Dear friends,
Thank you for visiting Sifter of Dust! My name is Kendal Williams and I am the editor and the producer of most of the introductory content on the site. Sifter of Dust was created to be a source of information and inspiration for people exploring the Baha’i Faith by providing insights of individual Baha’is as they reflect on their faith, with a primary focus on the sacred Writings themselves- the core of the Baha’i religion.
The Baha’i Faith is a very diverse, very young religion of over 7 million followers that most people have only superficial knowledge of, if they know it at all. Yet the Baha’i Faith is a magnificent body of truth and beauty that the world desperately needs, particularly at our time in history, when the forces of globalization and rapid change are challenging every way we have historically thought about the world. Religion itself is being seriously challenged. We need a vision of the future of humanity that understands our past and points toward a future of unity and peace. This faith supplies that in abundance. The teachings of Baha’u’llah present a coherent framework in which we can understand the reality of religion and then accept it with both mind and heart. It does that in a way that does not abrogate or undermine the fundamental truth of the great religions that have built the moral framework of our world.
As the editor of Sifter of Dust, I’ve intentionally tried to keep the voice as more of a “narrator” so that the beautiful teachings and words of Baha’u’llah’s faith are what you remember. My job as the editor is to provide context to enhance appreciation and understanding of those words. But all of Sifter of Dust’s content, authored by me or anyone else, should be regarded as our own personal reflections. Though I and others involved in this project are all active Baha’is who devotedly support the institutions of the Baha’i community, we want to be careful not to project that we represent an “official” position. We do not. These are just our thoughts and reflections on what is an amazing body of truth- to which many others will undoubtedly bring their perspectives over the coming centuries.
I am an academic internal medicine physician at Penn. I was raised in rural Pennsylvania and came to the Philadelphia region in 1986 to attend Haverford College, followed by medical school at Penn, where I am now faculty. My wife and four children are proud to live in a region that is racially diverse and that stands for the noble values of humanity- a city of “brotherly love”.
Sifter of Dust is the outcome of many hands, making both formal and informal contributions. Our purpose is not to convert people, but to present the healing message of Baha’u’llah. Primarily, we wanted to create a site that people of various levels of interest can find valuable- where people can explore the ideas and inspiration in their own way, at their own pace, hearing from others who have walked this path. Taking such an approach then allows us to be honest, explaining what our understanding is and sharing our faith in an authentic and honest way, like a family conversation. So we encourage you to explore, follow our inspirational and informational content as we post it, and let us know if we can do anything to assist you in your exploration.
If you are a Baha’i and want to assist with Sifter of Dust, we are looking for skilled presenters from diverse perspectives and do need assistance with marketing the site. Please email me at sifterofdust.org@gmail.com to discuss. Thanks!
Kendal Williams MD MPH
March 21, 2019