It took me forever to get through this book. Each time I picked it up a read some and what I saw was so rich and majestic I had to stop after a few pages.
The last tablet still has my heart thorbing.
Ya Baha'u'l-Abha!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
I am so in love with the Guardian
this is the most amazing post. I already have three books I am reading and love but don't have time to finish them and now I have a new desire to read Shoghi Effendi and all the books that informed him!
06:55 pm - searching for a source... (Taken from Livejournal ljbahai group)
On page 168 of The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi writes:Amidst the shadows which are increasingly gathering about us we can faintly discern the glimmerings of Bahá'u'lláh's unearthly sovereignty appearing fitfully on the horizon of history. To us, the "generation of the half-light," living at a time which may be designated as the period of the incubation of the World Commonwealth envisaged by Bahá'u'lláh, has been assigned a task whose high privilege we can never sufficiently appreciate, and the arduousness of 169 which we can as yet but dimly recognize. We may well believe, we who are called upon to experience the operation of the dark forces destined to unloose a flood of agonizing afflictions, that the darkest hour that must precede the dawn of the Golden Age of our Faith has not yet struck. Deep as is the gloom that already encircles the world, the afflictive ordeals which that world is to suffer are still in preparation, nor can their blackness be as yet imagined. We stand on the threshold of an age whose convulsions proclaim alike the death-pangs of the old order and the birth-pangs of the new. Through the generating influence of the Faith announced by Bahá'u'lláh this New World Order may be said to have been conceived. We can, at the present moment, experience its stirrings in the womb of a travailing age -- an age waiting for the appointed hour at which it can cast its burden and yield its fairest fruit.
I'm curious about the "generation of the half-light" quote (though I've posted its larger setting because the rest of the paragraph makes a great quote on its own). He is quoting, I would assume, either Bahá'u'lláh or `Abdu'l-Bahá on this term, but I can't find any other context for it on Ocean, and so was wondering if anyone knew where it was first used. Any light shed on this is greatly appreciated!
Comment:
I ran the phrase through Google and there was mention on talisman that it's from H.G. Wells' "The Shape of Things to Come". Here's the message which talks about the source - it's near the bottom of the page (search for the phrase in the page).
I don't know for sure if it was indeed marked in Shoghi Effendi's copy of the book, but the phrase is certainly in "The Shape of Things to Come", in Chapter 2, in context of the birth of the Modern State. Interestingly, even H.G. Wells appears to be quoting the phrase (he uses quotation marks for it): (http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/w/wells/hg/w45th/chapter2.html)
He again mentions the conceptual metaphor of half light in Chapter 29.(the e-book for The Shape of Things to Come is HERE.)I'm guessing that H.G. Wells is either quoting William Archer who wrote "The Great Analysis - a plea for a rational world order", or Maxwell Brown's "Modern State Prophets Before the Great War" (the latter seems almost non-existent in Google-land).
That's some light shed, now I'm curious about the books that Shoghi Effendi read.
06:55 pm - searching for a source... (Taken from Livejournal ljbahai group)
On page 168 of The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi writes:Amidst the shadows which are increasingly gathering about us we can faintly discern the glimmerings of Bahá'u'lláh's unearthly sovereignty appearing fitfully on the horizon of history. To us, the "generation of the half-light," living at a time which may be designated as the period of the incubation of the World Commonwealth envisaged by Bahá'u'lláh, has been assigned a task whose high privilege we can never sufficiently appreciate, and the arduousness of 169 which we can as yet but dimly recognize. We may well believe, we who are called upon to experience the operation of the dark forces destined to unloose a flood of agonizing afflictions, that the darkest hour that must precede the dawn of the Golden Age of our Faith has not yet struck. Deep as is the gloom that already encircles the world, the afflictive ordeals which that world is to suffer are still in preparation, nor can their blackness be as yet imagined. We stand on the threshold of an age whose convulsions proclaim alike the death-pangs of the old order and the birth-pangs of the new. Through the generating influence of the Faith announced by Bahá'u'lláh this New World Order may be said to have been conceived. We can, at the present moment, experience its stirrings in the womb of a travailing age -- an age waiting for the appointed hour at which it can cast its burden and yield its fairest fruit.
I'm curious about the "generation of the half-light" quote (though I've posted its larger setting because the rest of the paragraph makes a great quote on its own). He is quoting, I would assume, either Bahá'u'lláh or `Abdu'l-Bahá on this term, but I can't find any other context for it on Ocean, and so was wondering if anyone knew where it was first used. Any light shed on this is greatly appreciated!
Comment:
I ran the phrase through Google and there was mention on talisman that it's from H.G. Wells' "The Shape of Things to Come". Here's the message which talks about the source - it's near the bottom of the page (search for the phrase in the page).
I don't know for sure if it was indeed marked in Shoghi Effendi's copy of the book, but the phrase is certainly in "The Shape of Things to Come", in Chapter 2, in context of the birth of the Modern State. Interestingly, even H.G. Wells appears to be quoting the phrase (he uses quotation marks for it): (http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/w/wells/hg/w45th/chapter2.html)
He again mentions the conceptual metaphor of half light in Chapter 29.(the e-book for The Shape of Things to Come is HERE.)I'm guessing that H.G. Wells is either quoting William Archer who wrote "The Great Analysis - a plea for a rational world order", or Maxwell Brown's "Modern State Prophets Before the Great War" (the latter seems almost non-existent in Google-land).
That's some light shed, now I'm curious about the books that Shoghi Effendi read.
Monday, November 20, 2006
My job cracks me up.
What does this sound like an agenda for:
1) Look over guidance of given for this three year period and gain new
inspiration to work toward common goals
2) Celebrate the achievements of this quarter
3) Look at goals for the up coming quarter of work
4) hear success stories from people in the field explaining how activities
should look
5) plan with a team from your area to achieve these goals with the help of
a centralized planning committee.
This is a patent Reflection gathering, no? I didn't even notice until I
finished the agenda. I didn't even write most of this, it was my
co-workers, but I swear my job is just like managing a cluster. It's eerie
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
An interesting week
I guess the first part of this week was rough. These were the factors that seemed to be involved:
1) It can really be tough to have a job where there is nothing to do all day. Last week was impressive, aside from answering the phones a couple of times, I did no work. At all. I looked busy, but in fact my activities consisted of creating a myspace account, searching for friends and playing spades on the computer. Yet again in this week, my boss asked (well, maybe it was closer to begging this time) for me to stay on next year as staff (salary, benefits etc. included) I don't think I want to stay. I have always said that money would not ever be a priority with me, but service. Now I have to think about that in real time. This job is great for being an active Baha'i, I can do whatever I need to paperwork wise during the day and I am free all nights and weekends to support community activities, and the money will make it easier to get savings together so that I can pioneer, but working this job seems dishonest almost. I do not earn anything. I do not create anything.
2) I was also tired. This weekend's holy day celebration was amazing. I was really happy with how it went, but getting everything ready was a lot of work. I have not really recovered. I needed sleep and rest, but I had too many things to do.
3) And I was stressing about people. Living with people, although I would not like to live alone, is hard. It was hard at school. It was hard on year of service. It's hard with family. And it's hard now. And friends. They are complicated too and hard to communicate with.
I thought these were the issues that were making me crazy, and they were, but the solution turned out to be one I should have seen all along. This time change has totally thrown off my prayer schedule. There is no time for a spiritual practice after work, because it's already dark and I'm too tired to say the long one. It took me until yesterday to realize the sun was not going to go down any later tomorrow and change my life accordingly. That, accompanied by a little tablet of Ahmad action and see the results:
a) I got to work yesterday and was asked to help alleviate an emergency by driving a co-worker to Raton for the day (much more interesting than a computer screen and being out and seeing the beauty of the country was just what I needed)
b) One of my core activities just got a lot easier. There are a few people who can help me and I will not have to give up every Saturday (my only free day)
c) I was suddenly able to come up with some ideas that will make my home life much better and less stressful.
So yeah, prayer works. I could really use more though. I can't really go into the most perplexing thing in my life right now, but I am in a serious catch 22 and could use some Divine assistance.
1) It can really be tough to have a job where there is nothing to do all day. Last week was impressive, aside from answering the phones a couple of times, I did no work. At all. I looked busy, but in fact my activities consisted of creating a myspace account, searching for friends and playing spades on the computer. Yet again in this week, my boss asked (well, maybe it was closer to begging this time) for me to stay on next year as staff (salary, benefits etc. included) I don't think I want to stay. I have always said that money would not ever be a priority with me, but service. Now I have to think about that in real time. This job is great for being an active Baha'i, I can do whatever I need to paperwork wise during the day and I am free all nights and weekends to support community activities, and the money will make it easier to get savings together so that I can pioneer, but working this job seems dishonest almost. I do not earn anything. I do not create anything.
2) I was also tired. This weekend's holy day celebration was amazing. I was really happy with how it went, but getting everything ready was a lot of work. I have not really recovered. I needed sleep and rest, but I had too many things to do.
3) And I was stressing about people. Living with people, although I would not like to live alone, is hard. It was hard at school. It was hard on year of service. It's hard with family. And it's hard now. And friends. They are complicated too and hard to communicate with.
I thought these were the issues that were making me crazy, and they were, but the solution turned out to be one I should have seen all along. This time change has totally thrown off my prayer schedule. There is no time for a spiritual practice after work, because it's already dark and I'm too tired to say the long one. It took me until yesterday to realize the sun was not going to go down any later tomorrow and change my life accordingly. That, accompanied by a little tablet of Ahmad action and see the results:
a) I got to work yesterday and was asked to help alleviate an emergency by driving a co-worker to Raton for the day (much more interesting than a computer screen and being out and seeing the beauty of the country was just what I needed)
b) One of my core activities just got a lot easier. There are a few people who can help me and I will not have to give up every Saturday (my only free day)
c) I was suddenly able to come up with some ideas that will make my home life much better and less stressful.
So yeah, prayer works. I could really use more though. I can't really go into the most perplexing thing in my life right now, but I am in a serious catch 22 and could use some Divine assistance.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Encouraged by the responce their actions elicit....
The last few months have been such a rush.I graduated from College in May. I really miss the life I had there and more than anything the friends I left behind or who also moved away. I miss being constantly around people and having life be so seamless. There is nothing like the intensity of living with the people you work with and studying with the people you eat with and playing with the people with whom you pray. I still don't know. Maybe I should have stayed longer. Maybe its just my wander lust that made me decide I should graduate and leave. I will keep wondering i guess, that's ok, but am content with all of my fractured life here too.
In my new New Mexico home, there is little of the continuity of Earlham. My work ends and is left at in the office at five every day and Baha'i life is it's own spinning world. The friends and social life I have do not connect much with the first two. I have never lived like this. When I grew up, school work was the same as living and breathing and hobbies and friends did not seem to interrupt the flow of the universe. The lines are beggining to blur though, thanks to God, my real life is able to seep into other areas. At work, I am able to do Baha'i service sometimes as I have free time on the internet and my friends in many cases are people who come to or might soon come to the devotional or study circle at my home. It is so amazing to live in this cluster. Every day I am amazed (although I guess I shouldn't be) at the way in which everything that happens around me is just like the guidance of the House of Justice. I can't believe how easy it is. Living in C clusters for so many years, it seemed logical and reasonable that what I read about A clusters might happen someday, but it seemed so far off that I couldn't really connect to it. Now I see all around me people who start study circles in their homes and who invite one, two or dozens of people to share the Word to God with them. I see everywhere long time Baha'is with Ruhi Fever working so hard to finish the sequence and even more heartening, I see new Baha'is on fire in their love for Baha'u'llah and leading the community in service to the cluster as a whole.
I got to go to a devotional gathering last night that my friend Daniel hosted. It was so cute. He just became a Baha'i a couple of weeks ago and this was his first devotional. As soon as he became a Baha'i, he was ready to serve. I think he will teach me what it really means to give a home visit and he will teach me what it means to be unrestrained as the wind in my teaching. How many Baha'is get a seeker at their first devotional gathering? How many Baha'is sit there and teach for an hour before even calming down enough to pray? He was so excited today that he called me three times during the day to ask about some little aspect of the devotional and to invite me to come early if I could and to tell me to come hungry because he was making dinner. I am so excited to live in a community with this kind of enthusiasm.
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