I was fortunate to discover Bahá’u’lláh when I was 17, thirty-six years ago. And I continue to find the eloquent Scriptures that He revealed, without formal education or hesitation, to be sufficient proof of His astonishing claim to be the Return of the spirit of Christ –in the same manner that John the Baptist was the return of Elijah. They were not the same individual, but their qualities, their power and authority, their duties and office were the same. I think of Him as the Promised One of all religions, the Lord of Hosts, the King of Glory, because He has brought the panacea for individuals and nations –those things that could not be told before.
I believe that’ world peace is not only possible but inevitable’. It was prophesied; and it is coming, but not until the worlds’ rulers apply the prescription given by the divine Physician. He said:
“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established. This unity can never be achieved so long as the counsels which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed are suffered to pass unheeded.”
I believe “…the establishment of peace is unachievable save through the power of the Word of God. When a conference is convened, representative of all nations and working under the influence of the Word of God, then universal peace will be established but otherwise it is impossible.”
There seems to be a disconnect between peoples awareness of Bahá’u’lláh’s Mission and the problems in the Middle East. For people who don’t already know, Bahá’u’lláh was born in Persia in 1817, and was exiled to Iraq in 1853, for being one of the prominent followers of the Báb, who had been executed for preparing the country for His coming, in the same way John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus.
Bahá’u’lláh lived in Baghdad for ten years and associated with the people in the coffee shops, and wrote some of His most important works during that time. He promised that the city would eventually reflect its old name: Dar’u’Salaam –The Abode of Peace. The House He lived in is venerated by His followers but has not been accessible for years. The chaos there now is a preface to the Most Great Peace; and will disappear when the prejudices that fuel it are eradicated.
Bahá’u’lláh was exiled again to the Ottoman Capital in Turkey, and finally to the prison-fortress of Akka, in Palestine, in 1868. He predicted the fall of the Caliphate, atomic weapons, the formation of a federation of nations, and the upsurge in scientific inventions, which make the global culture possible. He was able to stand on Mount Carmel, recognized by some scholars as ‘the mountain of Megiddo’ and announce the appearance of His new world order, which is relentlessly unfolding with every passing year. Bahá’u’lláh abrogated or abolished military jíhad, so I believe the terror being caused by Islamic radicals, stems from generations of clergy who have acted as smoke and clouds covering up the sun, and encouraging their followers to apply solutions from a previous age that are no longer effective.
Over 800 people were killed in Lebanon during the 34-day campaign, most of them civilians.
Israel suffered 157 dead – including 118 soldiers. And the cause of this war can be traced directly to the inaction or inappropriate action of the religious leaders, who should be the sheperds of their flocks, but appear to be wolves instead.
The Shí’ite clergy have been opposed to Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb from the beginning, as is apparent from nearly 30 years of atrocities, documented by the UN Human Rights commission and many other parliaments.
For over a century, the Shrines and gardens of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, in Israel, have been visited by more and more people from all over the world. My family is getting ready to go for the third time.
I believe what Bahá’u’lláh taught is relevant for modern civilization to continue. These principles include the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion, the Oneness of Humanity, the right of each person to Investigate Truth independently, the Elimination of All Prejudices between races and classes of people, to marry who they want and carry on with their lives. It includes Non-Interference of Religion with Politics, that Religion Must Be the Cause of Harmony! If it isn’t, who needs it!
And Religion is in Harmony with Science; Truth is one, and as in everything else, the Bahá’í teachings find the balance between literalism and random evolution. It calls for the Equality of Men and Women who are like the wings of one bird, Universal Education, Universal Peace, a Universal Auxiliary Language democratically chosen by the peoples of the world, Spiritual Solutions to the Eco-Crises, and asserts that Humanity is in Need of the Holy Spirit; and a life of Prayer and occasional Fasting is good for spiritual growth.
These Teachings were promoted in the West in 1912 by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’u’lláh’s Son, and I believe they are the very Life and Soul of the World.
‘You will know them by their fruits’, and the fruits of this Teacher are good.