Teaching

Well friends, as mentioned in the last post, I went on a teaching campaign these past few weeks. Everything ties together so I want to give a bit of an explanation for those of you who do not know what that entails. Bahá'í's are asked by Bahá'u'lláh to share His message with the masses of humanity. While we do not prostelitize (promise something in return for acceptance) we do from time to time go door to door informing people of the Faith and, if interested, a bit more detail of our beliefs. This being said, it is up to that person to do with it what they will. We call this "teaching." For a group that believes that there is only one God, that all the religions come from that God and that all mankind is equal in the eyes of God, we are certainly tasked when trying to share this message to people that are constantly being told how different we all our from each other or that one particular group of people is any better than another. What is amazing to me is that there is not a soul I have spoken to across the world that does not believe we should live together in peace, harmony and love for each other. What tends to be vocalized is the fear that stems from ignorance or the determination of those who are in control to keep that control through the intentional putting down of others.

Having said that I went to a neighborhood a few weeks ago and felt in some ways like the first step on the moon. It was my moon that Iwas stepping on. I left the car with a dear friend and we proceeded to share the Bahá'í Faith with a young man and his girlfriends 4 year old daughter. The end result was a new friend (not a new Bahá'í) and an understanding that we share the same beliefs and we all left with open hearts and love for God. It is the result of this experience that I am writing here today. Of course this poem can and will mean different things to different people, I hope you enjoy it.


Teaching

Fear gives way to determination
Reaching soon our destination
My foot swings down
Upon the ground
Leaving the safety
For a place new found

As I raise my head
The seeker I see
Walking ahead
To our destiny

Our paths soon cross
We shed our dross
We start to share
Both unaware
Of the forces around
As they start
To bring us together
Heart to heart

Those underlying fears
So present that day
Found no haven
And flew away
For in my heart
In that other
What I found,
a newfound brother

That first step
Had I not taken
This joy and love
My heart forsaken
Yet step I did upon that road
My soul found its true abode
This is but a start
For us to do our part
To connect one another
Heart to heart
-Shiidon, May 2008