… like going for a walk across a new bridge with 30,000 of your friends. Well, OK, so maybe you don’t have quite that many friends – that just means that there are fewer people to ask you for favors.

Searching your spiritual nature and connecting with your Creator can be done in more intimate surroundings, such as by attending a devotional meeting with Baha’is in your community, or a study circle to learn about important aspects of spirituality from the Baha’i teachings, or a fireside where you can discuss whatever spiritual matters appeal to you. Your children, too, can attend children’s classes. Activities can be planned for junior youth.

Becoming a better person does not happen by accident. Reflection, decision, action, focus, persistence and habit are all required for success in life, spiritual or material.

Photo: the grand opening of the new Narrows Bridge connecting Tacoma and the peninsula, on Sunday, July 15, 2007.

Art is a ladder to the soul. Here are some words by ‘Abdu’l-Baha about the importance of art.

“Music is one of the important arts. It has a great effect upon the human spirit. Musical melodies are a certain something which prove to be accidental upon etheric vibrations, for voice is nothing but the expression of vibrations, which, reaching the tympanum, affect the nerves of hearing. Musical melodies are, therefore, those peculiar effects produced by, or from, vibration. However, they have the keenest effect upon the spirit. In sooth, although music is a material affair, yet its tremendous effect is spiritual, and its greatest attachment is to the realm of the spirit. If a person desires to deliver a discourse, it will prove more effectual after musical melodies.”

“In this Cause the art of music is of paramount importance. The Blessed Perfection, when He first came to the barracks (Acca) repeated this statement: “If among the immediate followers there had been those who could have played some musical instrument, i.e., flute or harp, or could have sung, it would have charmed every one.” In short, musical melodies form an important role in the associations, or outward and inward characteristics, or qualities of man, for it is the inspirer or motive power of both the material and spiritual susceptibilities. What a motive power it is in all feelings of love! When man is attached to the Love of God, music has a great effect upon him.”

“A painter asked: “Is art a worthy vocation?” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá turning to her impressively, said: “Art is worship.”

From the Words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Photo: Glass art by Dale Chihuly on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass next to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington

“Thou didst write as to the children: from the very beginning, the children must receive divine education and must continually be reminded to remember their God. Let the love of God pervade their inmost being, commingled with their mother’s milk.”

“The source of courage and power is the promotion of the Word of God, and steadfastness in His Love.

The essence of charity is for the servant to recount the blessings of his Lord, and to render thanks unto Him at all times and under all conditions.

The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life.”

Baha’u’llah

“Strive as much as ye can to turn wholly toward the Kingdom, that ye may acquire innate courage and ideal power.”

“Then it is clear that the honor and exaltation of man must be something more than material riches. Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality. These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God; universal wisdom, intellectual perception, scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence, natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances; serving the truth under all conditions; the sacrifice of one’s life for the good of all people; kindness and esteem for all nations; obedience to the teachings of God; service in the Divine Kingdom; the guidance of the people, and the education of the nations and races. This is the prosperity of the human world! This is the exaltation of man in the world! This is eternal life and heavenly honor! These virtues do not appear from the reality of man except through the power of God and the divine teachings, for they need supernatural power for their manifestation.”

From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Photo: the Monument Gardens and the Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel

“Thy day of service is now come.”

“That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race.”

“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.”   [Editor: that’s us]

“Proclaim, then, that which the Most Great Spirit will inspire thee to utter in the service of the Cause of thy Lord, that thou mayest stir up the souls of all men and incline their hearts unto this most blessed and all-glorious Court….”

“I entreat Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom of eternity, by the shrill voice of the Pen of Glory, and by the Burning Fire which calleth aloud from the verdant Tree, and by the Ark which Thou hast specially chosen for the people of Baha, to grant that I may remain steadfast in my love for Thee, be well pleased with whatsoever Thou hast prescribed for me in Thy Book and may stand firm in Thy service and in the service of Thy loved ones.”

“Man’s merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches.”

“Arise ye, under all conditions, to render service to the Cause, for God will assuredly assist you through the power of His sovereignty which overshadoweth the worlds.”

From the Writings of Baha’u’llah

“O Lord! Make this youth radiant, and confer Thy bounty upon this poor creature. Bestow upon him knowledge, grant him added strength at the break of every morn and guard him within the shelter of Thy protection so that he may be freed from error, may devote himself to the service of Thy Cause, may guide the wayward, lead the hapless, free the captives and awaken the heedless, that all may be blessed with Thy remembrance and praise. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha

Photo: staff members from the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel climb up the wall of Avdat Canyon in southern Israel during a weekend trip.

 “Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared. God’s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.”

“Say: Honesty, virtue, wisdom and a saintly character redound to the exaltation of man, while dishonesty, imposture, ignorance and hypocrisy lead to his abasement.”

“Every discerning man of wisdom is well acquainted with that which We have mentioned, but not those who have strayed far from the living fountain of fairmindedness and are roving distraught in the wilderness of ignorance and blind fanaticism.”

“True loss is for him whose days have been spent in utter ignorance of his self.”

“Thus it is that certain invalid souls have confined the lands of knowledge within the wall of self and passion, and clouded them with ignorance and blindness, and have been veiled from the light of the mystic sun and the mysteries of the Eternal Beloved; they have strayed afar from the jewelled wisdom of the lucid Faith of the Lord of Messengers, have been shut out of the sanctuary of the All-Beauteous One, and banished from the Ka’bih of splendor.”

From the Writings of Baha’u’llah 

“Those who live thinking good thoughts, doing good deeds, and with love in their hearts — the minds of these become ever clearer, reflecting more and more perfectly the love of God, while the minds of those who live in ignorance and desire are clouded and obscured, and give forth His light but meagrely.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha

Photo: the monument marking the resting place of Munirih Khanum, the wife of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, in the Monument Gardens of the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, Israel.