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Bahá'í Administration
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Pages 60-65
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Letter of February 23, 1924.
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To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout America.
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My dear fellow-workers:
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I gather from various sources that the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, in
the course of its sure yet toilsome march towards the salvation of
the world, has encountered of late further obstacles, which in the
eyes of some appear to retard its progress and hinder its growth.
I have learned with feelings of sadness and surprise that some vague
sense of apprehension, a strange misconception of its immediate
purpose and methods, is slowly gaining ground, steadily affecting
its wholesome growth and vigorous development throughout the
continent.
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Though such signs should appear from time to time, and however
unrepresentative they be of the vast and growing mass of its convinced
and zealous supporters, the world over, what, I wonder, could
have caused this uneasiness of mind? Are such misgivings possible,
though on the part of but a few, in the face of the remarkable
manifestations of so remarkable a movement? To what extent do
they form a part of those mental tests and trials destined at various
times by the Almighty to stir and reinvigorate the body of His
Cause, and how far are they traceable to our imperfect state of
understanding, to our weaknesses and failings?
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That the Cause of God should, in the days to come, witness many
a challenging hour and pass through critical stages in preparation
for the glories of its promised ascendancy in the new world has
been, time and again, undeniably affirmed by our departed Master,
and is abundantly proved to us all by its heroic past and turbulent
history. And yet, if it is the lot of the chosen ones of God, the
people of Bahá, to face adversity and suffer tribulation before
achieving ultimate victory, are we to believe that whatever befalls us
is divinely ordained, and in no wise the result of our faint-heartedness
and negligence?
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Surely now, if ever, is the time to turn our eyes inwardly, to
bestir ourselves, to invoke the Most Great Name, and standing together,
summon to our aid and support all the faith, the strength,
and the courage that we shall need to meet our pressing obligations
and discharge our trust.
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The plight of mankind, the condition and circumstances under
which we live and labor are truly disheartening, and the darkness of
prejudice and ill-will enough to chill the stoutest heart. Disillusion
and dismay are invading the hearts of peoples and nations, and the
hope and vision of a united and regenerated humanity is growing
dimmer and dimmer every day. Time-honored institutions, cherished
ideals, and sacred traditions are suffering in these days of
bewildering change, from the effects of the gravest onslaught, and
the precious fruit of centuries of patient and earnest labor is faced
with peril. Passions, supposed to have been curbed and subdued, are
now burning fiercer than ever before, and the voice of peace and
good-will seems drowned amid unceasing convulsions and turmoil.
What, let us ask ourselves, should be our attitude as we stand under
the all-seeing eye of our vigilant Master, gazing at a sad spectacle
so utterly remote from the spirit which He breathed into the world?
Are we to follow in the wake of the wayward and the despairing?
Are we to allow our vision of so unique, so enduring, so precious
a Cause to be clouded by the stain and dust of worldly happenings,
which, no matter how glittering and far-reaching in their immediate
effects, are but the fleeting shadows of an imperfect world? Are
we to be carried away by the flood of hollow and conflicting ideas,
or are we to stand, unsubdued and unblemished, upon the everlasting
rock of God's Divine Instructions? Shall we not equip ourselves
with a clear and full understanding of their purpose and implications
for the age we live in, and with an unconquerable resolve arise to
utilize them, intelligently and with scrupulous fidelity, for the enlightenment
and the promotion of the good of all mankind?
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Humanity, torn with dissension and burning with hate, is crying
at this hour for a fuller measure of that love which is born of God,
that love which in the last resort will prove the one solvent of its
incalculable difficulties and problems. Is it not incumbent upon us,
whose hearts are aglow with love for Him, to make still greater
effort, to manifest that love in all its purity and power in our dealings
with our fellow-men? May our love of our beloved Master, so
ardent, so disinterested in all its aspects, find its true expression in
love for our fellow-brethren and sisters in the faith as well as for
all mankind. I assure you, dear friends, that progress in such matters
as these is limitless and infinite, and that upon the extent of our
achievements along this line will ultimately depend the success of
our mission in life.
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And as we make an effort to demonstrate that love to the world
may we also clear our minds of any lingering trace of unhappy
misunderstandings that might obscure our clear conception of the
exact purpose and methods of this new world order, so challenging
and complex, yet so consummate and wise. We are called upon by
our beloved Master in His Will and Testament not only to adopt it
unreservedly, but to unveil its merit to all the world. To attempt to
estimate its full value, and grasp its exact significance after so short
a time since its inception would be premature and presumptuous on
our part. We must trust to time, and the guidance of God's Universal
House of Justice, to obtain a clearer and fuller understanding
of its provisions and implications. But one word of warning must
be uttered in this connection. Let us be on our guard lest we measure
too strictly the Divine Plan with the standard of men. I am not
prepared to state that it agrees in principle or in method with the
prevailing notions now uppermost in men's minds, nor that it should
conform with those imperfect, precarious, and expedient measures
feverishly resorted to by agitated humanity. Are we to doubt that
the ways of God are not necessarily the ways of man? Is not faith
but another word for implicit obedience, whole-hearted allegiance,
uncompromising adherence to that which we believe is the revealed
and express will of God, however perplexing it might first appear,
however at variance with the shadowy views, the impotent doctrines,
the crude theories, the idle imaginings, the fashionable conceptions
of a transient and troublous age? If we are to falter or hesitate, if
our love for Him should fail to direct us and keep us within His
path, if we desert Divine and emphatic principles, what hope can we
any more cherish for healing the ills and sicknesses of this world?
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Pending the establishment of the Universal House of Justice,
whose function it is to lay more definitely the broad lines that must
guide the future activities and administration of the Movement, it
is clearly our duty to strive to obtain as clear a view as possible of
the manner in which to conduct the affairs of the Cause, and then
arise with single-mindedness and determination to adopt and maintain
it in all our activities and labors.
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The various Assemblies, local and national, constitute today the
bedrock upon the strength of which the Universal House is in future
to be firmly established and raised. Not until these function vigorously
and harmoniously can the hope for the termination of this
period of transition be realized. It devolves upon us whose dearest
wish is to see the Cause enter upon that promised era of universal
recognition and world achievements, to do all in our power to consolidate
the foundations of these Assemblies, promoting at the same
time a fuller understanding of their purpose and more harmonious
cooperation for their maintenance and success.
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Let us also remember that at the very root of the Cause lies the
principle of the undoubted right of the individual to self-expression,
his freedom to declare his conscience and set forth his views. If
certain instructions of the Master are today particularly emphasized
and scrupulously adhered to, let us be sure that they are but provisional
measures designed to guard and protect the Cause in its
present state of infancy and growth until the day when this tender
and precious plant shall have sufficiently grown to be able to withstand
the unwisdom of its friends and the attacks of its enemies.
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Let us also bear in mind that the keynote of the Cause of God
is not dictatorial authority but humble fellowship, not arbitrary
power, but the spirit of frank and loving consultation. Nothing
short of the spirit of a true Bahá'í can hope to reconcile the principles
of mercy and justice, of freedom and submission, of the sanctity of
the right of the individual and of self-surrender, of vigilance, discretion
and prudence on the one hand, and fellowship, candor, and
courage on the other.
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The duties of those whom the friends have freely and conscientiously
elected as their representatives are no less vital and
binding than the obligations of those who have chosen them. Their
function is not to dictate, but to consult, and consult not only among
themselves, but as much as possible with the friends whom they
represent. They must regard themselves in no other light but that
of chosen instruments for a more efficient and dignified presentation
of the Cause of God. They should never be led to suppose that they
are the central ornaments of the body of the Cause, intrinsically
superior to others in capacity or merit, and sole promoters of its
teachings and principles. They should approach their task with
extreme humility, and endeavor, by their open-mindedness, their
high sense of justice and duty, their candor, their modesty, their
entire devotion to the welfare and interests of the friends, the Cause,
and humanity, to win, not only the confidence and the genuine support
and respect of those whom they serve, but also their esteem and
real affection. They must, at all times, avoid the spirit of exclusiveness,
the atmosphere of secrecy, free themselves from a domineering
attitude, and banish all forms of prejudice and passion from their
deliberations. They should, within the limits of wise discretion,
take the friends into their confidence, acquaint them with their plans,
share with them their problems and anxieties, and seek their advice
and counsel. And, when they are called upon to arrive at a certain
decision, they should, after dispassionate, anxious and cordial consultation,
turn to God in prayer, and with earnestness and conviction
and courage record their vote and abide by the voice of the majority,
which we are told by our Master to be the voice of truth, never
to be challenged, and always to be whole-heartedly enforced. To
this voice the friends must heartily respond, and regard it as the
only means that can insure the protection and advancement of the
Cause.
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Again I earnestly appeal to every one of you, and renew my
only request with all the ardor of my conviction, to make, before
and during the coming Convention, yet another effort, this time
more spontaneous and selfless than before, and endeavor to approach
your task--the election of your delegates, as well as your national
and local representatives--with that purity of spirit that can alone
obtain our Beloved's most cherished desire. Let us recall His
explicit and often-repeated assurances that every Assembly elected
in that rarefied atmosphere of selflessness and detachment is, in
truth, appointed of God, that its verdict is truly inspired, that one
and all should submit to its decision unreservedly and with cheerfulness.
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Let us first strive to fulfill these conditions, difficult yet essential,
in our lives, so that, contented and assured, we may make of this
new year of activity a year of abundant blessings, of unprecedented
achievements.
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May this dearest wish be fulfilled!
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SHOGHI.
Haifa, Palestine,
February 23, 1924.
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