What gift can each of us offer the Báb?

Aug 2

Aug 2 What gift can each of us offer the Báb?

30 July 2019

18 Kalimát 176

To all Bahá’í communities in Aotearoa

Very dear friends

With only one cycle until the bicentenary, these next three months are precious beyond measure in ensuring that “every community, every household, every heart” will celebrate this momentous occasion. Between now and this festival spanning 29 and 30 October, the most befitting gift each of us can offer the Blessed Báb is widening the circle of those who will want to celebrate with us the greatness of this Day. Our resolve to befittingly honour the Báb will be demonstrated by the efforts we each make from now to articulate to our family, friends, and acquaintances in conversations “how spiritual truths can be translated into sustained practical action”, “inviting them to participate in activities that weave together worship and service, and accompanying them to become protagonists in a process that aims to build the world anew”.

What must by now be abundantly clear to everyone is that the “countless events” associated with the bicentenary must be coherently integrated with the community-building process. We share with you a link to a video for viewing, containing some questions for reflection and consultation. These are printed below the letter for your reference after viewing of the video.

Naturally, our conversations with others will be aimed at drawing every soul closer to the two Divine Luminaries, so the National Assembly encourages each believer to learn more about the Personage of the Báb, the spirit of heroism of the Báb and His followers, and about how His role as the Herald of Bahá’u’lláh magnifies the greatness of Bahá’u’lláh as the Supreme Manifestation of God. By remembering that the Birthdays of the Twin Manifestations “are accounted as one in the sight of God”, by taking inspiration from history, and by studying and consulting on relevant messages* from the House of Justice, an enhanced understanding of the significance of this momentous time in history will create vision, energy, a sense of mission and a desire to contribute.

With much love,
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New Zealand

*Relevant letters of the Universal House of Justice include the following: dated 18 May 2016, 31 October 2017, 1 June 2018, 26 November 2018, Ridván Message 2019.

Questions

How do we use the coming months to raise our consciousness to invite large numbers to participate in celebrations that befittingly honour the Báb and the Cause?
What plans are emerging to widen the circles of friends who will not only participate in celebrating the bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb but become protagonists in the long term process of spiritual and material transformation?
How can more friends be inspired to invite large numbers to participate in the community-building activities ahead of the bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb?
What is our learning about weaving arts into bicentenary celebrations?
How are the stories of the Báb and His followers being used as inspiration leading up to the bicentenary?

Also see Resources for bicentenary celebrations: 29-30 October 2019 including films, books from Bahá'í Distribution Service, booklets in digital format, logo, messages and news.