Demonstration of Authority

Since 1977 when I declared my belief in Bahá’u’lláh as the Prophet for this age and committed to abide by His teachings as best I could, the Bahá’í Faith became my spiritual motherlode. My acknowledgement of the authority Bahá’u’lláh carries as the manifestation of the Creator of the universe in this day prompts me to immerse myself in His teachings and ongoing guidance from the Bahá’í institutions He spawned. Following the spiritual path unfolding before me endows me with an inner sense of purpose that makes every day an adventure in learning more about myself, my relationship to the whole of creation, and what I need to address in myself to be of better service in this world and better prepare for the next.

No matter how formidable the task in front of me at the moment, my continual inquiry into the deeper meaning, significance, and nuance behind the spiritual principles which undergird the Bahá’í Faith grants me access to a higher authority. In effect, this bolsters my authority—and the voice, presence, and passion that come with it—such that I can put my learning into action and make a positive difference in meeting the challenges at hand.

Beginning with the The Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, followed by Bahá’u’lláh’s son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, then Shoghi Effendi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s grandson, and now the Universal House of Justice, the flow of spiritual guidance in the form of writings, messages, letters, and publications to Bahá’ís worldwide has continued unabated ¹. Oftentimes, this guidance has been addressed to certain individuals or groups, regardless of their affiliation with the Bahá’í Faith, based on the impact their decisions may have on the welfare of the world. One such message, “The Promise of World Peace,” ² written by the Universal House of Justice demonstrates the scope and degree of its spiritual authority by whom this body addressees—the peoples of the world. It was the first time the Universal House of Justice exercised its divinely ordained mandate to speak to the spiritual needs of everyone. This act together with the content of the message itself provided much needed inspiration and encouragement for me in the months ahead as I navigated the move from employee to independent consultant serving clients internationally and domestically. As such, it also represents a starting point for me now to organize and archive the boxes of papers and books coming from my amazing career that followed the paper’s publication!