11 Núr 127 - June 15, 1970.
I became a Baha’i on the eleventh day of Núr in the year
127. That gave me some time before my first fast during the month of ‘Alá’ that year. How I anticipated
that event and wondered how I would do. I would often go for long periods
without food, but even a glass of water was not allowed during the fast. Worst
of all, I would have to wake up and have breakfast before dawn each day. Not
being an early riser, this would likely be the greatest challenge. But I met
the challenge and proved to myself that I could do it.
Over the years I gained the
knowledge that fasting was relatively easy for me. At first it was meeting the
challenge that drove me to do it, but that soon ceased to be a reason. I
learned that I could do it. Now I needed to learn why I should do it. I was relatively
isolated from other Bahá’ís and no one would know if I took a sip of water. But
I wasn’t doing it for other Baha’is. I learned that there were some health benefits
to fasting, but I wasn’t doing it for my health. I learned that it was a part
of the Baha’i Teachings and Baha’is all over the world were fasting, but I wasn’t
doing it just because everyone else did. So Why was I fasting? It came down to
the fact that God commanded those who love Him to fast so it was only my love
for the Almighty God that urged me to deprive myself of food and drink for 12
hours each day.
But then there was all the other
commandments of God. Pray every day. Read the writings day and night. Teach,
teach, teach. Was I doing all those things? If I wasn’t, what good would it do
to fast? If I didn’t take time to pray as I should, then fasting was all for
nothing. Would my solution be do give up fasting or would I make a greater
effort to find time to pray?
Fasting is part of a spiritual
life style, and in a material world it is difficult to find reasons to do it. To
fast faithfully and for the right reason, we must strive to become spiritual
beings. Fasting may weaken the body, but it strengthens the spirit. When the
spirit deprives the body of food for a period each day it becomes a victor over
self and desire. We turn our thoughts away from the material and towards the
spiritual.
As I am now approaching the end
of my 45th fast I am wondering what I have learned from it. Do I now
pray enough? Am I studying the writings every day? Am I teaching and leading
one new soul to the Truth each year? It is beginning to look like I need
another 45 years to make improvements.
These things are very difficult
to do in isolation. I keep hoping I’ll find another soul that would be
supportive of my efforts that we may form a team to teach God’s word. Someone
who would go through all the Ruhi books with me and team up with me to do all
the practices. Someone who needs my help as much as I need theirs. Someone who
can help me be a Baha’i.
'Abdu'l-Bahá says that “it is
impossible for the loved ones of God to receive assistance unless they teach.”
I desperately need assistance so I desperately need to teach.
209. O ye servants of the Blessed
Beauty!... It is clear that in this day, confirmations from the unseen world
are encompassing all those who deliver the divine Message. Should the work of
teaching lapse, these confirmations would be entirely cut off, since it is
impossible for the loved ones of God to receive assistance unless they teach.
Under all conditions, the
teaching must be carried forward, but with wisdom. If the work cannot proceed
openly, then let them teach in private, and thus engender spirituality and
fellowship among the children of men. If, for example, each and every one of
the believers would become a true friend to one of the unheeding, and,
conducting himself with absolute rectitude, associate with this soul, treat him
with the utmost kindness, himself exemplify the divine instructions he hath
received, the good qualities and behaviour patterns, and at all times act in
accord with the admonitions of God -- it is certain that little by little he
will succeed in awakening that previously heedless individual, and in changing
his ignorance to knowledge of the truth.
Souls are inclined toward
estrangement. Steps should first be taken to do away with this estrangement,
for only then will the Word take effect. If a believer showeth kindness to one
of the neglectful, and, with great love, gradually leadeth him to an
understanding of the validity of the Holy Cause, so that he may come to know
the fundamentals of God's Faith and the implications thereof -- such a one will
certainly be transformed, excepting only those seldom-encountered individuals
who are even as ashes, whose hearts are 'hard as rocks, or harder still.'[1]
[1 Qur'án 2:69 ]
If every one of the friends
should strive in this way to guide one soul aright, the number of believers will
double every year; and this can be accomplished with prudence and wisdom, and
no harm whatever would result therefrom.
Furthermore, the teachers must
travel about, and if spreading the Message openly should cause a disturbance,
then instead, let them stimulate and train the believers, inspire them, delight
them, rejoice their hearts, revive and refresh them with the sweet savours of
holiness.
('Abdu'l-Bahá,
Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 264 - 266)
No comments:
Post a Comment