On a Flickr Baha'i pic of the day: Bahji

"windows at bahjí," uploaded on May 9, 2006 by .Leili on flickr

On X-Men Epiphanies: Seeing the Face of the Beloved in All Faces

Chance wants to change the world. -gw
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Today i had an epiphany. I was watching X-men III and (if you haven't seen it then you may not understand exactly where I'm coming from) I was watching the part where Jean has killed everyone on the island and Wolverine is standing below her and the view pans out to show everything she has done... and I thought why can't I do that? Why can I not do something that will change lives, something that will change the very face of the earth? I realized that I can. I wish I could do justice to what I felt because if everyone that has seen that movie left with the feeling I feel then the world would be changed. You have the power to effect every person you come in contact with, it is your choice whether the experience is a good one or a bad one, but why not choose good? It's not that hard when you allow the love you feel for people to radiate rather than remain supressed.

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You know, there is a story of a man asking Abdu'lBaha (the son of Baha'u'llah, the prophet founder of the Baha'i Faith) how he treated every person he came in contact with with such compassionate love and affection. He said that he simply saw the face of Baha'u'llah on every person. This may not have the vast effect it has on me for you, but (if you're Christian) imagine the face of Christ on every person you meet. If you do this then how could you hate anyone?

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Hardcore Chance, "God Works in Mysterious Ways," MySpace

On Googling 巴哈伊 ("Baha'i" in Chinese): About 11,500 listings in 0.44 seconds

http://xbean.cs.ccu.edu.tw/~dan/ChineseBahai/readings/CONV_BIG5/homepage.html

With inspiration from Chinese-speaking world citizen Child-of-Africa, I was inspired to copy and paste this - 巴哈伊 - into my browser. I got "Results 1 - 10 of about 11,500 for 巴哈伊. (0.44 seconds)." -gw

peoplepress.net/

bahai.org.tw

巴哈伊信仰创立于一个半世纪以前，今天已跻身于最快速发展的世界性宗教信仰之列。有五百万以上的信仰者居住在地球上的每一个国家，已经成为分布第二广的信仰，在地理幅度上超了除基督教之外的所有其它宗教。巴哈伊分布于全世界约100,000多个地点，其范围之广反映了祂们对世界公民这一理想的奉献。 http://info.bahai.org/chinese/

And check out http://blog.xuite.net/doris629/Bahai. Xuite! -gw

On Baha'i Community Blogs: Sharing Stories

"And here is a picture of our dearest Dr. Samandari, taken in Buea on Sunday November 26th, who has never ceased to be a wonderful and loving inspiration to us all.... He is seen here with Nysa and Mehdi" - Just News

Community blogs are up-and-coming. More Baha'i communities are establishing one, starting up a blog being easier than starting a separate website.

just news... sharing stories, events and activities from the Cameroon Baha'i Community is such a community blog. Reading a post about the appointment of Auxiliary Board members serving this part of Africa, I am struck by the sound of their names, the familiarity of their first names and the exotic beauty of their last. Yes, we should keep them in our prayers. -gw

The Auxiliary Board members were appointed early in November and will work under the guidance of Counsellor Tiati a Zock for the Next 5 years. Here are their names and the areas they will cover. Some areas have more that one ABM serving.

Mrs OTTIA Helen (Littoral (excluding Douala) and SW (Fako))
Mrs TIATI Beatrice (East and West)
Mr. ARREY John (Littoral and SW (Mamfe))
Mrs TCHAMEGNI Christine (Far North, North, Adamawa and Douala)
Mrs TANGU Constance (NW and West)
Mr GABANA Felix (East)
Mr. ONDOBO Fridolin (Centre, South and Equatorial Guinea)
Mr. DJOULDE Alain (Far North, North and Adamawa)
Mr. NKOUAGA Ferdinand (Centre, South and Equatorial Guinea)
Mr. TEM Gideon (SW and NW)

We should keep these wonderful and devoted friends in our prayers as they undertake the prodigous task of assisting the communities in implementing the 5 year plan.

"Auxiliary Board Members appointed," just news... sharing stories, events and activities from the Cameroon Baha'i Community

{Re-posted with permission}

On Interfaith Dialogue: Forum for All

Interesting site promoting interfaith dialogue in the Middle East. -gw

Middle East Interfaith Blogger Network

-Manifesto-

Silent no longer!

The blogosphere is the Middle East’s newest community: a powerful alternative communication network largely (though not entirely) beyond the reach of censors. It gives voice to a heretofore silent minority of people seeking dialogue and understanding. Who knows? Through our efforts we might find that the silent minority is larger and stronger than we now believe.

We represent diverse members of that community. Despite our differences, we come together to protect individual rights and freedom of conscience.

Through blogging, we are free to express our beliefs online and share them with the world in a way that is not possible otherwise. We cherish our right to free expression and freedom of conscience. As individuals with ties to the Middle East, we are pained by ongoing repression and conflict in the region, troubles fueled in part by religious differences and in part by a fundamental lack of communication.

Together, we are committed to helping Middle Eastern societies find a formula for genuine acceptance of difference. We ask the blogging community to provide an open environment for interfaith dialogue and education – and to help us transform online dialogue into local interfaith efforts in our own communities.

We establish the Middle East Interfaith Blogger Network to put our ideas into action. We intend to celebrate difference, to encourage discussion and learning, to recognize outstanding blog writing on interfaith issues, and to promote grassroots interfaith activism in our local communities.

The Middle East Interfaith Blogger Network is guided by the following principles:
* Our dialogue will de just that: a dialogue with give and take.* Our dialogue will not be an excuse to advance political agendas, but rather an opportunity to discuss faith.* We will try to avoid generalizations, recognizing the diversity of interpretation within each tradition, as well as the differences that exist between religions.* Our dialogue is open to the range of religions represented in the Middle East, including growing populations of Hindus and Buddhists, as well as Bahai’is.

[Home]

On Mingshu's First Post: Message to Her Baha'i Friends

"Night out at Bangladore's China Town," uploaded on October 7, 2006 by spraveenitpro on flickr.
Some rights reserved.

Mingshu starts blogging. -gw

To Everyone...
hey hey, i've created my own space... yeah... sounds great to me huh... haha... guess this will be my first and last blog? i dunno... i'd love to leave some messages to some people that are important in my life...

My Baha'i Friends,
all of u are wonderful... thank you Su Ling for bringing me back to this faith... thank you everyone for making my life so meaningful, so happy to meet all of u from so many places... and when i start to join the community, i've got the opportunity to perform on stage, have chantting for everyone... i just enjoy every moment i'm in the community... Intensive ruhi, JY camp, Holiday College... all of them make my life more busier, more meaningful... i love this faith very much... really hope that i'll have the chance to serve more for Baha'u'llah... so, may God bless all of us in His path of service... take care everyone ya...

Mingshu, "To Everyone," Mystic Me

On Wanting to Speak Portuguese: And Pining for a Peace Universal

What if the best blogs in the world aren't in English? Or Persian? Or Chinese? Or German? Or Tagalog? Or Portuguese? Or...

Sometimes I feel like I am missing out. My blog-search engines are failing me, it seems. I can only understand English, and there are so many blogs out there in other languages. Native-speakers of other languages know English but this English-speaker knows only...English. I don't want to be limited. I don't want to be parochial. Google's Language Tools are helpful, but...

I view with admiration the many blogs in Portuguese and wish it were my native tongue, so to do justice to the posts by the likes of João Moutinho whose A Paz Universal is another first-class example of a Baha'i-content blog. I counted 178 links on his blog. This man is a blogger. -gw

"Tranquility zone @ portimão [Portugal],"

uploaded on flickr November 25, 2006

by sahbapasta

Some rights reserved

On Wayfarers in the Path of God: They Are Family

Katherine is thankful. -gw

I am SO THANKFUL for my incredible teaching team! We had Thanksgiving dinner together. Shannon, Kristopher, Daniel, Caroline, and myself make up this most incredible Baha'i family. We were also joined on Thanksgiving day by Caroline's family and Jalal, and also by Mr. Kavelin, whose grave we went to visit across the street. How many people get to spend the holidays with a Universal House of Justice member?

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Far left: Borrah Kavelin, who later served on the Universal House of Justice,

with other members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States in 1953

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Anyhow, the five of us are called The Wayfarers, after the quote from the Baha'i Writings that essentially serves as our mission statement (and seeing as how we've done most of our Ruhi together, it makes sense for us to focus on a quote that's repeated over again in half the books!).

[THE QUOTE]

Right now we're in something of a consolidation phase, as Shannon and I help the other members get through the sequence of courses as quickly and thoroughly as possible. But we have 4 devotional gatherings, 2 Ruhi Book 1's, and a junior youth group between us. We are starting to teach up a storm! Kristopher and Caroline are both finishing up Book 7, so will have just doubled our tutors! Amazing things will come of The Wayfarers, believe me. Amazing things already have.

Katherine, "Gracias, Merci, Thanks," A Thosand Paper Craniums

On the Surveillance of the Baha'is in Iran: Touching Home

My son-in-law back home in the USA with the family

(Photo by Flitzy Phoebie)

The news story from the Baha'i World News Service excerpted below is a month old. But it came to mind when I visited with my son-in-law on Thanksgiving Day. I recalled the story he told me of his visit to Iran earlier this year to see his father who has cancer and all the rest of his family. On the last day of his visit, when he and his family members there were briefly out of their home, someone entered and took $800 from my son-in-law's personal belongings and the videotapes he had made of family events. The door had been locked, but there had been no forced entry. Whoever commited the burglary had a key. When the family contacted the police, the authorities refused to do an investigation, because there was no damage to the house. Such is the circumstances for Baha'i families in Iran. People can enter your home, and you can do nothing about it.

My son-in-law's mother would get calls regularly from government representatives summoning her to come in to be questioned. Once when government representatives came to the home, she welcomed them with an offer of tea, and they concluded their visit immediately, an incident that invokes an old old story harking back to the time of the Bab when His followers were accused of putting something in the tea that made people become Babis. Apparently the authorities didn't want to experience Baha'i hospitality that might cause their hearts to be touched. -gw

http://news.bahai.org/story/488

NEW YORK, 2 November 2006 (BWNS) -- In an ominous move, Iran's Ministry of Interior has ordered officials throughout the country to step up the surveillance of Iranian Baha'is focusing in particular on their community activities.

The Ministry has requested provincial officials to complete a detailed questionnaire about the circumstances and activities of local Baha'is, including their "financial status," "social interactions," and "association with foreign assemblies," among other things.

The Ministry's order came in a letter dated 19 August 2006 and addressed to provincial deputies of the Department of Politics and Security in Offices of the Governors' General throughout Iran.

The 19 August letter, which was recently obtained by the Baha'i International Community, asks these deputies to order "relevant offices to cautiously and sensitively monitor and supervise" all Baha'i social activities.

The letter is the latest in a series of threatening documents that outline a secret national effort to identify and monitor Baha'is in Iran. ...

Over the last two years, at least 129 Baha'is have been arrested, released on bail, and are now awaiting trial throughout the country. The bail demands have been high, in most cases requiring the Baha'is to hand over considerable sums of money, deeds to property, business or work licenses.

[To read the full text of the 19 August 2006 letter in an English translation, along with a link to the original letter in Persian, go to http://bahai.org/persecution/iran/19-08-06]

On "Seekers": You Gotta Serve Somebody

http://www.sfondideldesktop.com/Images-Music/Bob-Dylan/Bob-Dylan-0003/Bob-Dylan-0003.jpg

"Blogs by 'seekers' excerpted on Baha'i Views" the sidebar heading reads. So who's a seeker? Everybody -- everybody is seeking something. And just like Bob Dylan said, you "Gotta Serve Somebody." -gw

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might be a rock'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
Might have money and drugs at your commands, women in a cage
You may be a business man or some high degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be an young turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord you might even own banks.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be working in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may call me Terry, you may call me Jimmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say.

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Bob Dylan, "Gotta Serve Somebody," Biograph album

On Stupid Tests: Baha'i as flaky 60's-leftover faith

Speaking of holidays, llcoolvad likes them. She takes one of those religion tests on the Internet, but she doesn't agree with the results. In the process of blogging about it, she passes on her impression of the Baha'i Faith, sort of like a one-person focus group. -gw

OK, *** SOOOO *** not accurate that I match more stuff in Mormon, Scientologist, or Christian Scientist faiths than in Jewish or Roman Catholic. And Jehovah's Witness? Seventh Day Adventist? This is all just filler. I'm an atheist, people. Secular Humanist. I'll take the UU, that's fine. The Quakers, Nontheists, also fine. Anything crazy? Not fine! No sacred undergarments. No thetans. No "clear". I don't know what Jainism is. I always think of Baha'i as flaky 60s-leftover faith. I like holidays, so there is no Witness here (or wait, is that the Adventists? feh!). Stupid test!

llcoolvad, "Meme," Then She Appeared

On Time Off for the Holidays: She's Baha'i and doesn't really care either way, but the vacation is nice

Sometimes the mentions of "Baha'i" on the internet are just that. Mentions. But even a mention can convey some small aspect about the Faith. -gw

Now, she's declared that since her secretary scheduled her off for Boxing Day as well as Christmas (she's Baha'i and doesn't really care either way, but the vacation is nice) that we're going to marathon the entire first three seasons of SGA (everything we can pull) in 2 days.

Miriel, "We are not as we appear," Miriel's Journal

On This Grand Design: Can you hear Him now?

"Can you hear me now?" Detail of the "whispering ceiling" in the registry room at Ellis Island. Designed by the same person who designed the ceiling of Grand Central Station. It is possible to stand on opposite sides of the balcony and have a whispered conversation thanks to its acoustical properties. Uploaded on October 4, 2006 by Ed Karjala on flickr.

Architecture offers many examples of "grand designs." The man responsible for the design of the ceiling brickwork of the picture to the left created such a grand design. From Ruhi Book 6 comes this quotation for memorization which references God's grand design. -gw

Now is the time, O ye beloved of the Lord, for ardent endeavor. Struggle ye, and strive. And since the Ancient Beauty was exposed by day and night on the field of martyrdom, let us in our turn labor hard, and hear and ponder the counsels of God; let us fling away our lives, and renounce our brief and numbered days. Let us turn our eyes away from empty fantasies of this world's divergent forms, and serve instead this pre-eminent purpose, this grand design. Let us not, because of our own imaginings, cut down this tree that the hand of heavenly grace hath planted; let us not, with the dark clouds of our illusions, our selfish interests, blot out the glory that streameth from the Abhá Realm. Let us not be as barriers that wall out the rolling ocean of Almighty God. Let us not prevent the pure, sweet scents from the garden of the All-Glorious Beauty from blowing far and wide. Let us not, on this day of reunion, shut out the vernal downpour of blessings from on high. Let us not consent that the splendors of the Sun of Truth should ever fade and disappear. These are the admonitions of God, as set forth in His Holy Books, His Scriptures, His Tablets that tell out His counsellings to the sincere. "The glory rest upon you, and God's mercy, and God's blessings."

‘Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, pp. 263-264

On the 50th Anniversary of the National Assembly of South Africa: A Message from President Thabo

By email from Lisbon, Portugal-based Marco of Povo de Baha, who provides such leadership to the Baha'i blogging community, comes this news item about the Baha'i Faith in South Africa. -gw

"Joburg," uploaded on August 6, 2005 by skymyr on flickr
The National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa hosted a banquet for the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh on the 11th of November in Johannesburg where some 170 non-Bahá'í guests and about 110 believers attended. The occasion not only celebrated the Holy Day but also the 50th year of the anniversary of the election of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South Africa. The Bahá'í Community was indeed privileged to receive a message of congratulations from the State president of this country, Mr. Thabo Mbeki.

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Kirstenbosch, famous South African bontanical gardens. Uploaded on September 3, 2006 by Victor Geere on flickr

MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI ON THE OCCASION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ'ÍS OF SOUTH AFRICA

> I am most honoured to have this opportunity to extend warm greetings
> to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South Africa on
> this important day, the 11th of November, in which you celebrate your 50th Anniversary.
>
> That you are today turning fifty testifies clearly to your
> steadfastness and to the pivotal role you have played and doubtlessly
> will continue to play in advancing the cause of unity and amity in our beloved country, South Africa.
>
> Since its formation half a century ago, on 11 November 1956, the
> National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South Africa untiringly
> has promoted the spiritual, moral and material development of Bahá'ís
> in this country as well as that of the South African society in
> general. In this regard, your notable participation in the National Religious Leaders Forum has also contributed immensely in ushering in an age of hope in our country.
>
> The fact that your anniversary falls in the same year in which we
> commemorate our country's land-marking events, such as the tenth year
> of our democratic Constitution which recognises and promotes religious
> freedom, points further to the historical position you occupy in our country.
>
> Accordingly, on behalf of the Government and people of South Africa
> we say congratulations and best wishes to the National Spiritual
> Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South Africa on your 50th Anniversary.
>
> May you have more successful and fulfilling decades ahead!

On the Talent Show at the Baha'i World Center: So powerful is the light of unity

Once a year talent show done by the staff for the staff at the Baha'i World Center. An amazing concert. Watching a group of people from around the world with all sort of background come together to produce this amazing night is breath taking.
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May and Naim, "Sounds of the World," Akhtarkhavari-Ru
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{Re-posted with permission}

On the Baha'i Faith as a Big Pink Elephant in Egypt: How can we not talk about it?

Image of Egyptian newspaper article accompanying current post on Baha'i Faith in Egypt

Baha'i Faith in Egypt is one of the best Baha'i blogs in the world, a blog of substance and topical interest, covering, as it does, the controversy surrounding the treatment of Baha'is in Egypt. This background adds another layer of significance to this post on the blog Randomness: My random thoughts. The randomness of my life. Boring tidbits from a blogger in Cairo by the name of Dee-Vine. -gw

I have this friend. Let's call her Sammy. We run in different crowds so we were not that close, but this one day she called me and she was feeling terrible. She had broken up with her boyfriend; they’d basically been together their entire lives and he was the only comfort in her life. I don’t know why she thought of me, but she said she just wanted to talk and I immediately went over with chocolates and a bucket of ice cream and spent the entire day there. I did what I do best; I listened, and I comforted her. That was about a year and a half ago. That day brought us a lot closer.

Now Sammy, she is one of the most intellectual people I’ve ever met. She seems to know everything; art, politics, literature, religion, philosophy, psychology, poetry… etc, she even speaks 5 languages. I always feel enlightened with knowledge and ideas after I meet her. Our get-togethers always give me food for thought.

I was over at her place earlier and just as I was leaving she said she wanted to tell me something before I go. She sounded happy so I sat there smiling, anticipating good news.

“Well... I’m a Baha’i now.”

Uploaded on September 30, 2005 by alias65

I didn’t know how to react. I just kept silent, a smile frozen on my face. She probably sensed that I was uncomfortable. So she went on speaking. She told me that she converted a few weeks ago and that she would love to tell me more about Baha’ism.

“Um… sure,” I said.

Just then, she got a phone call. I waited for a couple of minutes but then I told her that I had to go, which I did, and I left.

Why do I feel weird about it? I shouldn't, right? I mean, as long as she's happy.. .

Many people who know me may not realize it but religion is actually very important to me. I almost never talk about it because I consider it a private thing. And I usually hang out with the non-religious, because well frankly speaking, I have more fun with them.

So naturally, I don't like it that she converted but I'm not going to preach, that's not who I am. Besides, there isn't anything I can say to her. She knows a lot more than me about Islam, and other religions. And I really don’t know that much about Baha’ism. In fact, up until 3 years ago, I didn’t even know it existed.

I remember I was talking to a good friend who was telling me about his new girlfriend at the time. Apparently she was with this guy for almost a year and things were getting kind of serious so he took her to meet his family. Only then did she find out that he was Baha’i. His family kept trying to convince her to convert. She broke up with the guy and never spoke to him again.

At the time I was like, “Baha’i? What’s that?”

He explained to me the basic principles of Baha’ism, which I honestly don’t even remember right now. So I don’t know. What exactly is Baha’ism? And how exactly am I supposed to react?I suppose I’m not going to love her any less just because I don’t believe in her religion. I love my agnostic friends just the same even though I disapprove. We just don’t discuss the issue.

I would very much rather not discuss this with her. But it’s the big pink elephant in the middle of the room, how can we not talk about it?

Dee-Vine, "The Big Pink Elephant," Randomness

Dee-Vine has a NeoCounter to track visitors to her site. Where have the visitors who clicked over to read this post come from? -gw

Since 19/11/2006
Egypt: 162

United States: 18

Kuwait: 4

United Arab Emirates: 3

Canada: 3

United Kingdom: 10

Japan: 2

Saudi Arabia: 1

Ukraine: 4

Israel: 1

Portugal: 1

Austria: 1

210 visitors in 12 countries
NeoCounter

{Re-posted wth permission}

On Different Religions as Different Foods: Uncle John said grace

Lisa got married, and posted about it. However, the post wasn't quit complete, Lisa wanted me to know, so she put her post in context. First her explanation and then the post. -gw

The context is that Uncle John said this grace at my wedding for 250+ people of various ethnicities, ages, and religions. (We live in Hawaii.) I had asked him to say grace the day before because my dad was all upset that we weren't and my fiance gets all knee jerky about any sort of Christian things.

My uncle John attends and sings in the choir for First Presbyterian Church currently. I remember my first thanksgiving with them when they lived in Tacoma. They had been teaching a teen sunday school class all year that explored other religions. They didn't just lecture at the kids, they actually took the kids to the different places and had things going on with different religious leaders. I accompanied them to a Thanksgiving Baha'i ceremony, which was kind of like the whole class in a nutshell. My uncle is a retired airforce university math professor and has taken his family to live all over the world. He's pretty interesting. He did that prayer all on his own, and Jon was very happy with it. Jon was at first really freaked out over any sort of religious anything. I sort of had to force this one to make my dad happy. Uncle John didn't know about any of this yet came up with it on his own. He rocks my socks. What I like about them is that they are so deeply religious to the point where they are not afraid of other religions, or the opinions of other religions, but find them as interesting to explore as say, another culture's food. Why should another religion threaten your own if you believe whole heartedly in your own? Like, how could my love of Italian food threaten my love for soba?

Lisa, Voices from the Urban Archipelago

{Re-posted with permission}

On Attending a Baha'i Devotional: We sang the Baha'i equivalent of Jewish camp songs

“My objective is to involve people in the experience. I try to make prayer user-friendly. Because the music is in a familiar genre, people are able to make the connection between the music and the text. The real power is in the poetry of the liturgy, how moving and stirring it can be, connecting us to our deepest and most precious ideas, hopes, and fears.” - Jewish songstress Debbie Friedman

Psalms 126: 1 - 6
1. When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
3. The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
4. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb!
5. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy!
6. He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Zoe is going the University of California at Berkeley, she's happy, and she's listening to Debbie Friedman. -gw

Current mood: happy
Current music: Shir Hama-alot (Psalm 126:1-6) - Debbie Friedman

I went to a Baha'i devotional this morning and met all sorts of awesome, ridiculously diverse people. It was almost obscene. Case in point: A woman who lived in London for several years married a half Dutch, half something ex-Soviet guy who lived in Haifa for 2 years working at the world center. I chatted with a guy from Delhi and a grad student from Chile. We heard readings from the Koran, St. Francis, Zoroastrian texts, and Baha'u'llah. We sang the Baha'i equivalent of jew camp songs. It was the second most awesome way to spend a Saturday morning (the first being sleeping in... :0)

Zoe (zamis) wrote,@ 2006-11-18 14:07:00 on Pretty girl there washing shirts/I love you so much it hurts

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Above photo: "Band - Bahá'is from Nouvelle Caledonie performed some songs for us," by NataschaM on flickr

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{Re-posted with permission}

On Reading the Chapter on Baha'i: Meg Completes Her Assignment

Meg of Mineralwells, West Virginia, is working her lists. I understand she has already completed her Poly Sci and Religions assignments for school. So she has read the Chapter on Baha'i. -gw

Current Music: Stratovarius - "Against the Wind" (live)
Current Mood: energetic

Here are a bunch of lists of things that I need to keep track of. First off, it's things to do for school. Then, it's my list of Christmas exchanges (let me know if anyone wants on or off that thing!) and maybe I'll add to this later if I feel it necessary. So, here goes.

Poli Sci
Type notes.
Read chapter 10.

Religions
Read Baha'i chapter.

Lit
Sonnets Commentary
John Donne Commentary
Shakespeare Commentary
Cavalier Commentary
Milton Commentary
Faerie Queen paper

Nonfiction
Memoir
Journalism assignment
Revisions ...

Meg, "Lists," Invisible Power: It's growing stronger each night