The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahá'í Community : the Messages from the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith to the Bahá'ís of the British IslesShoghi, Effendi
Religion
The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahá'í Community : the Messages from the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith to the Bahá'ís of the British Isles
Shoghi, Effendi
Bahai Faith -- Great Britain -- History -- Sources; Shoghi, Effendi, 1897-1957 -- Correspondence
Your letters dated June 1st and 26th and July 20th and 25th, together with
their enclosures, have been received, and our beloved Guardian has
instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
Regarding the various points you raised.
Unless the Russian “New Era” is hopelessly bad, the Guardian advises it
nevertheless be made use of, as it will be some time before the funds of
the Cause can be used for a new edition. If the mistakes are mostly in the
nature of mistranslations of certain important terms it might be possible
for you, in conjunction with Mrs. Lynch, to have printed or mimeographed a
list of errata, and stick it in the book, in this way Russian-speaking
people will not be denied some literature on the Faith, however
inadequate.
The attitude of the friends towards orientals should be one of great
caution, according to the Master’s own often-repeated and explicit
instructions and warnings. Any believer in good standing would not leave
his home community without a letter of credential, and certainly no
Persians, claiming to be Bahá’ís, but lacking credentials, should be
accepted until the Persian N.S.A. has clarified their status. They can,
naturally, attend public meetings, but should not be permitted to come to
the 19- Day Feasts; the friends may associate with them, but should be
very cautious, bearing in mind that many orientals, who scorned or were
even actively against the Cause while living in the East, now find it
convenient to pose as believers or friends of the Faith in a Western
community where they are strangers.
As regards your question about Bahá’í procedure; the present statement can
certainly be amplified to include the United Nations Organisation.
He feels that your Assembly should constantly, through its communications
to the friends and its committees, and in every way possible, stir the
British Bahá’í community to a sense of the great urgency of their pioneer
activities; and the need for more pioneers. They now have a golden
opportunity to arise and fulfil their own cherished plans before it is too
late. In the future we may well look back upon these present days and see
that in them lay our greatest chance to build for the future and to call
people to the Faith while they were still deeply impressed with the
tragedy and futility of war; and before they become too engulfed in post
war problems, or too bitterly disillusioned by the trend of world affairs
to even seek a solution. More believers must arise, and, putting their
trust in Bahá’u’lláh, do their duty to the Faith they believe in and love
so dearly. The youth in particular should be encouraged to enter this
field of service, for the spread of the Cause is their only hope for a
stable world in which to live and establish families of their own.
His loving prayers are with you all in your many services to the Cause of
God, and he is greatly encouraged by the way the work is going forward in
England....(40)
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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