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The Promise of World Peace

Published November 14, 2019 by admin

“How to Save the World” Series

In October of 1985, the international governing body of the Baha’i Faith addressed a statement to the “people of the world” called the “Promise of World Peace”. The statement started off with this remarkable statement-

The Great Peace towards which people of goodwill throughout the centuries have inclined their hearts, of which seers and poets for countless generations have expressed their vision, and for which from age to age the sacred scriptures of mankind have constantly held the promise, is now at long last within the reach of the nations. For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective. World peace is not only possible but inevitable.

The House of Justice then went on to explain the source of their optimism, describing the unique place our generation occupies in history. Because of the increasing technological advances and the fact that the process of building nations and fixing national borders was largely over, we are now at the stage where the next step in our social development is world unity. They told us that humanity faced a choice- to come together as one human family and make decisions that benefitted the whole human race- “as an act of consultative will”- or we would likely face “unimaginable horrors” because we clung to “old patterns of behavior”.

But what are those “old patterns of behavior” that are threatening our very existence? What are the new patterns of behavior that we need to adopt? This series is intended to explore those questions. The primary point to be emphasized however is that our generation- our time in history- is incredibly unique. We are transitioning from a world in which people were largely separate from each other to one that is interdependent. Dealing with that reality requires that we re-think how we have historically done things, and establish new patterns that are more fitting to the modern age.

The Peace statement makes clear a point that is implicit in all of Baha’u’llah’s teaching- a higher degree of unity requires a higher degree of virtue. Baha’u’llah taught that the primary purpose of religion is to promote unity and virtue. Religion- true religion- the religion that causes people to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your Lord”. Religion that recognizes the truth and value of all the great revelations of the past, but also challenges us not to be stuck in the past. Religion that embraces and honors science. Religion that promotes fairness and reasonableness. Religion that reflects the best of what a human being can be.

It’s impossible to separate Baha’u’llah’s vision of societal change without also capturing the fact that He sought a transformation that started within humans and then proceeded outwards. Even His laws should be obeyed “for the love of My beauty”, and not as a “mere code of laws”. Baha’u’llah didn’t speak to autonomous units of exchange- “human capital”- or various other forms of “human statistics”. He spoke to human hearts and offered to lift them up to heights of unimaginable beauty.

In the series- “How to Save the World”- we will use the “Promise of World Peace” as a template to discuss the various social teachings that are Baha’u’llah’s prescription to solve the vital problems at our time in history. The entire statement can be found here. It is informed by this famous quote of the Blessed Beauty himself.

“The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present day afflication can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the age in which ye live in, and center your energies on its exigencies and requirements.”P

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Interview with the Editor

Interview with the Editor

Published November 12, 2019 by admin

As part of a Main Line TV program known as “Baha’is Today”, the editor of Sifter of Dust, Dr. Kendal Williams, sat down for an interview about the website and the Baha’i Faith generally. The interview runs about 20 minutes and can be found in the link below.

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Heart Enlightened

Heart Enlightened

Published November 11, 2019 by admin

The quote above is from one of the Tablets of Baha’u’llah revealed while He was a prisoner in Akka- the “Tablet of Wisdom”. The Tablet was addressed to a man named Nabil, who was a very learned man of his time and an expert on Greek philosophy. Characteristic of many of the Blessed Beauty’s Tablets, Baha’u’llah addresses all of humanity in answering Nabil’s questions. The Tablet of Wisdom is known for its attention to core issues in philosophy and science, like the origin of creation and other related questions. This one also begins with an exhortation that elevates our sense of virtue and emphasizes the critical ethical aspect of His Revelation- the love for all humanity.

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How to Save the World

How to Save the World

Published November 8, 2019 by admin

Sifter of Dust is debuting a new series today, focused on the social teachings of the Baha’i Faith. We’ve spent a good bit of time on theology, and Dr Williams will continue to present and explain the theology and spiritual teachings of Baha’u’llah in his “Foundations of the Revelation” series. But too much focus on that can lead us to forget that a revelation is here to change the world! It must be expressed in action, with practical lines of activity that lead to genuine social and community change over time. Baha’u’llah expressed this clearly when He asked rhetorically-

Is not the object of every Revelation to effect a transformation in the whole character of mankind, a transformation that shall manifest itself both outwardly and inwardly, that shall affect both its inner life and external conditions?

His religion was not just to be a source of individual inspiration, but to express itself in the outward aspects of life-

The religion of God and His divine law are the most potent instruments and the surest of all means for the dawning of the light of unity amongst men. The progress of the world, the development of nations, the tranquility of peoples, and the peace of all who dwell on earth are among the principles and ordinances of God.

Most social movements seek to change laws, or initiate other political or economic changes that they feel will be of benefit. Many of the social movements in our world are informed by enlightened principles and ideas, but their efforts are often hindered by “culture”- the fundamental beliefs of people about their lives and their relationships with others. Still, those social movements seek to impose change from the outside, often with an excessive focus on the material and economic aspects of the problem. The lack of agreement on basic principles means that public discussion degenerates into partisanship and needless bickering. In the absence of a meaningful foundation, public discourse becomes about “spinning” information to suit a particular perspective, with the focus on how you say things and not what you are saying.

Baha’u’llah’s Faith differs in its approach to solving problems in that it deals so profoundly with the inner aspect of human beings, and then uses the energy of that spiritual transformation to cause social change. Religion is the most profound aspect of “culture”, so a change in a religious perspective in a community means a change of culture. That is why Baha’u’llah’s teachings are the most potent force for true and lasting social change that exists in the world today. Baha’u’llah’s Faith starts with the basic spiritual and moral principles and then applies those collaboratively with others to solve problems. Consultation, collaboration, unity, and a humble search for the truth become the culture. The Baha’i writings also give us guidance on the most effective approaches we can take to have the greatest impact.

So much of the Baha’i Faith is about true social transformation that the “How to Save the World” series will be a broad one. We will use it as such a broad category to subsume many smaller categories, which we will then spin off in shorter and more limited series on those topics. We hope you enjoy the series!

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Bread of Heaven

Bread of Heaven

Published November 7, 2019 by admin

As a supplement to the presentation on “Divine Revelation as a Phenomenon”, we wanted to share with you some quotes that illustrate the principles mentioned in the presentation. We’ll highlight those in a couple of posts. The first is a quote from Baha’u’llah, describing the significance of divine revelation in the context of the other gifts that humans possess. In this quote, Baha’u’llah says several things of significance, so we will go through it piece by piece. It starts with-

Know thou that, according to what thy Lord, the Lord of all men, hath decreed in His Book, the favors vouchsafed by Him unto mankind have been, and will ever remain, limitless in their range. First and foremost among these favors, which the Almighty hath conferred upon man, is the gift of understanding. His purpose in conferring such a gift is none other except to enable His creature to know and recognize the one true God—exalted be His glory. This gift giveth man the power to discern the truth in all things, leadeth him to that which is right, and helpeth him to discover the secrets of creation.

Here, Baha’u’llah tells us that the gifts given to us by God (“vouchsafed” means “given”) have been “limitless in their range”. But the first of “these favors” is the gift of “understanding”. The power of “understanding” encompasses reason, but seems to mean more than just that, because it leads us “to that which is right” and helps us “to discover the secrets of creation”. That last part seems like science. So science is a part of our “gift of understanding” but clearly “understanding” is not just science. It’s also being able to distinguish right from wrong, and ultimately to “recognize the one true God”.

The passage goes on-

Next in rank, is the power of vision, the chief instrument whereby his understanding can function. The senses of hearing, of the heart, and the like, are similarly to be reckoned among the gifts with which the human body is endowed. Immeasurably exalted is the Almighty Who hath created these powers, and revealed them in the body of man.

This clearly is referring to our physical senses- vision, hearing…etc- which are different from reason and the power of “understanding”- but are the “chief instrument” by which they operate. We take in information from our senses, which we can then use to “understand” the world. Baha’u’llah then encourages us to appreciate the God who brought into being a creation that allows these powers to be manifest in us.

But finally, Baha’u’llah says something really important about divine revelation-

These gifts are inherent in man himself. That which is preeminent above all other gifts, is incorruptible in nature, and pertaineth to God Himself, is the gift of Divine Revelation. Every bounty conferred by the Creator upon man, be it material or spiritual, is subservient unto this. It is, in its essence, and will ever so remain, the Bread which cometh down from Heaven. It is God’s supreme testimony, the clearest evidence of His truth, the sign of His consummate bounty, the token of His all-encompassing mercy, the proof of His most loving providence, the symbol of His most perfect grace. He hath, indeed, partaken of this highest gift of God who hath recognized His Manifestation in this Day.

So, this is really interesting. Baha’u’llah is saying that- just as the power of understanding and even our physical senses are “natural”, divine revelation is also natural and part of our world. It has a special function, and pertains to “God Himself”, meaning its not part of the endowment of capacities we were all born with, but something given to us from outside of ourselves. He then says that this is “preeminent above all other gifts” and every other power and capacity we have is “subservient unto this”. He then links it to an analogy given by Christ- that revelation is the “bread of heaven”. (“Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4). The “word’ that proceeds “out of the mouth of God” is, of course, divine revelation!

But then Baha’u’llah says something really illuminating. Divine revelation is “God’s supreme testimony”, the “clearest evidence of His truth”, the “sign of His consummate bounty”, the “token of His all-encompassing mercy”, the “proof of His most loving providence”, the “symbol of His most perfect grace”. All of these expressions subtly explain something different but they all center around the idea that the clearest “proof” that God exists, that He cares about humanity (“providence”), and that his care is an expression of “mercy”- is divine revelation!

The fact that God sends revelations to us, revelations that form the religions of humankind, is the clearest evidence we have that God both exists and cares about us. This is kind of a different take on the “proof of God’s existence” but you don’t have to think too deeply to recognize that it is obviously true. If God is going through the trouble of raising up religions to educate us, He’s clearly interested in how we are doing.

There are some pretty serious “proofs” of God that start with the fact that humans can understand the world in a rational way. It is undoubtedly remarkable that not only are nature and the laws of nature here, but we are here to discover them- that we have a power of “understanding”. The philosopher Rene’ Descartes reasoned through a proof like this in his famous “Meditations”.

But divine revelation is what turns our discussion of God from a philosophical one to one that leads to real change in the world, by changing us. It makes God real in a way we can truly feel and appreciate. The Baha’i writings teach us more about this “phenomenon” than any other previous scriptures.

Photo by Wesual Click on Unsplash

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Revelation as a Phenomenon

Revelation as a Phenomenon

Published November 6, 2019 by admin

In this first presentation of core Foundations lectures, Dr Williams outlines some of the features of the “phenomenon of divine revelation”. Humanity has historically thought about the religions of humankind, and the revelations that formed them, in a disjointed and limited way. This has led to an increasing belief that religion is incoherent and inconsistent with modern realities. The revelations of the Bab and Baha’u’llah teach us that the revelations of God are part of one process, one that is evolutionary, dynamic, and suited to human capacity at the time they are revealed. This extraordinary idea- easily one of the most important ideas ever considered by human beings- allows us to see the interaction of God with humanity as a natural process, organic with the world and with history. We can now talk about divine revelation as a recurring phenomenon, rather than a single event. The Baha’i writings will then use natural metaphors, like trees and the rising and setting of the sun, to describe the way revelations come to humanity.

This presentation will explore these ideas as a prelude to studying the historical unfoldment of the revelations of the Bab and then Baha’u’llah. A supplementary post will present several quotes from the Baha’i writings that reflect the themes in the presentation. Enjoy!

Running time- approximately 18 minutes.

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What?!! A New Revelation?

Foundations of the Revelation - An Introductory Series on the Baha'i Faith

What?!! A New Revelation?

Published November 5, 2019 by admin

The Foundations of the Revelation course is an series of audio presentations that introduce Baha’u’llah’s revelation, starting from scratch. It is intended to provide theological and historical context to the Baha’i Writings, most prominently the Writings of Baha’u’llah.

In the presentations, Dr Kendal Williams will take you on a tour of Baha’i history and highlight the major themes of the Tablets and major works that Baha’u’llah revealed, in the context of their revelation. The series starts with an introductory talk- “What?!! A New Revelation?”– which presents the Baha’i Faith for what it claims to be- a new revelation from God to all humanity. Most of the presentations in the series are about 20-30 minutes long, except this first talk, which runs over 40 minutes. It is longer because Dr Williams sets the stage for understanding Baha’u’llah by first giving an overview of the great religions of Christianity and Islam, as these two revelations are a good example of what a new divine revelation can mean for the world.

We hope you enjoy the series!

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Splendor of Our Hearts

Splendor of Our Hearts

Published October 28, 2019 by admin

This remarkable quote from the Bab summarizes so many concepts about His mission and the nature of the revelations from God. The full quote is as follows. In it, the Bab is describing Baha’u’llah and His mission to prepare people for him-

HE—glorified be His mention—resembleth the sun. Were unnumbered mirrors to be placed before it, each would, according to its capacity, reflect the splendor of that sun, and were none to be placed before it, it would still continue to rise and set, and the mirrors alone would be veiled from its light. I, verily, have not fallen short of My duty to admonish that people, and to devise means whereby they may turn towards God, their Lord, and believe in God, their Creator. If, on the day of His Revelation, all that are on earth bear Him allegiance, Mine inmost being will rejoice, inasmuch as all will have attained the summit of their existence, and will have been brought face to face with their Beloved, and will have recognized, to the fullest extent attainable in the world of being, the splendor of Him Who is the Desire of their hearts. If not, My soul will indeed be saddened. I truly have nurtured all things for this purpose. How, then, can anyone be veiled from Him? For this have I called upon God, and will continue to call upon Him.

As we noted in previous essays, the Revelations of God are like the rising and setting of the sun. They have always come at different times in history and different places to illuminate human consciousness and human understanding about spiritual reality. The religions that are amongst humankind are reflections of different times in history when a revelation has come. Some are very old, and their origins are even lost. Some, like Christ and Muhammad, we know quite a bit about and have seen their impact on the world.

They have always spoken to us within the limits of our capacity and one revelation is preparation for the next step in our spiritual evolution. This was the Bab’s primary teaching. In the quote above, He is expressing the nature of His mission- “to devise means”- whereby people would recognize the next Revelation. When we study the Bab’s revelation- we see what He means by “devising means”. Even on the most mundane level this was true. He told his followers, for instance, to develop the mail system to the utmost excellence, because when “Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest” comes into the world, the message of His coming will be delivered that much faster. But through his theological explanations, down to His prayers and exhortations of various forms, He was helping people develop the spiritual consciousness to appreciate a new Revelation in its fullest aspect, and of course accept it.

We also learn from the quote above what it means to become spiritually close to a Revelation from God. We will reach the “summit of our existence”, and recognize “to the fullest extent attainable in the world of being”, the “splendor of Him Who is the Desire of our Hearts’. This explains why people have reacted so strongly and profoundly to the Revelations when they have come into the world- why they have had such a great impact. It’s because we are finding God in the purest form revealed to us- the splendor of our hearts. The Bab’s teaching about the nature of religion- so beautiful, so dynamic, so evolutionary and revolutionary- is something we are still trying to fully grasp.

As Baha’is all over the world celebrate the bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab 200 years ago, we will be reflecting on these passages and their meaning for us today.

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Tree of Revelation Bent Low

Tree of Revelation Bent Low

Published October 22, 2019 by admin

In accomplishing His mission of preparing the world for Baha’u’llah, the Bab used many beautiful and natural metaphors. One of the most powerful is the idea of a divine revelation being like a tree under which people take “spiritual” shade. It’s a beautiful idea. If we think of Jesus or Muhammad’s revelation, for instance, and how their teachings allowed whole civilizations and their people to find spiritual rest beneath the “tree” of their teachings. The tree gave their lives meaning, provided moral and spiritual guidance, held their family’s together, and innumerable other bounties.

The Bab referred to His own revelation as the “Bayan”, and so He is saying in this quote that when His religion reaches its fullest development, He will bend it low in honor of the one who is to come after Him- Baha’u’llah- whom the Bab refers to as “Him Whom God shall make manifest”.

The period of the Bab’s revelation was very short, only 19 years, something He Himself predicted. There are many references in the Bab’s Writings about how His revelation’s sole intent was to prepare for the one to come after. The Bab sacrificed His life and that of many of His followers so that the world would be better prepared for the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. That is why the Bab is often considered to have personified humility and sacrifice.

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The Sun

The Sun

Published October 19, 2019 by admin

Verily, the sun is but a token from My presence so that..My servants may discern in its rising the dawning of every Dispensation.

The quote is one of the many places where the Bab uses the analogy of the rising and setting of the sun to explain the nature of the Revelations of God to humanity, (which He also refers to as “Dispensations”). It is a very powerful analogy because it expresses a number of features simultaneously. If we think about the physical sun, and our relationship to it, we recognize that we are all dependent on it for our life. All the energy that exists on earth ultimately comes from the sun. The plants use its energy directly, which feeds the animals, which then support other animals, and then we eat both to grow and develop as humans. Without the sun, the world would be cold and dark, with no light to illumine our path or reveal anything about the world around us.

In the world of spiritual truth, it is the Revelations of God that are like the sun. They don’t feed us physically, but in the world of ideas, spiritual truths, and inspiration, they are like the sun to us. Following their appearance, a new life begins to appear. Humans begin to talk about spiritual things again, turn their hearts towards that which is noble and true and begin to express it more fully in their lives. A day of resurrection- of renewal- has come. The Bab would further describe that humans should be like mirrors, who are turned towards the sun and begin to reflect its light to others. He referred to His own early followers as “mirrors” to express this idea concretely.

If we think about this analogy more deeply, new insights come to the fore. Even though the sun can look a little different every day, it isn’t the sun that has changed, but intervening clouds or other phenomena that are different. It is our relationship to the sun that changes, not the sun itself. Also, when the sun shines its light on the earth, the light can look different depending on what reflects it- it can be red, blue- the infinite variety of colors and images we see in the world. But all those different aspects are not because of the light itself, which doesn’t change, but the differences of the objects and places that are illumined by the light. In the same way, the Revelations of God have the same inner essence, an essence that never changes, but what varies from Revelation to Revelation- the different appearances of the Sun- is the place upon which it shines, which gives each Revelation a different character- a different “color”.

In the passage that began this essay, the Bab tells us that the Sun is a “symbol” of the inner spiritual reality of our world. In the one below, He continues the idea that our experience of God is not the Essence of God, but the Will of God expressed in all creation. He refers to each of the Revelations of God- like that of Christ, Muhammad and of course Baha’u’llah- as being all the same in that they are expressions of the “Primal Will” of God. The “Primal Will” is like the paintbrush in the painting of creation- it is what acts in the world under the control of the Painter, who is God.

If, however, thou art sailing upon the sea of creation, know thou that the First Remembrance, which is the Primal Will of God, may be likened unto the sun. God hath created Him through the potency of His might, and He hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, caused Him to be manifested in every Dispensation through the compelling power of His behest, and God will, to the end that knoweth no end, continue to manifest Him according to the good-pleasure of His invincible Purpose.

And know thou that He indeed resembleth the sun. Were the risings of the sun to continue till the end that hath no end, yet there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun; and were its settings to endure forevermore, still there hath not been nor ever will be more than one sun. It is this Primal Will which appeareth resplendent in every Prophet and speaketh forth in every revealed Book. It knoweth no beginning, inasmuch as the First deriveth its firstness from It; and knoweth no end, for the Last oweth its lastness unto It.

In the time of the First Manifestation the Primal Will appeared in Adam; in the day of Noah It became known in Noah; in the day of Abraham in Him; and so in the day of Moses; the day of Jesus; the day of Muḥammad, the Apostle of God; the day of the “Point of the Bayán”; the day of Him Whom God shall make manifest; and the day of the One Who will appear after Him Whom God shall make manifest. Hence the inner meaning of the words uttered by the Apostle of God, “I am all the Prophets,” inasmuch as what shineth resplendent in each one of Them hath been and will ever remain the one and the same sun.

In these passages and many others from the Bab, we can see that his teaching about the nature of religion is new and invigorating, and more consistent with what we now know from science than previous understandings of religion. God doesn’t manifest his religion just once in the world, but endlessly, in. a process that will never cease. We know that the physical world- our earth and universe- are ancient. The Bab also is expressing that God is a “living God”- a God that cares about His creation and is illuminating their spiritual and intellectual lives with periodic expressions of His truth- suited to human capacity at that time in history. Just as the natural world is dynamic and ever-evolving- the relationship of humanity to God is dynamic and ever-evolving. Humans used to believe the world was only 6 thousand years old, and Aristotle- who dramatically influenced medieval thinkers- held a view that the world was static and unchanging. In the centuries before the Bab’s revelation, those ideas were challenged, particularly among European thinkers. They would then turn away from religion itself, thinking it was too static, too much locked in the past, or just too old. The Bab is setting up a new way of thinking about religion- one that is progressive, dynamic, evolutionary, and ever-suited to humanity’s capacity.

One last point. You’ll notice in the quote above that the Voice that is speaking is that of God- “The sun is a token of My presence”- meaning God’s presence, Both the Bab and Baha’u’llah occasionally speak in this way- from the perspective of God as the author. As we discussed in previous essays, the Manifestations of God represent God to us, therefore they can speak with the Voice of God directly. In the second quote, the Bab speaks from His own voice, in which He is explaining a concept that helps us understand our relationship to God. These different “voices” are very common in the Baha’i Writings- both the Bab and Baha’u’llah. If we reflect back on the Gospels, Christ also distinguished between these different “stations”, how he was bringing God’s message but also spoke with the authority of God. The Quran and the words of Muhammad are similarly distinguished. Through these “voices”, they are exhibiting the primary theological point made by the Bab, that the Revelations of God are “God” to us.

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