which embraces all the races, all the republics, classes and denominations
of the entire Western Hemisphere, arise, and, circumstances permitting,
direct in particular the attention, and win eventually the unqualified
adherence, of the Negro, the Indian, the Eskimo, and Jewish races to his
Faith. No more laudable and meritorious service can be rendered the Cause
of God, at the present hour, than a successful effort to enhance the
diversity of the members of the American Baha'i community by swelling the
ranks of the Faith through the enrollment of the members of these races. A
blending of these highly differentiated elements of the human race,
harmoniously interwoven into the fabric of an all-embracing Baha'i
fraternity, and assimilated through the dynamic processes of a divinely
appointed Administrative Order, and contributing each its share to the
enrichment and glory of Baha'i community life, is surely an achievement
the contemplation of which must warm and thrill every Baha'i heart.
"Consider the flowers of a garden," 'Abdu'l-Baha has written, "though
differing in kind, color, form, and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are
refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind,
invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm,
and addeth unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers
and plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the
trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity of
hues, form and shape, enricheth and adorneth the garden, and heighteneth
the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought,
temperament and character, are brought together under the power and
influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection
will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of
the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all
things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments,
ideas, and convictions of the children of men." "I hope," is the wish
expressed by 'Abdu'l-Baha, "that ye may cause that downtrodden race
[Negro] to become glorious, and to be joined with the white race to serve
the world of man with the utmost sincerity, faithfulness, love and
purity." "One of the important questions," He also has written, "which
affect the unity and the solidarity of mankind is the fellowship and
equality of the white and colored races." "You must attach great
importance," writes 'Abdu'l-Baha in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, "to
the Indians, the original inhabitants of America. For these souls may be
likened unto the ancient inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula, who, prior
to the Revelation of Muhammad, were like savages. When the Muhammadan
Light shone forth in their midst, they became so enkindled that they shed
illumination upon the world. Likewise, should these Indians be educated
and properly guided, there can be no doubt that through the Divine
teachings they will become so enlightened that the whole earth will be
illumined." "If it is possible," 'Abdu'l-Baha has also written, "send ye
teachers to other portions of Canada; likewise, dispatch ye teachers to
Greenland and the home of the Eskimos." "God willing," He further has
written in those same Tablets, "the call of the Kingdom may reach the ears
of the Eskimos.... Should you display an effort, so that the fragrances of
God may be diffused among the Eskimos, its effect will be very great and
far-reaching." "Praise be to God," writes 'Abdu'l-Baha, "that whatsoever
hath been announced in the Blessed Tablets unto the Israelites, and the
things explicitly written in the letters of 'Abdu'l-Baha, are all being
fulfilled. Some have come to pass; others will be revealed in the future.
The Ancient Beauty hath in His sacred Tablets explicitly written that the
day of their abasement is over. His bounty will overshadow them, and this
race will day by day progress, and be delivered from its age-long
obscurity and degradation."
Let those who are holding administrative positions in their capacity as
members of either the National Spiritual Assembly, or of the national, the
regional, or local teaching committees, continually bear in mind the vital
and urgent necessity of insuring, within as short a time as possible, the
formation, in the few remaining states of the North American Republic and
the provinces of the Dominion of Canada, of groups, however small and
rudimentary, and of providing every facility within their power to enable
these newly formed nuclei to evolve, swiftly and along sound lines, into
properly functioning, self-sufficient, and recognized Assemblies. To the
laying of such foundations, the erection of such outposts--a work
admittedly arduous, yet sorely needed and highly inspiring--the individual
members of the American Baha'i community must lend their unstinted,
continual, and enthusiastic support. Wise as may be the measures which
their elected representatives may devise, however practical and well
conceived the plans they formulate, such measures and plans can never
yield any satisfactory results unless a sufficient number of pioneers have
determined to make the necessary sacrifices, and to volunteer to carry
these projects into effect. To implant, once and for all, the banner of
Baha'u'llah in the heart of these virgin territories, to erect the
structural basis of His Administrative Order in their cities and villages,
and to establish a firm and permanent anchorage for its institutions in
the minds and hearts of their inhabitants, constitute, I firmly believe,
the first and most significant step in the successive stages through which
the teaching campaign, inaugurated under the Seven Year Plan, must pass.
Whereas the external ornamentation of the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar, under
this same Plan, has now entered the final phase in its development, the
teaching campaign is still in its initial stages, and is far from having
extended effectively its ramifications to either these virgin territories,
or to those Republics that are situated in the South American continent.
The effort required is prodigious, the conditions under which these
preliminary establishments are to be made are often unattractive and
unfavorable, the workers who are in a position to undertake such tasks
limited, and the resources they can command meager and inadequate. And
yet, how often has the pen of Baha'u'llah assured us that "should a man,
all alone, arise in the name of Baha, and put on the armor of His love,
him will the Almighty cause to be victorious, though the forces of earth
and heaven be arrayed against him." Has He not written: "By God, besides
Whom is none other God! Should anyone arise for the triumph of our Cause,
him will God render victorious though tens of thousands of enemies be
leagued against him. And if his love for me wax stronger, God will
establish his ascendancy over all the powers of earth and heaven."
"Consider the work of former generations," 'Abdu'l-Baha has written;
"During the lifetime of Jesus Christ the believing, firm souls were few
and numbered, but the heavenly blessings descended so plentifully that in
a number of years countless souls entered beneath the shadow of the
Gospel. God has said in the Qur'an: 'One grain will bring forth seven
sheaves, and every sheaf shall contain one hundred grains.' In other
words, one grain will become seven hundred; and if God so wills He will
double these also. It has often happened that one blessed soul has become
the cause of the guidance of a nation. Now we must not consider our
ability and capacity, nay rather we must fix our gaze upon the favors and
bounties of God, in these days, Who has made of the drop a sea, and of the
atom a sun." Let those who resolve to be the first to hoist the standard
of such a Cause, under such conditions, and in such territories, nourish
their souls with the sustaining power of these words, and, "putting on the
armor of His love," a love which must "wax stronger" as they persevere in
their lonesome task, arise to adorn with the tale of their deeds the most
brilliant pages ever written in their country's spiritual history.
"Although," 'Abdu'l-Baha, in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, has written,
"in most of the states and cities of the United States, praise be to God,
His fragrances are diffused, and souls unnumbered are turning their faces
and advancing toward the Kingdom of God, yet in some of the states the
Standard of Unity is not yet upraised as it should be, nor are the
mysteries of the Holy Books, such as the Bible, the Gospel, and the
Qur'an, unraveled. Through the concerted efforts of all the friends the
Standard of Unity must needs be unfurled in those states, and the Divine
teachings promoted, so that these states may also receive their portion of
the heavenly bestowals and a share of the Most Great Guidance." "The
future of the Dominion of Canada," He, in another Tablet of the Divine
Plan, has asserted, "is very great, and the events connected with it
infinitely glorious. The eye of God's loving-kindness will be turned
towards it, and it shall become the manifestation of the favors of the
All-Glorious." "Again I repeat," He, in that same Tablet reaffirms His
previous statement, "that the future of Canada, whether from a material or
a spiritual standpoint, is very great."
No sooner is this initial step taken, involving as it does the formation
of at least one nucleus in each of these virgin states and provinces in
the North American continent, than the machinery for a tremendous
intensification of Baha'i concerted effort must be set in motion, the
purpose of which should be the reinforcement of the noble exertions which
only a few isolated believers are now making for the awakening of the
nations of Latin America to the Call of Baha'u'llah. Not until this second
phase of the teaching campaign, under the Seven Year Plan, has been
entered can the campaign be regarded as fully launched, or the Plan itself
as having attained the most decisive stage in its evolution. So powerful
will be the effusions of Divine grace that will be poured forth upon a
valiant community that has already in the administrative sphere erected,
in all the glory of its exterior ornamentation, its chief Edifice, and in
the teaching field raised aloft, in every state and province, in the North
American continent the banner of its Faith--so great will be these
effusions that its members will find themselves overpowered by the
evidences of their regenerative power.
The Inter-America Committee must, at such a stage, nay even before it is
entered, rise to the level of its opportunities, and display a vigor, a
consecration, and enterprise as will be commensurate with the
responsibilities it has shouldered. It should not, for a moment, be
forgotten that Central and Southern America embrace no less than twenty
independent nations, constituting approximately one-third of the entire
number of the world's sovereign states, and are destined to play an
increasingly important part in the shaping of the world's future destiny.
With the world contracting into a neighborhood, and the fortunes of its
races, nations and peoples becoming inextricably interwoven, the
remoteness of these states of the Western Hemisphere is vanishing, and the
latent possibilities in each of them are becoming increasingly apparent.
When this second stage in the progressive unfoldment of teaching
activities and enterprises, under the Seven Year Plan, is reached, and the
machinery required for its prosecution begins to operate, the American
believers, the stout-hearted pioneers of this mighty movement, must,
guided by the unfailing light of Baha'u'llah, and in strict accordance
with the Plan laid out by 'Abdu'l-Baha, and acting under the direction of
their National Spiritual Assembly, and assured of the aid of the
Inter-America Committee, launch an offensive against the powers of
darkness, of corruption, and of ignorance, an offensive that must extend
to the uttermost end of the Southern continent, and embrace within its
scope each of the twenty nations that compose it.
Let some, at this very moment, gird up the loins of their endeavor, flee
their native towns, cities, and states, forsake their country, and,
"putting their whole trust in God as the best provision for their
journey," set their faces, and direct their steps towards those distant
climes, those virgin fields, those unsurrendered cities, and bend their
energies to capture the citadels of men's hearts--hearts, which, as
Baha'u'llah has written, "the hosts of Revelation and of utterance can
subdue." Let them not tarry until such time as their fellow-laborers will
have passed the first stage in their campaign of teaching, but let them
rather, from this very hour, arise to usher in the opening phase of what
will come to be regarded as one of the most glorious chapters in the
international history of their Faith. Let them, at the very outset, "teach
their own selves, that their speech may attract the hearts of their
hearers." Let them regard the triumph of their Faith as their "supreme
objective." Let them not "consider the largeness or smallness of the
receptacle" that carries the measure of grace that God poureth forth in
this age. Let them "disencumber themselves of all attachment to this world
and the vanities thereof," and, with that spirit of detachment which
'Abdu'l-Baha exemplified and wished them to emulate, bring these
diversified peoples and countries to the remembrance of God and His
supreme Manifestation. Let His love be a "storehouse of treasure for their
souls," on the day when "every pillar shall tremble, when the very skins
of men shall creep, when all eyes shall stare up with terror." Let their
"souls be aglow with the flame of the undying Fire that burneth in the
midmost heart of the world, in such wise that the waters of the universe
shall be powerless to cool down its ardor." Let them be "unrestrained as
the wind" which "neither the sight of desolation nor the evidences of
prosperity can either pain or please." Let them "unloose their tongues and
proclaim unceasingly His Cause." Let them "proclaim that which the Most
Great Spirit will inspire them to utter in the service of the Cause of
their Lord." Let them "beware lest they contend with anyone, nay strive to
make him aware of the truth with kindly manner and most convincing
exhortation." Let them "wholly for the sake of God proclaim His Message,
and with that same spirit accept whatever response their words may evoke
in their hearers." Let them not, for one moment, forget that the "Faithful
Spirit shall strengthen them through its power," and that "a company of
His chosen angels shall go forth with them, as bidden by Him Who is the
Almighty, the All-Wise." Let them ever bear in mind "how great is the
blessedness that awaiteth them that have attained the honor of serving the
Almighty," and remember that "such a service is indeed the prince of all
goodly deeds, and the ornament of every goodly act."
And, finally, let these soul-stirring words of Baha'u'llah, as they pursue
their course throughout the length and breadth of the southern American
continent, be ever ready on their lips, a solace to their hearts, a light
on their path, a companion in their loneliness, and a daily sustenance in
their journeys: "O wayfarer in the path of God! Take thou thy portion of
the ocean of His grace, and deprive not thyself of the things that lie
hidden in its depths.... A dewdrop out of this ocean would, if shed upon
all that are in the heavens and on earth, suffice to enrich them with the
bounty of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. With the hands
of renunciation draw forth from its life-giving waters, and sprinkle
therewith all created things, that they may be cleansed from all man-made
limitations, and may approach the mighty seat of God, this hallowed and
resplendent Spot. Be not grieved if thou performest it thyself alone. Let
God be all-sufficient for thee.... Proclaim the Cause of thy Lord unto all
who are in the heavens and on the earth. Should any man respond to thy
call, lay bare before him the pearls of the wisdom of the Lord, thy God,
which His Spirit hath sent down upon thee, and be thou of them that truly
believe. And should anyone reject thy offer, turn thou away from him, and
put thy trust and confidence in the Lord of all worlds. By the
righteousness of God! Whoso openeth his lips in this day, and maketh
mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine inspiration shall
descend upon him from the heaven of my name, the All-Knowing, the
All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse on high, each bearing
aloft a chalice of pure light. Thus hath it been foreordained in the realm
of God's Revelation, by the behest of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the
Most Powerful."
Let these words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, gleaned from the Tablets of the Divine
Plan, ring likewise in their ears, as they go forth, assured and unafraid,
on His mission: "O ye apostles of Baha'u'llah! May my life be sacrificed
for you!... Behold the portals which Baha'u'llah hath opened before you!
Consider how exalted and lofty is the station you are destined to attain;
how unique the favors with which you have been endowed." "My thoughts are
turned towards you, and my heart leaps within me at your mention. Could ye
know how my soul gloweth with your love, so great a happiness would flood
your hearts as to cause you to become enamored with each other." "The full
measure of your success is as yet unrevealed, its significance still
unapprehended. Erelong ye will, with your own eyes, witness how
brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate in the
firmament of your country the light of Divine Guidance, and will bestow
upon its people the glory of an everlasting life." "I fervently hope that
in the near future the whole earth may be stirred and shaken by the
results of your achievements." "The Almighty will no doubt grant you the
help of His grace, will invest you with the tokens of His might, and will
endue your souls with the sustaining power of His holy Spirit." "Be not
concerned with the smallness of your numbers, neither be oppressed by the
multitude of an unbelieving world.... Exert yourselves; your mission is
unspeakably glorious. Should success crown your enterprise, America will
assuredly evolve into a center from which waves of spiritual power will
emanate, and the throne of the Kingdom of God will, in the plenitude of
its majesty and glory, be firmly established."
It should be remembered that the carrying out of the Seven Year Plan
involves, insofar as the teaching work is concerned, no more than the
formation of at least one center in each of the Central and South American
Republics. The hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Faith of
Baha'u'llah should witness, if the Plan already launched is to meet with
success, the laying, in each of these countries, of a foundation, however
rudimentary, on which the rising generation of the American believers may,
in the opening years of the second century of the Baha'i era, be able to
build. Theirs will be the task, in the course of successive decades, to
extend and reinforce those foundations, and to supply the necessary
guidance, assistance, and encouragement that will enable the widely
scattered groups of believers in those countries to establish independent
and properly constituted local Assemblies, and thereby erect the framework
of the Administrative Order of their Faith. The erection of such a
framework is primarily the responsibility of those whom the community of
the North American believers have converted to the Divine Message. It is a
task which must involve, apart from the immediate obligation of enabling
every group to evolve into a local Assembly, the setting up of the entire
machinery of the Administrative Order in conformity with the spiritual and
administrative principles governing the life and activities of every
established Baha'i community throughout the world. No departure from these
cardinal and clearly enunciated principles, embodied and preserved in
Baha'i national and local constitutions, common to all Baha'i communities,
can under any circumstances be tolerated. This, however, is a task that
concerns those who, at a later period, must arise to further a work which,
to all intents and purposes, has not yet been effectively started.
To pave the way, in a more systematic manner, for the laying of the
necessary foundation on which such permanent national and local
institutions can be reared and securely established is a task that will
very soon demand the concentrated attention of the prosecutors of the
Seven Year Plan. No sooner has their immediate obligation in connection
with the opening up of the few remaining territories in the United States
and Canada been discharged, than a carefully laid-out plan should be
conceived, aiming at the establishment of such a foundation. As already
stated, the provision for these vast, preliminary undertakings, the scope
of which must embrace the entire area occupied by the Central and South
American Republics, constitutes the very core, and must ultimately decide
the fate, of the teaching campaign conducted under the Seven Year Plan.
Upon this campaign must depend not only the effectual discharge of the
solemn obligations undertaken in connection with the present Plan, but
also the progressive unfoldment of the subsequent stages essential to the
realization of 'Abdu'l-Baha's vision of the part the American believers
are to play in the worldwide propagation of their Cause.
These undertakings, preliminary as they are to the strenuous and organized
labors by which future generations of believers in the Latin countries
must distinguish themselves, require, in turn, without a moment's delay,
on the part of the National Spiritual Assembly and of both the National
Teaching and Inter-America Committees, painstaking investigations
preparatory to the sending of settlers and itinerant teachers, whose
privilege will be to raise the call of the New Day in a new continent.
I can only, in my desire to be of some service to those who are to assume
such tremendous responsibilities, and to suffer such self-denial, attempt
to offer a few helpful suggestions which, I trust, will facilitate the
accomplishment of the great work to be achieved in the very near future.
To this work, that must constitute an historical landmark of first-class
importance when completed, the energies of the entire community must be
resolutely consecrated. The number of Baha'i teachers, be they settlers or
travelers, must be substantially increased. The material resources to be
placed at their disposal must be multiplied, and efficiently administered.
The literature with which they should be equipped must be vastly
augmented. The publicity that should aid them in the distribution of such
literature should be extended, centrally organized, and vigorously
conducted. The possibilities latent in these countries should be
diligently exploited, and systematically developed. The various obstacles
raised by the widely varying political and social conditions obtaining in
these countries should be closely surveyed and determinedly surmounted. In
a word, no opportunity should be neglected, and no effort spared, to lay
as broad and solid a basis as possible for the progress and development of
the greatest teaching enterprise ever launched by the American Baha'i
community.
The careful translation of such important Baha'i writings as are related
to the history, the teachings, or the Administrative Order of the Faith,
and their wide and systematic dissemination, in vast quantities, and
throughout as many of these Republics as possible, and in languages that
are most suitable and needed, would appear to be the chief and most urgent
measure to be taken simultaneously with the arrival of the pioneer workers
in those fields. "Books and pamphlets," writes 'Abdu'l-Baha in one of the
Tablets of the Divine Plan, "must be either translated or composed in the
languages of these countries and islands, to be circulated in every part
and in all directions." In countries where no objections can be raised by
the civil authorities or any influential circles, this measure should be
reinforced by the publication, in various organs of the Press, of
carefully worded articles and letters, designed to impress upon the
general public certain features of the stirring history of the Faith, and
the range and character of its teachings.
Every laborer in those fields, whether as traveling teacher or settler,
should, I feel, make it his chief and constant concern to mix, in a
friendly manner, with all sections of the population, irrespective of
class, creed, nationality, or color, to familiarize himself with their
ideas, tastes, and habits, to study the approach best suited to them, to
concentrate, patiently and tactfully, on a few who have shown marked
capacity and receptivity, and to endeavor, with extreme kindness, to
implant such love, zeal, and devotion in their hearts as to enable them to
become in turn self-sufficient and independent promoters of the Faith in
their respective localities. "Consort with all men, O people of Baha," is
Baha'u'llah's admonition, "in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If
ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are
deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and
goodwill. If it be accepted, if it fulfill its purpose, your object is
attained. If anyone should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech
God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue
is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it
clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom
and understanding."