Dearly-beloved friends: The opening of the second year of the third phase
of a ten-year long Crusade, marking the passing of a little over one third
of its duration; coinciding with the closing of a period rendered
memorable by the achievement of so many of its goals, as well as by a
succession of victories won in fields beyond its scope; significantly
ushered in by the emergence of no less than thirteen national and regional
spiritual assemblies in four continents, with a jurisdiction embracing
more than forty territories of the globe, in the election of which over
three hundred delegates representing more than one hundred and thirty
local communities will participate; and over the inauguration of which no
less than thirteen Hands of the Cause of God will preside--the opening of
so auspicious a year must be signalized by a solemn renewal of dedication,
on the part of all who are participating in this colossal, world-girdling
enterprise, and indeed by the entire company of those who profess the
Faith of Baha'u'llah--a dedication which, as the year pursues its course,
will be reflected in acts the brilliance of which will eclipse the shining
exploits achieved since the inception of the Crusade, and, indeed, since
the commencement of the Formative Age of the Baha'i Dispensation.
The preeminent task of teaching the Faith to the multitudes who
consciously or unconsciously thirst after the healing Word of God in this
day--a task so dear to the heart of 'Abdu'l-Baha; at once so sacred, so
fundamental, and so urgent; primarily involving and challenging every
single individual; the bed-rock on which the solidity and the stability of
the multiplying institutions of a rising Order must rest--such a task must,
in the course of this year, be accorded priority over every other Baha'i
activity.
"If they arise to teach My Cause," Baha'u'llah Himself, revealing the
secret of success for the propagation of His Faith, has declared, "they
must let the breath of Him Who is the Unconstrained, stir them, and must
spread it abroad on the earth with high resolve, with minds that are
wholly centered in Him, and with hearts that are completely detached from,
and independent of, all things, and with souls that are sanctified from
the world and its vanities. It behooveth them to choose as the best
provision for their journey reliance upon God, and to clothe themselves
with the love of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. If they
do so, their words shall influence their hearers."