"Please give me more"

“My wife and I have been looking for a church where we could feel like we belonged. I pass your church  . . . every day on my way to work.  I am a recovering Catholic.  She is not one, but is familiar with the church.  It is a coincidence that for many years I have had the belief that all of the great teachers that have come along in history (Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, etc.) were manifestations of the same God.  Anyway, I like what little I know so far (from Wikipedia). Please give me more.”

An Atheist: Baha'is “Instrumental” in Bringing People Together

The Baha'is in the northwest United States received this message from a self-described 'spiritual atheist.' The inquirer writes how the Baha'is were “instrumental” in bringing people together, and shares that many like him “would like to see more understanding among all of us.”

                                                                                                   

I am not interested in joining any group but I am interested in unity of a broad nature. Years ago the Bahai's were instrumental in bringing people of all faiths and beliefs together at the local county building. Is that happening anywhere in the area? Is it possible to have it happen again in our area? I am a spiritual atheist and it is possible. Do not laugh. And even so, there are those of my ilk who would like to see more understanding among all of us. Your group tried to do this in the past and I do think it did have somewhat of a positive effect. It would be great if a group like yours would spearhead something like this again. Just a suggestion. The world and it's people are growing more and more apart and if we do not do something to halt it we will be worse off for it. Just a thought.

In the Arabic Hidden Words, Baha'u'llah writes:

O CHILDREN OF MEN! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.

A Cancer Survivor: His demeanor, faith and character—just amazing

This is a story of a cancer survivor who, sadly, witnessed a Baha'i suffering from terminal cancer. The Baha'i chose to end treatment, knowing that his body would succumb.

The cancer survivor writes about this experience:

I am a cancer survivor and I am in a cancer support group. There is a friend within my group who has cancer and has been through many treatments. The time had come where treatment is no longer helping. He has decided to end treatment. This friend is a member of the Baha'i Faith. His demeanor, faith and character—it is just amazing. I have never seen anything like this. He is ready for his passing, smiles and talks about it.

The cancer survivor then requested information on the Baha'is in the vicinity.

In the Arabic Hidden Words, Baha'u'llah writes:

O Son of The Supreme! I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?

Junior Youth: A Community Transforming the World

In cluster after cluster around the country, the friends are learning more about the merits of the junior youth spiritual empowerment program, and its influence on the community and the household.

The Universal House of Justice in its November 14, 2012 message writes:

The merit of the junior youth spiritual empowerment program lies, first and foremost, in its effectiveness at enhancing the power of expression and the quality of spiritual perception within its participants and in assisting them to develop the capabilities necessary for a life of meaningful service to their communities. Repeated accounts from officials, parents, and young people themselves testify to the power of the program to shape character and bring forth the praiseworthy qualities latent in junior youth.

Recently, a mother with three children registered her belief in the Baha'i Faith on line at www.bahai.us, along with her children. She first heard about the Baha'i Faith when she was 10 years old from her sister who has now been a Baha'i for over 30 years.

Raised as a Roman Catholic, she eventually converted to Islam, and appreciated the Faith as a way of life and the restatement of spiritual laws brought by Muhammad.

She lived overseas while practicing Islam. However, she felt that she lacked a spirit of unity and community and looked up the Baha'is when she moved back stateside to the West Coast.

The regional seeker response coordinator in touch with this family of receptive souls shares:

One child participates in a junior youth group, and another child is attending the area toddler class. The mother is [also] already well connected to her local Baha'i community—attending a devotional gathering and participating in a Ruhi Book 1 study which she hosts in her home. As she has learned about Baha'u'llah, and His Teachings on progressive Revelation, she said ‘it all made perfect sense’ and she sees that she's been taking steps towards becoming a Baha'i all her life. She is so grateful that she and her children are now part of a community that is working to transform the world!

Keetra's Prayer Party: the "potential is huge"

When Brad and Katy’s five-year-old daughter Keetra announced one day that she wanted to start a “prayer party,” they weren’t quite sure how to handle it. As you’ll see in the video linked below, they had never hosted a devotional gathering before.

Keetra’s father Brad even told her that she would have to make her own phone calls, with the hope (at that time) that he and Katy wouldn’t be embarrassed!

Two years later, Keetra still makes the calls, and her family continues to host the first Baha’i-inspired devotional gathering in their Arizona community.

In its 28 December 2010 letter, the Universal House of Justice writes that the Baha’i world’s “capacity to shape a pattern of life distinguished for its devotional character has risen perceptibly,” adding that:

In diverse settings, on every continent, groups of believers are uniting with others in prayer, turning their hearts in supplication to their Maker, and calling to their aid those spiritual forces upon which the efficacy of their individual and collective efforts depends.

As you’ll see in the video, one of the participants, Wendy, says that:

Everyone, I think, has a desire to be spiritual. And when I was a child, I felt as if I was questing for something. And maybe I still am, but I thinks it’s really good for the kids to have some outlet for that.

About the benefits of holding devotionals, Wendy adds:

I think the potential is huge. I think that pulling together in a spiritual manner really strengthens those bonds that we form with each other.

Here is the delightful video named “Keetra’s Prayer Party”:

Summing up what Keetra and her family have done, Wendy remarks:

Look at all of us who came together today because of Keetra. That’s an amazing thing for a kid to be able to do, for anyone to be able to do.

"I Am Whole Now"

Here is the beautiful story of two brand new believers from Texas—a husband and wife who embraced the Faith within the same month, but followed their own spiritual journey and conducted their own independent investigation. The wife was the first to declare. She recalls:

When I was 15, I moved in with a relative because of the poverty and abuse I had experienced. I was searching for something to heal me, and I found Christianity—the faith of this relative. Now I'm almost 21, and I don't think Christianity fits my beliefs any longer. So I started searching again.

Earlier this week, my husband told me about a religion that one of his high school teachers had been a member of, called Bahá'í. He told me what little he could remember, but I felt it was exactly what I was searching for. I decided to do some research on it, and found the Bahá'í website where I requested that someone call me with more information. Then, that very same day, someone contacted me! It was like God meant for this to happen. But the day she contacted me was a really bad day—I had just been fired from my job—and I couldn't handle talking to anyone; I barely spoke to my husband that night. So yesterday afternoon she called me back and we discussed the Bahá'í religion.

As soon as she started talking I felt myself changing. When she had finished, I felt like a new person, like a hole in my heart that had been there for so many years had been filled. I joined immediately. I knew that this was what I was searching for.

I woke up this morning feeling like a new person! I won't go back to having that hole in my heart again. I can't put into words how this has made me feel—amazing, ecstatic, loved—all those words do not explain it. I am whole now.

Nineteen days later, there was more joyous news: her husband, who had originally told her about the Faith, also declared! Here is how he described his spiritual transformation:

Since I became Bahá'í, I've have more of a peace about myself. I love it! I decided that Bahá'í is true from researching it through independent investigation. It was all purely logical.

This is a definite transformation for me spiritually for me because I was Christian for so long, and that's one of the major "mutually exclusive" religions since it denies other faiths. Going from a religion like that to one so open as Bahá'í was a significant change, although not a difficult one for me. I always held the belief that all religions were based around a universal truth, but I could never find a religion that actually expressed that, and I was too scared to change my religion due to familial pressures. I tried to change my interpretation of Christianity to suit my beliefs, but it never really worked.

My very first encounter with Bahá'í was during my senior year in high school. My history/psychology teacher told us about her Bahá'í faith, but she never delved too deeply into it. This is understandable of course, as she probably would have been fired very quickly for doing so in a public school system. So I thought, "That's cool," and never really researched it until recently. Once I did, it just made logical sense, plain and simple.

A Ready Soul

In Memorials of the Faithful, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells the moving story of a man named Hájí ‘Abdu’r-Raḥím-i-Yazdí, whom He described as “a precious soul, from his earliest years virtuous and God-fearing, and known among the people as a holy man, peerless in observing his religious duties, mindful as to his acts.” The Master continued:

His strong religious faith was an indisputable fact. He served and worshiped God by day and night, was sound, mild, compassionate, a loyal friend.

Because he was fully prepared, at the very moment when he heard the summons from the Supreme Horizon—heard the drumbeats of “Am I not your Lord?”—he instantly cried out, “Yea, verily!” With his whole being, he became enamored of the splendors shed by the Light of the World. Openly and boldly he began to confirm his family and friends.

The following story from a Bahá’í in Colorado Springs illustrates how some people are “fully prepared” to accept Bahá’u’lláh and are moved to declare their Faith very quickly after hearing His blessed name, and arise to serve Him:

Two Sundays ago, hardly anyone showed up for Sunday Devotions at the Bahá’í Center, and only three of us were there when Robert (Bob) walked in and said, “I’m here to attend your service!” He had been filling gas at the Shamrock station across the street when he noticed the Bahá’í Center sign for devotions, and decided to walk in.

After the devotional meeting, Bob stayed to listen to the usual introduction to the Faith followed by a brief discussion, and we answered his questions to the best of our ability. Bob is from Florida, and was in Colorado Springs on business. He said he had been searching for a while after giving up on his Baptist church, and it was in a Unitarian church where he heard about the Bahá’í Faith for the first time. Bob was very touched by what he heard during our discussion and asked, “What are you doing to get your wonderful message across to the world? It all just makes so much sense!” We answered, “We’re really trying our best; we’re even going door to door!” We gave him a standard welcome package containing an introductory CD.

Last Sunday Bob came back to the Center and said he had gone through all the materials thoroughly. This time he met more Bahá’ís and seemed even more impressed with the Faith.

Tonight, my husband and I invited him to dinner, and had a wonderful time with him. In the course of our visit I mentioned casually that when he goes home he should look up the Bahá’ís in his town and keep in touch with them. He surprised us by saying, “Oh! I didn’t tell you! I went online and registered as a Bahá’í! I looked up the Bahá’ís back in Florida, contacted them, and one of them welcomed me. It was so nice, and we made arrangements for me to meet them upon my return home.” Bob explained that after his last visit to the Bahá’í Center, he went online from his hotel room, further investigated the Faith, and  declared exactly nine days after hearing about Bahá’u’lláh! And he’s going home in two weeks to teach the Faith to his wife and seven year-old son!

Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá!

39 and Counting

A Bahá’í in New Hampshire asked that we share this inspiring story.  She wanted to encourage all of us to view each seeker and on-line declarant as a unique and wonderful soul with limitless and unknown potential. Here’s Jim’s story:

 I was so blessed that believers, still unknown to me, put Bahá’í books into the Hofstra University Library where I was working, with the faith and understanding that Bahá’u’lláh would guide seekers of truth to find those books and respond to His Message.

Of course, we didn't have Internet in those days (1970s) but one of the books did contain a contact address for the National Spiritual Assembly. I was so taken by Bahá’u’lláh's Teachings (although I did study on my own for six months before making a decision) that I wrote to the National Assembly requesting information on how to become a Baha'i.

The National Teaching Office sent me back a beautiful letter with a declaration card and told me to sign it, send it back and to consider myself a Baha'i from that point on.

I signed the card in April 1973. Local Baha'is, among them Rouhieh who met Abdu'l-Bahá, called me and invited me to the annual meeting and I met Bahá’ís for the first time. I was also elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly that night.

The rest is, as they say, history...

I just wanted to share that I am joyfully celebrating the 39th (that's right - thirty ninth) anniversary of my declaration of faith in Bahá’u’lláh.

Nothing has had a greater impact on my life than finding the Bahá’í Faith, so to whoever it was that placed those Bahá’í books in Hofstra University Library so many years ago, many, many, many thanks.  Those books led me straight to Bahá’u’lláh.

No teaching effort is ever wasted, not matter how small or seemingly insignificant.  Bahá’u’lláh knows how to use our sincere efforts in His service no matter how invisible or ineffective they may seem at the time.

Many thanks and much love to you all.

Youthful Impression

Baha'is from Virginia shared this story about Marla who declared online.  She recalled the first of many encounters with the Baha’i teachings coming from a Baha’i youth. 

Marla was raised in a Methodist family in Georgia but never felt content with her spiritual life.  The turning point happened in 2000 when she had finished graduate school and was working for the mayor’s office in a large city.  She was organizing a youth diversity summit.  The youth participating in the summit also mentioned that they needed to talk about diversity of religion.  Marla was working with six students from six different religions, one of whom was a 15 year-old Baha'i. When this young girl spoke about the Baha'i teachings, Marla thought to herself that this was what she believed but that she had never heard anyone articulate it before. She later asked the girl and her mother to give her more information. Marla moved to another city where she met a neighbor.  Marla told her neighbor about the Faith and the neighbor said to her that she was a Baha'i!  Marla moved again and attended a local Fair where Baha'is had a booth.  This time she was able to attend a study circle and form a lasting bond with a local Baha’i. 

Happy Naw Ruz

The Fast has ended and Baha’is throughout the world look forward to the bounties of the New Year (Naw Ruz).  As we look to the year ahead, we reflection with gratitude upon the many teaching opportunities afforded to strengthen bonds of love and fellowship during the Fast.  A few inspirational moments came in from an Area Teaching Committee in a New Jersey cluster.

A Baha’i in the cluster invited the mother of her son’s schoolmate to a fast-breaking dinner. Although the schoolmate is already a member of the neighborhood junior youth group, the dinner gave the mothers and sons a chance to strengthen ties of friendship and share prayers. 

One youth in the cluster is a seeker and an integral member of the neighborhood teaching team. The members of the local LSA met for a fast-breaking dinner and invited the youth, who brought her mother along. The dinner conversation included a discussion about one LSA member’s experience of embracing the Faith. The youth said she was grateful for the discussion because it helped her mother better understand the importance of the Baha’i Faith in the young woman’s life.  

When a new seeker and friend showed interest in the Fast, one Baha’i extended an open invitation for the seeker to come over for dawn prayers and breakfast. The seeker, who decided to observe the Fast, has joined the family for breakfast and dawn prayers several times so far. In fact, there are two seekers/neighbors who are observing the Fast and coming over to share prayers, fellowship and food at 5:45 in the morning!  

A teaching team in the cluster is inviting parents of the junior youth and children to the “Why We Sing” program at Green Acre. At the end of last Saturday’s classes, teachers, junior youth and children helped compile the invitations, which included a sample of music on CDs and flyers describing the weekend session.  The teaching team will follow up with parents during the coming weeks and use the opportunity to engage in spiritual conversations.

And finally the Area Teaching Team’s simple invitation to the cluster: 

Any teaching stories, plans, aspirations for this Expansion Phase that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear them. Send an email to …

The Fast

Today, March 20^th, marks the final day of the Fast.  For 19 days Baha’is worldwide have abstained from food or drink, from sunrise to sunset, “as a symbol of self-restraint” and to take on “characteristics of the spirit.”  In this story a Baha’i from Maine shares how the Fast presented the opportunity to connect with a receptive heart.

I was visiting a friend whom I have known only for a few months, at her house today. When she offered me a cup of tea I had to say "No, thank you".  She then asked if I would prefer a glass of water.  This time I couldn't just say “No,” without giving a reason, so I told her that I was fasting.

Based on my past experiences, I was waiting for her to connect fasting to Islam and Ramadan, but instead she looked at me, and as she still was thinking asked if I was a Baha'i.   Being so surprised, and so happy, I asked her how she came to connect and know about Baha'i fasting?

She explained that one of her best friends during college was a Baha'i, and that her friend's parents were pioneering in Macao. Later, her friend invited her to stay with her parents during her trip to China which happened to be during the Fast. Then she continued with such joy as if this was one of her best experiences saying that she also fasted, prayed and read the Writings with them at sunrise and sunset!  All I could think and say was “Ya-Baha'u'l Abha!”  What a small world! 

She expressed her experience with such joy and sincerity that it was very touching, heartwarming and inspiring. Then, she continued and said it just makes sense to have the Fast and New Year at this time of the year, during the spring when everything is new.  

She also was very happy to be invited (which I was not planning to invite in the beginning!) to our community Naw-Ruz celebration with her husband, who is the principal at a local school and to bring her entire family. 

Her experience goes back to a long time ago when she was a student. Indeed, once again this story reassured and reminded me of God's will and that as Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha have said, our job is to sow seeds with detachment and trust!

The Hand of Providence

In the 2011 Ridvan message we are assured that the divine light “achieves a steady glow across whole neighbourhoods and villages as candle after candle in heart after heart is lighted by the Hand of Providence. “ We hear from two new believers, each of whom was touched by this light.

Jessica, a physician in Virginia, learned about the Faith through one of her colleagues. She had an opportunity to visit the House of Worship long before signing her card and was reciting Baha’I prayers because she found them soothing. With the New Year, Jessica felt it was time to declare her belief in Baha’u’llah. In response to materials sent after her online declaration, Jessica responded,

“Thank you so much for taking the time to forward this information. It’s very helpful. It’s funny because ever since we spoke, I have this calm, collected feeling like a spiritual calm over me. This is one of the most stressful times in my life, professionally, personally and emotionally. I think welcoming Baha’u’llah as a manifestation of God is somehow cleansing. "

Kayla of Washington state had never heard of the Baha'i Faith. She had grown up attending a Christian school and attending church with her family. She could not reconcile her own beliefs with the church’s teaching and stopped practicing as a youth. She had read about Gandhi’s philosophy and agreed with his thoughts about life. While at work a man came into the emergency room and listed “Baha’I” as his religious preference. She wasn't able to ask him about it because of his medical situation, but was determined to investigate it when she got home. She looked up the Faith on the internet and found the website. She read everything she could. Kayla said what struck her the most was Baha'u'llah's teachings that science and religion go hand in hand, that Divine Messengers appear throughout history to reveal God's Will to humanity, and the importance of equality and eradication of prejudices. She said it was such a relief to discover the Faith (a true "Eureka" moment!), and that Its teachings were what she has believed in her heart all her life.

When Kayla submitted her online registration she shared:

"I thank you for the kind offer to join you all in this faith. I have searched my whole life for a religion that feels right to me. I know inside that this is where I need to be. Again, thank you."

Christ's Message Renewed

When Melissa from Tennessee declared her belief in Baha’u’llah, she shared this sensitive, spiritual and powerful testimony to the renewal of Christ’s message.

My husband has been a Baha'i for a little more than a year now. I had been a Latter Day Saint for quite a while though I was inactive for the last four years. The Baha'i Faith definitely interested me but I felt some apprehension because I felt like I would be somehow rejecting Jesus if I became Baha'i. It wasn't until our daughter experienced a devastating car accident in August that I really opened my heart to the idea of becoming a Baha'i. The outpouring of love and support we received from the Baha'i Community was overwhelming. The scripture "by their fruits you will know them" really hit home for me. I was able to talk to some of the Baha'is about my worries and I realized that declaring my faith in Baha'u'llah was by no means rejecting the message of Jesus Christ. Baha'u'llah's message is simply a renewal and unification of the messages of all of God's Manifestations. I'm very happy to become a part of the Baha'i Family.

Receptivity

We are told that receptivity to the Faith is demonstrated in a willingness to participate in community building. This community building is set in motion by the core activities. A Bahai from Idaho shares how Seth demonstrated this receptivity for years and recently enrolled online.

Seth has been working with the Baha’i community for at least 5 years. He has attended study circles on Reflections on the Life of the Spirit, Arising to Serve and Twin Manifestations. Seth has been taking his children to children’s classes which they’ve very much enjoyed. In college Seth explored many religions and heard about the Faith but didn’t pay much attention then. He has since read many of the Writings and other Baha’i books, has an awareness of the administrative order, and has spent a lot of time talking about the teachings. He found himself attracted to the Faith’s concept of God as an unknowable essence. He likes that Baha’is believe that we can’t know God, but can know of His attributes and qualities through His Manifestations.

Another demonstration of receptivity came from Katie of Missouri.

Katie saw a picture of the House of Worship on TV. She Goggled the Baha'i Faith, found the website, and requested information through the Seeker Response System. Local Baha’is could not visit Katie immediately since she indicated she would be out of town. In the interim, Katie declared online. Immediate contact was made with Katie to congratulate her and welcome her to her Bahai family. Local Baha’is scheduled a home visit where Katie was presented with a prayer book. She indicated she would cherish it. Because she had grown up going to church weekly, Katie expressed her desire to learn more about the Writings of Baha'u'llah and the Teachings of the Faith. Her visiting team invited her to participate in the core activities including a devotional gathering and a Book One study circle. Katie enthusiastically expressed her desire to participate in these and other community based activities.

Going the Extra Mile to Respond

Many people first contact the Bahá’í Faith through the Seeker Response system (online at www.Bahai.us, or via the 800-22-UNITE phone number).  An ongoing challenge in responding to the needs of these seekers is finding local friends who will commit to following up, no matter the sacrifice.

The following story, as told by two Bahá’ís from the Central region who recently visited with a seeker, illustrates how they responded quickly and with love.  In addition, because their Regional Council has encouraged home visits as a part of the response process, this husband and wife teaching team drove for over an hour to visit with this seeker in his home.  It is interesting to read what the seeker thought of the Bahá’ís as a result.

We started by asking him what had led him to contact the Baha'is.  He's a Missouri Synod Lutheran, Viet Nam vet, and very open and receptive seeker.  He had already begun looking through the web sites in the e-mail that was sent to him in response to his request for information.  We went through much of Anna's conversation, up to the laws section.  We explained study circles and devotional meetings, and we said a prayer with him.  We left him with a small prayer book and a copy of the Hidden Words.  He said he felt like he had a lot to digest, and will let us know when he wants more.  We will continue to be in contact with him, following up on elements of our conversation as appropriate.

One noteworthy piece of information, related to the seeker response system:  He was very intrigued about the quickness of the responses he's received, saying that we must be VERY organized.  And he was very impressed that we would drive all that way to see him with no expectations or assumptions, instead of simply talking on the phone, or relying on email.  It is amazing to think that there are incredibly open and receptive souls like this all over!

Pioneering to a Neighborhood

The Area Teaching Committee of the Phoenix, AZ cluster (A-stage) recently shared the following:

Having a Bahá’í living in a neighbourhood who is willing to establish friendships with the neighbours, and start a process of community building via the core activities, can be a highly rewarding asset.  We are witnessing this in several neighbourhoods.

New York City (A-stage) is talking about the same thing:

Once we identify a receptive population and neighbourhood — and specifically an apartment building or block in a neighbourhood — we have learned to focus our human resources to amplify the strengths and abilities of home front pioneers and teachers on the ground. Having capable souls living in these buildings is essential, and to these key resources we have invited skilled teachers/tutors to commit three-to-five hours per week to lift the level of activity and learn about spiritual community building in these micro-settings.

In Waukesha, WI (A-stage) a believer who left one locality to pioneer to a neighborhood in a different locality communicated with her Regional Council about the benefits:

…We can see already what a difference it makes to the people in the neighborhood that I am living here. Our main focus has been to establish children's classes, and then have other core activities spin off from that. Our Area Teaching Committee had chosen this neighborhood for attention a little more than two years ago during an expansion phase of an early IPG cycle. We found it to be receptive, and had children's classes during the summer of 2008. We had continued to find receptivity during successive cycles, but without a permanent place in the community it was hard to get a foothold. I have been here for just over two months, and we have confirmation after confirmation that we're on the right track. Our children's class is growing, as are our relationships with parents.

This calls to mind the emphasis placed by the Universal House of Justice on pioneering in this Plan:

Equally important will be the support lent to a cluster through an influx of pioneers. The desire to pioneer arises naturally from deep within the heart of the individual believer as a response to the Divine summons. Whosoever forsakes his or her home for the purpose of teaching the Cause joins the ranks of those noble souls whose achievements down the decades have illumined the annals of Bahá’í pioneering. We cherish the hope that many will be moved to render this meritorious service during the next Plan, whether on the home front or in the international field -- an act that, in itself, attracts untold blessings... Priority should be given to settling short-term and long-term pioneers in those clusters that are the focus of systematic attention, whether as a means of reinforcing endeavours to lay the groundwork for accelerated growth or stabilizing cycles of activity under way. (27 December 2005)