This Week's Quotation:
…for any movement animated by love moveth from the periphery to the centre, from space to the Day-Star of the universe… for when the guiding power is the divine force of magnetism it is possible, by its aid, to traverse time and space easily and swiftly.
– Abdul-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdul-Baha p. 197
Gathering Blessings
Rev. Berry Behr, Global Interfaith Ambassador
Have you ever noticed that when we are the best, most radiant expression of ourselves, the Universe seems to radiate back with gifts, blessings, and more joy?
This Baha’i teaching is central to the spiritual understanding of this faith. The word “Baha” is Arabic for “Splendor,” which means magnificence, brilliance, or glorious beauty. All of these words evoke a sense of shining wonder—of radiance. So, radiance, in essence, is the central characteristic of the Baha’i faith.
The key ingredient that activates this Divine inflow, according to Baha’i teaching, is love. When we love life, life has a way of loving us back beyond our wildest imaginings. Think of it as a smile. When you smile at someone, especially from a place of authentic pleasure or care, there is a flash of recognition that ignites the smile they return to you. Life is a call and response: science shows us that light attracts light because it has energy and generates a gravitational field. As we radiate out to the world, fuelled by Attunement with the life force that we know as God or Spirit, our light generates a gravitational field that attracts other lights. We may call it the process of becoming a sun.
NLP (neurolinguistic programming) teaches that “the meaning of the communication is the response you get.” It encourages us to take responsibility for how we express ourselves, recognising that we don’t always say precisely what we mean or mean precisely what we say. As we practice mindful speech, the meaning of our words becomes more complete. Today, I ordered an Uber to collect me on Bark Street, but I didn’t say where on Bark Street, so the Uber driver and I took a moment to find each other. It wasn’t my finest communication! Luckily, the driver was kind and patient, so I relaxed, too, answering his unflustered sweetness with my own radiant friendliness.
The Baha’i faith sees the loving, unconditional radiance of God’s love through humanity as medicine for the world’s ills, as taught by all the great healers, including Baha’i founder Abdul-Baha, Jesus of Nazareth, Lord Krishna, Mohamed, and Buddha. Every person is a Day Star—a sun—attracting the blessings of a loving God. Beyond our differences, may we all radiate ever brighter, unified in our desire to know and share Divine Love.
About Open Windows
We, the authors of this blog, dedicate it to the transparent exploration of the world’s sacred scripture and enlightened spiritual thought. We believe that the original inspiration of all faiths comes from a common source, named and revered in a myriad of ways. With that understanding, the innumerable symbols, beliefs, and practices of faith cease to divide. They become open windows to a common reality that inspires and unifies us. We find deeper insight and nourishment in our own faith and from the expression of faith from others.
We hope these weekly quotations and meditations speak to your heart and soul.
