So not everybody is interested in “spiritual solutions to economic problems.” -gw
fille_a_paris and I are going to Cannes next week – it’s particularly exciting because our flight on Thursday morning is so early that we’re having to spend Wednesday night in a hotel in Luton, so it’s like two holidays in one. I decided to visit the “What’s On…Out ‘n About” page of Luton Today to see if there were any exciting events lined up for our one night in Luton*, but all I found was a meeting at the Central Library where Luton’s Baha’i community are going to discuss “spiritual solutions to economic problems”. Well that’s not really my kind of thing.
The gentleman (and his girl) didn’t go to the meeting, but Karl did, as he was the one to give the presentation. How did it go, Karl? -gw
I have just returned from giving a presentation on ‘Spiritual Solutions To Economic Problems’. I had an interesting conversation with members of the audience (including a Sikh and Hindu gentleman). It was heartening to hear the common agreement on the need for a new economic paradigm based on spiritual values. One of the quotations I used was from a message from the supreme governing body of the Baha’i Faith, The Universal House Of Justice. It reads-
‘This unprecedented economic crisis, together with the social breakdown it has helped to engender, reflects a profound error of conception about human nature itself. For the levels of response elicited from human beings by the incentives of the prevailing order are not only inadequate, but seem almost irrelevant in the face of world events. We are being shown that, unless the development of society finds a purpose beyond the mere amelioration of material conditions, it will fail of attaining even these goals. That purpose must be sought in spiritual dimensions of life and motivation that transcend a constantly changing economic landscape and an artificially imposed division of human societies into “developed” and “developing”.
Nice plug. Neah Bay is a special place, and Hobuck Beach a holy place, especially for Baha’is in August during the Council Fire. -gw
We are the Baha’is of Makah Reservation. Since the mid 1950s we’ve had an active Local Spiritual Assembly, and some of those original LSA members are still active in the Community.
Our annual United Spiritual Gathering Council Fires began in the late 1960’s as a friendly way to introduce the Baha’i Faith to others and to provide an opportunity for Baha’is from to have fellowship and and meet new friends from other communities.
And don’t forget … Cafe Baha’i this Saturday, June 28th, 2008, 7:00-9:30pm, Seattle Bahai Center
The bird seeketh its nest; the nightingale the charm of the rose; whilst those birds, the hearts of men, content with transient dust, have strayed far from their eternal nest, and with eyes turned towards the slough of heedlessness are bereft of the glory of the divine presence. - Baha’u'llah
+find new job.
+start loving clothing again.
+buy a million pairs of new shoes.
+stop drinking.
+braid my hair.
+find the best nail polish ever known to humankind.
+read 100 new books by the end of the year.
+write in a million journals.
+make friends with strangers.
+bake hemp cookies.
+do good.
+read about being baha’i.
+dream.
One team in our recent intensive teaching phase consisted of a mother and daughter. The daughter recently returned from college, where she was active in direct teaching with the Baha’i Community of New York City. The mother felt glad to benefit from the daughter’s greater experience with direct teaching work, and mentioned some of the “learnings” of the day: Keep knocking and wait for people to answer rather than giving up too soon; and if you are the “prayer partner,” don’t interrupt or interject. Pray, trust the system, and let the seeker focus on interacting with one person.
+
Two Baha’i teachers were invited into a home to see a Vietnamese Buddhist alter. To the surprise of the woman whose home it was, the Baha’is responded enthusiastically. They thought that maybe she had expected them to be “scared off” by her Buddhist faith. She requested literature in the Vietnamese language. We will be able to provide it, as well as arranging a visit from a native Vietnamese speaking Baha’i in our cluster. Learning: be ready for anything!
A team of Baha’i teachers talked to a man who was working in his yard. This man came right up to them and offered to cut roses for them from his abundant rose bushes. The alert Baha’is said “You know, the human race is like a rose garden…” and moved right into the presentation! The gardener was in agreement with everything and asked for the teachers to return.
They also met a family who was just about to leave their home for a funeral at their church. One team member shared that her own son had passed away recently, and this lead to a lengthy and heartfelt conversation with the mother of this home, during which most of the teaching presentation was shared and she read the quotations aloud. She is the music director at her church, but she was very open to the ideas. Our teachers will visit her again. Continued
Forum love on CARM. Love the teaching, love the friends online who show up there almost daily. -gw
questions on the Baha’i faith….
Did Baha’u'llah come to open eyes and soften hearts of those who had closed their hearts to God and began following a religion instead…like Jesus revealed to the Jews?
Why is new revelation necessary, Is it because we are evolving?
What is the primary “change” or difference between Jesus message and Baha’u'llah’s?
Oh, and would like to know if most Baha’i (at least here) agree with Susan about the view on evolution…would it be theistic evolution?
thank you in advance for your kindness as I have received nothing but that and love from all the Baha’i here…..
A Baha’i bunny. Undoubtedly hippity-hopping over to say prayers at the HOW. Afterwards, he’ll be headed off to a home-visit, feast, devotional, reflection meeting, children’s class, study circle, junior-youth activity, or some such. This really is a Baha’i bunny.-gw
Then we got on the bus and he commented on the rose I was carrying. I told him I was coming from a Baha’i Feast and asked him if he was familiar with the Baha’i Faith. He said no, so I recited for him the brief introduction from the “Visual Presentation” (Anna’s Presentation). He slightly moved back probably to show he was not very interested, and then I mentioned the name of Baha’u’llah. I wish you could have seen the sparkle in his eyes …. [Click over]
#2
The deeper we went into the topic of the importance of knowing the life of Muhammad and the traditions (hadith), in importance to reading the Qu’ran, the more surprised she was that a non-Muslim would take interest in her religion. Then she asked me, “Why are you taking this class?” I said, because I am a Baha’i and Baha’u’llah came from Shi’i Islam, just as Jesus came from among the Jews…. [click over]
Both WICC and AMICC are committed to achieving full U.S. support for the world’s first permanent court. The International Criminal Court was established in 2002 in The Hague, Netherlands, to try individuals accused of committing genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
A Baha’i representative serves as co-chair of the Faith & Ethics Network for the ICC. The Network is an international interfaith coalition created to promote awareness of the Court and to support justice and reconciliation efforts in countries where the ICC is prosecuting and conducting investigations.
Photo: “Haagse Arc (International Criminal Court) ICC: Het Internationaal Strafhof (International Criminal Court/Court Pénal Internationale, afkorting ICC/CPI) is een permanent hof voor het vervolgen van personen die verdacht worden van genocide, misdaden tegen de menselijkheid en oorlogsmisdaden zoals deze zijn erkend in diverse internationale verdragen. Het strafhof is opgericht in 2002, is in Den Haag gevestigd en de werktalen zijn Engels en Frans.” Uploaded on July 17, 2007
by Michplay, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
“Baha’ullah wrote, ‘Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.’ Fundamental to Baha’i belief is the conviction that every person, every people, every nation has a part to play in building a peaceful and prosperous global society.”
My niece is doing not-so-hot. I am not a big talker when things are happening in my life, but thank you all for your concern and prayers.
fille_a_paris and I are going to Cannes next week – it’s particularly exciting because our flight on Thursday morning is so early that we’re having to spend Wednesday night in a hotel in Luton, so it’s like two holidays in one. I decided to visit the “What’s On…Out ‘n About” page of Luton Today
to see if there were any exciting events lined up for our one night in Luton*, but all I found was a meeting at the Central Library where Luton’s Baha’i community are going to discuss “spiritual solutions to economic problems”. Well that’s not really my kind of thing.
The gentleman (and his girl) didn’t go to the meeting, but Karl did, as he was the one to give the presentation. How did it go, Karl? -gw
as I have received nothing but that and love from all the Baha’i here…..
