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The repetition of these statements made by the so-called Baha'is Under
the Provisions of the Covenant, and the hurt and shock we experience as
we hear them, brings something to mind.
There is a story -- now I cannot find the source of it -- of the time
after the Passing of Baha'u'llah when the Covenant-breakers were working
against Abdu'l-Baha, but He had not yet announced it to the Baha'i
world. And at that time, pilgrims would come to the Holy Land, and the
Covenant-breakers would invite a new pilgrim to come to the Mansion.
They would throw a feast for him, and write poetry in his honor, flatter
him -- and then, gradually instill questions about the integrity of
Abdu'l-Baha.
One day one of the Covenant-breakers came across Abdu'l-Baha and said
that they had invited one of the recent pilgrims to Bahji and were
holding a Feast in his honor, and would turn him against Abdu'l-Baha.
Abdu'l-Baha smiled and said that they would not get this one; that they
would see that their opposition to Abdu'l-Baha would only increase this
believer's devotion to the Covenant, and make his love for Abdu'l-Baha
even more extreme--and this is what happened. And it seems to me that
this can be our response when we hear these accusations against the
Hands of the Cause, who protected the Cause of God from the forces of
hatred and selfishness -- if we take it properly, it can increase our
love for them, and our devotion to the Covenant. When these shocks
occur, when we hear these things, they can do us no harm if we pray, and
turn to the Will and Testament. They can increase our devotion.
I am not recommending, to the extent of one word, that we read
Covenant-breaker literature. I think that is a foolish thing to do, and
that we should put lots of distance between ourselves and such material.
The House has warned us in the strongest possible terms against doing so.
But when it comes our way without our asking, there is a healthy
response. I personally don't think that in such instances, the best
response is to hush things up. Rather, the forces of unity are so
strong in the Faith, the light of the Covenant is so strong, that used
properly, opposition simply strengthens it. Prayer and study of the
Word will use the irritant as a stimulus, and build a protection.
I have written a short piece about the preposterous and remarkably
flimsy accusations against the Hands http://tinyurl.com/hands-cause
based on passages from "The Ministry of the Custodians."
The sweet-scented Hands of the Cause were as real and as true as they
could be.
Brent
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