’Idál, 13 ‘Ilm (Knowledge), 178 B.E.

Seen

Study in contrast: maple and magnolia

Done

Temperature stayed in the mid-40s last night and left the geraniums totally unfazed. The overnight lows will not be in the 30s until next week. But I didn’t want to wait any longer so the houseplants are ALL inside, now.

Next step will be to prune and organize them along the window so they can get full sun after the leaves fall by mid-November.

Activated the furnace this morning. We decided 60 degrees was too chilly for us.

Noted

Happy Birthday!

  • Daughter
  • Brother

Astral Prospecting on Instagram: Hybrid striped bass fishing

Quoted

In 1983, the Universal House of Justice observed that humanity has entered a “period when the forces of history are moving to a climax,” 1 a period characterized by the “observable acceleration” of the twin processes of “the disintegration of the old order and progress and consolidation of the new World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.” 2 “The stage is set,” the Supreme Body proclaimed in 1987, “for universal, rapid and massive growth of the Cause of God.” 3 And at the start of the Four Year Plan in 1996, a critical moment both in the “scheme of Bahá’í and world history,” the House of Justice called upon the individual, the community, and the institutions to achieve an advancement in the process of entry by troops in every part of the globe. “That an advance in this process depends on the progress of all three of these intimately connected participants is abundantly clear.” 4

If the Bahá’í world is to fulfill its obligations in this critical period, the nature of each of the three protagonists must be carefully examined. War are the attributes of this individual, this community, and this institution that are to play so crucial a role in the destiny of the human race? What capabilities must they develop in order to advance the process of entry by troops? What characteristics will enable them to extend their exertions toward the building of a new civilization? Surely, we must not look to the individuals, the communities, or the institutions that we are today, but rathe seek within Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation the depiction of what we ought to be. 5

My sister and brother-in-law recently relocated and chose to donate several books in their library rather than move them. Many of these volumes are not well-known, but due to the topics they cover and the manner in which their authors explore them, they warrant a nod of recognition before being sent on their way. Accordingly, most quotes referenced in the “Quoted” section come from these books. Maybe they will stir (or renew) your interest, too.

  1. Universal House of Justice. “4 July 1983 – To the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck.” Bahá’í Reference Library, 4 July 1983, https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/19830704_001/1#181785117. [return]
  2. Universal House of Justice. “Riḍván 1983 – To the Bahá’ís of the World.” Bahá’í Reference Library, https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/19830421_001/1#812916275. Accessed 27 Oct. 2021. [return]
  3. Universal House of Justice. “Riḍván 1987 – To the Bahá’ís of the World.” Bahá’í Reference Library, https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/19870421_001/1#004099330. Accessed 27 Oct. 2021. [return]
  4. Universal House of Justice. “26 December 1995 – To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.” Bahá’í Reference Library, 26 Dec. 1995, https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/19951226_001/1#864076551. [return]
  5. Lample, Paul. Creating a New Mind: Reflections on the Individual, the Institutions & the Community. 1st ed., Palabra Publications, 1999, 3-4 [return]