The Light of Divine Guidance (Volume 1)

Beloved Bahá’í Friends:

Your letter of April 4th has just been received by our beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer it at once on his behalf. 100

It was with feelings of great pride and deep sorrow that he read of the sufferings of the German believers for their Faith and the persecutions they underwent so heroically, and with such unflinching loyalty, for our Holy Cause.

All during these long and tragic years of war his thoughts have been with the Community of the German believers, and his prayers have constantly been offered for their protection and the lightening of their heavy burden. Other Bahá’í Communities, like France and England, have also suffered, but not to the extent of the German and Burmese friends who have been in lands ravaged by war and invasion, and in the hands, at the same time, of political parties who persecuted them.

The loss of all the records of the National and Local Assemblies is indeed very great, and he hopes that your family, Dr. Mühlschlegel, Dr. Schmidt, Herr Jörn, Anna Köstlin, Frau Schweizer, Frau Schwarz—, in fact, all the old believers, will try and reconstruct from memory, and write down, as much of the history of the Cause in Germany as they can remember, so that some accurate records for the future will remain. He would also like you to write a comprehensive account of what the Bahá’ís have endured in Germany since 1937 for the “Bahá’í World”, vol. X, and send it to him as soon as possible. The news of the German believers’ activities has been sadly missed in the last two volumes, and he is anxious to have them take their place again as soon as possible.

He has just written to N.S.A. of America urging them to help, and do all they can to protect the German Bahá’ís; he has also urged them to make every effort to get German Bahá’í books published, and sent to Germany as soon as possible. 101

You all have a tremendous task before you. He knows how great is the suffering for just ordinary German citizens at present as an aftermath of the war—but in spite of these physical hardships the German believers are called upon to establish again the institutions of their Faith, teach its life-giving message to the masses, and help their country to obtain the spiritual destiny ‘Abdu’l-Bahá foresaw for it. You may be sure the Guardian and the Bahá’ís everywhere will do all in their power to help the German believers accomplish their tasks.

Please assure all the friends—especially those who have lost dear ones in the war—of his most loving and ardent prayers on their behalf, and of his feelings of pride and gratitude for their devotion and loyalty to the Faith.

To you all he sends his loving greetings, his deep appreciation of your spirit, and the assurance of his constant prayers….

[From the Guardian:]

My heart is filled with joy, pride and gratitude as I witness, thru the receipt of your most welcome letter, the evidences of the protection of the Almighty and of the vitality of the faith of the long-suffering German believers, who have laboured so devotedly and valiantly during so long and crucial a period and who as a community have survived the greatest ordeal in the history of their Faith in that land. My prayers during these years of danger, of stress, of suspense and anxiety have ever surrounded them, and I rejoice to learn of their safety, their unity, their zeal, and their determination to arise and resume the great and historic work they are destined to carry to a triumphant conclusion in the years that lie ahead. The organization of spiritual assemblies, the reestablishment of the national 102 assembly, the formation of national committees are the immediate objectives, and should, if possible be carried out with the utmost speed and vigour, for upon them will rest the expansion and consolidation of the activities of a sorely-tried Faith. I am appealing to various Bahá’í communities in East and West to lend their assistance in whatever manner possible to the arduous task of reconstruction that now faces the German believers. I long to hear of the news of the friends in other parts of that land and will do my utmost to aid them to resume their activity and services to our beloved Faith. Please assure them all of my great love, of my profound admiration, of my bright hopes for their future, of my heartfelt gratitude for their perseverance and of my fervent prayers for their future success.