresses of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and in His Testament and Plan for the World Order of

Baha’u’llah. The passages selected have been taken from fifteen different publications as well as from the National Archives.

Printed on thin light paper and bound in green fabrikoid, 465 pages. Per copy, $1.50.

Ban4’t PusiisHtnc COMMITTEE 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

[Page 328]Mankind Shall Be Freed

Now concerning our social principles, namely the teachings of His Holiness Baha’u’llah spread far and wide fifty years ago (this was written in 1921—Editor), they verily comprehend all other teachings. It is clear and evident that without these teachings progress and advancement for mankind are in no wise possible. Every community in the world findeth in these Divine Teachings the realization of its highest aspirations. ‘These teachings are even as the tree that beareth the best fruits of all trees. Philosophers, for instance, find in these heavenly teachings the most perfect solution of their social problems, and similarly a true and noble exposition of matters that pertain to philosophical questions. In like manner men of faith behold the reality of religion manifestly revealed in these heavenly teachings, and clearly and conclusively prove them to be the real and true remedy for the ills and infirmities of all mankind. Should these sublime teachings be diffused, mankind shall be freed from all perils, from all chronic ills and sicknesses.

—Aspu’L-BaHA