Tell The Rich

I had the honor recently of participating in an interfaith service for people who died this past year without a home that was organized by various groups in Massachusetts who serve and advocate on behalf of the homeless. I was part of a trio of Baha'is who did a musical rendition of a selection from the Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah called "Tell the Rich". I've included this selection below as well as a couple of other quotes that emphasize the importance of serving the poor. Eliminating the extremes of wealth and poverty is an important aspect of the Mission of the Baha'i Faith and is a fundamental prerequisite to the establishment of world peace.

49. O CHILDREN OF DUST!
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

54. O YE RICH ONES ON EARTH!
The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease.
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

"Know of a truth that your subjects are God's trust amongst you. Watch ye, therefore, over them as ye watch over your own selves. Beware that ye allow not wolves to become the shepherds of the fold, or pride and conceit to deter you from turning unto the poor and the desolate."
(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 53)

Baha'i Dies in Prison

There are two articles about the recent death of an Iranian Baha'i who was imprisoned ten years for no other reason than his beliefs. Amnesty International and the Baha'i World News Service have both covered this sad and completely unnecessary death. I will pray for this steadfast soul who refused to recant his faith and the misguided people who are responsible for his suffering and death.

Who was Jesus? Update

Here is a fascinating article about how various faith traditions view Jesus, including the Baha'i Faith. You can read it here. This issue is worthy of several posts in and of itself, which I hope to come to at a later time. Enjoy the article!

I wanted to update this post with a couple of quotes from the Baha'i Writings about the station and spiritual and historical significance of Christ:

"When the Messianic star of Jesus Christ dawned, he declared he had come to gather together the lost tribes or scattered sheep ofMoses. He not only shepherded the flock of Israel, but brought together people of Chaldea, Egypt, Syria, ancient Assyria and Phoenicia.These people were in a state of utmost hostility, thirsting for the blood of each other with the ferocity of animals; but His Holiness Jesus Christ brought them together, cemented and united them in his cause and established such abond of love among them that enmity andwarfare were abandoned.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity,p. 22)

"His Holiness Jesus Christ was an educator of humanity. His teachings were altruistic; His bestowal universal. He taught mankind by the power of the Holy Spirit and not through human agency, for the human power is limited whereast he divine power is illimitable and infinite. The influence and accomplishment of Christ will attest this."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith -Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 249)

Music: A Ladder for the Soul

Here's a cool article about choir director Van Gilmer under whose direction I sang in New York in 2002. One of his songs that was featured on the CD "From Exile to Exaltation: Our Offering to Baha'u'llah" recently won an Independent Music Award for Best Gospel Song. You can read more about this at www.dissonanceresolved.com.

Do Baha'is Celebrate Christmas?

Here's link to a nice article about the gift-giving season of Baha'is which is different than Christians who are often curious about whether or not we celebrate Christmas. Check it out and prepare to wish your Baha'i friends a Happy Ayyam-i-Ha at the end of February!

Minorities and Moral Responsibility

Whether the challenge involves Sunnis in Iraq, North Africans in France, African Americans in the Gulf Coast, or Arabs in Australia, how majorities treat minorities keeps coming up in the news. Humanity's struggle with this issue is not simply social or political but is essentially moral and spiritual in nature. This moral and spiritual struggle to recognize the oneness of humanity and practice it in our daily lives and in the social order is the greatest challenge facing the human race at this stage of its evolution. The following quote from the Baha'i Writings is one of many which makes clear that how minorities are treated should be a mark of distinction for Baha'i community life.

"Unlike the nations and peoples of the earth, be they of the East or of the West, democratic or authoritarian, communist or capitalist, whether belonging to the Old World or the New, who either ignore, trample upon, or extirpate, the racial, religious, or political minorities within the sphere of their jurisdiction, every organized community enlisted under the banner of Bahá'u'lláh should feel it to be its first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage, and safeguard every minority belonging to any faith, race, class, or nation within it."
(Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 35)

You can read an excellent statement regarding this issue that was put out by the Baha'i International Community here.

Greetings in the Season of Peace

I've been following the "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" controversy that has been gathering steam this season and decided to write a letter to my fellow Christians. Here it goes.

To my fellow Christians in the Season of Peace

Dearly loved brothers and sisters,

I wanted to give you a warm Baha'i greeting during this festive and special time of the year for my fellow Christians around the world. I refer to you as fellow Christians because as a Baha'i I recognize the Divinity of Christ and the Gospel as the Word of God. This is a fundamental aspect of Baha'i belief. I've been observing that some of my fellow Christians seem unhappy this season about the challenge of celebrating the birth of Christ in a religiously plural society.
Many of you feel that efforts at inclusivity, such as wishing people a "Happy Holiday" rather than "Merry Christmas" are part of an effort to marginalize Christians rather than respect the beliefs of your neighbors of other faiths.
Is it possible that we can find a way to express our love of Christ that unites rather than divides? I believe that the path to a full and unifying expression of the Biblical commitment to love our neighbors as our selves is to recognize that God is one and that beyond all diversity of human interpretation and cultural expression that religion is likewise one. We could celebrate the birth of Christ as a part of the common spiritual heritage of all humanity that has been created in the image and likeness of God. To do so is in no way to diminish the spiritual and historical importance of Jesus but to fulfill His desire that we become "one fold" with "one shepherd". If we adopted such an attitude it might free us all from our fears and allow us to unite in praise of God who loves us so much that not only did He give us Christ, but also Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, the Bab and today in this new and wondrous age, Baha'u'llah.

Spirit of Children

Today there is a sweet, sweet article in the Baha'i World News Service about a recent devotional meeting hosted by children at the Baha'i House of Worship in Australia. Read here and enjoy!

The Souls of Black Folk

Church enthrones its first black archbishop

LONDON -- With drums beating time to an African hymn, Ugandan-born John Sentamu was enthroned yesterday as the first black archbishop in the Church of England. Sentamu traveled by boat along the River Ouse from his official residence to the ceremony celebrating his becoming the 97th archbishop of York, the church's second-highest cleric after the archbishop of Canterbury. Inside York Minster, 20 dancers in leopard-print outfits, their heads covered in feathers of red, white, and black, performed a dance of rejoicing and thanksgiving in front of a 3,500-strong congregation. Sentamu, 56, on Oct. 10 became the first black archbishop in the nearly 500-year history of the state Church of England. (AP)

Also in the news are the efforts of men of African Descent in New York to transform their city through the power of prayer.




NEW YORK, 28 November 2005 (BWNS) -- The sounds of African drums and soaring voices burst out over a normally quiet lower Manhattan Street lined with antique dealers and four-story apartment buildings.
It was a recent Sunday morning and the pulsating energy was coming from the New York Baha'i Center where a drum circle was being led by African-American men, with people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds joining in.

Read this entire inspirational article here.