Building Community
O my God! O my God!
Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and
reveal to them Thy great purpose. May
they follow Thy commandments and
abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in
their endeavor, and grant them
strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave
them not to themselves, but guide their
steps by the light of Thy knowledge,
and cheer their hearts by Thy love.
Verily, Thou art their Helper and their
Lord.
— Bahá’u’lláh
When you love a member of your family or a compatriot, let itbe with a ray of the Infinite Love! Let it be in God, and for God!Wherever you find the attributes of God love that person,whether he be of your family or of another. Shed the light of aboundless love on every human being whom you meet,whether of your country, your race, your political party, or ofany other nation, colour or shade of political opinion. Heavenwill support you while you work in this in-gathering of thescattered peoples of the world beneath the shadow of thealmighty tent of unity.
You will be servants of God, who are dwelling near to Him, Hisdivine helpers in the service, ministering to all Humanity. AllHumanity! Every human being! Never forget this! – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 38.
Now you must become heavenly farmers andscatter pure seeds in the prepared soil. The harvestof every other seed is limited, but the bounty andthe blessing of the seed of the divine teachings isunlimited. Throughout the coming centuries andcycles many harvests will be gathered.
A person declaring the glad tidings of theappearance of the realities and significances of theKingdom is like unto a farmer who scatters pureseeds in the rich soil.
The sons and daughters of the Kingdom are likeunto the real farmers. Through whichever state orcountry they pass they display self sacrifice andsow the divine seeds. From that seed harvests areproduced. – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks
Ruhiyyih Khanum said she had a dream one night: she dreamed that thedam had burst and that there was a great flood, She rushed down to thewater's edge to try to save someone, but the current swept them past. Shereached out to try to grasp and save another. She grasped one by thehair, and, with great effort, brought that one to shore. Then she tried toreach another, but the current swept him by. She looked up at the side ofthe mountain, and there she saw ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who looked like a Prophetof God, with his white turban and flowing beard, with his back to the flood,working very hard. She rushed up the mountain side, grasped His sleevesand said, "Oh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, come and help me save some of these peoplewho are drowning in the flood." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went right on, working veryrapidly and said nothing. She grasped his sleeve again and said, "Oh‘Abdu’l-Bahá, these people are drowning, come help me save some ofthese people who are drowning in the flood." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, withoutstopping his work turned to her with a smile and Said, "‘Abdu’l-Bahá isbuilding the machine to stop the flood." (That is what is taking place in theworld today)
Ruhaniyyih Ruth Moffett, Visiting the Bahá’í World, 1954-09 Source
What profit is there in agreeing that
universal friendship is good, and talking
of the solidarity of the human race as a
grand ideal? Unless these thoughts are
translated into the world of action, they
are useless.
The wrong in the world continues to exist
just because people talk only of their
ideals, and do not strive to put them into
practice. If actions took the place of
words, the world’s misery would very
soon be changed into comfort.
– Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 23.