This letter is not original, but whoever wrote it did not want to be
identified. In order to allow consideration of this letter I have adopted
it as my own, and made some changes to it to match my beliefs.
I will freely relinquish owner****p of this letter should the rightful
owner
come forward.
-----------------------------
Allah-u-Abha! dear Friends,
You have been given an extraordinary gift: you are bearers of God's
revelation for today. The following is a humble appeal to beg that you
might
arise and manifest the blessings of God among the multitudes of the earth.
For many centuries, religions became mighty through proselytizing - by
speech or by sword - and the uneasy marriage of the powerful with the
clergy. Today, a new method of sharing the bounty of God's new message
must
differentiate the Baha'i faith from the religions of old.
It may not work, to try and cause entry-by-troops by simply attempting to
win converts. It seems to some people, wrongly, that the message of
Baha'u'llah is to create a new religion, to attract members, to become the
biggest religion and rule the world. Many are weary of this message and
humanity has suffered it for centuries.
To many it appears the Baha'i faith has simply become one religion among
many. They think too few souls are signing the declaration cards; and
there
are too many who disappear into invisibility after a time.
There must be a different way. There is a different way. It may be a
better
way.
I ask you to close your eyes and come with me on a journey: a vision of
just
a month or a year from now. First, think of the Master. His beautiful
smile,
His compassion, His love.
Many of you may believe that it is your duty to bring converts to the
Baha'i
Faith. If that is your belief, imagine that He has given you permission
to
stop trying to gain converts. You can lower the heavy burden off your
back,
you no longer have to try and add lists of names to the rolls of
believers.
Do you feel a sense of relief? But, He has not told you to stop spreading
the message of Baha'u'llah.
Now, you have been chosen by God for a very special duty. You, the people
of
Baha, have a precious gift: it is the secret to bring about peace and
unity
on the earth, the Kingdom of God long awaited.
This secret is not to try and gain converts. It is to share with all the
peoples of the earth - every race, colour, class and creed - the message
that:
"Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one
with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and
fellow****p. He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful
is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
(Baha'u'llah,
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 14)
This is a new religious message, that people of divers backgrounds can
live
together in harmony. It is why the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is open to people of
every faith: temples of unity, in which a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist, a
Muslim, a Zoroastrian, a Con****ian, a Humanist and a Baha'i might sit
side-by-side wor****pping the one true God.
It is no secret that all these different religionists do not have to sign
a
card and join a club to live in unity. In fact, if you try and make
everyone
a Baha'i to achieve unity, it will never happen. There is no reason to
believe the world will become Baha'i. To achieve unity amongst the
bickering peoples of the world show forth the virtues of God and everyone
will flock to those who live that message.
Have faith in your fellow man. The old world order is rolling up, and
already there are so many souls who recognise the fundamental verities of
the Faith even if they do not call themselves Baha'i. They believe in the
equality of human beings; the equality of the ***es; the need for a vision
that embraces the planet; the need for an end to hunger and poverty; and
the
need to educate the children of the world. Now, they need to know that God
desires this and will bless any effort to bring it about.
Do not re-invent the wheel. Join together with like-minded souls, whether
Baha'i or not, whether religious or not. Give sup****t to every effort that
manifests the teachings of Baha'u'llah, whether it carries the label
'Baha'i' or not. It is the message that counts, not the name of the
organization preaching it.
"It makes no difference whether you have ever heard of Baha'u'llah or
not,"
said our beloved Master, "the man who lives the life according to the
teachings of Baha'u'llah is already a Baha'i. On the other hand a man may
call himself a Baha'i for fifty years and if he does not live the life he
is
not a Baha'i. An ugly man may call himself handsome, but he deceives no
one,
and a black man may call himself white yet he deceives no one: not even
himself!" (Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-
Baha in London, p. 105)
Your mission is not to get a person to sign a declaration card. Your
mission
is to show with your lives, with the virtue that you show forth in God's
name to the divers peoples of the earth how to infuse their lives with the
teachings of Baha'u'llah, whether or not they take the step of embracing
Him
outwardly as well as inwardly.
But be warned, there are many who currently see the Baha'is as merely
proselytizing their religion. It is a tired method that will obscure the
message of God for today. If Baha'is do not take up the challenge to
infuse
the world with the perfume of the Baha'i message, then God will choose and
bless others from among the peoples of the earth who
arise to the challenge.
"Erelong will God raise up the treasures of the earth -- men who will aid
Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the
hearts of such as have recognized Him." (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son
of
the Wolf, p. 21)
I write this letter in a spirit of humble love, that the Baha'is might be
****ning exemplars of the spirit of a new age. I have faith in you, my
brothers and sisters. May the blessings of Baha'u'llah be upon you.
Kent
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