There are many paths of service.
By Admin on Mar 21, 2009 in Tacoma Baha'i
There lay concealed within the Holy Veil, and prepared for the service of God, a company of His chosen ones who shall be manifested unto men, who shall aid His Cause, who shall be afraid of no one, though the entire human race rise up and war against them. These are the ones who, before the gaze of the dwellers on earth and the denizens of heaven, shall arise and, shouting aloud, acclaim the name of the Almighty, and summon the children of men to the path of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Walk thou in their way, and let no one dismay thee. Be of them whom the tumult of the world, however much it may agitate them in the path of their Creator, can never sadden, whose purpose the blame of the blamer will never defeat.
Bahá’u’lláh
George Bowers (England), Phil Trutza (USA and Samoa), and Denver Morgan (Wales), inspect work being done on the roof over the ante-chamber beside the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh.
Therefore we also must strive in this pathway of love and service, sacrificing life and possessions, passing our days in devotion, consecrating our efforts wholly to the cause of God, so that, God willing, the ensign of universal religion may be uplifted in the world of mankind and the oneness of the world of humanity be established.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Carpenter Wolfgand Nieland (Germany and Canada), standing in the middle, helping to restore the roof above the ante-chamber to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh.
Immerse me, O my God, in this most bounteous, rolling Ocean; give me to drink of this sweet, abundant Water; cause me to enter this Gateway of Righteousness; ordain me for this praiseworthy Station; cause me to obtain this Cup which is overflowing with the living water; light in the crystal of my heart this Lamp which is giving forth its illuminating, brilliant radiance; and strengthen me for the service of Thy Cause, O my Lord, the Forgiver!
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Daryoush Hadjiyoussef (Germany), head of the ironshop, standing on the ladder, re-installs a refurbished lamp at Bahji.
Wert thou to consider this world, and realize how fleeting are the things that pertain unto it, thou wouldst choose to tread no path except the path of service to the Cause of thy Lord. None would have the power to deter thee from celebrating His praise, though all men should arise to oppose thee.
Go thou straight on and persevere in His service. Say: O people! The Day, promised unto you in all the Scriptures, is now come. Fear ye God, and withhold not yourselves from recognizing the One Who is the Object of your creation. Hasten ye unto Him. Better is this for you than the world and all that is therein. Would that ye could perceive it!
Bahá’u’lláh
Blaine Reed (Alaska), right, inventory controller and keeper of the supplies used by the Operatons Office (and bought by the Purchasing Office), fulfills an order by Daryoush Hadjiyoussef.
O army of God! Whensoever ye behold a person whose entire attention is directed toward the Cause of God; whose only aim is this, to make the Word of God to take effect; who, day and night, with pure intent, is rendering service to the Cause; from whose behaviour not the slightest trace of egotism or private motives is discerned — who, rather, wandereth distracted in the wilderness of the love of God, and drinketh only from the cup of the knowledge of God, and is utterly engrossed in spreading the sweet savours of God, and is enamoured of the holy verses of the Kingdom of God — know ye for a certainty that this individual will be supported and reinforced by heaven; that like unto the morning star, he will forever gleam brightly out of the skies of eternal grace.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Gaston Mattheus (Belgium), head of the paint shop, installs gold leaf as a finishing touch on a beautiful iron gate manufactured by our ironworkers according to the architect’s plans, just prior to its installation.
Bahá’u’lláh proclaims in the Hidden Words that God inspires His servants and is revealed through them. He says, “Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent. Thy spirit is My place of revelation; cleanse it for My manifestation.” Therefore, we learn that nearness to God is possible through devotion to Him, through entrance into the Kingdom and service to humanity; it is attained by unity with mankind and through loving-kindness to all; it is dependent upon investigation of truth, acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, service in the cause of universal peace and personal sanctification. In a word, nearness to God necessitates sacrifice of self, severance and the giving up of all to Him. Nearness is likeness.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Zhena Goharriz-Zainy (England), secretary of the Operations Office, keeping tight control over all of those male craftsmen who came from around the world to serve at the World Center of their Faith.
The words thou hadst written have, as soon as they were read in My Presence, caused the ocean of My fidelity to surge within Me, and the breeze of My forgiveness to be wafted over thy soul, and the tree of My loving-kindness to overshadow thee, and the clouds of My bounty to rain down upon thee their gifts. I swear by the Day Star that shineth above the horizon of eternity, I sorrow for thee in thy grief, and lament with thee in thy tribulation…. I bear witness to the services thou hast rendered Me, and testify to the various troubles thou hast sustained for My sake. All the atoms of the earth declare My love for thee.
Bahá’u’lláh
Painter Tony Verderosa (United States), right, restoring windows from one of our holy places.
We must partake of the bounty and grace of the Lord, for the Báb has admonished us to arise in service to the Cause of God, to be absolutely severed from all else save God during the day of the Blessed Perfection, Bahá’u’lláh, to be completely attracted by the love of Bahá’u’lláh, to love all humanity for His sake, to be lenient and merciful to all for Him and to upbuild the oneness of the world of humanity.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Painter Gerhard Gross (Austria) applies gold leaf to ironwork made by our ironworkers at the workshop.
Today there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the Most Great Peace.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Carpenter David Simons (Canada) and Aziz Ghalili (Iran and the USA), work on the restoration of the roof over the ante-chamber to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh.
Senses and faculties have been bestowed upon us, to be devoted to the service of the general good; so that we, distinguished above all other forms of life for perceptiveness and reason, should labor at all times and along all lines, whether the occasion be great or small, ordinary or extraordinary, until all mankind are safely gathered into the impregnable stronghold of knowledge.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Bonnie Reed (Alaska) serves on her day off by doing some weeding in the Monument Gardens.
You, too, may be of service to Bahá’u’lláh, by serving at the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Israel, at your National Office or any of its agencies, or by serving the Faith in your own community.
Staff members from the Bahá’í World Centre enjoying a boat trip in the gulf off of Eilat.
Photos circa 1984/85 by the Webmaster