In celebrating one of the primary Institutions of the Faith, believers attended Feast to engage in the opportunity of focusing on one of God’s attributes, that of Mercy.
Gatherings of Bahá'ís also discussed items of interest, and finally enjoyed a bit of socializing. The opportunity to acknowledge the month of Mercy happens between June 24 to July 12 each year, although we should all be aware of God’s continual Mercy every day of our lives.“O ye people! Do ye flee from the mercy of God after it has encompassed the existent things created between the heavens and earths? Beware lest ye prefer your own selves before the mercy of God, and deprive not yourselves thereof! Verily, whosoever turneth away therefrom will be in great loss. Verily, mercy is like unto verses which have descended from the one heaven, and from them the monotheists drink the choice wine of life, whilst the polytheists drink from the fiery water; and when the verses of God are read unto them, the fire of hatred is enkindled within their breasts. Thus have they preferred their own selves before the mercy of God, and are of those who are heedless.” Baha’i World Faith, Tablet of the Branch page 204
In preparation for the Feast I attended, several believers submitted email quotes. The quote cited above struck me with a sudden impact. We all pray from time to time for God to have mercy upon us, expecting that, if He so chooses, His mercy will come forth automatically. Not quite. According to that quote, we are required to condition ourselves such that we may spiritually accept His mercy. It takes two to tango. In order to be ready to accept His mercy, we must put away all our tendencies to magnify our own selves.
That is tougher than we would like to admit. Do we not all think of ourselves as being pretty self-important a good bit of the time? It is apparently necessary to flush all the remnants of pride from ourselves in order to fully receive His mercy. Otherwise, His mercy won’t penetrate our being.During our Feast, although it was acknowledged that Mercy was the topic, the moderator instead recited quotes pertaining to Justice. That prompted a lively discussion, and we all had opinions to offer. It was noted that there is no month of Justice in the Bahá'í Calendar; and one of the participants explained that Bahá'u'lláh adopted the Badi Calendar, developed by the Báb. Here is what Bahá'u'lláh has to say about justice:
“O SON OF SPIRIT! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.” -- Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah, p. 3 - 4 --Accordingly, God’s gift to us and the sign of His loving-kindness is justice. The Báb, in developing the Badi calendar, saw fit to emphasize mercy as one of the nineteen months, and Bahá'u'lláh later adopted that calendar for His Dispensation. Yet He proclaimed that one of His best beloved things is justice. To me, that signifies that in all of our dealings with others, justice is required of us. In summary, in order to receive any of His bounties, we must afford ourselves a spiritual attitude pleasing to Him, operating within an aura of justice.
“And now concerning thy question regarding the nature of religion. Know thou that they who are truly wise have likened the world unto the human temple. As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.”
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 81 --
And finally, the above quote regarding the nature of religion and the role of the human temple appears to give us a template that emphasizes and requires the pursuit of the mantle of justice and wisdom in order to fulfill the requirements of this Age.
Feast provides the opportunity to engage in a lively discussion of spiritual topics, while allowing an opportunity for fellowship. Although the topic at hand was mercy, it quickly became intertwined within another aspect of the Faith, that of justice. This emphasized the broad scope of the inner workings of the expanded spiritual avenue that the Bahá'í Faith affords toward the Kingdom of God on earth.
Hand of the Cause David Maxwell
Comments