It is a blessing to be serving again in the Holy Land, even for a short period, so soon after having completed my original term of service in September last year. It is hard not to be artistically inspired when you live in this place–although life here has its own unique challenges–but what I sometimes find difficult is to take original photographs. Just about every angle has been covered multiple times, so I look for details and perspectives that others might not have noticed. Low angles, night shots and long exposures are a few of the things that help me create a unique image. My wife points out, quite accurately, that I have taken many photos of the Shrines and other places around Haifa/Akka and so I am always looking for a way to see the splendour anew.
“I wish to assure you … that the trials to which they are subjected are but a prelude to an age of unprecedented glory and activity in the service of the Cause of God. These clouds will dissipate and the splendour of the Faith will be shed with increasing radiance. Let the Cause grow silently and acquire greater depths in the hearts of the tested believers …, and the day will surely come when its potentialities will be manifested in a manner that would cause every beholder to marvel.”
-The Light of Divine Guidance (volume 1), Shogh Effendi, p. 90