Teaching the Baha’i Faith has much to
do with listening to people, understanding their thoughts and needs,
and knowing when and how to share.
Here is the story of a man who learned
about the Baha’i Faith from a guest at the Caribbean island resort
where he works. After years of struggle with substance abuse, he
began a spiritual search that led eventually to several Baha’is.
The story involves caring and generosity, and also ways to clearly
and effectively present the Baha’i Teachings.
The Guardian of the Baha'i Faith,
Shoghi Effendi, referred to direct teaching as “an open and bold
assertion of the fundamental verities of the Cause,” with the
goal of helping “in the eventual recognition by all mankind of
the indispensability, the uniqueness and the supreme station of the
Baha’i Revelation.”
To this guidance, the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States adds in its
February 20, 2008 letter: “The choice of method lies with the
teacher, who must act with wisdom in all circumstances, according to
his or her perception of the seeker’s receptivity.”
The seeker describes his past substance
abuse and spiritual yearning, before learning about the Baha’i
Faith:
For many years I
had been searching for something to make me feel whole. I had always
believed in God, but only called upon Him when I was deeply afraid or
in bad trouble. (One day) I asked God for help. I told Him
that I couldn't go on the way I was. That night I found myself in a
hospital in the detox ward. (During therapy sessions) we often
spoke of a Higher Power. I chose to call mine God. I attempted on a
daily basis to get closer to God using prayer and meditation, but
after six years I still felt something was missing. I needed
something more.
In the course of his work on the
island, he met a guest who is a Baha’i. Their friendship developed
over time until she shared the Faith with him. Sensing his
receptivity, the lady invited the seeker to her Latin American
country for a visit. The seeker writes:
I'd never heard
of it before. But every detail she revealed to me piqued my curiosity
even further. I began to realize that this was what I'd been looking
for all of this time. There was no aspect of the Baha’i Faith that
I couldn't agree with. Some of their ideas I already believed in,
others simply made perfect sense to me. She invited me to visit with
her and some friends at her home. They are very spiritual people who
made me feel so welcome. We had prayers every evening and I could
feel my faith growing. My friend gave me some literature to study,
one prayer book, and a meditation book.
After returning to his island, he was
eager to meet more Baha’is. He searched an old phone book, and
found a listing for the Baha’is on an island over 50 miles away. A
Baha’i woman living there answered his telephone call.
I called and she
was quite happy to hear from me. She was very interested in how I got
her number. Apparently it wasn't in the newer phone books. She said
it was more than a coincidence that I was able to get a hold of her.
We talked for a bit, then she said a prayer over the phone. She also
told me that there were two Bahai's on the island where I live. Since
there are only about 150 people living here, I already knew them. We
have started Ruhi together and I've been to their house for a Holy
Day celebration.
The two Baha’is on the seeker’s
home island also shared “Anna’s presentation” from Ruhi Book 6.
In its February 20, 2008 letter, the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly
writes:
Teachers in
clusters around the world are finding “Anna’s presentation”
from Book 6 of the Ruhi curriculum to be a helpful model for direct
teaching. As teachers gain in experience, they learn to adapt the
presentation according to individual circumstances. Yet the general
content—comprehensive, clear, and forthright presentation, with a
loving invitation to receptive souls to embrace the Faith—remains
essentially the same.
This seeker gives a sincere account of
the changes in his life after meeting Baha’is and investigating the
Faith:
My life has
changed so much for the better since I've found the Baha'i Faith. I
no longer smoke cigarettes, or have anxiety problems that require
medication. I have learned how damaging backbiting is and how
important it is to avoid it at all costs. I understand the importance
of daily prayer. I am no longer afraid of the future; I have some
new-found life goals. My interest in helping my fellow man and
especially those less fortunate than me has become a priority. I
still have so much to learn, but I believe that is what life is
about: always striving to learn more and become a better person.
Posts
