On Shoghi Effendi: Be Strong, United, and Protected

The inspiration of a few words which were penned by Shoghi Effendi at the bottom of a letter written on his behalf in response to a letter sent by the Baha'i friends gathered at a summer school in Germany in 1949 can still be felt more than half a century later. Love Baha'u'llah, love the Faith and its Institutions, and love the believers--that is what Shoghi Effendi wanted of the Baha'is everywhere.

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

Your letter reached our beloved Guardian....

The German Bahá’ís, like all the believers everywhere, will be strong, united and protected to the degree to which they are firm in the Covenants of both Bahá’u’lláh and the Master.

He hopes the teaching work in Germany will make great progress, and he urges you all to devote yourselves to this mighty task, and to promoting love and unity amongst the Bahá’ís and a better understanding of the administrative order of our Faith….

Dear co-workers:

Your joint message brought joy and gladness to my heart and was a powerful reminder of the staunchness of the faith of the dearly-beloved German believers, their constancy and determination, their thoroughness and diligency in the study of the Faith and of its teachings, and their devotion to the interests of its institutions. I will supplicate the Beloved on your behalf to enable you to acquire a still deeper understanding of the essentials of His Revelation, and to promote, with increasing effectiveness, the best interests of His Cause,

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Shoghi Effendi, Letter of 4 September 1949 (Summer School), The Light of Divine Guidance (Volume 1), p. 158

Photo: Participants at the summer school of Croatia and Slovenia, 2004

…Without the spirit of real love for Bahá’u’lláh, for His Faith and its Institutions, and the believers for each other, the Cause can never really bring in large numbers of people. For it is not preaching any rules the world wants, but love and action….

Shoghi Effendi, "TEACHING (Love for Bahá’u’lláh)," Directives from the Guardian, p. 72.