Message from the National Spiritual Assembly
25 May 2021
9 ‘Aẓamat 178 B.E.
Contents:
– Message from the National Spiritual Assembly
– Kenya: First Local Bahá’í temple in Africa opens its doors
– Podcast series in Ireland invites grassroots conversation
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To all Bahá’ís in the United Kingdom
Dearly loved Friends,
“And so the One Year Plan begins”, the Universal House of Justice announced in its Riḍván message, and in an earlier letter reminded us that it “will be a year for profound reflection on the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the strength of the Covenant of which He was the Centre.”[1] The National Spiritual Assembly is aware that the community is deeply conscious of this with meetings presently being filled with stories of His life and example, devotionals drawing on the new compilation of His prayers, children’s classes and junior youth groups brimming with mention of Him, and teaching events dedicated to His Name.
The fleeting days until the centenary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on November 27th next which will mark the conclusion of the first century of the Formative Age, will bring to a close a “period of special potency, which opened one hundred years after the revelation of the Tablets of the Divine Plan”.[2] How blest we are to live during these days and it offers us an opportunity to commit to devoting some special time in this period – an hour, a day, a week, a few months, even a year or longer – to teaching the Cause and to having conversations in many different settings, with all manner of people. We ask you to give profound, prayerful thought to this.
There are many resources to support these efforts – some new and some existing – and we have listed these separately [below and here] for your convenience. In addition to the above, the National Spiritual Assembly anticipates a flourishing of creative artistic expression that reflects the love of peoples of all ages and backgrounds for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá – the Mystery of God, the Most Mighty Branch, the Centre of the Covenant, the Apple of the Eye of Bahá’u’lláh, He who is our Exemplar, and a shelter for all mankind.
We leave you with this often-quoted passage of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the servant of Bahá’u’lláh, to inspire your reflections on how, individually and collectively with others, you may, following in His footsteps, leave your final mark on this first century of the Formative Age of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh:
My name is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My qualification is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My reality is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. My praise is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Thraldom to the Blessed Perfection is my glorious and refulgent diadem, and servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion … No name, no title, no mention, no commendation have I, nor will ever have, except ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This is my longing. This is my greatest yearning. This is my eternal life. This is my everlasting glory.[3]
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Patrick O’Mara,
Secretary
References
1 Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the World, 25 November 2020
2 Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the World, Riḍván 2021
3 Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh
Support and resources for centenary activities
Films from the Universal House of Justice
• The Universal House of Justice has announced that two films will be released later in the year.
• “The first of these,” the House of Justice tell us, “which will become available in time for the centennial commemoration, will be a portrait of the Person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Besides being a tribute to His life and work, it will explore how, by championing the oneness of humanity through His words and deeds, He offered a challenge to the stale assumptions and prejudices of the age, and gave stimulus to a process of unification which continues to this day.”[1]
• The second film which will follow soon after, “will reflect on the expiration of the first hundred years of the Formative Age from the vantage point of the heights to which the Bahá’í community has climbed, and from where it can now gaze upon new horizons.”[2] We can be giving thought now as to how to invite large numbers to screenings of these films in our homes, in cinemas, in schools and other venues.
Teaching Conferences
In each region, teaching conferences will be organised by Regional Councils throughout the period.
Institute courses
• Book 2: Arising to Serve or Book 3: Teaching Children’s Classes provide a rich resource for conversations about the Faith and stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
• Book 8: The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh and Book 9: Gaining an Historical Perspectivewhich provide the occasion to contemplate deeply on life and station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and on the significance and importance of the Covenant and the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Literature
• Bahá’í Books UK – which will soon be launching a new website that contains links to other publishers of interest – have a range of literature for all ages on many aspects of the Covenant and the life and station of the Master.
• The National Assembly will be arranging the distribution to each household of a republished edition – now in one volume – of the two booklets that recount the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to these shores. It hopes that this will encourage the believers together with their friends to visit some of the historic places in the UK associated with the Master.
• Dayspring children’s magazine is to publish a special edition for the centenary.
• Local Spiritual Assemblies where the Master visited have been encouraged to give special thought to how to commemorate the Ascension and honour the Day of the Covenant.
NEWS updates
• A dedicated NEWS update will be published every two weeks, containing a story, quotations, and examples of activities.
Devotional materials
• Elevate, an online resource for devotionals, will produce content on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for devotionals based on His life, His Words, His qualities, His example, as well as the Covenant.
Video clips
• Short 1½ minute inspirational video clips are being commissioned of stories about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told by a variety of children, in a variety of settings, from Bahá’í and other families. Children’s classes and junior youth groups are encouraged to produce locally based materials.
Opening of the apartment in Bristol / Open day at Rutland Gate
• Conditions permitting, the restoration of the apartment visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Bristol will be completed and open to visitors.
• A special open day to view some of the precious archival materials associated with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will be arranged at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in London.
References
1 Universal House of Justice, 25 November 2020 to the Bahá’ís of the World
2 ibid.
Kenya: First Local Bahá’í temple in Africa opens its doors
A luminous presence in Matunda Soy, Kenya, the first local Bahá’í House of Worship in the continent of Africa was dedicated at an opening ceremony Sunday morning.
