~I GHT~116 PACIFI DEC.·1970 BAHAI YEAR 127 N0.60 MESSAGES FROM HANDS OF CAUSE Enroute to the Pacific and Asia, So many moments of joy and pro­ October 28, 1970. found gratitude have been experi~ National Spiritual Assemblies of enced during these months. It is• South America, Central America, impossible to cite them all, but to North America, and the Islands share the sweetness of one of them, of the Carribean -- I would mention the evening spent in Harlem in the company of Mr. Beloved Baha'i Friends, John Birks Gillespie and a large Before leaving the Western Hem­ group of Baha'i friends. All my isphere, it is my wish to try to memories of visiting - this beloved express the love and gratitude friend and brother, dear John flowing from my heart to all the Birks, are treasured, and it is my believers who have welcomed, assis­ feeling and my prayer that with ted and sustained me in these tra­ his deep devotion to the Cause and vels. For the past six months, in his many spiritual qualities, he South, Central and North America, will be of great service to human­ and the Antilles, rare experiences ity and hopefully to the work of in the company of the soldiers of the Faith in Africa. the Blessed Perfection have been And so it is with all the sold­ granted me. Indeed, when I recall iers on fire with the love of God how the beloved Guardian expressed in this day. the hope to me that some day I would travel in the Western Hemis­ With many, in different lands, phere, to meet the friends and I shared the healing memory of art teach His Cause, it is now one more evening spent in the presence of sign to me of the kindness of the the beloved Guardian,Shoghi Effen­ Loving Creator to His servants that d~when he said to us that Baha'is this experience should have cane my should be very happy, always; that way and these months be spent in a we should never permit anything to manner so pleasing to my soul. disturb the tranquillity of our heart, or its peace and happiness, For what can bring more happin­ for we are really living in wonder­ ess than seeing, from the tip of ful days. South America to the far reaches of The beloved Guardian said that Alaska,the triumphs of self-sacri­ Baha'is should be very happy in­ ficing soldiers in the army of the deed that they have been enabled Blessed Beauty? The promises of by God Himself to recognize the the Master, 'Abdu'l-Baha, are ev­ greatness of this day, to accept erywhere evidenced in their frui­ the universal Manifestation of God tion, for now that the healing Word and to wear His holy name. That is of God is being carried to the the first condition, the condition masses, they are entering our be­ of happiness and gratitude to our loved Faith in troops and we are Father that we have been permitted seeing the rapid expansion and sim­ to recognize His Cause in this ultaneous consolidation predicted great day. for these days. (cont. on p. 2) 2 (cont. from p. 1) with t~e supreme, infallible body, the Universal House of Justice to And then the beloved Guardian channel our efforts to their full­ reminded us that the Master taught est advantage, may we become sold­ that although there are very few iers armed with divine instruments. states in the spiritual world These instruments are love devo­ there are many spiritual condition~ tion to the Faith, steadfa~tness and degrees of perfection. There­ service, and complete attractio~ fore, it is not enough to say that to the Abha Kingdom. Wherever we we believe in Baha'u'llah, but we go with these arms, we will conquer must also accept this Supreme Man­ that city and that place. ifestation and attempt to promote His Cause. Baha'is are spiritually 0 my beloved brothers and sist­ higher than those who are not be- ers, make effort in this manifest 1 iever s, for they have fulfilled Day of God and win the favour, the requirement made of man in the Rrace and pleasure of the Lord. day of the coming of each Messen­ What result is forthcoming from ger of God, to recognize and accept material rest, tranquillity, lux­ that Messenger. He is the Manifes­ ury and attachment to this corpor­ tation of Truth, and the Revealer eal world," asked the beloved Mas­ of the Will of God, of which the ter, "it is evident that the man Lord Jesus Christ spoke when He who pursues these things will in encouraRed us to pray that the Will the end become afflicted with re­ of God may be done on earth as it gret and loss." We should close is in heaven . " ~ur eyes to these things, and these thoughts, long for eternal One evening the beloved Guardi­ life, the sublimity of the world of an was explaining to us that an humanity, the celestial develop­ African Baha'i in a small African m7nts, the Holy Spirit, the promo­ village who believes that Baha'u'­ tion of the Word of God, the guid­ llah is the Manifestation of God ance of the inhabitants of the for this day, that He is the re­ globe, the promulgation of univer­ turn of the spiritual reality of sal peace and the proclamation of all the Manifestations, the Lord the oneness of the world of human­ of the Vineyard -- that Baha'i, un­ ity. This is the WORK!" able to read or write, before God occupies a position higher than The Master used to say that the the honored prelates of Christen­ general does not love most the man dom. in the back of the ranks He loves most the man in the front And so the beloved Guardian made leading the way. ' clear to us that many people be­ lieve the principles and find them I hope and pray that "with beautiful, but they remain sympa­ hearts overflowing with the love thizers, while a Baha'i is the one of God, with tongues commemorating who believes in the divine unity, the mention of God, with eyes and makes no distinction between turned to the Kingdom of God" you the prophets of God, centering his will, all of you, arise like never energy in promoting the Faith of before and diffuse the divine fra­ God for this day through the teach­ grances, assured that "in .whatever ing; of the Ancient Beauty, Baha'u­ meeting ye enter, in the apex of 'llah. that meeting the Holy Spirit shall be waving and the heavenly confir­ Therefore, dear friends, with mations of the Blessed Perfection this in our hearts, with the assu­ shall encompass" you. rance of the beloved Guardian him­ self as to our high station, may With deepest loving Bahai gree­ we not review the Writings and the tings to each and every one of you, messages from the Universal House and assurance of my prayers for of Justice, to find what our share your unfailing guidance, protec­ of heroic action in the army of tion and confirmation in the Cause the Blessed Beauty may be in this of our Beloved. day? Inspired by the Writings of (S) Enoch Olinga, the Glory of God, Baha'u'llah and Hand of the Cause of God His Holiness the Exalted Bab, en­ couraged and supported by the ex­ ample of the blessed Center of the Covenant, 'Abdu' 1-Baha, and our be­ (messages continued next column) loved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, Then we could focus our flame-like3 National Spiritual Assembly of the intensity on the pioneering and Baha'is of the Hawaiian Islands- oversea goals until a smashing vic­ tory would be won on every front. Beloved Friends: May this sacred dust bless your Marguerite and I both think meetings and bring to each one of back with much happiness to the (,ou that "joy" that banishes all all too brief period of time we 'disconsolate" thoughts, and may spent with you in those magical it bring "healing" to those who islands of spirit. are ill and sweeten the hours of During our 6 months of travel­ your important and world-shaping ling, whenever we reached one of consultations. the holy places of the Ba~a'i Faith, we remembered your National You are always in our thoughts Spiritual Assembly and its members and prayers. We remember you and in our prayers. We said special your August Body each morning when prayers for all of you at the R~s­ we look out at the mountains and ting Place of our beloved Guardian pray. We know that you, the "her­ in London, at all three of the sa­ oic generals" of the Nine Year cred Shrines in the Holy Land dur­ Plan in those key islands will ing both of our visits there, at make of the months ahead a time of the House of the Bab in Shiraz, at unprecedentec spirit and accomp­ lishment. the House of Baha'u'llah in Tehe­ With warmest, tenderest, grate­ ran, at Maku, Chiriq, Shaykh Ta­ ful love to each one of you, in barsi and the other sacred Piaces the service of the Universal House in th~ Cradle of our Faith. of Justice, on behalf of our be­ As you know, the Blessed Bab loved Guardian, wrote of Mulla Husayn saying that (S) William Sears, Hand of the the very dust of the ground where Cause of God he was buried was of such "potency" P.S.