Montevideo, Uruguay
“¡Oh Hijo del Ser! Haz mención de Mi en mi tierra para que en mi cielo Yo te recuerde, así encontrarán solaz mis ojos y los tuyos.”
-Baha’u’llah, P.O. 43 Arabe
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Duluth, USA
“I yield Thee such thanks as can detach them that are nigh unto Thee from all created things, and draw them to the throne of Thy names and Thine attributes.”
-Baha’u’llah, Prayers and Meditations
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Adelaide, Australia
“Every child must be trained in the things of the spirit, so that he may embody all the virtues and become a source of glory to the Cause of God. Otherwise, the mere word “Bahá’í,” if it yield no fruit, will come to nothing. Strive then to the best of thine ability to let these children know that a Bahá’í is one who embodieth all the perfections, that he must shine out like a lighted taper—not be darkness upon darkness and yet bear the name “Bahá’í”.”
-‘Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha
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Tampa, USA
“I beseech Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast caused all such as love Thee to soar in the atmosphere of Thy will, and hast guided all them that yearn after Thee into the Paradise of Thy nearness and Thy presence, to waft from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness the fragrance of certainty upon the needy among Thy loved ones, in these days when the tempests of trials have compassed them on every side”
-Baha’u’llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah
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Mt Tamborine, Australia
“The Sun of Truth, the Word of God shines upon all mankind; the divine cloud pours down its precious rain; the gentle zephyrs of His mercy blow and all humanity is submerged in the ocean of His eternal justice and loving-kindness.”
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity
There are so many references to the sun in the Baha’i writings. Both sunrise and sunset attract me and each have their own particular kind of light.
On this day I watched a sunset in the mountains and so many people were gathered with us to witness it. The rays shone on everyone and attracted them all the one spot.
Everyone was attracted to the glory of that setting sun.
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Danang, Vietnam
“…by whichsoever (name) ye will, invoke Him: He hath most excellent names.”
-Qur’an 17:110
The smiling face of Di Lặc, also known as Maitreya, looks out from a Vietnamese pagoda. Maitreya is known to Buddhists as the “Buddha of the future”, a great savior who will renew the message of Gautama Buddha and establish a society of tolerance and love—a prophecy which is being fulfilled by the coming of Baha’u’llah.
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Minneapolis, USA
“The hour is indeed propitious. The ordeals and tribulations which the hungry, the dispossessed, the sick, as well as the disillusioned and restless multitudes, are now experiencing, offer the bearers of the Message of the Most Great Name, an opportunity which may never again recur. There is no time to lose.”
-Shoghi Effendi, Dawn of a New Day
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La Ciotat, France
“O SON OF MAN!
I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.”
-Baha’u’llah, The Hidden Words
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Asheville, USA
So many contrasts, each with a vision in the same direction. In these turbulent times, it seems that points of view are polarizing and the systems feel unbalanced, at once bleak yet hopeful, brutal yet comforting. One often needs to remember that between the extremes is a growth towards unity. This was taken in front of a wig shop in the splendid city of Asheville, NC, nestled in the gentle Blue Ridge mountains.