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I have discovered that my heart holds too much love, my mind holds too many memories, and my feet have not traveled enough roads. Too many of my secrets are no longer mine. There have been years of letting life happen, and moments of joy in between.
There are a few things I know to be true: my bare feet on marble and carpet, the scent of roses and jasmine, old stones and white-washed walls, the smiles of long-lost new friends, the pen in my hand, a child in my arms, serving tea in glass cups, sunlight, hands through hair, soft words of prayer, a purple sky with white clouds, honesty with you, and my sometimes healed, sometimes broken heart. I have invisible bruises and visible scars, and yet my words have become patience, detachment, and balance.
I always thought that the most peaceful moment would be to dance barefoot on deep green grass in a long summer dress. I could look up to the sky in any moment of doubt, and the universe would anchor me. There are too many stars out there, and too much beauty here, for God not to exist.
This afternoon I experimented with apple cake. I had to make something for a Thanksgiving party, and we had a lot of apples. So I found a recipe in a very old cookbook, and modified it because it was completely boring. It is not gluten-free, unfortunately, but I might try to do that in the future.
4 cooking apples, cored
lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1. Place butter in the bottom of a bundt pan, put the pan in the oven to melt the butter. Slice 2 of the apples very thin, lengthwise. Sprinkle lemon juice on the apples to keep them from turning brown.
2. Chop the other 2 apples into little pieces. Put in a small pot with 1/4 cup water, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons sugar, boil until apples are soft, take off heat.
3. When the butter in the pan has melted, take it out of the oven. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter. Make sure that the pan is greased so that the cake does not stick. Overlap the apple slices evenly around the pan, making two layers.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix the egg and sugar with an electric mixer, adding vanilla and milk. Add the baking powder and flour. Pour the apple mixture from the pot into the batter, stir well.
5. Pour batter into pan over the apples. Place the pan in the oven at 325 F, cook for 35 minutes or until cake is done. Let cool, then turn upside down. Sift Confectioner’s sugar over the finished product before serving.
“The Day of the Covenant Nov. 26th, and the Day of the Ascension, Nov. 28th, anniversaries of the birth and the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá must be observed by the friends coming together, but work is not prohibited. In other words the friends must regard observance of these two anniversaries as obligatory – but suspension of work not to be regarded as obligatory.”
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, January 21, 1951)
“…regarding the declaration of the Báb and the birthday of the Master; the Báb declared His Mission on the fourth day of the month of Jamadi I, two hours and eleven minutes after sunset, corresponding with the evening of May 22nd. But as the Bahá’í day begins after sunset, and not after midnight as in the West, the Báb’s declaration is celebrated on the fifth day of Jamadi I, corresponding to the 23rd of May. “Abdu’l-Bahá was born in the course of that same night, but the exact hour of His birth has not been ascertained.”
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada November 25, 1936)
‘Abdu’l-Bahá told the Bahá’ís that this day was not, under any circumstances, to be celebrated as His day of birth. It was the day of the Declaration of the Báb, exclusively associated with Him. But as the Bahá’ís begged for a day to be celebrated as His, He gave them November 26th, to be observed as the day of the appointment of the Centre of the Covenant. It was known as Jashn-i-A’zam (The Greatest Festival), because He was Ghusn-i-A’zam – the Greatest Branch. In the West it is known as the Day of the Covenant.
(H.M. Balyuzi, Abdu’l-Baha – The Centre of the Covenant, p. 522)
The vehicle in this resplendent Age for the practical fulfilment of these duties is the Covenant of Bahá’u'lláh; it is, indeed, the potent instrument by which individual belief in Him is translated into constructive deeds. The Covenant comprises divinely conceived arrangements necessary to preserve the organic unity of the Cause. It therefore engenders a motivating power which, as the beloved Master tells us, “like unto the artery, beats and pulsates in the body of the world”. “It is indubitably clear”, He asserts, “that the pivot of the oneness of mankind is nothing else but the power of the Covenant.” Through it the meaning of the Word, both in theory and practice, is made evident in the life and work of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the appointed Interpreter, the perfect Exemplar, the Centre of the Covenant. Through it the processes of the Administrative Order — “this unique, this wondrous System” — are made to operate.
(The Universal House of Justice, 1988 Dec 29, Individual Rights and Freedoms, p. 2)
I am in the shadows of trees.
infinite, against sun-streaked skies.
the shadows are peace, forgiveness…
When we whispered our secrets to the quiet spaces under the trees, beyond the hills that we slept under for one hundred years…
the silence echoed.
When we whispered our secrets, they were coated with the fog and rain, made heavy with the weight of water and time. Our secrets became the leaves, a million colors and fallen.
Now our secrets are whispered between us, the trees only listen, and we are laughing.
I’ve noticed some comments over the years from various people on their tests as Bahá’ís…that sometimes they feel like they are too different than other members of the community, that they are frustrated with fellow believers, that they believe in the Bahá’í Faith but disagree with elements of the administration. These, and many other reasons, create a distance between them and the community.
“Perhaps the greatest test Bahá’ís are ever subjected to is from each other; but for the sake of the Master they should be ever ready to overlook each other’s mistakes, apologize for harsh words they have uttered, forgive and forget. He strongly recommends to you this course of action.”
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, February 18, 1945; Living the Life, p. 12)
The Bahá’í Faith is in a process of learning and growing. As we grow, there are individual and community struggles. This is part of the process.
“Thus you might look upon your own difficulties in the path of service. they are the means of your spirit growing and developing. You will suddenly find that you have conquered many of the problems which upset you, and then you will wonder why the should have troubled you at all. An individual must centre his whole heart and mind on service to the Cause, in accordance with the high standards set by Bahá’u'lláh. When this is done, the Hosts of Supreme Concourse will come to the assistance of the individual, and every difficulty and trial will gradually be overcome.”
(Written by the Guardian’s Secretary on his behalf to an individual believer, October 6, 1954: Living the Life, p. 19)
“He was very sorry to hear that you have had so many tests in your Bahá’í life. There is no doubt that many of them are due to our own nature. In other words, if we are very sensitive, or if we are in some way brought up in a different environment from the Bahá’ís amongst whom we live, we naturally see things differently and may feel them more acutely; and the other side of it is that the imperfections of our fellow-Bahá’ís can be a great trial to us”.
“We must always remember that in the cesspool of materialism, which is what modern civilization has to a certain extent become, Bahá’ís — that is some of them — are still to a certain extent affected by the society from which they have sprung. In other words, they have recognized the Manifestation of God, but they have not been believers long enough, or perhaps not tried hard enough, to become ‘a new Creation’. He feels that, if you close your eyes to the failings of others, and fix your love and prayers upon Bahá’u'lláh, you will have the strength to weather this storm, and will be much better for it in the end, spiritually. Although you suffer, you will gain a maturity that will enable you to be of greater help to both your fellow-Bahá’ís and your children”
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 5, 1956)
No matter how difficult the circumstances, we should not separate ourselves from the community as a whole. The Bahá’í community is an inseparable part of being a Bahá’í.
“For the Bahá’í Faith is above all a way of life. It is not a mere philosophical or social doctrine. It is a closely-knit and harmoniously functioning community, a world-wide spiritual fraternity which seeks to reform the world first and foremost by bringing about a deep inner spiritual change in the heart of individuals. To live the teachings of the Cause should be the paramount concern of every true believer, and the only way to do so is to commune both in spirit and through actual concrete means with the entire community of the faithful. The Bahá’í Cause encourages community life and makes it a duty for every one of its followers to become a living, a fully active and responsible member of the world-wide Bahá’í fellowship.”
(From letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, August 13, 1936)
“Regarding the matter … and the inharmony that seems to exist among certain of the friends … When Bahá’ís permit the dark forces of the world to enter into their own relationships within the Faith they gravely jeopardize its progress; it is the paramount duty of the believers, the Local Assemblies, and particularly the N.S.A. to foster harmony, understanding and love amongst the friends. All should be ready and willing to set aside every personal sense of grievance — justified or unjustified — for the good of the Cause, because the people will never embrace it until they see in its Community life mirrored what is so conspicuously lacking in the world; love and unity.”
(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia, August 19, 1985)
Obviously there are individual circumstances. The reason I wrote this post was to be encouraging to those who are having a difficult time, not to berate those who are not able to be more active members of community life. None of us are perfect, all of us are striving. The beauty of this is that we can learn from each other.
Manhattan, NYC (taken from the Statue of Liberty)
Boston (This one was a little tricky, as I didn’t have a tripod, but I managed to get it.)
Last year I posted a little blurb about how my father, Craig Loehle, wrote a new book. I decided to promote it a little bit more, because I think a lot of people still haven’t heard about it.
Description from the web site:
Using the Power of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh to Revitalize the Individual and Society.
What does it mean to build the ‘Kingdom of God on earth’? Why a building process and not a miraculous process, a snap of God’s fingers? Is there a model for the future society? And if so, is it something we would want?
Craig Loehle suggests that a new world view is needed for society to take the next steps of social and material progress. Such a world view, he proposes, can only be provided by a new revelation of guidance from God. He thus explores the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, as this new divine revelation and examines the role Bahá’ís play as inventors in the development of the new social and economic systems that will form the pattern for a peaceful, united and just future society.
You can buy it at the George Ronald Publisher web site, or at the Baha’i Distribution Service site. Pass the word on to your friends, buy the book!
Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
a few leaves of fresh basil, chopped
salt
pepper
1 tsp tumeric
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
Fry the onion and garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil until the onions are clear, then add basil, tomatoes, salt, pepper, tumeric, and chili powder. Fry on medium heat for a few minutes, then add tomato paste and ½ cup water. Turn to low and simmer for 5 minutes, then add heavy cream. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve over pasta. (Other ingredients to add are mushrooms, bell peppers, and chicken, depending on what you like!)
- There needs to be a good balance between spending time with people and being alone. Too much of either and it is possible to go a little bit crazy.
- Walking through ivy league campuses makes me feel smarter. Also, it makes me miss school…even though I couldn’t wait to be done with school when I was in it!
- The colors of the leaves changing is one of my favorite things about autumn…that, and the clothes. The imminent onset of winter, however, is something I dread.
- Connecting with family members around the world…the last few months have been amazing, as I meet cousins, share stories, and hear anecdotes from relatives about the history of the Persian side of our family.
- I’ve been listening to some great music recently. Bell X1, Stars, Gotye, and my forever favorite, Zero 7.
- The election is finally over, and gosh am I happy. Not that I have much hope that most mainstream media will find something worth obsessing over, but I try to be optimistic. Of course, it is a historic thing and all that, but everyone else has said enough about that already, no need for me to expound on the subject. I’ve made my opinions on partisan politics quite clear.
- I love my family and friends. A lot a lot. Especially those who keep me company when I feel lonely, and make me laugh (you know who you are). A quote from the Baha’i Writings:
“O friends, consort with all the people of the world with joy and fragrance. If there be to you a word or essence whereof others than you are devoid, communicate it and show it forth in the language of affection and kindness: if it be received and be effective the object is attained, and if not leave it to him, and with regard to him deal not harshly but pray. The language of kindness is the lodestone of hearts and the food of the soul; it stands in the relation of ideas to words, and is as an horizon for the shining of the Sun of Wisdom and Knowledge.”
-Abdu’l-Baha
I overheard this conversation at Starbucks this morning:
Wife: “What do you want to do today?”
Husband: “Shoot myself in the head.”
Wife: “Not today, lets do that tomorrow.”
Husband: “Ok.”
“Why this great unrest — wars and the rumors of wars, changing of dynasties, earthquakes, cataclysms? The people cry “Peace, peace; when there is no peace!” Are not these the outer sign that man has lost the inner truth?” -Abdu’l-Baha
I found this article from the American Psychological Association about research regarding rumors and gossip. I found it interesting that the authors differentiated between rumors and gossip:
“Rumors have been described as public communications that are infused with private hypotheses about how the world works (Rosnow, 1991), or more specifically, ways of making sense to help us cope with our anxieties and uncertainties (Rosnow, 1988, 2001). On the other hand, as Wert and Salovey (2004b) noted, “almost as many functions of gossip have been argued as writers to write about gossip” (p. 77). More than rumor, gossip tends to have an “inner-circleness” about it, in that it is customarily passed between people who have a common history or shared interests.” -Foster & Rosnow
So the idea is basically that rumors have served some kind of social purpose as the human race has evolved, as a way to pass on information when the written word was not utilized, and for people to establish social hierarchies. The Baha’i Writings tell us the following about the negative effects of gossip:
“If any soul speak ill of an absent one, the only result will clearly be this: he will dampen the zeal of the friends and tend to make them indifferent. For backbiting is divisive, it is the leading cause among the friends of a disposition to withdraw. If any individual should speak ill of one who is absent, it is incumbent on his hearers, in a spiritual and friendly manner, to stop him, and say in effect: would this detraction serve any useful purpose?” -Abdu’l-Baha
I am interested in seeing the results of the next chapter, which discusses the effects of gossip on social networks and the links within them:
“We found that denser networks are less vulnerable to social fragmentation from gossip. However, this effect is moderated by “gatekeepers” who tend to position themselves along unique social bridges between other network members. Disintermediating, that is, increasing the density of social connections around gatekeepers, is expected to decrease negative effects of gossiping and to assist in improving norm coherence.” -Foster & Rosnow
Any thoughts?
Angela and Mike met on the train tonight. Mike was tall, with sunglasses shading his eyes at 1:00 am, his skin even darker against a ripped white t-shirt. Angela had sat down on the last empty seat. She had short blond hair (not her natural color) and glasses that were firmly set in place on her face.
Mike swayed with the movement on the train, his skinny body not able to stand straight. As soon as he got on the train, he was confused, and Angela said, “Honey, where are you trying to go?” They both misheard each other as they started talking, but did not seem to mind that they were not in the same conversation.
“Angela, I will pay you five dollars for your seat. My key broke.” Mike showed everyone within three feet the pieces of his key in his hand.
“Honey, you take my seat. You go on ahead. Keep your five dollars, I think you need it more than I do.” Angela smiled at him, a woman from New York in her mid-thirties, sure of herself and place in life.
They chatted with the rattling of the train punctuating their conversation. They involved a pair of club promoters (wearing the latest 80s fashion reborn), who then exchanged information with Mike.
When Angela got off at her stop with a friendly goodbye, Mike spent 10 minutes trying to put his key back together. When he finally gave up, he shoved the pieces in his pockets, sighed, and stepped out through the open doors.