THE
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
8 November 2019
To the Baháfís
of the World
Dearly loved
Friends,
1 The measure
of what you have achieved—not only in the last
few weeks, but during
a two-year period
of remarkable advance now brought
to a stunning climax—compels us to address
you who are the visible
hosts of a movement
that has proved itself irrepressible. Far from being merely a memorable
event, the celebration
of the bicentenary of the Birth
of the Báb was the fruit of eight cycles of
devoted effort, carried out in unity and with
a sense of undaunted initiative. We rejoiced to see the friends so assured in their response to the call to service. Local communities, neighbourhoods, and villages
became arenas for intensified
activity of all kinds, as the knowledge
of what the community could accomplish—witnessed at the
last bicentenary—prompted a release
of tremendous energy and enterprise, supported by a sound
process of preparation
and reflection. There are so many highlights
to acknowledge.
Celebrations within families and among families featured
prominently; gatherings organized by youth for their peers were likewise a strength.
Opportunities for animated
retellings of the lives
of the Báb
and His early disciples were
eagerly seized. Festivities were
given added depth through conversations on the needs of society,
often begun by the parents of young
children. The bicentenary elicited
artistic works of beauty and feeling,
creative expressions
of devotion too numerous
and diverse to describe. And the way that
each avenue of activity became a natural invitation to engage with the institute was especially noticeable. We were much
encouraged by the capacity shown to bring the broadest
possible spectrum
of people into the
embrace of the communityfs activities. Surely, this illustrates how moments
sacred in human history and commemorated at Holy Days have immense power to uplift individual souls and to weld a people together
through shared experience. What great
promise for advances
at the level of culture
lies in the universal celebration of such Festivals in place after
place in the years
to come!
2 The reality that there is abundant
receptivity in the world at large is not in doubt. Progress depends on developing
the capacity to extend the community-building process further still. And so all
eyes turn to the months ahead. The devotion
to the Twin Divine Luminaries
and
to the well-being of humanity
which inspired your noble exertions thus far must sustain
you in the coming six cycles.
We urge everyone
who worked to bring about this success
to hasten now and gather again
to reflect and to consult,
and to determine
how best to apply, in each unique
setting, all that
your experience has taught you: how an expanding nucleus of friends
can
cultivate a growing pattern
of activity; how children can advance to the next grade
and junior youth to the succeeding
text, further developing their
moral and spiritual qualities; how institute courses can yield much-needed skills and capacities; how
the path of service
can widen to accommodate large
numbers; how real hope for the betterment of society can be demonstrated in action; and how all of Godfs
peoples can be enabled
to take inspiration from His new Revelation, and souls
who are receptive can be invited to identify
with the Cause of the
Baháfí World Centre • P.O. Box 155 •
3100101 Haifa, Israel Tel: 972 (4) 835 8358 • Email: secretariat@bwc.org
To the Baháfís of the World 2 8 November 2019
Abhá Beauty. In this continuing
period of special potency,
at an hour when the world seems powerless in the face
of overwhelming peril and souls
have succumbed to dismay and despair, Baháfuflláh has shown us another
glimpse of what
the community that bears His name can accomplish through courage—even heroism—in the discharge of its God-given mission. We will pray earnestly in the Holy Shrines for His unfailing confirmations to surround every child and every youth,
every woman and every man, every family and every community
that treasures His love in
their hearts.
