On Jess Attending Ruhi: Studying about Truthfulness and Sizing Up Baha'i Rap
From Jess, "a quick recap" of her second Ruhi class. She has changed the name of her blog to Tangential Thoughts, by the way. -gw
...the other two students were a newly married couple (as of May 19!) and the husband has just recently declared, so he is in a very similar situation to me as I am trying to learn about the Faith.
This week we discussed truthfulness and how difficult it can be to be truthful at all times. We studied these few quotes from the Writings:
Inscriptions (upper right):
~The security and tranquillity of nations depend on truthfulness
~Truthfulness exerts a powerful influence
~The foundation of all human virtues
~Steadfastness under duress
"Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues."
"Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul."
"Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty."
"They who dwell within the tabernacle of God, and are established upon the seats of everlasting glory, will refuse, though they be dying of hunger, to stretch their hands and seize unlawfully the property of their neighbor, however vile and worthless he may be."
This last quote was the meatiest and we spent a bit of time talking about it. I couldn't help thinking of those mothers who stole cans of formula and diapers for their babies during the Katrina crisis. Would that count as taking unlawfully? I think I would steal for Ella if need be to keep her healthy and safe. It gave me a lot to think about.
We also talked about all sorts of other subjects (being that I am the tangent QUEEN, hence the blog title change, lol!) like the burial rules and the ban on alcohol. At the beginning and end of the classes, our tutor Mercedeh, likes to play music. The first song was choir music and if I hadn't known any better I would have thought I was listening to a Christian church choir! I have no idea why I was surprised since Baha'is are in every country and every ethnic group in the world. I guess I was expecting exotic music with a Middle Eastern flare.
The one that really got me was the selection she played at the end. She played Baha'i RAP! I had to try so hard to not giggle through the whole thing because it felt so irreverent to me. To think that my childhood church choir director would refer to a certain HYMNAL as "newfangled" and "jazzy" and the fact that I had a hard time the first time I visited a contemporary church service, rap spiritual music is something I just can't do. :-)
Jess, "A Few Odds and Ends," Tangential Thoughts
1 comment:
Thankfully, no Baha'i Rap at Ruhi tonight! :-)
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