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It would be impossible at this stage to ignore the indispensability or to overestimate the unique significance of the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly – the pivot round which revolve the activities of the believers throughout the American continent. Supreme is their position, grave their responsibilities, manifold and arduous their duties. How great the privilege, how delicate the task of the assembled delegates whose function it is to elect such national representatives as would by their record of service ennoble and enrich the annals of the Cause!
(Shoghi Effendi, from a letter dated 3 June 1925 to a National Convention)
In looking for quotations about National Convention, I found this touching story. I remember that a silk carpet was displayed in Foundation Hall when I was a child, but it is no longer hanging on the wall. I love this story about the House of Worship. It is an excerpt from “The Priceless Pearl”, the book that Shoghi Effendi’s wife, Ruhiyyih Khanum, wrote after his passing. She attended the dedication of the House of Worship in 1953 on behalf of the Guardian. I have chosen select passages, but I suggest reading the book in its entirety.
Although the first Temple was built according to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’í own instructions in Ishqabad during his lifetime, the Guardian assured us that the first Temple erected in the New World was the holiest for all time because the Master Himself had laid its foundation stone during His visit to North America and it had been one of the undertakings dearest to His heart. By 1921, when Shoghi Effendi became Guardian, its foundations had been laid but the building ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had so longed to see erected before His passing was only a hideous black waterproofed cylinder, resembling a gas tank, sticking up above the ground.
The Guardian conceived it as one of his major duties to complete this sacred edifice as soon as possible. It took him thirty-two years to accomplish this task which he called the greatest enterprise ever launched by the western followers of the Faith and the most signal victory won during the Formative Period of the Bahá’í Dispensation. One of his first acts was to send 19 [pounds] to its Temple Fund in 1922, and in 1926 he says he is “joyously pledging 95 dollars per month as my humble share”; throughout the years he frequently contributed towards its erection…by 1923 the Convention was held in what became known from then on as Foundation Hall; to embellish its walls he sent as he gift beautiful Persian rugs from the Shrine of Bahá’u'lláh; until 1928, however, no progress was made in the erection of the Temple. To the Convention held that year he sent a strongly worded message pleading with the American believers to resume the construction of their great Temple and this influenced them to initiate what became known as the “Plan of Unified Action”, designed to raise money for the extremely costly work of the superstructure. In spite of this by 1929 the required sum had not been obtained and Shoghi Effendi, not himself at that time in a position to send a large amount, decided to sell the most precious thing the Faith possessed in the Holy Land. He cabled the Convention: “Am sacrificing the most valuable ornament Bahá’u'lláh’s Shrine in order consecrate and reinforce collective endeavours American believers speedily to consummate plan unified action appeal for unprecedented self-sacrifice.” It was typical of him that he first cabled the Persian donor of this priceless object: “Temple work America progressing three quarters sum required first storey actually subscribed. Strongly feel desirability sale silk carpet you donated. Wire views promptly regarding market and price. Appreciate your consent.” Only when he received a warm answer and advice to sell in New York did he inform America of his decision. So deeply touched were the Bahá’ís by this offering of their Guardian that they raised almost $300,000 before the Convention rose. Fearing that heavy debts might be incurred if the sum for the entire future work was not pledged in advance, Shoghi Effendi would not permit contracts to be signed. However, by the 1930 Convention the sum was pledged, the Guardian consented – and the Bahá’ís wanted to buy the precious carpet themselves, which in the meantime had reached the United States. His cabled replies were typical in every way: “Approve proceed construction entire Temple without external decorations provided believers are determined to consummate their sacrifice by adding decorations eventually. Feel we all should uphold design in its entirety as approved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.” “Consecrated carpet need neither be sold nor returned. Dedicated as permanent ornament first Mashriqu’l-Adhkar of West.” The Convention, overwhelmed, cabled its “deep gratitude for matchless gift”. The enthusiasm Shoghi Effendi engendered by such messages and acts as these was not produced by policy on his part, but rather by the deep unselfconscious instinct of a born leader with a singularly pure motive and heart…
…Year after year the messages went out and the fabulous Temple went up, until, at the second and last great Centenary to be celebrated during Shoghi Effendi’s lifetime, I was able to read those words: “On behalf of the Guardian of the Faith of Bahá’u'lláh, I have the great honour of dedicating this first Mashriqu’l-Adhkar of the Western World to public worship…I greet and welcome you on behalf of the Guardian of our Faith within these walls…”
“The winds of the true springtide are passing over you; adorn yourselves with blossoms like trees in the scented garden. Spring clouds are streaming; then turn you fresh and verdant like the sweet eternal fields. The dawn star is shining, set your feet on the true path. The sea of might is swelling, hasten to the shores of high resolve and fortune. The pure water of life is welling up, why wear away your days in a desert of thirst? Aim high, choose noble ends; how long this lethargy, how long this negligence! Despair, both here and hereafter, is all you will gain from self-indulgence; abomination and misery are all you will harvest from fanaticism, from believing the foolish and the mindless. The confirmations of God are supporting you, the succor of God is at hand: why do you not cry out and exult with all your heart, and strive with all your soul!”
-Abdu’l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization
Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Ridvan and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind.
- Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 31
The Festival of Ridvan lasts for 12 days, and is a wonderful time in the Baha’i community. There are 3 holy days (1st, 9th, and 12th days), there are the elections of the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies, and every 5 years the election of the Universal House of Justice occurs at Ridvan. It is hard to believe that 2 years ago at this time I was in Haifa, preparing for the 10th International Convention. This year, I am preparing for the National Convention in Wilmette for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly, which will happen next week. I wander the gardens of the House of Worship (where the tulips are blooming!), instead of the gardens of the Shrines in Israel.
Have a joyous Ridvan!
The other day I was searching for something random in the Baha’i Writings, and came across this passage from Baha’u'llah. It is just fascinating to me, and I thought I might share it with you. Baha’u'llah explains how language has changed, that there are things we don’t know anything about, but that in the end, we can’t allow the past and its confusion to get in our way.
“And now regarding thy question, “How is it that no records are to be found concerning the Prophets that have preceded Adam, the Father of Mankind, or of the kings that lived in the days of those Prophets?” Know thou that the absence of any reference to them is no proof that they did not actually exist. That no records concerning them are now available, should be attributed to their extreme remoteness, as well as to the vast changes which the earth hath undergone since their time.
Moreover such forms and modes of writing as are now current amongst men were unknown to the generations that were before Adam. There was even a time when men were wholly ignorant of the art of writing, and had adopted a system entirely different from the one which they now use. For a proper exposition of this an elaborate explanation would be required.
Consider the differences that have arisen since the days of Adam. The divers and widely-known languages now spoken by the peoples of the earth were originally unknown, as were the varied rules and customs now prevailing amongst them. The people of those times spoke a language different from those now known. Diversities of language arose in a later age, in a land known as Babel. It was given the name Babel, because the term signifieth “the place where the confusion of tongues arose.”
Subsequently Syriac became prominent among the existing languages. The Sacred Scriptures of former times were revealed in that tongue. Later, Abraham, the Friend of God, appeared and shed upon the world the light of Divine Revelation. The language He spoke while He crossed the Jordan became known as Hebrew (Ibrani), which meaneth “the language of the crossing.” The Books of God and the Sacred Scriptures were then revealed in that tongue, and not until after a considerable lapse of time did Arabic become the language of Revelation….
Witness, therefore, how numerous and far-reaching have been the changes in language, speech, and writing since the days of Adam. How much greater must have been the changes before Him!
Our purpose in revealing these words is to show that the one true God hath, in His all-highest and transcendent station, ever been, and will everlastingly continue to be, exalted above the praise and conception of all else but Him. His creation hath ever existed, and the Manifestations of His Divine glory and the Day Springs of eternal holiness have been sent down from time immemorial, and been commissioned to summon mankind to the one true God. That the names of some of them are forgotten and the records of their lives lost is to be attributed to the disturbances and changes that have overtaken the world.
Mention hath been made in certain books of a deluge which caused all that existed on earth, historical records as well as other things, to be destroyed. Moreover, many cataclysms have occurred which have effaced the traces of many events. Furthermore, among existing historical records differences are to be found, and each of the various peoples of the world hath its own account of the age of the earth and of its history. Some trace their history as far back as eight thousand years, others as far as twelve thousand years. To any one that hath read the book of Juk it is clear and evident how much the accounts given by the various books have differed.
Please God thou wilt turn thine eyes towards the Most Great Revelation, and entirely disregard these conflicting tales and traditions.”
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 174)
For the Chicago Naw-Ruz celebration I made Persian dolmeh. I had lent my favorite cookbook to a coworker, and realized that I needed to take another look at the recipe. A quick Google search confirmed my fear: there were no recipes that matched what I remembered, and certainly no tutorials. My mother’s mother taught me at a young age how to make dolmeh, and it is one of my favorite foods. It can be an appetizer or a main dish, and is remarkably easy to make. I took photos as I went!
Ingredients:
1 can grape leaves
2/3 cup rice
1/2 cup yellow split peas
1 tsp salt
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 lb ground beef or lamb
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill or 2 Tbs dried
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or 1 Tbs dried
3 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley or 1 cup dried
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp lemon juice
1. Wash and boil yellow split peas until soft, about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
2. Make 2 cups of white rice, either in a pot or rice cooker.
3. (for meat eaters) Fry ground meat on the stove with onions, salt, and pepper. Drain.
4. Wash all of the greens thoroughly:
5. Then put them all in a food processor and grind until very small.
6. In a large mixing bowl, mix rice, split peas, greens, lemon juice, and meat.
6. Open jar of grape leaves, carefully rinse and untangle them. I like to drape them around a mixing bowl or colander.
7. Place leaf on a plate, with the veins of the leaf face-up.
8. Put a spoonful of the mixture on the leaf.
9. Fold one side over.
And another side.
Until it is all wrapped and secure, and none of the mix will spill out.
10. Place in a pot on the stove. I like to put 1 leaf on the bottom of the pot to make sure that none of the dolmeh sticks to the pot, with a little water.
11. Simmer on low with top on for about 1 hour. The leaves will soften a bit, and there will be steam. Serve with yogurt for dipping.
Last night I went to the Delorean & Miike Snow show at the Metro. It was fantastic. I enjoyed myself immensely. It was pouring rain when we parked and went in, my feet were aching at the end of the night, and a couple of guys started arguing in the middle of one of my favorite songs. I asked them to stop, and they did. 
These are the things that make a show, outside of the music itself, of course. If you don’t know who these bands are…check them out. Trust me.
In other news, Nineteen Months has been updated for the month of “Glory“. I am SO impressed with the talent involved in this project. Check it out, tell your friends! You can also join our Facebook page or add us on Twitter.
The story behind my photo: I was approaching the deadline, on my lunch break, and worried that I had nothing to contribute. After failing to capture anything that I liked by Lake Michigan or in the gardens of the Baha’i House of Worship, I went into the lower level of the House of Worship to say hi to friends. One lovely lady and her daughters were there, and as their mother worked on some things, I had a change to talk to the girls and take photos. Elsie, the littler one, insisted on seeing the photos after I took her picture. She is really rather young, but already knows about cameras. It made my day to see such lovely children, and I got my photo.
This coming weekend is the Religion Communication Congress, in which several Baha’is and publications will be receiving awards. I have several friends attending, and I can’t WAIT to hear their stories. I’ll also be reuniting with one of my dear friends that I served with in Haifa…she and I have some catching up to do!
Finally, I updated my blog layout. The previous one was rather awkward and this one is much cleaner. I also added a contact page.