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
In regard to your question about qualifications of delegates and assembly
members: the qualifications which he outlined are really applicable to
anyone we elect to a Bahá’í office, whatever its nature. But those are
only an indication, they do not mean people who don’t fulfil them cannot
be elected to office. We must aim as high as we can. He does not feel the
friends should attach so much importance to limitations—such as people
perhaps not being able to attend assembly or convention meetings, because
if they do, then the fundamental concept of everyone being willing to do
Bahá’í service on administrative bodies will be weakened, and the friends
may be tempted to vote for those who, because of independent means or
circumstances in their lives, are freer to come and go but less qualified
to serve.
Regarding “‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London”. Nothing can be considered scripture
for which we do not have an original text. A verbatim record in Persian of
His talks would of course be more reliable than one in English because He
was not always accurately interpreted. However such a book is of value,
and certainly has its place in our literature.
He assures you all of the deep appreciation of your valiant labours and
his loving prayers on your behalf....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
The gigantic task, now being so energetically and successfully carried out
by the consecrated and firmly knit British Bahá’í community, constitutes a
glorious landmark in recent Bahá’í history, and will, when viewed in
proper perspective, deserve to be regarded as one of the most outstanding
enterprises launched by the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in the opening years
of the second Bahá’í century. Alike in its magnitude and significance,
this momentous undertaking is unprecedented in the annals of the Faith in
the British Isles, and deserves to rank as one of the most compelling
evidences of the creative power of its Author, marking the rise and
establishment of His institutions on the European continent. It is yet too
early to assess the potentialities of this present Plan and those destined
to follow it, or estimate their future benefits. The blessings they will
confer, as the forces latent within them are progressively revealed, on
the people dwelling within those Islands, and subsequently, as their
sphere is enlarged and their implications are fully disclosed, on the
diversified peoples and races inhabiting the widely scattered dependencies
of a far-flung empire, in both the East and the West, are unimaginably
glorious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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