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15: O captive of the love of God! The letter which … |
Thou didst begin thy letter with a blessed phrase, saying:
‘I am a Christian.’ O would that all were truly Christian! It
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is easy to be a Christian on the tongue, but hard to be a true
one. Today some five hundred million souls are Christian,
but the real Christian is very rare: he is that soul from whose
comely face there shineth the splendour of Christ, and who
showeth forth the perfections of the Kingdom; this is a
matter of great moment, for to be a Christian is to embody
every excellence there is. I hope that thou, too, shalt become
a true Christian. Praise thou God that at last, through the
divine teachings, thou hast obtained both sight and insight
to the highest degree, and hast become firmly rooted in
certitude and faith. It is my hope that others as well will
achieve illumined eyes and hearing ears, and attain to everlasting
life: that these many rivers, each flowing along in
diverse and separated beds, will find their way back to the
circumambient sea, and merge together and rise up in a
single wave of surging oneness; that the unity of truth,
through the power of God, will make these illusory differences
to vanish away. This is the one essential: for if unity
be gained, all other problems will disappear of themselves.
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O honoured lady! In accordance with the divine teachings
in this glorious dispensation we should not belittle anyone
and call him ignorant, saying: ‘You know not, but I
know’. Rather, we should look upon others with respect,
and when attempting to explain and demonstrate, we
should speak as if we are investigating the truth, saying:
‘Here these things are before us. Let us investigate to determine
where and in what form the truth can be found.’ The
teacher should not consider himself as learned and others
ignorant. Such a thought breedeth pride, and pride is not
conducive to influence. The teacher should not see in himself
any superiority; he should speak with the utmost kindliness,
lowliness and humility, for such speech exerteth
influence and educateth the souls.
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O honoured lady! For a single purpose were the
Prophets, each and all, sent down to earth; for this was
Christ made manifest, for this did Bahá’u’lláh raise up the
call of the Lord: that the world of man should become the
world of God, this nether realm the Kingdom, this darkness
light, this satanic wickedness all the virtues of heaven—and
unity, fellowship and love be won for the whole human
race, that the organic unity should reappear and the bases of
discord be destroyed and life everlasting and grace everlasting
become the harvest of mankind.
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O honoured lady! Look about thee at the world: here
unity, mutual attraction, gathering together, engender life,
but disunity and inharmony spell death. When thou dost
consider all phenomena, thou wilt see that every created
thing hath come into being through the mingling of many
elements, and once this collectivity of elements is dissolved,
and this harmony of components is dissevered, the life form
is wiped out.
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O honoured lady! In cycles gone by, though harmony
was established, yet, owing to the absence of means, the
unity of all mankind could not have been achieved. Continents
remained widely divided, nay even among the
peoples of one and the same continent association and interchange
of thought were wellnigh impossible. Consequently
intercourse, understanding and unity amongst all the
peoples and kindreds of the earth were unattainable. In this
day, however, means of communication have multiplied,
and the five continents of the earth have virtually merged
into one. And for everyone it is now easy to travel to any
land, to associate and exchange views with its peoples, and
to become familiar, through publications, with the conditions,
the religious beliefs and the thoughts of all men. In
like manner all the members of the human family, whether
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peoples or governments, cities or villages, have become
increasingly interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency any
longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoples
and nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture
and education, are being strengthened every day.
Hence the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved.
Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this
wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have
been deprived, for this century—the century of light—hath
been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory,
power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of
a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how
bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man.
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Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world’s
darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political
realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned.
The second candle is unity of thought in world
undertakings, the consummation of which will erelong be
witnessed. The third candle is unity in freedom which will
surely come to pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion
which is the corner-stone of the foundation itself, and which,
by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendour.
The fifth candle is the unity of nations—a unity which in
this century will be securely established, causing all the
peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one
common fatherland. The sixth candle is unity of races,
making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of
one race. The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e., the
choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be
instructed and converse. Each and every one of these will
inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the
Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization.
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