Part 15
The Guardian was very happy indeed to hear of the success of the Summer School and the enthusiasm that prevailed. He has received news of it from some of the friends, as well as the N.S.A., and feels that the English Baha'is have every reason to feel encouraged and proud of the way their tireless efforts are being rewarded.
The good news of the increase in Baha'i membership is yet another evidence of the vitality of the community and the activity of the friends, in spite of the gloom of the times, which increasingly prevails. Indeed as material affairs go from bad to worse in the world, the confidence, optimism, love and hope of the believers will, by force of contrast, shine out as an ever brighter beacon, leading the people to the Path of Truth, the way laid down by God, which alone can guide them to the promise of the future.
Now that the British Isles have a respite from intense aerial warfare, no doubt the friends, especially in London and other cities, find themselves more refreshed and consequently better able to carry on the work of the Cause. They should not lose any time in consolidating the teaching work, reinforcing new centres, and enlarging their numbers.
The Guardian is urging the American friends, also, to redouble their efforts and not lose their precious opportunities. The value of work accomplished at present is inestimable, and opportunities lost are in a way quite irretrievable, as the agony of mankind moves forward to a climax....
The many activities undertaken by the English friends, their determined efforts to bring the Cause before a wider public and reach people of outstanding importance, their new centres and study groups, are all signs which should greatly encourage them and demonstrate to them that the Holy Spirit is ever ready to sustain and reinforce the believers in all work for the good of our precious Faith.
The Guardian assures the members of the National Assembly of his most loving prayers on their behalf and his deep and abiding appreciation of their tireless services. They are helping the friends to build an edifice which neither time nor tide shall undermine and which needs must become the sole refuge for their sorely tried countrymen....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
I wish to assure you again of my feelings of profound gratitude for the manner in which you are performing your sacred task and discharging, individually and collectively, your pressing and manifold responsibilities. I rejoice and am deeply thankful to learn that the trials and tribulations that so fiercely assailed you in the past have lessened and have failed to interfere with the progress of your activities. Baha'u'llah will no doubt continue to guide, sustain and protect you in the days to come and is well pleased with the marvellous evidences of your perseverance, unity, loyalty and devotion. I will continue to supplicate His abundant blessing for you all, that your numbers may steadily increase, your community life be continually enriched, your institutions flourish and multiply, and the foundation of your individual spiritual lives be strengthened. Persevere in your high labours.
Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi
Letter of 27 April 1942 (Convention)
27 April 1942 (Convention)
MAGNIFICENT SPIRIT ENGLISH BELIEVERS CHEERS STRENGTHENS ME ARDUOUS TASK THANKFUL THEIR MESSAGE ADMIRE THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS PRAYING THEIR PROTECTION CHERISH GREAT HOPES TRIUMPHANT ATTAINMENT THEIR GOAL.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 20 June 1942
20 June 1942
Dear Baha'i Sister,
The Guardian has instructed me to answer your letters written on behalf of the National Assembly, and dated Feb. 6th, March 17th and April 6th, and to acknowledge the receipt of the minutes of the Jan. and March meetings of your Assembly together with other enclosures.
In pursuance of your request the Guardian wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Hill about the tragic and unexpected passing of their daughter. He also felt moved to cable them his condolences and the assurance of his prayers. This must have been for them a very grievous blow; but he feels sure the deep assurances concerning the future life, which have been given us by Baha'u'llah, have comforted and sustained them throughout.
He was pleased to read the sympathetic letter you received from ex-President Benes of Czechoslovakia, as well as that of Sir Ronald Storrs. Many men in high positions are aware now of the existence and aims of our Faith, but they do not yet reckon it to be a movement worthy of more profound interest on their part. As time goes by, however, we may rest assured their interest will grow.
That is perhaps what is most glorious about our present activities all over the world, that we, a band not large in numbers, not possessing financial backing or the prestige of great names, should, in the name of our beloved Faith, be forging ahead at such a pace, and demonstrating to future and present generations that it is the God-given qualities of our religion that are raising it up and not the transient support of worldly fame and power. All that will come later, when it has been made clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that what raised aloft the banner of Baha'u'llah was the love, sacrifice and devotion of His humble followers and the change that His teachings wrought in their hearts and lives.
It is just such exemplary devotion and perseverance that the British Baha'is are showing at present, and their reward cannot but be great and lasting. The laying of the foundation is a slow process, but the most important one in the erection of any structure. The Guardian feels that your Assembly, as well as the friends in England, have every reason to feel proud of, and encouraged by, the way the work is progressing there.
He hopes that your Summer School this year will be even more successful than last year, in spite of being held in two parts. You may be sure he will pray for its success.
He fully realises the difficulties you are undergoing enhanced by the war and its hardships, yet he sees, perhaps even more clearly than you yourselves can, that these very difficulties and the surmounting of them are deepening and strengthening the ties that bind you all to our beloved Faith, and enabling you to do a work which only future generations of your countrymen will be able to properly appreciate and assess.
Please convey to all the dear friends the assurances of his love and his prayers for their service in these days, and his high hopes for the future that awaits them in the days to come, when the Cause of God begins to emerge above the waves of the old order and shines forth in all its strength and beauty.
Assuring you and all your fellow-members of his deep appreciation of your tireless work and his ardent prayers for your guidance and strength....
[From the Guardian:]
Dearly beloved co-worker,
The steady progress and extension of Baha'i activities in the British Isles is, no doubt, the direct consequence of the unswerving loyalty, the high courage, the incorruptible spirit and the exemplary devotion and steadfastness of the British believers, who have, simply and strikingly, demonstrated the quality of their faith and the soundness of their institutions in these days of unprecedented commotion, stress and peril. I feel proud of their record of service and of the evidence of their noble faith. The Beloved watches over them from the Abha Kingdom. The Concourse on High extols their achievements and will reinforce their endeavours. They should confidently, gratefully, joyously and unitedly redouble their efforts, extend the range of their activities, rededicate themselves to their historic task and anticipate a renewed outpouring of Baha'u'llah's promised blessings and favours.
Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi
Letter of 28 July 1942
28 July 1942
MAGNIFICENT SPIRIT ANIMATING STEADFAST ENGLISH BELIEVERS NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS TEACHING FIELD PROMPT ME CONTRIBUTE TWO HUNDRED POUNDS FURTHERANCE THEIR HISTORIC TEACHING ACTIVITIES URGE REDOUBLE EFFORTS PRAYING SIGNAL VICTORIES LOVING GRATITUDE.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 8 August 1942 (Summer School)
8 August 1942 (Summer School)
DELIGHTED SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL APPRECIATE SPIRIT BELIEVERS ASSURE ALL CONTINUED PRAYERS.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 8 August 1942
8 August 1942
Dear Baha'i Sister,
Your letters of May 14th and June 10th together with their enclosures reached the Guardian safely, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
He has been very gratified to hear of the successful Summer School sessions, news of the Buxton one having just recently reached him in your latest cable. He feels that you must all be very encouraged that this new way of holding them in different places, which circumstances made imperative, has proved so successful in the end. It presages the day when the friends in England will see the institutions of their Faith rising from various flourishing centres.
Regarding minute No. 507, the Guardian feels that it would be better for either the mothers of Baha'i children--or some committee your Assembly might delegate the task to--to choose excerpts from the Sacred Words to be used by the child rather than just something made up. Of course prayer can be purely spontaneous, but many of the sentences and thoughts combined in Baha'i writings of a devotional nature are easy to grasp, and the revealed Word is endowed with a power of its own....
Shoghi Effendi fully realises the strain which those who are so actively bearing the weight of Baha'i responsibility are subjected to in these days, when already, as private individuals, the events of the world are affecting their lives and drawing on their strength. It makes the quality of Baha'i service so much finer, that it should entail on the part of all definite self-sacrifice.
Though the friends may not be fully aware of it, their staunch perseverance in carrying out their Baha'i activities in the face of war conditions, is really in itself of historic importance. Convention, Summer Schools, meetings, all are not only demonstrating the calibre of their faith, but also evincing marked progress, all of which greatly cheers and delights the Guardian.
He assures you and your fellow-members of the National Spiritual Assembly, of his continued prayers on your behalf, that you may be guided, protected and sustained in your devoted services to the Faith....
P.S.--Shoghi Effendi is deeply interested in the plans you are developing to aid and attract more young people to the Faith. He feels this is both praiseworthy and a valuable method of teaching the Cause.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker,
The work so splendidly initiated by the English believers and so devotedly and energetically pursued and consolidated in these days of peril, uncertainty and turmoil, establishes beyond any doubt their right to claim to be the true upholders and custodians of the Faith of Baha'u'llah. They have, ever since the outbreak of this world wide conflict, abundantly demonstrated the high quality of their faith, the soundness of their institutions, the intensity of their devotion, and their capacity to defend and promote the interests of their beloved Cause. Impelled by admiration and gratitude for the work they have already accomplished, I have contributed a sum which I trust will enable them to extend the range of their teaching activities throughout the British Isles. May the Beloved graciously assist them to achieve such victories in this field as shall truly befit the conclusion of the first century of the Baha'i Era.
Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi
Letter of 12 November 1942
12 November 1942
CABLING TWO HUNDRED POUNDS CARE COOKS THANKSGIVING PROTECTION COMMUNITY BELIEVERS BRITISH ISLES AND FURTHERANCE ALL-IMPORTANT TEACHING ACTIVITIES PRAYING CONTINUALLY EPOCH MAKING VICTORIES.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 13 January 1943
13 January 1943
CONVEY GLAD TIDINGS ENGLISH BELIEVERS COMPLETION EXTERIOR EDIFICE MOTHER TEMPLE WEST ADVISE CABLE CONGRATULATIONS REPRESENTATIVES AMERICAN BAHA'IS SUPERB ACHIEVEMENT AND WIDE PUBLICITY BRITISH PRESS.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 20 January 1943
20 January 1943
ASSURE ATTENDANTS CONFERENCE LOVING APPRECIATION PRAYERS.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 9 March 1943
9 March 1943
Dear Baha'i Sister,
Your letters dated July 19th 1942, Aug. 20th 1942, Sept. 15th 1942, and Dec. 8th 1942 have all reached the Guardian safely, as well as their enclosures, and he has instructed me to answer them on his behalf.
This last year he has been greatly overburdened with work, and that is why he so frequently has to delay the answering of his many letters.
The good news you conveyed of the marked success of the various Summer Schools held last year pleased him greatly. When the English friends remember that it is not many years since they ventured on their first Summer School and now, during war time, they have managed to hold four successful ones, they should feel very encouraged and proud! It shows that when the determination is strong and the faith firm, the friends can work wonders and surprise even themselves!
He was also delighted to hear of the successful teaching work and public meetings undertaken in Bradford and Manchester, and that the advertisements and publicity which you are sponsoring are meeting with a certain amount of response from the public.
He hopes that some of the friends will find it possible to move, at least temporarily, to centres where sufficient believers, or interested enquirers exist to enable a Spiritual Assembly to be formed by 1944. If such work is feasible it is, indeed, of great importance and well worth the sacrifices involved. This policy of settlement has been fruitful in both India and the United States, and as soon as a determined and active Assembly is started it is, of course, much easier to teach and carry on the work of the Cause.
The burdens everyone has to bear these days are heavy, and the way often seems long and hard which we and our fellow-men in general, are called upon to tread; but we know where it leads and what our work is and what that work must ultimately mean to not only the Baha'is but the whole world. This knowledge strengthens us and enables us to go on with a faith and confidence which cannot but help and inspire others. We are Baha'u'llah's army and we cannot fail, as He leads us on.
The Guardian assures you and all the N.S.A. members of his most loving prayers. The English friends are increasingly dear to him, and he has great hopes for their future achievements.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
The evidences of renewed activity in the teaching field are most encouraging and the spirit which animates the English believers in these days of stress and peril is highly inspiring. As the first Baha'i century draws to a close, a supreme effort should be exerted by the believers in order to consummate befittingly the task they have arisen to achieve. I will pray with all my heart that the hopes they cherish may be realised, and their continued labours be crowned with glorious success.
Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi
Naw-Ruz, 1943
APPRECIATE MESSAGE RECIPROCATE LOVING GREETINGS THANKFUL DIVINE PROTECTION PRAYING UNPRECEDENTED VICTORIES LAST YEAR FIRST BAHA'I CENTURY.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 21 April 1943 (Convention)
21 April 1943 (Convention)
APPEAL DELEGATES ASSEMBLED CONVENTION DELIBERATE PROMPT EFFECTUAL MEASURES ENSURE UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION PIONEER TEACHING ACTIVITIES LAST YEAR CENTURY AND BEFITTING CELEBRATION MAY 1944 CENTENARY FAITH ADVISE PREPARE SURVEY OUTSTANDING EVENTS FORTY-FIVE YEAR HISTORY FAITH BRITISH ISLES ASSURE FRIENDS FERVENT CONTINUED PRAYERS ABUNDANT BLESSINGS SUCCESS TWO-FOLD TASK CABLING THREE HUNDRED POUNDS CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS FULFILMENT PROJECTED UNDERTAKINGS DEEPEST LOVE.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 26 April 1943
26 April 1943
DELIGHTED RESPONSE HIGH RESOLVE ASSURE ASSEMBLY PRAYERS MAGNIFICENT VICTORIES.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 12 May 1943
12 May 1943
KINDLY AIR MAIL IMMEDIATELY FULL LIST NAMES ALL LOCALITIES BRITISH ISLES WHERE ONE OR MORE BELIEVERS RESIDE SPECIFYING THOSE POSSESSING SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 17 June 1943
17 June 1943
CABLING TWO HUNDRED POUNDS THROUGH COOKS CONTRIBUTION ASSIST YOUR ASSEMBLY CELEBRATE BEFITTINGLY CENTENARY BELOVED FAITH WRITING.
SHOGHI RABBANI
Letter of 17 June 1943
17 June 1943
Dear Baha'i Sister,
ASSURE NEWLY DECLARED BELIEVERS WELCOME PRAYERS.
He was very pleased to hear that the publicity you are giving the Faith is meeting with a wider response than has hitherto been the case, and he hopes that the N.S.A. and local Assemblies will organise their efforts in such a way as to enable them to draw enquirers closer to the Cause and, if possible, meet with them and include them in suitable teaching classes.
Regarding the matter of Fuad Afnan's grave, the Guardian has no objection to its being built.
He feels that Baha'is who, though still considering themselves believers, omit attending the 19 Day Feasts for long periods, should not be deprived of their voting rights; they should, however, be encouraged to attend these Feasts as often as possible.
In less than a year the Baha'is the world over will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of their Faith, and the Guardian is very anxious that the British believers should commemorate this historic occasion befittingly. He would, therefore, suggest that your Assembly take up the following points for deliberation as soon as possible:
1. The holding of a large and representative gathering, attended by the Baha'is and the public alike, in a hired hall in London on the 23rd May 1944. He feels that prominent friends and sympathisers of the Faith should be invited to speak on this occasion, as well as Baha'is, and that every effort should be made to make the gathering both festive and dignified, as befits so blessed and solemn an occasion.
2. The publication of a Centenary Pamphlet outlining the important events of the Faith, and with a special emphasis placed on the rise and development of the Cause in England, its early history in that country, the achievements of the friends in spreading the Teachings there and establishing the administration, the formation of the Publishing Trust, and so on.
3. He wishes your Assembly to call the annual Baha'i Convention for days that will include the 22nd May, so that all the assembled friends may be present at a special Baha'i meeting to be held at 2 hours and 11 minutes after sunset on May 22nd as this is the exact time at which the Bab made His first historic declaration of His mission to Mulla ?usayn.
In order to aid the dear English believers in their befitting celebration of so glorious an occasion the Guardian is forwarding to your Assembly the sum of two hundred pounds sterling to be used for the arrangements you deem fit to make, and the publication of the above mentioned pamphlet. The Baha'i communities all over the world--wherever free to do so--will also be celebrating this memorable day, each according to its capacity, and he is very anxious that the British Baha'is should, as befits their increasingly prominent position in the Baha'i World, demonstrate to the public and to their fellow believers, the vitality of their community and the marked advancement it has made of late. He leaves all details to the discretion of your Assembly.
Mr. Yool of Manchester was recently able to spend his leave in Haifa at the Western Pilgrim House, and the Guardian was so happy to welcome one of the English friends here. He hopes that after the war many will be able to make the pilgrimage. They will be most welcome.
Assuring you and all the members of the N.S.A. of his loving prayers and his ardent hopes for the success of this great celebration which you will now be planning....
P.S. The Guardian recently cabled asking you to forward a complete list of all Spiritual Assemblies in the British Isles and the name of every locality where one or more believers reside.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
I pray that the celebration of the Centenary of our beloved Faith by the English believers may be a remarkable success. The committee that will have to be appointed for this purpose must strain every nerve, explore every avenue, and lose no time in order to ensure the unqualified success of this undertaking. I will supplicate the Beloved to guide every step you take, to aid you to surmount all obstacles, and to inspire you to undertake the measures that are most conducive to the proper discharge of your noble task. The widest possible publicity should be given to the Faith by every means at your disposal.
Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi
Letter of 4 August 1943
4 August 1943
Dear Baha'i Sister,
Your letters, written on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly and dated May 14th and June 6th have been received, together with the minutes of the April and May N.S.A. meetings, and the Guardian has instructed me to answer them on his behalf.
He was very encouraged to see the number of places where there are now one or two registered Baha'is residing, as these are beacons of the Faith--however lonely and however, as yet, feeble the light they are able to radiate.
The Guardian feels that it would be an excellent plan if some way could be found to raise Bournemouth and Torquay to Assembly status; either through some self-sacrificing souls moving to these places and thus giving them the required number, or through the efforts of the local and visiting teachers. With the Centenary of the Faith so rapidly approaching it seems a great pity that England should be deprived of these two Assemblies, when each one of them only requires one person to bring it to Assembly status.
Regarding the questions you asked in connection with the following minutes of the N.S.A. meetings: 753. The Guardian advises you to consult Canon Townshend, and if he considers it advisable to compile a pamphlet for distribution to the clergy you could get one out along the lines he might suggest as suitable. 754. He would not advise any special contact being made with the Swedenborgians as the Master's reference is not sufficiently clear and emphatic to warrant it. 755. The Guardian does not believe you should ask the Russian Embassy for help in locating Mde. Grinevskaya's play about the Bab, as he believes they could be of no help in the matter. You might ask the American N.S.A. if they have this material available.
The Guardian's prayers are offered on behalf of the N.S.A. members, that you, one and all, may be aided and guided in your labours during the coming months, to prepare the way for a befitting and glorious Centenary celebration of our beloved Faith during May of 1944.
[From the Guardian:]
Dearly beloved friends,
I was so pleased and encouraged to witness the recent evidences of the determination of the English believers to arise, as never before, during this concluding year of the first Baha'i century, and ensure the extension of the teaching activities of the Faith, the consolidation of its interests, and a better understanding and wider recognition of its aims, its principles, and accomplishments. The efforts they must exert during these remaining months must be unprecedented in their range and character. The blessings that will be vouchsafed to them, if they unitedly persevere and vigorously prosecute their urgent task, will alike be unprecedented. The preparation for a befitting celebration of the forthcoming Centenary must likewise be carefully and energetically carried out. May the Almighty sustain and guide them in their vast and meritorious endeavours.
Shoghi
Letter of 10 August 1943 (Summer School)
10 August 1943 (Summer School)