Month: January 2020

As we reflect on issue of climate change, and the fires in Australia and California, one is struck by the fact that the solution requires coordination and cooperative action among nations and peoples.  It is not just a matter of quenching physical fires, but quenching the behavior and attitudes that inhibit our ability to deal with these challenges.Time and again in Baha’u’llah’s Revelation, He exhorts His followers to be sources of unity in the world and to use their words- their “utterance”- to promote knowledge and understanding among people.  These sublime principles are the source of life for the world.

One of the prominent themes in all the revelations of God has been the emphasis on the “Word of God”.  Undoubtedly, the words of Christ in the Gospel, the Prophet Muhammad in the Quran, and the words of Baha’u’llah have a remarkable influence on people- creating new forms of civilization.  Baha’u’llah taught that they have “creative” power in that they open up within people new perspective and feelings that lead to nobility and attachment to sublime truths.  This is reflected by the quote in this image where Baha’u’llah tells us that the “verses” opens up treasures within us that we wouldn’t trade for all the wealth in the world.  (“Sovereignty’ means kingship or power.). He tells us to “recite’ them in “the most melodious of tones” so that we will be drawn upwards to spiritual perspectives that are so beautiful they can’t even be adequately expressed.  Many Baha’is have had this experience.  Reciting the Word of God- and meditating on them- even small passages of just one line or a short paragraph, can have amazing effects on your heart.  It is good to memorize a few passages that you can then call to mind at times during the day. You’ll notice that you begin to appreciate connections you didn’t see before.

Sifter of Dust will begin posting short passages that we encourage everyone to ponder and even memorize. Putting them to music is even better!

A great source of inspiration and guidance for understanding the true meaning of Baha’u’llah’s teachings are the talks given by his son, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ when he came to America and traveled throughout the country.  In the presentation below, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ addresses an American church congregation in Washington, DC.  The year was 1912, but nothing ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ says in any of his talks is for that period of history only- their insights are equally important for understanding our time in history as we still deal with the same challenges.  In this single paragraph, ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ makes a profound connection between the secular liberalism that has informed the American democracy, and the spiritual truth that all humanity receive the bounties of God. “Liberalism” therefore is a divine truth- a spiritual truth- and this forms the ultimate and true basis of liberalism in the modern day.

Praise be to God! The standard of liberty is held aloft in this land. You enjoy political liberty; you enjoy liberty of thought and speech, religious liberty, racial and personal liberty. Surely this is worthy of appreciation and thanksgiving. In this connection let me mention the freedom, hospitality and universal welcome extended to me during my recent travels throughout America. I wish also to reciprocate fully and completely the warm greeting and friendly attitude of the reverend doctor, pastor of this church, whose loving and quickened susceptibilities especially command acknowledgment. Surely men who are leaders of thought must conform to the example of his kindliness and goodwill. Liberalism is essential in this day—justness and equity toward all nations and people. Human attitudes must not be limited; for God is unlimited, and whosoever is the servant of the threshold of God must, likewise, be free from limitations. The world of existence is an emanation of the merciful attribute of God. God has shone forth upon the phenomena of being through His effulgence of mercy, and He is clement and kind to all His creation. Therefore, the world of humanity must ever be the recipient of bounties from His majesty, the eternal Lord, even as Christ has declared, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” For His bounties, like the light and heat of the sun in the material heavens, descend alike upon all mankind. Consequently, man must learn the lesson of kindness and beneficence from God Himself. Just as God is kind to all humanity, man also must be kind to his fellow creatures. If his attitude is just and loving toward his fellowmen, toward all creation, then indeed is he worthy of being pronounced the image and likeness of God.

The entire talk may be found here, click to talk 118.  Enjoy!

This passage says many things at the same time.  The first thing to notice is to whom it is addressed- “O ye that dwell on earth”, which obviously  includes everyone. The second element to notice- and it is a distinctive feature of Baha’u’llah’s words- is the majestic and authoritative tone with which He speaks. Baha’u’llah claimed to be the fulfillment of the revelations of the past- the Voice of God- and all His writings after His formal declaration have that tone.  “God’s holy Book”‘ refers to, not just His own words, and not just the Bible and the Quran- but the sum of all of that.  The Revelations of God are part of One Religion, so the “God’s holy Book” is a transcendent reality that includes all of the scriptures of humankind. Baha’u’llah is telling us that whatever is written in the Holy Books of the past has now been explicitly revised by God- to take out whatever might have been the source of disunity and division, as the fundamental purpose of God’s revelation in this day is unity.  Only God can edit his own book, and Baha’u’llah is explicitly doing just that to ensure that religion now becomes a source of unity. Pretty amazing stuff!

This passage is from Baha’u’llah’s “Hidden Words”, a majestic collection of short utterances that Baha’u’llah described as the “inner essence” of the Revelations of the past.  They are spoken with the Voice of God. Many Baha’is work to memorize the collection of Hidden Words, and they are often set to music. The worlds they open up are indescribable.