The Eighteenth of Mulk – An Incredible Day
18 Mulk 164 BE
23 February 2008 AD
There are two kinds of Bahá’ís, one might say: those whose religion is Bahá’í and those who live for the Faith. Needless to say if one can belong to the latter category, if one can be in the vanguard of heroes, martyrs and saints, it is more praiseworthy in the sight of God.(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 77 emphasis added)
Alláh-u-abhá dear Friends,
I had an incredible day today, and I want to share and brag a little. I attended a workshop about teaching the faith. I was very interested in it, and have looked forward to it for a while now. A specialist came in from Oregon to facilitate. When I got there, I was glad to see old friends and gather as a community, but the workshop turned out not to be to my liking. The whole thing centered around The Secret and metaphysical mystical ideas I find a bit hokey and uncomfortable. So, I was called to step out of my comfort zone, and did not enjoy that one bit.
Another Bahá’í was having the same issues I was, but more vocally. We got to talking about being Bahá’ís from atheist backgrounds, and our unique look at the Faith. We both approach the faith as administrative practitioners, skeptics about the “supernatural” but earnest lovers of Bahá’u'lláh. She always thought no Bahá’ís had these same issues and struggled with faith as much as her – I always thought that this was “new Bahá’í stuff and no one else would get it. We ended up working through some of it together, and learning what we could from the workshop. This faith has room for all kinds, mystics, administrators, etc.
In the Bahá’í Faith, our highest authority is an elected body called the Universal House of Justice, who we consider to be infallible when making legislative decisions. They appoint the other branch of the faith who represent them, and while having no “power” help to make things run smoothly. On the most local level, following a line of appointment from the Universal House of Justice, are Auxiliary Board Members. (One for Protection, and one for Propagation.) Our Auxiliary Board Member for Propagation was in attendance, from quite a ways away. When he left he called me out to the car and we talked. He gave me a book and asked me to read it that I might better do what he had to request from me, to serve as his assistant for my area.
I have that sort of “ummm… me?” feeling, but I am very proud to do it. I accepted out of obedience, not confidence. I will serve as a representative between him and my area, and specifically when youth are involved. It means – which is very intimidating – that I am a part of a direct line of appointment from the Universal House of Justice. I am very intimidated, but very much looking forward to this. It will give me impetus to serve as I should and to be a better person, as I feel a healthy weight on my shoulders.
I am going to attend training to facilitate this workshop myself, and I would like to begin to expand on it with my friend of similar thought. I would like to evolve it into something aimed more at the administrative sort of Bahá’ís. So, awesome day.
God Bless,
Ruhi
Uncomfortableness with this type of stuff certainly isn’t limited to new Baha’is or those from atheistic background. Many of us raised Baha’i have issues with this sort of stuff as well. I don’t know if its wishful thinking, but I’d at least like to think that most Baha’is bristle at things as outlandish as The Secret (it’s certainly not a metaphysical view in line with Baha’u'llah’s Writings). I know I’m in a Ruhi book right now with mostly folks raised Baha’i and we’ve joked about the strange cultural fascination with The Secret several times. So you’re definitely not alone, not even with those of us Baha’is our whole lives.
Joe
23 February, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Thank you for your comment, it is very good to know other Bahá’í have similar views of this sort of thing. I think it is fine to have these Secrety views, but they cannot be called “Bahá’í views”, just as I cannot claim that being administration obsessed is the right way to be a Bahá’í. I don’t buy it, but hope I can learn something from it, and this workshop actually helped me to get some plans for the immediate future in terms of teaching realized. Pretty soon we will have Prayer in the Park organized by me and another Bahá’í, and many other groups doing cool teaching activities.
ruhiwarrior19
23 February, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Hi Ruhi,
You wrote:
“The whole thing centered around The Secret and metaphysical mystical ideas I find a bit hokey and uncomfortable.”
I have no problem with what I take to be the central thesis of “The Secret” — that thinking positively serves you better than thinking negatively. However, the shallow materialism, mad health claims, blaming of victims, and self-worship that seem to be promoted (in the film at least) are a real worry.
I suspect you got a facilitator who has a thing about “The Secret”, and that you’ll never come across that stuff again. But be prepared for a lot more “thinking positively serves you better than thinking negatively” messages. I hope they have more of this flavour:
“And whoso maketh efforts for us, in our ways will we guide them”
(Sura XXIX — The Spider)
Congratulations on being appointed an assistant for propagation. I was a protection assistant once – can you believe it!
ka kite
(see you)
Steve
Steve Marshall
24 February, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Alláh-u-abhá Steve
>I have no problem with what I take to be
>the central thesis of “The Secret” — that
>thinking positively serves you better than
>thinking negatively. However, the shallow
>materialism, mad health claims, blaming of
>victims, and self-worship that seem to be
>promoted (in the film at least) are a real worry.
Well, it seems to claim this on a more metaphysical level than I am comfortable with. What you are talking about I believe wholeheartedly, it is Hopefull Optimism. I did not like the weird connections they try and make between quantam physics and positive thinking. (They did not teach this, but mentioned the Secret talks about this.) I learned some great skills at the facilitators training though, and for all my cynicism, the workshop did end in people making commitments to teach the faith in cool ways. This is one of my primary teaching projects, but I am starting a musical potluck “Prayer in the Park” in my neighborhood. Not an outright teaching, but the sort I find best, where people might become attracted the the people organizing it.
>“And whoso maketh efforts for us,
>in our ways will we guide them”
>(Sura XXIX — The Spider)
See, that sort of thing I believe in, and is more in kind with what Shoghi Effendi seemed to be explaining in the “Five Steps of Prayer” note from Ruth Moffet, and what `Abdu’l-Bahá talked about so often.
>Congratulations on being appointed
(Or are you a marginal, or and apostate. I forget . . . )
>an assistant for propagation. I was a
>protection assistant once – can you
>believe it!
A dissident like you? No way.
I know what ka kite means! Yes.
God Bless,
Ruhi
ruhiwarrior19
24 February, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Let me wish you congratulations as well, Ruhi. How very wise the Institutions are to draw upon your courageous and wonderful spirit!
George Wesley Dannells
24 February, 2008 at 10:53 pm
This is a great post and nice to hear you discussing your feelings for others to hear.
Best,
David
David
24 February, 2008 at 11:39 pm
In my nearly forty years in the Baha’i community, I have noticed that the more effort a person makes to serve Baha’u'llah, the more one is given in return. It’s somewhat like gravity: do such and such, and so and so is the result. The key is that the service is selfless, with no thought of return or reward – a gift to the universe.
dlh
Duane L Herrmann
25 February, 2008 at 10:43 am
You have a very nice blog here. I admire your open mindedness and the maturity of your search, unusual in someone your age.
Even a Buddhist like myself enjoys your site. Keep up the good work.
mysticwing
26 February, 2008 at 3:08 pm