A Good Thing

I have a calendar on my desk which has quotes on it and the quote for today says "Too much of a good thing is still a good thing." This seemed exceptionally appropriate given that today marks 7 years since I arrived in Israel. So many emotions fill my soul today. But somehow they all come back to gratitude. Gratitude to God for having put me here, for having given me the opportunity to live in an environment that reflects and is a manifestation of the nobility and true essence of the human race, for having tested me and assisted me to grow and move farther beyond my own limitations and fears than I ever would have thought possible. A bit of sadness for all the beautiful souls I have said good-bye to in the 7 years I've been here, but also so much gratitude to have had them in my life. Particularly a family that just left 2 days ago. Two precious little girls and their loving and beautiful parents whose fingerprints are all over the most joyful and touching memories of my service here and who have left an imprint in my heart that will stay with me forever. I think I will feel grateful for the rest of my life for the gift that has been my time here.

Badi

He carried Your proclamation with faith unyielding

A boy with the courage to face a Shah

Your message of utter truth he was wielding

And nothing could alter the vision he saw

Transformed by his time in Your glorious presence

His heart’s foundation rearranged and alight

Created anew, ablaze with Your essence

He set out on a journey to deliver Your light

                                                                       

When each of us leaves this Holy mountain

We leave transformed, as Badi left
Aflame with Your love, a billowing fountain
Carrying Your proclamation to the sorely bereft

Forever

Today, 03 June 2014, will be 5 years I have been blessed to serve here in Haifa, Israel. I wrote this song in March of 2010 after I had been here about 9 months and it is as true now as it was then.

Adele Dodds is playing the piano.



I wanted to pick one photo for each year to share with you.... But that was impossible.... Here's the best I could do :)

Five years in Haifa:

August 2009 - Shrine of Baha'u'llah

December 2009 - The Negev

March 2010 - The Seat of the Universal House of Justice

June 2010 - Ben Gurion Avenue (photo taken by Adib Roy)

June 2010 - Baha'u'llah's Prison Cell Window in Akka

June 2010 - Paths of Stone

December 2010 - Sunset on a Haifa beach during the Carmel Forest Fires

April 2011 - Bahji Visitor's Centre through the flowers

June 2011 - Monument of Bahiyyih Khanum

June 2011 - Pilgrimage

January 2012 - Staff Entrance to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice
I had the amazing bounty of serving in this building for over 4 years. 

May 2012 - Flowers on the Hillel Stairs
(I lived on these stairs for 4 years) 

June 2012 - Mazra'ih 

July 2012 - Archives Building and the Shrine of the Bab

November 2012 - A bird cloud and Haifa Bay

March 2013 - The Shrine of the Bab from a view point behind the Seat

May 2013 - The Shrine of Baha'u'llah on Ascension night

October 2013 - Bahji at sunset

March 2014 - The Shrine of the Bab

May 2014 - House of Abdu'llah Pasha in Akka

May 2014 - Bahji

May 2014 - Bahji

A Lover's Persecution

The Bab's death left a hollow

No words can ever fill

And the horrors that would follow

Leave the ink of my pen still

In the torment of His lovers

One can find no greater pain 

Yet with each story one discovers

The heights of love we can attain

The years following that tragic day

Were filled with grief and confusion

And the actions of a few who lost their way

Ignited a new wave of intense persecution

Thousands were mercilessly tortured and killed

For believing in the power of His Blessed Name

Yet the goals of the clergy were never fulfilled

For their deaths only served to fan the Faith's flame

The essence of the love felt by each man who died

Could not but affect the hearts of those who observed

For their steadfastness and joy could not be denied

Nor their gratitude for the end they were served

These persecutions have not yet ceased

Though they've continued over one hundred and fifty years

But through the sacrifices of it's tormented lovers in the East

The Sun of His Glory continues to reach new frontiers

Bahji in Bloom

Red and green paint my vision

Life and beauty a mural of grace

Between the soul and the world there lives no devision

When walking the pebbled paths of this place

The tension that lives outside of these gates

Slips silently away with the glorious breeze

And my heart's delight patiently waits

As I walk down the line of cypress trees

My feet never falter in their quest to attain

The Mystery entombed in that sacred room

And I would give my life to ever remain

On this path of His love, as the flowers in bloom

Home

The shadows of cypress trees,
On paths of stone,
Grass freshly grown,
Red geraniums in bloom,
Marble as white as the moon,
This is home.

A Question of Sight

Your eyes transfix my soul
They look where none have ever seen
Your gaze never wavers one iota
What of my inner essence do You glean?

What do You see in my fear and selfishness?
How do You view my intentions?
How strong is the light of Your love in my heart?
How in line with Your teachings are my reflections?

How can I truly bring myself to account,
When my "self" is directing the quest?
How can I know if I'm actually learning,
Or if my growth is being repressed?

What does it mean to be a willing channel,
A messenger of Your love,
A bearer of spiritual gifts,
Spreading unity from above?

How can I possibly know how,
To bring concord to the earth,
A pale, pathetic, unworthy creature,
Who does not even recognize her own worth?

I look inside me but see only failings
A naive, self absorbed, vulnerable youth
But Your eyes seem to delve deep into my soul
And instead, see capacity, value and truth

So I beg You to aide me to see through Your eyes
And dwell only on Your reflected light
The darkness inside me just space to be filled
With the beauty illumined by Your blessed sight

A Legacy of Sacrifice

I walk in the footsteps of those come before me
And yet I pave my own path along the way
Following their example, I learn from their triumphs
Letting their dedication illumine each day
Their legacy stamped on each page of my story
Their service measured by each wave on the bay
A fleeting moment was their time on this mountain
Yet engraved in every pebble will their sacrifices stay

The Báb’s Blessed Companion

Alone he ran across the field

Toward a magnificent countenance illuminating the skies

His focused attention would not yield

No force could block him from this prize

His ardor true and unconcealed

Though young, his heart was pure and wise

He walked right through the guarded shield

The mirrored Light before his eyes

He took this Light and his soul awoke

Though its protection would lead him to despair

For the love that Blessed name evoked

Imprisonment was his unwarranted fare

In his anguish he dreamt his Beloved spoke

A promise made in answer to a prayer

It calmed his soul in a single stroke

For the cup of martyrdom They would share

Three years he spent in expectation

Awaiting the return of the One he Adored

Till in a crowded street, silent with trepidation

He humbled himself at the feet of his Lord

Begging to be imprisoned with the Spark of Creation

He was led with two others through the massive hoard

Filled with wonder, excitement and exaltation

Finally reflecting the Light he had stored

That night along with the others arrested

He was asked a question he could not understand

The Báb begged them to carry out what He requested

That His life would be ended by a faithful friend’s hand

In terror and shock, he cried and protested 

How could such weight, he ever withstand?

But with detachment and trust he arose uncontested

And said he would follow any command

With this glorious act of love and devotion

He surrendered control to his heart’s Desire

The events that this sacrifice set in motion

Would connect him forever to the One we admire

The Báb praised his obedience with zeal and emotion

And chose him to share martyrdom’s attire

He opened before him the door of God’s Ocean

And kindled him in the blaze of God’s Fire

At noon the next day a miracle was seen

As seven hundred and fifty bullets missed their mark

The Báb disappeared, found calm and serene

Sharing with His secretary His final remark

The chief attendant and regiments left the scene

Unwilling to kill this melodious Lark

And the replacement soldiers just following routine

Would be remembered as those who stole Light from the dark

Anis’ last wish before he left this worldly space

Was to be hung so his head would shield the chest

Of the One with whose dust and eternal embrace

His mortal remains would forever rest

Love and joy emblazoned his face

As his soul flew high, released from its tests

Now his spirit resides under the dome of God’s Grace

Forever the Báb’s companion and guest

Reaching His Presence

Gold flowers narrow my vision
Shoes placed neatly around the door
The fragrance of roses, waft gently toward me
My feet find calm in the carpet strewn floor

Light flowing in from the high ceiling windows
Brings with it a sense of serenity and peace
Flowers and birdsong engulf my whole being
Turning that corner my control I release

Each step has a magic, each breath a new meaning
My soul approaching the source of its yearning
Beyond that threshold, an unknowable Presence
The force around which our whole world is turning

This place is a beacon, this visit a blessing
One I will never fully understand
His confirmations and love surround me
A bounty from God to have come to this land

Pilgrimage Day 9: The Footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Baha

"O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones, strengthen me in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with the light of adoration in Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to Thy kingdom of grandeur. Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me to be detached from all things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the Highest." - 'Abdu'l-Baha 


Every step we have taken
On this journey of grace and wonderment
Has been living through Your eyes
Tasting the joy of Your presence
Watching Your light brighten the skies
Breathing the fragrance of Your essence

Each day we have spent with You
Has been a blessing and a treasure
But now we must bid good-bye to these unexplainable days
To walking in the footsteps of Your sacrifice and grace
To the potency of Your fire which has set us all ablaze
To a journey which now ends within Your warm embrace

But with joy we will take You with us
For we yearn to fulfill Your deepest longing
Take each step and each breath as we do
Let our desires and Yours become one and the same
In poverty accompany us as we travel for You
And help us cry to the world His Glorious Name

"O that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and, raising the call of "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha" in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans, promote the divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it." - 'Abdu'l-Baha

Pilgrimage Day 8: A Most Sacred Trust

"When all was finished, and the earthly remains of the Martyr-Prophet of Shiraz were, at long last, safely deposited for their everlasting rest in the bosom of God's holy mountain, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Who had cast aside His turban, removed His shoes and thrown off His cloak, bent low over the still open sarcophagus, His silver hair waving about His head and His face transfigured and luminous, rested His forehead on the border of the wooden casket, and, sobbing aloud, wept with such a weeping that all those who were present wept with Him. That night He could not sleep, so overwhelmed was He with emotion. 'The most joyful tidings is this,' He wrote later in a Tablet announcing to His followers the news of this glorious victory, 'that the holy, the luminous body of the Báb...after having for sixty years been transferred from place to place, by reason of the ascendancy of the enemy, and from fear of the malevolent, and having known neither rest nor tranquillity has, through the mercy of the Abha Beauty, been ceremoniously deposited, on the day of Naw-Ruz, within the sacred casket, in the exalted Shrine on Mt. Carmel..." - Adib Taherzadeh

On the day His blessed life was stolen

Darkness obscured the skies

A gale of dust stole sight from all eyes

The world itself mourned His unjust demise

Anis, His pure and devoted servant

Gave his life to stand by His side

Glorious the manner in which he died

His head on the breast of his loving Guide

Their remains were thrown outside the city

Their bodies mingled into one

Their faces reflecting the Bountiful Sun

Their journey to burial barely begun

The authorities, wishing to quench the Faith’s flame

Protected the bodies from sight

But still they were stolen in the dead of night

By the lovers of His magnificent light

For sixty long years they journeyed far

The hands of His servants protecting this treasure

Their sacrifices and risks impossible to measure

This hidden mystery their deepest pleasure

Until at last the bodies of these blessed souls

Reached their final resting place

Abdu’l-Bahá with tears streaming down His face

Laid Them to rest under the dome of God’s Grace

The commitment and devotion of these few special souls

Is a blessing and bounty given to this world

For though into the path of danger they were hurled

Their actions saw the banner of our Faith unfurled

Lamp outside Abdu'llah Pasha in which the remains of the Bab were kept
hidden for a number of years. 

Pilgrimage Day 7: An Archive of Mystery and Light

"The world of being shineth, in this Day, with the resplendency of this Divine Revelation. All created things extol its saving grace, and sing its praises. The universe is wrapt in an ecstasy of joy and gladness. The Scriptures of past Dispensations celebrate the great Jubilee that must needs greet this most great Day of God. Well is it with him that hath lived to see this Day, and hath recognized its station." - Shoghi Effendi


The history of this blessed Faith
Embraced by marble and glory
Tablets, artifacts and those blessed pictures
Tell our Faith's triumphant story

Protected and cherished over many long years
Preserved by His lovers' devoted hands
Elegantly displayed for His servants and guests
With the reverence with which their importance demands

The photo of the Blessed Beauty
Struck a chord deep in my heart
The beautiful tablets and letters of love
The simplicity of the Master's garb

Shoghi Effendi's smiling face
The sword of the gentle Mulla Husayn
Khadijih's bracelet given with love
Navvab's letter of pride and of pain

That sweet and pure letter from Ruh'u'llah the martyr
The fruition of Bahiyyah Khanum's devotion
The blood stained shirts of the Bab and Mirza Mihdi
All brought deep, soul-stirring emotion

But the deepest was staring at Baha'u'llah's robes
For I was suddenly struck with yearning and love
A yearning to feel His garment surround me
To be clothed in His mercy and light from above

Pilgrimage Day 6: A Pilgrim's Journey

"Praise be to God that through His gracious bounty you were enabled to visit His exalted, His sacred and luminous Threshold, to refresh and perfume your nostrils with the sweet-scented fragrances of God diffused from these imperishable, holy Places. This wondrous gift calls for thanksgiving, and this heavenly bestowal warrants praise and glorification. And such praise is best expressed when one’s pilgrimage, one’s honour at attaining His holy Court and becoming the recipient of His favours and loving-kindness produce a profound effect and influence upon every aspect of one’s life, upon one’s bearing and demeanour, and one’s activities. There is no doubt that it will be so. " - Bahiyyih Khanum


Such a bounty this blessing
Such a wonder these days
Stepping away from the material
Our spirits set ablaze
The world beyond these hours
Seems naught but a distant haze
Guests of the Blessed Beauty
Our souls held by His gaze


The gates are opened wide
Only beauty greets our sight
His servants bow their heads in thanks
In the joy and devotion they delight
Without the presence of the pilgrims
These servants would be lost in night
For such purity, faith and unswerving devotion
Refresh and enable them to carry His light


Though these days are as fleeting
As a comet in the sky
They have the power to transform you
Your life spread out before your eyes
Like Badi, kindled in a single moment
His love so strong, for it he would die
If we take the same love from our own sacred meeting
We will assuredly fly

Pilgrimage Day 5: The Strength Behind Those Blessed Eyes

" 'I fought with myself until I conquered myself. Then I came back and I turned myself over to God and I was the Guardian.’ ‘Now,’ he said, ‘every Bahá’í in the world, every person in the world has to do exactly that same thing… regardless of what you are, whatever you are doing in the Cause, every Bahá’í must fight with himself and conquer himself. And when he has conquered himself, then he becomes a true instrument for the service of the Cause of God—and not until that. And he will not achieve as great a success until he has done it." - Quoting Shoghi Effendi from a talk given by Leroy Ioas

Even as a child upon his Grandfather’s knee

His destiny was written on the pages of fate

A burden and blessing would be His to be carried

A lifelong responsibility, an uncompromising weight

When his Grandfather died and the Will was read

His life as he knew it had ended

So he retreated to nature to conquer himself

To become the one on whom the world now depended

The sorrow and anguish faced in His path

Are more profound then words can mention

His achievements far greater than a poem can share

His courage and strength beyond comprehension

He brought administration through his faith and persistence

Guidance through his interpretive translations

Political relations through his trustworthiness and honesty

And the exponential spread of this Cause to all nations

Without his light bringing unity to our collective history

This Faith would have perished like many before

But he guided it through, he built the foundation

For pilgrims and lovers to pray at His door