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

THESE are the days of Naw-Ruz. I am always thinking of those kind friends! I beg for each and all of you confirmations and assistance from the threshold of oneness, so that those gatherings may become ignited like unto candles, in the republics of America, enkindling the light of the love of God in the hearts; thus the rays of the heavenly teachings may begem and brighten the states of America like the infinitude of immensity with the stars of the Most Great Guidance.

                                                                                                                               ‘Abdu’l-Baha

 

 

We hope that you can join us for our annual Naw Rúz breakfast, this Saturday, March 21st, at 10:00 a.m. Tim and Deb are hosting their breakfast on behalf of the Tacoma Bahá’í Community for the 15th year! Hooray!

 

As usual, it’s a semi-potluck:  we’ll have ham, quiche, and waffles.  Please bring a breakfast item to share such as fruit, a side dish (potatoes, rice, veggies, or casserole), or bread (biscuits, cinnamon rolls, bagels, etc), or whatever you’d like to share for breakfast.

 

Out of respect for our special guest, there will no moose meat.

 

Photo by John K. Slone

 

 

Thornton Chase (seated right under the umbrella), the first American Bahá’í, visits Bahá’ís in Cairo, Egypt, in April 1907 on the occasion of his pilgrimage.

From Eminent Bahá’ís in the time of Bahá’u’lláh by H.M. Balyuzi, courtesy of George Ronald, Publisher.

 

 

Here is welcome news from the Bahá’í World News Service about a victory for the Faith from an Egyptian Court.

GENEVA (16 March 2009) – A court in Egypt today removed any grounds for preventing Baha’is from receiving proper official identity documents, clearing the way for an end to years of deprivation for Egyptian Baha’is – and opening the door to a new level of respect for religious privacy in Egypt.

The Supreme Administrative Court dismissed an appeal by two Muslim lawyers that sought to prevent implementation of a lower court ruling last year that said Baha’is can leave blank the religious classification field on official documents, including all-important identity cards and birth certificates.

“We are pleased that the court has finally put this matter to rest, removing any possible excuse that would prevent the government from issuing official
documents to Egyptian Baha’is,” said Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.

“Our expectation now is that the government will move swiftly to bring this
ruling into practice and, at long last, grant Baha’is the essential right that
all citizens have of possessing proper documents.”

Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), said the ruling actually goes far beyond the issue of rights for Egyptian Baha’is.

“This is the first time that the Supreme Administrative Court has found that any Egyptian has the right to keep their religious convictions private, even if the state does not recognize their belief system,” said Mr. Bahgat, whose
organization handled legal representation for Baha’is in court.

“The final ruling is a major victory for all Egyptians fighting for a state where all citizens enjoy equal rights regardless of their religion or belief,” he said.

Mr. Bahgat said that because the Supreme Administrative Court is the highest court on such matters, there can be no further appeal to this case – and that, therefore, there should be no delay in the government’s implementation of the new policy.

“The government policy that justified mistreatment of Egyptian Baha’is has now been firmly and finally struck down,” he said.

For nearly five years, since the government began introducing a computerized identity card system that locked out all religious classifications except Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, Baha’is have been unable to get documents essential to day-to-day life. Among other things, they have been blocked from obtaining education, financial services, and even health care in government hospitals.

In April 2006, a lower administrative court upheld the right of Baha’is to be
explicitly identified on official documents. But in December that year, the
Supreme Administrative Court reversed that decision.

In a compromise, Baha’is proposed using a dash or the word “other” on documents, instead of being forced to list themselves as Muslim, Christian, or Jewish, and, on 29 January 2008, a lower court again ruled in their favor. But then two Muslim lawyers, who oppose anything that might be seen as even tacit recognition of the Baha’i Faith, filed an appeal.

In response, government officials took a “go slow” attitude on implementing the lower court ruling, saying they wanted to wait until all legal issues were
cleared up.

The ruling today came in the case of 14-year-old twins Imad and Nancy Rauf Hindi who have been deprived of birth certificates and were unable to legally attend school in Egypt.

In recent weeks, several other cases involving Baha’is have been likewise
resolved in their favor. But the Rauf Hindi twins’ case was the final case to be
settled.

To view the Baha’i World News Service home page: http://news.bahai.org

 

Release yourselves from this world’s life, and at every stage long ye for non-existence; for when the ray returneth to the sun, it is wiped out, and when the drop cometh to the sea, it vanisheth, and when the true lover findeth his Beloved, he yieldeth up his soul.

Until a being setteth his foot in the plane of sacrifice, he is bereft of every favour and grace; and this plane of sacrifice is the realm of dying to the self, that the radiance of the living God may then shine forth. The martyr’s field is the place of detachment from self, that the anthems of eternity may be upraised. Do all ye can to become wholly weary of self, and bind yourselves to that Countenance of Splendours; and once ye have reached such heights of servitude, ye will find, gathered within your shadow, all created things. This is boundless grace; this is the highest sovereignty; this is the life that dieth not. All else save this is at the last but manifest perdition and great loss.

Praise be to God, the gate of boundless grace is opened wide, the heavenly table is set, the servants of the Merciful and His handmaids are present at the feast. Strive ye to receive your share of this eternal food, so that ye shall be loved and cherished in this world and the next.

                                                                                                                               ‘Abdu’l-Baha

 

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light, through which the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the Written Tabled revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered,  to send down upon me and upon them who are in my company that which will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy transcendent glory, and will wash us from the stain of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering into the tabernacle of Thy unity.

I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors. Do Thou ordain for me and for my loved ones the good of this world and of the world to come. Supply them, then, with the Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain for the choicest among Thy creatures.

These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden Thy servants to observe the fast. Blessed is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things except Thee. Assist me and assist them. O my Lord, to obey Thee and to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou choosest.

There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

                                                                                                                   Bahá’u’lláh  

 Image courtesy of www.bahai-biblio

 

 

Poor spring crocuses,

They don’t know what to do.

Should they grow or should they wait?

Can they bloom another date?

 

It’s been a winter long and cool,

But springtime flowers will not wait.

Never mind the snow and hail,

It’s time to burst out nature’s gate!

 

So here we come, you snow clad clime.

Defy we you, so stand aside!

Colors bright and cheery come,

To bloom amidst a sea of green.

 

Springtime glory’s on its way,

So let us not procrastinate.

Set not aside our Naw Rúz fete,

Let floral glory spring in time!

 

 O ye loved ones of God! The wine-cup of Heaven overfloweth, the banquet of God’s Covenant is bright with festive lights, the dawn of all bestowals is breaking, the gentle winds of grace are blowing, and out of the invisible world come good tidings of bounties and gifts. In flower-spangled meadows hath the divine springtime pitched its tents, and the spiritual are inhaling sweet scents from the Sheba of the spirit, carried their way by the east wind. Now doth the mystic nightingale carol its odes, and buds of inner meaning are bursting into blossoms delicate and fair. The field larks are become the festival’s musicians, and lifting wondrous voices they cry and sing to the melodies of the Company on high, ‘Blessed are ye! Glad Tidings! Glad Tidings!’ And they urge on the revellers of the Abha Paradise to drink their fill, and they eloquently hold forth upon the celestial tree, and utter their sacred cries. All this, that withered souls who tread the desert of the heedless, and faded ones lost in the sands of unconcern, may come to throbbing life again, and present themselves at the feasts and revels of the Lord God.

 

                                                                     ‘Abdu’l-Bahá