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Ridvan
1990
Baha'i Era 147
by
Universal House of Justice
1990
To the Bahá'ís
of the World
Dearly loved
Friends,
1 Having ended a year of
momentous achievements, we stand at the threshold of the last decade of this
radiant twentieth century facing an immediate future of immense challenges
and dazzling prospects. The swiftness of events during the past year is
indicative of the acceleration, as the hundredth anniversary of Bahá'u'lláh's
Ascension approaches, of the spiritual forces released with the advent of His
revolutionizing mission. It is an acceleration which, in its suddenness and
wide transformational impact on social thought and on political entities, has
aroused feelings of delight as to its immediate effects and of bewilderment
as to its real meaning and destined outcome, prompting the astonished editors
of an outstanding newspaper, finding themselves bereft of explanations, to
attribute it to the workings of an "Invisible Hand".
2 For the followers of
Bahá'u'lláh throughout the world there can be no doubt as to the Divine
Source and clear intention of these extraordinary happenings. Let us rejoice,
therefore, in the wondrous signs of the beneficence of God's abounding grace.
The high level of teaching and enrolments reported last Ri|dván has been
sustained, and new fields of teaching have been opened from Eastern Europe to
the China Sea. With the settlement in recent weeks of two Knights of
Bahá'u'lláh in Sakhalin Island, the last remaining territory named by Shoghi
Effendi in his Ten Year Global Plan entered the Bahá'í fold. The re-creation
last Ri|dván of the Local Spiritual Assembly of `Ishqábád, the recent
election of that of Cluj in Romania, the first new Assembly in the "East
Bloc", the re-establishment and formation this Ri|dván of Local
Spiritual Assemblies in other parts of the Soviet Union and in other
countries of Eastern Europe---all these achievements and immediate prospects
affirm our arrival at a significant milestone in the fourth epoch of the
Formative Age. The Administrative Order now embraces a community of wider
diversity than ever before. It is such prodigious developments that prompted
our recent announcement of a subsidiary Two Year Teaching Plan, now formally
launched, to which we commend your urgent and active attention.
3 How staggering, how
far-reaching have been the activities which propelled the community in one
short year towards this stage in its evolution! As we reflect on the wonders
of Bahá'u'lláh's confirmations, our hearts turn with love and appreciation to
the Hands of the Cause of God everywhere, who, as the standard-bearers of
that community, have ever upheld its bright emblems against the darkness of
the times. With an indomitable spirit they persevere in fulfilling, under all
circumstances and wherever they may be, their God-given tasks to stimulate,
edify, and advise its widely scattered, rapidly multiplying members. In the face
of the new situation in the Bahá'í world, we take joy in mentioning some
instances in the past year of association of Hands of the Cause with the
developments in Europe and Asia. Amatu'l-Bahá Rú|híyyih Khánum, in an
extended journey to the Far East, represented the Universal House of Justice
at the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Macau; spent time with
the Knight of Bahá'u'lláh in Mongolia where subsequently the first native
declared her belief in Bahá'u'lláh; and devoted much attention to the friends
in different parts of the People's Republic of China, where her film
"The Green Light Expedition" has been shown on television. Mr.
Collis Featherstone focused much energy on reinvigorating the long-suffering
friends in war-ravaged Vietnam. At this very moment, Mr. `Alí-Akbar Furútan
is visiting the USSR, which he was forced to leave during the persecution of
the Faith there; now he has returned in triumphant fulfilment of a wish
expressed to him by our beloved Guardian some sixty years ago.
4 Nor have the Counsellor
members of the International Teaching Centre been slow in responding to
opportunities to foster the climate of progress now evident in all quarters
of the globe. Through the unified vision of growth to which they have called
the Continental Boards of Counsellors and their able, hardworking and
self-sacrificing auxiliaries, a new vitality can be felt in the expansion and
consolidation of the Faith throughout the world. The Continental Counsellors
deserve the deep gratitude of the entire Bahá'í community as they approach
the close of their current five-year term, distinguished for their
outstanding services. Just as the community has extended its ramifications
internally, it has also expanded its relations, influence and appeal externally
in a variety of ways, some astonishing in their breadth and potential. A few
examples will suffice: Through the newly established Office of the
Environment, the Bahá'í International Community, on its own initiative and in
collaboration with other environmental organizations, re-instituted the
annual World Forestry Charter Gathering founded in 1945 by the renowned
Richard St. Barbe Baker; since then the Office of the Environment has been
invited to participate in important events sponsored by international
organizations concerned with environmental questions. The Bahá'í
International Community has been involved in the work of the Task Force for
Literacy under the aegis of UNESCO and was invited to participate in the
World Conference on Education for All held in Thailand, where its
representative was asked to assume a variety of highly visible and important
tasks which gave prominence to the Bahá'í community. Steps were taken, with
the encouragement of a Fijian senior Government official, to open in Suva a
branch of the Bahá'í International Community's United Nations Office for the
Pacific region. The University of Maryland in the United States announced its
decision to establish "The Bahá'í Chair for World Peace" in its
Center for International Development and Conflict Management, which will give
rise to a great increase in academic efforts to examine the Cause of
Bahá'u'lláh. At almost the same time the National Spiritual Assembly of India
announced that an agreement had been reached to establish a Chair for Bahá'í
Studies at the University of Indore.
5 The continuing efforts to
secure the emancipation of the Bahá'ís of Iran evolved to a new stage. For
the first time, a United Nations representative was able officially to meet
on Iranian soil with a representative of the proscribed Bahá'í community. The
result was recorded in a report to the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights, at whose recent session in Geneva a resolution on Iran mentioning the
Bahá'ís was again adopted. In a corollary action of far-reaching importance
the United States House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution
calling for the emancipation of the Iranian Bahá'í community and outlining
steps to be taken by the United States Government towards this end; a similar
resolution is before the Senate.
6 In the Holy Land,
preparations for the execution of the building projects on Mount Carmel
received a definite boost. It is a cause of deep satisfaction that, on the
eve of Naw-Rúz, the District Town Planning Commission, after delicate and
complex negotiations, decided to approve the plan submitted by the Bahá'í
World Centre. This paves the way for the ultimate issuance of building
permits.
7 Beloved Friends: Merely two
years separate us from the conclusion of the Six Year Plan and the beginning
at Ri|dván 1992 of the Holy Year, that special time when we shall pause to
appreciate the tumultuous record of events which will have brought us to the
Centenary of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh and to reflect with due solemnity
upon the redemptive purpose of the life of the most precious Being ever to
have drawn breath on this planet.
8 In anticipation of this
high watermark in Bahá'í history, plans have been set in motion for two major
world events: One, the gathering in the Holy Land of a wide representation of
believers from around the globe to participate in a befitting commemoration
of that poignant consummation in the vicinity of the Most Holy Shrine. A
component of this commemoration, symbolic of the transcendent and victorious
influence of Bahá'u'lláh's liberated Spirit, will be the depositing beneath
the floor at the entrance door of His Shrine of a receptacle containing the
illuminated Roll of Honour of the Knights of Bahá'u'lláh, a listing initiated
by Shoghi Effendi during his Ten Year Plan of those intrepid souls who arose
to conquer in the Name of their Lord virgin territories mentioned in that
Plan. This will have brought to a fitting conclusion, after nearly four
decades, an intention expressed by the beloved Guardian himself. The living
Knights of Bahá'u'lláh will be invited to witness this occurrence.
9 The other event will be the
Bahá'í World Congress to celebrate the centennial of the inauguration of the
Covenant bequeathed to posterity by Bahá'u'lláh as the sure means of
safeguarding the unity and integrity of His world-embracing Order. It is to
be convened in November 1992 in New York, the place designated as the City of
the Covenant by Him Who is its appointed Centre and Who anticipated that
"New York will become a blessed spot from which the call to
steadfastness in the Covenant and Testament of God will go forth to every
part of the world".
10 Related events at the local
and national levels will combine with these two primary occasions to give
vent to the innermost sentiments of the Bahá'ís and to impress on the public
the profound fact of the appearance in the world of the Lord of the Covenant
and the aims and achievements of His sublime mission. Indeed, plans are in
progress to mount an intensive campaign to emblazon His Name across the
globe.
11 The friends everywhere must
now orient themselves to the significances of these twin anniversaries. They
must be spiritually prepared through prayer and study of the Teachings to
obtain a deeper appreciation of the station and purpose of Bahá'u'lláh and of
the basic meaning of His mighty Covenant. Such preparation is at the very
core of their striving to effect a transformation in their individual and
collective lives. Let all the friends---every man, woman and youth---demonstrate
through the high quality of their inner life and private character, the
unified spirit of their association one with another, the rectitude of their
conduct in relation to all, and the excellence of their achievements, that
they belong to a truly enlightened and exemplary community; that their Best
Beloved, whose Ascension they will commemorate, had not suffered His life on
earth in vain. Let these requisites be the standard of their efforts to teach
His Cause, the hallmark of their homage to the King of Kings.
12 Our dear and valued
Co-workers: It is at such a time of profound anticipation for us that world
society finds itself in a critical phase of its transition to the character
envisioned for it by the Lord of the Age. The winds of God rage on, upsetting
old systems, adding impetus to the deep yearning for a new order in human
affairs, and opening the way for the hoisting of the banner of Bahá'u'lláh in
lands from which it has hitherto been barred. The rapidity of the changes
being wrought stirs up the expectations which inspire our dreams in the
closing decade of the twentieth century. The situation is equally a bright
portent and a weighty challenge.
13 It is portentous of the
profound change in the structure of present-day society which attainment to
the Lesser Peace implies. Hopeful as are the signs, we cannot forget that the
dark passage of the Age of Transition has not been fully traversed; it is as
yet long, slippery and tortuous. For godlessness is rife, materialism
rampant. Nationalism and racism still work their treachery in men's hearts,
and humanity remains blind to the spiritual foundations of the solution to
its economic woes. For the Bahá'í community the situation is a particular
challenge, because time is running out and we have serious commitments to
keep. The most immediate of these are: One, to teach the Cause of God and
build its divinely ordained institutions throughout the world with wisdom,
courage and urgency; and two, to complete on Mount Carmel the construction of
the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb and the remaining buildings on the Arc
of the World Administrative Centre of the Faith. The one calls for resolute,
sustained and confident action on the part of the individual believer. The
other requires a liberal outpouring of funds. Both are intimately related.
14 Over the last two years,
almost one million souls entered the Cause. The increasing instances of entry
by troops in different places contributed to that growth, drawing attention
to Shoghi Effendi's vision which shapes our perception of glorious future
possibilities in the teaching field. For he has asserted that the process of
"entry by troops of peoples of divers nations and races into the
Bahá'í world…will be the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a mass
conversion on the part of these same nations and races, and as a direct
result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly catastrophic in nature,
and which cannot as yet be even dimly visualized, will suddenly revolutionize
the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and
reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power
and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh"(1). We
have every encouragement to believe that large-scale enrolments will expand,
involving village after village, town after town, from one country to
another. However, it is not for us to wait passively for the ultimate
fulfilment of Shoghi Effendi's vision. We few, placing our whole trust in the
providence of God and regarding as a divine privilege the challenges which
face us, must proceed to victory with the plans in hand.
15 An expansion of thought and
action in certain aspects of our work would enhance our possibilities for
success in meeting our aforementioned commitments. Since change, ever more
rapid change, is a constant characteristic of life at this time, and since
our growth, size and external relations demand much of us, our community must
be ready to adapt. In a sense this means that the community must become more
adept at accommodating a wide range of actions without losing concentration
on the primary objectives of teaching, namely, expansion and consolidation. A
unity in diversity of actions is called for, a condition in which different
individuals will concentrate on different activities, appreciating the
salutary effect of the aggregate on the growth and development of the Faith,
because each person cannot do everything and all persons cannot do the same
thing. This understanding is important to the maturity which, by the many
demands being made upon it, the community is being forced to attain.
16 The Order brought by
Bahá'u'lláh is intended to guide the progress and resolve the problems of
society. Our numbers are as yet too small to effect an adequate demonstration
of the potentialities inherent in the administrative system we are building,
and the efficacy of this system will not be fully appreciated without a vast
expansion of our membership. With the prevailing situation in the world the
necessity to effect such a demonstration becomes more compelling. It is all
too obvious that even those who rail against the defects of the old order,
and would even tear it down, are themselves bereft of any viable alternative
to put in its place. Since the Administrative Order is designed to be a
pattern for future society, the visibility of such a pattern will be a signal
of hope to those who despair.
17 Thus far, we have achieved
a marvellous diversity in the large numbers of ethnic groups represented in
the Faith, and everything should be done to fortify it through larger
enrolments from among groups already represented and the attraction of
members from groups not yet reached. However, there is another category of
diversity which must be built up and without which the Cause will not be able
adequately to meet the challenges being thrust upon it. Its membership,
regardless of ethnic variety, needs now to embrace increasing numbers of
people of capacity, including persons of accomplishment and prominence in the
various fields of human endeavour. Enrolling significant numbers of such
persons is an indispensable aspect of teaching the masses, an aspect which
cannot any longer be neglected and which must be consciously and deliberately
incorporated into our teaching work, so as to broaden its base and accelerate
the process of entry by troops. So important and timely is the need for
action on this matter that we are impelled to call upon Continental
Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies to devote serious attention to
it in their consultations and plans.
18 The affairs of mankind have
reached a stage at which increasing calls will be made upon our community to
assist, through advice and practical measures, in solving critical social
problems. It is a service that we will gladly render, but this means that our
Local and National Spiritual Assemblies must adhere more scrupulously to
principle. With increasing public attention being focused on the Cause of
God, it becomes imperative for Bahá'í institutions to improve their
performance, through a closer identification with the fundamental verities of
the Faith, through greater conformity to the spirit and form of Bahá'í
administration and through a keener reliance on the beneficial effects of
proper consultation, so that the communities they guide will reflect a
pattern of life that will offer hope to the disillusioned members of society.
19 That there are indications
that the Lesser Peace cannot be too far distant, that the local and national
institutions of the Administrative Order are growing steadily in experience
and influence, that the plans for the construction of the remaining
administrative edifices on the Arc are in an advanced stage -- that these
hopeful conditions make more discernible the shaping of the dynamic
synchronization envisaged by Shoghi Effendi, no honest observer can deny.
20 As a community clearly in
the vanguard of the constructive forces at work on the planet, and as one
which has access to proven knowledge, let us be about our Father's business.
He will, from His glorious retreats on high, release liberal effusions of His
grace upon our humble efforts, astonishing us with the incalculable victories
of His conquering power. It is for the unceasing blessings of such a Father
that we shall continue to supplicate on behalf of each and every one of you
at the Sacred Threshold.
The Universal
House of Justice
Footnotes
(1)
Citadel
of Faith: Messages to America 1947-1957 (Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust,
1980), p. 117
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