O thou yearning flame, thou who art afire with the love of God! I have
read thy letter, and its contents, well-expressed and eloquent, delighted
my heart, showing as they did thy deep sincerity in the Cause of God, thy
persevering steps along the pathway of His Kingdom, and thy staunchness in
His Faith--for of all great things, this is the greatest in His sight.
How many a soul hath turned itself unto the Lord and entered into the
protective shadow of His Word, and become famed throughout the world--for
example, Judas Iscariot. And then, when the tests grew harsh and the
violence thereof intensified, their feet slipped on the pathway and they
turned backward from the Faith after having acknowledged its truth, and
they denied it, and fell away from harmony and love into mischief and
hate. Thus became visible the power of tests, which maketh mighty pillars
to tremble and shake.
Judas Iscariot was the greatest of the disciples, and he summoned the
people to Christ. Then it seemed to him that Jesus was showing increasing
regard to the Apostle Peter, and when Jesus said, 'Thou art Peter, and
upon this rock I will build My church,' these words addressed to Peter,
and this singling out of Peter for special honour, had a marked effect on
the Apostle, and kindled envy within the heart of Judas. For this reason
he who had once drawn nigh did turn aside, and he who had believed in the
Faith denied it, and his love changed to hate, until he became a cause of
the crucifixion of that glorious Lord, that manifest Splendour. Such is
the outcome of envy, the chief reason why men turn aside from the Straight
Path. So hath it occurred, and will occur, in this great Cause. But it
doth not matter, for it engendereth loyalty in the rest, and maketh souls
to arise who waver not, who are fixed and unshakeable as the mountains in
their love for the Manifest Light.
Convey thou unto the handmaids of the Merciful the message that when a
test turneth violent they must stand unmoved, and faithful to their love
for Baha. In winter come the storms, and the great winds blow, but then
will follow spring in all its beauty, adorning hill and plain with
perfumed plants and red anemones, fair to see. Then will the birds trill
out upon the branches their songs of joy, and sermonize in lilting tones
from the pulpits of the trees. Erelong shall ye bear witness that the
lights are streaming forth, the banners of the realm above are waving, the
sweet scents of the All-Merciful are wafted abroad, the hosts of the
Kingdom are marching down, the angels of heaven are rushing forward, and
the Holy Spirit is breathing upon all those regions. On that day thou
shalt behold the waverers, men and women alike, frustrated of their hopes
and in manifest loss. This is decreed by the Lord, the Revealer of Verses.
As to thee, blessed art thou, for thou art steadfast in the Cause of God,
firm in His Covenant. I beg of Him to bestow upon thee a spiritual soul,
and the life of the Kingdom, and to make thee a leaf verdant and
flourishing on the Tree of Life, that thou mayest serve the handmaids of
the Merciful with spirituality and good cheer.
Thy generous Lord will assist thee to labour in His vineyard and will
cause thee to be the means of spreading the spirit of unity among His
handmaids. He will make thine inner eye to see with the light of
knowledge, He will forgive thy sins and transform them into goodly deeds.
Verily He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate, the Lord of immeasurable
grace.