Twin Birthdays for Twin Manifestations

In lieu of a re-blog today, I’m sharing a video that’s very meaningful to me and may interest some readers of this blog…

I offer an alert for certain folks, being aware that a presentation of a part of my Faith might trouble various people…

Yesterday and today are the Birthdays of the Baha’i Twin Manifestations…

The video was released in 2015…

#Bahaullah200 ~ a #Global #BirthdayParty

This blog is nearly seven years old; and, right now, I’m writing the Most Important post I’ve ever published.

I feel what I’m about to share is vitally important…

And, even though the reason for this post is a Global Birthday Party, I need to let you know a bit of my motivation for writing it:

I completely understand when folks say, “Oh, I’m spiritual; but, definitely, not religious.”; or, “Organized religion is Dangerous.”

Both my parents were ministers; and, my two sisters also became members of the clergy…

Twenty-nine years ago, I became a member of a Faith that has no clergy…

I’ve struggled for those twenty-nine years to become more spiritual—hard work for a man who first spent nearly twenty-five years drinking and drugging…

And, I’ve progressively learned that, in spite of what’s falling apart in our World, there’s a new World being created—it’s happening in communities all over the globe (more on that later in the post...).

So, what is this Global Birthday Party?

It’s the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith. 

My understanding of life has improved significantly since I began studying the Bahá’í Writings—so has my perception of what’s wrong with our World and what can be done to improve things…

“…at the Bahá’í International Community U.N. Office in Geneva, a bicentenary celebration was held…The program included addresses from a number of distinguished guests including Ibrahim Salama, Director of the Human Rights Treaties Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.”

He said:
“One of the first quotes that struck me from the Bahá’í Faith is that ‘All human beings have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization’”

A few notes about Religion:

‘Abdu’l-Bahá:

“Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion.”

“To look always at the good and not at the bad. If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, to look at the ten and forget the one; and if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten.”

“Religion is concerned with things of the spirit, politics with things of the world. Religion has to work with the world of thought, whilst the field of politics lies with the world of external conditions.”

“In the Bahá’í Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are counted as worship…”

Queen Marie of Romania:

“The Bahá’í teaching brings peace and understanding. It is like a wide embrace gathering together all those who have long searched for words of hope. It accepts all great Prophets gone before, it destroys no other creeds and leaves all doors open.”

Leo Tolstoy:

“We spend our lives trying to unlock the mystery of the universe, but there was a Turkish Prisoner, Bahá’u’lláh, in ‘Akka, Palestine, who had the key!”

A few notes about Bahá’u’lláh:

Bahá’í World News Service:

“The occasion [Bahá’u’lláh’s 200th Birthday] is prompting people the world over to reflect on the life of a Figure Who accepted 40 years of imprisonment and exile to proclaim the oneness of humanity, inspiring generations to contribute to the construction of a peaceful and just world.”

The Universal House of Justice:

“…He was made to endure forty years of suffering, including successive exiles and incarcerations at the decree of two despotic monarchs, campaigns to vilify His name and condemn His followers, violence upon His Person, shameful attempts on His life—all of which, out of a boundless love for humanity, He bore willingly, with radiance and forbearance, and with compassion for His tormentors.”

Bahá’u’lláh spoke about the principle of Progressive Revelation, that all the major Faiths have come from the same God; and, that it has been, primarily, the clergy who have not understood Progressive Revelation and have decided to argue with or fight other Faiths.

Also, there is an illuminating video exploration of Bahá’u’lláh’s Life and Teachings…

All those ideas are a lot to think about; and, many folks these days are so devastated by what’s happening in the World they can’t seem to slow down enough to Ponder………

Here’s a video, with youth from the United Kingdom, that might help you ponder some of the Principles Bahá’u’lláh shared with the World:

And, here’s a video of the activities of four dynamically different Bahá’í Communities that can help you see the profound effect of Bahá’u’lláh’s Community Building Principles…

For more on the Global Celebration, visit the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh…

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“Changing the World, One Wall at a Time”

 There is an Endeavor that offers education to folks in Iran who are not permitted to attend college—they are Bahá’ís and it is their religion that the government hates, their religion which draws massive persecution to some of the most peaceful folks on our planet…

The Endeavor is Education is #NotACrime and it promotes the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education, which offers Internet courses and college credit to folks who are kept out of their country’s schools…

#NotACrime has spawned a worldwide effort facilitating artists in their creation of murals expressing the importance of higher education.

I’m going to add a trailer for a movie that was produced to spread awareness of this Endeavor; and, if you wonder why I’m sharing this in a blog about Reading, Writing, and Publishing, all I can say is, those three activities of life are only possible with Education…

The full movie is available for Internet viewing; and, I urge everyone reading these words to go watch it —> Changing the World, One Wall at a Time (if the movie suddenly pauses, just click the play button quickly off and back on…)

And, here is the Trailer:

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Stories That Change Lives

Back in 2014, I wrote a post called, Can Stories Change Society?

Image Courtesy of melodi2 ~ http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/melodi2-44775

Here’s an excerpt:

Most of us have read a story that’s changed us, in some way.

Often, these are news stories…

Sometimes, stories told by friends…

Even fictional stories have the power to induce lasting change in our lives…

In that post, I introduce you to an organization called Center for Story-Based Strategy.

Here’s something they say about themselves:

“The Center for Story-based Strategy (CSS) is a national movement-building organization dedicated to harnessing the power of narrative for social change.  We offer social justice networks, alliances, and organizations the analysis, training, and strategic support to change the story on the issues that matter most.”

I feel it’s also important to consider Literary Nonfiction as “storytelling” that can change lives.

There’s also a Space on Facebook called Ode that’s “…a storytelling series where community members tell true stories on stage to promote positive impact through empathy.”

They also have a WebSpace that’s part of Siouxland Public Media Radio.

That Siouxland link has many folks’ Odes…

And, in that Space is a story that resonates profoundly with my personal spiritual path…

The man telling the story brings up a profound concept in just the title of his Ode: Part of a religious minority, I’m not popular enough to be different…

One particular way I feel resonance with him is that being a member of the same Faith he was raised in (yet only discovering it in my early 40s) has given me plenty of reason to feel deeply different from the current “culture” that surrounds me—gives me plenty of material for the stories I write :-)

That last link to Ode will let you read his life-changing story; and, this video is him telling the very same story. The theme that day was “Stigmas: An ode to the power of opening up.”

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Do I Celebrate Christmas?

I may completely lose a few of my readers today……… 

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In fact, many folks who trusted me to post reasonable things might think I’m bonkers.

However…

Judging from most of the mainstream media, Christmas is just the modern incarnation of some ancient ritual; or, it’s the season of festivity, happiness, and gift-giving; or, it’s a time to be with family and friends to warm-up before the cold sets in, in earnest…

Of course, folks in the Southern Hemisphere are in their Summer…

And, my Best Friend, in Australia, celebrated Christmas yesterday :-)

Sure, a few people know what Christmas really stands for…

Actually, most people probably know but let the media steer them away from the truth.

I was raised in a Christian family—Mom and Dad were both ministers.

When I left home, I became quite non-religious…

In my early forties, I discovered the Bahá’í Faith.

It taught me things about Jesus the Christ that most Christians never suspect.

It taught me that, if I celebrate the birth of Christ, I should also celebrate the birth of Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Muhammad, and all the other Manifestations.

Of course, recorded history shows the tragedy of the “believers” of most Faiths treating those of a different Faith with disdain and contempt, or covering that ill-will with a mock good-will, or just harming or killing them…

My Faith teaches me that all the Manifestations had the Truth and brought it to Humanity at different stages in its evolution.

Now, I’ll share the etymology of “Celebrate”:

“…from Latin celebratus ‘much-frequented; kept solemn; famous’, past participle of celebrare ‘assemble to honor’, also ‘to publish; sing praises of; practice often’, originally ‘to frequent in great numbers’, from celeber ‘frequented, populous, crowded’; with transferred senses of ‘well-attended; famous; often-repeated’.”

So, if Christmas is the birth of Jesus, I celebrate it—I celebrate the birth of every Manifestation, even the Ones I know nothing of…

I celebrate the concept that there is a Manual for Living, taught by all the Manifestations—embracing Virtues like Honesty, Love, Justice, Courtesy, Joyfulness, Nobility, Truthfulness, and Gratitude.

Sure, to admit that one is religious can bring scorn, ridicule, and even death.

But, to ignore what religion really teaches (not what any given believer teaches) is, at least, as dangerous as ignoring the laws of science…

That last sentence could make some think I’m rather odd, that I base my life on principles that come from people who say they have a message direct from God—yet, the Manifestations aren’t just “people”; their Lives show that and their Words support it.

That’s not easy to believe and, from my experience, interpreting any Scripture is about as easy as figuring out what the great poets write—it can be done, it usually leads to more than one interpretation, it depends on good sense and an open heart…

I’ve spent 26 years as a Bahá’í and I’m still taking baby-steps; but, those steps are much better for me than the sleazy crawl and the pompous strut I used to do.

Let me share a quote from the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh.

It’s about Jesus but could apply to all the Manifestations:

“We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor of His glory upon all created things. Through Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of perversity and ignorance. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified… We bear witness that through the power of the Word of God every leper was cleansed, every sickness was healed, every human infirmity was banished. He it is Who purified the world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with light, hath turned towards Him.”

Dear reader, if you’ve gotten this far in the post, let me repeat the caution that a true understanding of religion does not come from what the believers say.

True understanding comes from an Independent Investigation of Truth…
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