Anticipation

By now there is a rhythm that has been established in my life. Of course I am not alone. There is an increasing number of people - in the tens of thousands - who also are part of this. This pattern repeats itself once every 5 years. And in a sense today is the first day of a new cycle. This is the evening when 81 friends gather together in Haifa. First there will be a period of prayers and meditations. Three days to spend in pilgrimage at the sacred Threshold.  One sentiment that often comes to me when I am in this state has been described in these words of Bahá’u’lláh:

"O God, my God! Look not upon my hopes and my doings, nay rather look upon Thy will that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. By Thy Most Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love."  [Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, p. 318]

To pay homage, to put down your burden, to render thanks - it can not be rushed. What we anticipate is an exposition of a new phase in the Divine Plan. Such a thing can best be described in the language of community building.

This past April marked a significant milestone in the development of the Bahá’í world community. Since then there has been steady consolidation of that achievement. Now we stand at the threshold of a new phase. As we move forward and learn about building the communities that embody the essential elements of a New World Order we will also learn about the vision and the practical elements associated with this enterprise.

I hope to be able to reflect in this blog-space on this process of transformation as we live through it.