17 December 2021

Istiqlál, 07 Masá’il (Questions), 178 B.E.

Seen

Leatherleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum)

Done

Completed first draft of new “about” page on Micro.blog. Delayed posting it until I give it a fresh look tomorrow.

Sent an email to a colleague about the use of social media to “train the machine” and focus attention / mobilize resources on issues that affect humanity worldwide. I am adapting much of the content to another Micro.blog entry. It’s on the list to post tomorrow.

Noted

Astral Prospecting on Instagram | Astral Prospecting on Facebook

Marc Bosserman on Instagram | Marc Bosserman on Facebook | Marc Bosserman Music and Musings on YouTube

Tab’s Galaxy on YouTube

Quoted

In April 1963, a large congress was held in the Albert Hall, London. Thousands of men and women came to this congress from every corner of the earth. There were Americans, Mexicans, and Brazilians, African, Indonesians and Australians. People had come from all over the vast continent of Asia; and Europeans from lapland to Spain were all to be seen in that unusual gathering.

As I looked upon them from the balcony, I could see that every nation, every colour and religious background were represented in the congress. But the most wonderful thing about it was that all these people were united in their views and were working toward the same goal—the unity of the human race.

For the first time in the history of mankind, people had come together from every part of this planet, not to save their differences, but to work to complete agreement.

It seemed like a dream, a miracle. Could the various nations really come together? Could the races accept each other as one people? Could the Christian and Hindu, the Muslim and Jew, the Zoroastrian and Buddhist work together as children of one God?

The dream had indeed come true; the miracle had happened. These people who gathered in the Albert Hall in 1963 proved that a New Age had dawned upon our world, that the Brotherhood of Man could now become a reality.

I walked among these thousands of fellow men and women between the sessions of the congress and saw that they came from all strata of society. Some were highly intellectual and well-known individuals; others were simple people like Uncle Fred, one of the Aborigines of Australia or Andres Jachakollo who came from the mountain passes of Bolivia. Among them were well-to-do businessmen and ordinary labourers; those who had been keenly interested in religion, and others who had been agnostics or atheists. Now they all shared the same beliefs and had found a way in which to put their high ideals into practice. They were Bahá’ís.

In the following pages I shall try to explain, as simply as I can, what the Bahá’ís believe in, and how they work together. ¹

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.