Category: Inspirational

The Light Verse

Published March 5, 2021 by admin

“God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp,
The lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly white star,
Lit from the oil of a blessed olive tree,
Neither of the east nor of the west,
Whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire.
Light upon light.
God guides to His light whom He wills.
And God presents examples for the people,
and God is Knowing of all things.”

Quran 24:35

Above is the famous “Light Verse” from the Quran. It is beautiful but does not have an obvious meaning. That is its power and significance, and it has been a source of the mystical understanding of God for centuries. What does it mean for you?

Source of verse- Salih International Translation, cited in Wikipedia.

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Parable of the Rich Fool

Parable of the Rich Fool

Published March 5, 2021 by admin

The Parable of the Rich Fool (from the Gospel of Luke)

While Jesus was teaching, someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Photo by Sergei Akulich on Unsplash

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Humble thyself

Humble thyself

Published March 3, 2021 by admin

O SON OF MAN! Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously visit thee. Arise for the triumph of My cause, that while yet on earth thou mayest obtain the victory.

O SON OF THE THRONE! Thy hearing is My hearing, hear thou therewith. Thy sight is My sight, do thou see therewith, that in thine inmost soul thou mayest testify unto My exalted sanctity, and I within Myself may bear witness unto an exalted station for thee.

Song by Grant Hindin Miller, from Baha’i Blog. Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

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With the Hands of Power

With the Hands of Power

Published March 3, 2021 by admin

O SON OF BEING! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.

-Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah

Special thanks to Baha’i Blog and Bakang Nakedi for this wonderful song

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

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Remembering

Published March 2, 2021 by admin

So, the love of God seems to be a pretty important thing, but how do we find it? For many people, they find their love outside of themselves, through their work or another person, or their children, and find meaning in the idea of “love” through actions in service to those ends. But we’re going to stay internal for now, because we want to find love that is independent of those things. You can always lose your job, or the one you love moves on, or your kids fail to return the love in a way that respects the effort you have put into their care. We want to find the kind of love that keeps us strong no matter what happens, like the passages this morning said- build our house on a foundation that can withstand the “changes and chances of life”.

Some have framed this as a “spiritual search” where the first step is to start looking for that love inside of you. But before you start looking for treasure, you have to be convinced that there is a treasure to find. A large part of the mission of the founders of the great religions was to convince us that there was something worth looking for. Their “job” was to unwrap for us what lies within us and make it apparent. It’s on us though, to at least start the journey, as the other quotes said- we have to “remember” and start the process of loving or the love can’t find us.

This idea of “remembering” is very powerful and all scriptures have a reference to us “remembering” some primordial part of ourselves, something we all know is there, but we have “forgotten”. The Quran and the Writings of Baha’u’llah talk about “heedlessness”, this idea that you have forgotten what your goal is and lost your way. It’s not that you don’t know it, you’ve just become immersed in other elements of yourself. You’ve forgotten. Muhammad specifically described His mission as to be a “Reminder”, and Christ and Baha’u’llah could have said the same thing.

For the next couple days, we’re going to put aside any commentary and just post scriptural passages along these themes- passages to get us thinking and searching for that love within us, starting with these-

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened….Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Jesus, from the Gospels)

My servant serves me until I start loving him, then I become an eye from which he sees, an ear from which he hears, and a hand from which he holds. – Saying of Muhammad (Hadith)

O MY FRIENDS! Have ye forgotten that true and radiant morn, when in those hallowed and blessed surroundings ye were all gathered in My presence beneath the shade of the tree of life, which is planted in the all-glorious paradise? Awe-struck ye listened as I gave utterance to these three most holy words: O friends! Prefer not your will to Mine, never desire that which I have not desired for you, and approach Me not with lifeless hearts, defiled with worldly desires and cravings. Would ye but sanctify your souls, ye would at this present hour recall that place and those surroundings, and the truth of My utterance should be made evident unto all of you. (Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah)

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Building your foundation

Building your foundation

Published March 2, 2021 by admin

The generations that have gone on before you- whither are they fled? And those round whom in life circled the fairest and loveliest of the land, where now are they? Profit by their example, O people, and be not of them that are gone astray. Others will ere long lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into your habitations….For every one of you his paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which no other may infringe and none usurp from him. Such a thing- and to this the Almighty is My witness- is the love of God, could ye but perceive it. Build ye for yourselves such houses as the rain and floods can never destroy, which shall protect you from the changes and chances of this life. This is the instruction of Him Whom the world hath wronged and forsaken. -Baha’u’llah

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. -Jesus, from the Gospels

Yet there are men who take for worship others besides God, as equal with God. They love them as they should love God. But those of Faith are overflowing in their love for God. -Quran

So remember Me and I will remember you. – Quran

O Son of Being! Love me that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant. –Baha’u’llah

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What is the Love of God?

What is the Love of God?

Published March 1, 2021 by admin

There is a famous saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, in the most honored collection of “Hadith”, in which God speaks directly to humanity and says “I was a hidden treasure and desired to be known, therefore I created all that exists in order to be known”.

We come to this question- what is the love of God? This saying and many other statements from the scriptures of these three great religions suggest that it is a natural and fundamental expression of our humanity. In one of His talks,`Abdu’l-Bahá explained that the “divine love” manifests itself in all creation, but the manner it expresses itself is different for each kingdom of existence. For instance, in the mineral kingdom, it manifests itself as the power of attraction, in the plant kingdom, as the power of growth, in the animal kingdom, the power of sensation, and in the human kingdom, the natural attraction that occurs between people and our love of God. Of course, these things also have organic reasons, based on the rules of physics, chemistry, and biology, but these are just describing how it acts, not what it is intrinsically.

`Abdu’l-Bahá points out that the integration of various elements and substances is what produces life, and that their disintegration is death. The same is true on a family or societal level- love produces unity and life, it’s absence is disintegration and death. Therefore, love is the ultimate cause of life, manifested in the various levels of creation.

The highest form of love for humans is the love of God and it is towards that our minds and hearts should be directed. It’s a natural human feeling. We express in the way that we can, at the level of our “kingdom” of existence, in our own way, but the expression of the love of God is universal in all creation.

Consider the following quotes:

“Love was the reason for there being a creation, as stated in the famous tradition, “I was a hidden treasure, and loved that I be known, and thus created My creation that I might be known.” Therefore must all come together in the law of love divine such that no odor of dissension be diffused amid the friends and companions in God. Having set their gaze on love, all men shall act as one, such that disunion will be seen in none. All share in fortune and in ill, in profit and in woe, in hardship and in ease. It is Our hope that the breeze of unity be borne from the city of the Lord, and that He adorn all with the raiment of oneness, of love and of detachment.”

(Baha’u’llah, provisionally translated by Joshua Hall at joshuahalltranslations.com)

“Know thou of a certainty that Love is the secret of God’s holy Dispensation, the manifestation of the All-Merciful, the fountain of spiritual outpourings. Love is heaven’s kindly light, the Holy Spirit’s eternal breath that vivifieth the human soul. Love is the cause of God’s revelation unto man, the vital bond inherent, in accordance with the divine creation, in the realities of things. Love is the one means that ensureth true felicity both in this world and the next. Love is the light that guideth in darkness, the living link that uniteth God with man, that assureth the progress of every illumined soul. Love is the most great law that ruleth this mighty and heavenly cycle, the unique power that bindeth together the divers elements of this material world, the supreme magnetic force that directeth the movements of the spheres in the celestial realms. Love revealeth with unfailing and limitless power the mysteries latent in the universe. Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world, and the shedder of imperishable glory upon every high-aiming race and nation.

O ye beloved of the Lord! Strive to become the manifestations of the love of God, the lamps of divine guidance shining amongst the kindreds of the earth with the light of love and concord.”

(From Selection from the Writings of `Abdu’l-Bahá)

Source of discussion above- “Foundations of World Unity, `Abdu’l-Bahá, chapter on “Divine Love”, available at www.bahai.org/library/. Enjoy the following passage at bahaiblog.net.

“For love of God and spiritual attraction do cleanse and purify the human heart and dress and adorn it with the spotless garment of holiness; and once the heart is entirely attached to the Lord, and bound over to the Blessed Perfection, then will the grace of God be revealed.” -Abdu’l-Baha

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The Love of God

The Love of God

Published March 1, 2021 by admin

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

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Wafted

Wafted

Published September 23, 2020 by admin

At this time in the northern hemisphere, all the flowers and plants are dispersing their seeds into the wind, preparing for a winter followed by a spring in which those seeds will germinate and populate the ground with new and luscious plants.

In this short passage, taken from a Tablet of Baha’u’llah advising us how to act and be in the world, he emphasizes the qualities of “forbearance” and “justice”- that we treat others with fairness and justice, while at the same time always being tolerant of our differences and distinctions. To be forbearing also means to be patient, long-suffering, and not act out of haste or emotion.

Justice, fairness, tolerance, and patience are all synonyms for the qualities expressed in this passage, and are the “sweet savors of holiness”. These qualities then “waft” from us, like seeds in the wind, and then sprinkle the hearts of other peoples.

Sifter of Dust is committed to highlighting the astonishing beauty and depth of the words of Baha’u’llah and the Baha’i Faith, as a guide for us to transform our world into one of peace and solidarity among all peoples.

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Hands

Hands

Published August 29, 2020 by admin

This short passage is taken from a Tablet of Baha’u’llah called the “Tablet of the World”. It was sent to two of his followers who were at that time imprisoned for their faith in Persia. It lauds their steadfastness in the face of persecution and instructs them as to how all people should behave at all times. These powerful statements remind us that the standard of God- the standard revealed by Baha’u’llah- is the complete avoidance of oppression of any form.

The Tablet of the World is a wide ranging Tablet in which Baha’u’llah addresses many very important concerns. It may be read here.

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