Our House, in the Middle of Our Street

[ambiguwaste]

i've been reading The World Order of Baha'u'llah by Shoghi Effendi recently. i've always kinda known this, but reading it drove the point home to me: having the love of Baha'u'llah is not enough. we are Baha'is because we love Baha'u'llah, right? but if all we do is love Him and belive in Him, then we're missing all the rest of the bounties that

Comments

Not Merely a Book of Laws

[savadkhu]

I certainly agree with everything you've said. But, I want to add one piece; The "Book of Laws" (Kitab-i-Aqdas) by Baha'u'llah is not intended to stand alone. In my experience many people respond to Divine Laws and Commandments as a wall that is immovable and singular. Even in the Kitab-i-Aqdas Baha'u'llah reiterates "He who hath drunk the choice wine of fairness from the hands of My bountiful favour will circle around My commandments that shine above the Dayspring of My creation. .. Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine.." (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 20) The imagery I derive is that we first have to be open to God's fairness and favour before we can willingly approach the gift of His Commandments.

The reality is that walls are movable and are a composite of material. Divine Laws are given to us, not simply as a list of thou shalts and thou shall nots. They are always given to us with God's fairness and bounty. In Baha'u'llah's Revelation we have been blessed with a wealth of guidance, spiritual lessons, and our community, which add to the composite of the wall of the Laws.

It is so easy to say that one is obedient to the laws or another is not. But, in my opinion, we are not safe in our house if our walls are composed merely with the letter of the law and not with the brick AND mortar of virtues and spiritual qualities (such as compassion, discipline, self awareness) and the community.

Thanks for the post, Mom