Enthusiasm

Arise, therefore, and, with the whole enthusiasm of your hearts, with all the eagerness of your souls, the full fervor of your will, and the concentrated efforts of your entire being, strive to attain the paradise of His presence, and endeavor to inhale the fragrance of the incorruptible Flower, to breathe the sweet savors of holiness, and to obtain a portion of this perfume of celestial glory. Whoso followeth this counsel will break his chains asunder, will taste the abandonment of enraptured love, will attain unto his heart's desire, and will surrender his soul into the hands of his Beloved. Bursting through his cage, he will, even as the bird of the spirit, wing his flight to his holy and everlasting nest.

From the billows of the ocean of Thy generosity the seas of eagerness and enthusiasm were revealed.

Although in prison, I have experienced the utmost joy and fragrance, the heart was attracted, the spirit rejoiced, the eyes turned toward the Kingdom of God and the tongue mentioning the Name of the True One and displaying the utmost effort and endeavor in the promotion of the Word of God and the diffusion of the fragrances of God; yet, under all difficulties, there have been no shortcomings, nor hath there been any lack of enthusiasm. The call hath been raised uninterruptedly and the fragrances of holiness have been diffused through all regions and empires.

Consequently, do thou show a steadfast and firm footing in this station, engage in guiding the people and call them unto the Kingdom; then wilt thou find how the divine magnet -- the power of the Word of God -- will attract the hearts and bestow ecstasy and enthusiasm upon souls! When thou reachest this station, there shall remain no obstacles and no veil shall intervene, and all that is thy highest wish shall be realized.

Day and night, morn and eve, at sunrise and at sunset, we are remembering with all our hearts and souls, the friends of the Merciful One, asking God's help and confirmation that the believers of the pure territory, the Holy Land, may become excellent in all conditions of morality, characteristics, behaviour, manners, conduct and actions, that they may appear with ecstasy, enthusiasm, love, consciousness, assurance, steadfastness, firmness, concord and harmony, with bright faces and splendid beauty in the community of the world.

It is easy to approach the Kingdom of Heaven, but hard to stand firm and staunch within it, for the tests are rigorous, and heavy to bear. But the English remain steadfast under all conditions, neither at the first sign of trouble do their footsteps slip. They are not changeable, playing fast and loose with some project and soon giving it up. They do not, for some trivial reason, fail in enthusiasm and zeal, their interest gone. No, in all they do, they are stable, rock-solid and staunch.

Our meaning is that qualities of the spirit are the basic and divine foundation, and adorn the true essence of man; and knowledge is the cause of human progress. The beloved of God must attach great importance to this matter, and carry it forward with enthusiasm and zeal.

Raise thou such melodies and harmony in Green Acre that may reach unto the Kingdom of ABHA and cause joy and exaltation in the angels of heaven! This matter needs a great enthusiasm (heat or exertion) and a sanctity and purity like unto a manifest light. Thou knowest what secrets doeth the spirit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá communicate with thee and what glad-tidings he giveth unto thee! Show forth thy capacity and merit, for without capacity the Gift doth not become manifest.

I hope to see the friends at all times, in every land, and of every shade of thought and character, voluntarily and joyously rallying round their local and in particular their national centers of activity, upholding and promoting their interests with complete unanimity and contentment, with perfect understanding, genuine enthusiasm, and sustained vigor. This indeed is the one joy and yearning of my life, for it is the fountainhead from which all future blessings will flow, the broad foundation upon which the security of the Divine Edifice must ultimately rest.

In their enthusiasm they forget that they only have a handful of inexperienced souls to guide, and attempt to deal with their work as if they had a large population to regulate! This then stifles the spirit of the friends and the teaching work suffers.

It is devotion, sincerity and genuine enthusiasm which in the long run can ensure the completion of our beloved Temple.

May this year's Convention, by the range of its activities, by the character of its proceedings, by its faithful adherence to the divine Instructions of our loving Master, and above all by its radiant spirit of enthusiasm and true fellowship, prove itself one of the greatest landmarks in the history of the Cause in America.

So often persons can be carried away by their enthusiasm and express something detrimental to the Faith therefore they must either refer their articles [to magazines] to their Local Spiritual Assembly or the National Reviewing Committee.

The Faith needs both the experiences and the wisdom of age as well as the enthusiasm and the energy of youth. When all these qualities are harmoniously combined great results will be achieved.

This God-given opportunity, now presenting itself to the prosecutors of the Bahá’í world Spiritual Crusade, at so critical a stage in the history of the peoples and nations established in those far-off islands and territories, should be seized with eagerness and enthusiasm, and exploited to the full in the years lying immediately ahead.

This spirit of confident hope, of cheerful courage, and of undaunted enthusiasm in itself, irrespective of any tangible results which it may procure, can alone ensure the ultimate success of our teaching efforts.

We hope that when the pilgrims return the faith and enthusiasm of the believers will be greatly deepened and strengthened and that many new believers may be attracted.

We hope you will have a fine time in England and return to New Zealand refreshed and reinvigorated physically and spiritually to take up your work for the Kingdom there with new enthusiasm and devotion.

When the individual arise with enthusiasm, with full dedication and consecration, and allows nothing to deter him; then results will be achieved.

When the National Spiritual Assembly provides competent and quick service, in its own work and that of its Committees, it will see a far greater manifestation of enthusiasm and enterprise on the part of the believers.

Armed with the strength of action and the cooperation of the individual believers composing it, the community as a whole should endeavor to establish greater stability in the patterns of its development, locally and nationally, through sound, systematic planning and execution of its work and this in striking contrast to the short-lived enthusiasms and frenetic superficialities so characteristic of present-day American life.

In calling these principles to the attention of the believers, however, care must be exercised not to dampen the enthusiasm or initiative of the friends.

In the midst of a civilization torn by strifes and enfeebled by materialism, the people of Bahá are building a new world. We face at this time opportunities and responsibilities of vast magnitude and great urgency. Let each believer in his inmost heart resolve not to be seduced by the ephemeral allurements of the society around him nor to be drawn into its feuds and short-lived enthusiasms, but instead to transfer all he can from the old world to that new one which is the vision of his longing and will be the fruit of his labours.

It is not the wish of the Universal House of Justice to dampen anyone's enthusiasm for assisting in the developments towards peace, but it is critical that the friends understand the proprieties to be observed by the Bahá’í community in a matter of such vital importance. If, for example, the Bahá’ís attempt to take a leading role in organizing events associated with the anticipated convocation of world leaders, their motives could be misunderstood. The risk is that Bahá’ís might act in a manner which would put non Bahá’ís in the awkward position of appearing to endorse a specifically Bahá’í vision or make them feel that they are seeking to impose the requirements of our religion upon others. One needs to be aware that we Bahá’ís can, in our zeal, easily overwhelm others and even, owing to the wariness that we might inadvertently engender, cause them to lose sight of the practical importance of establishing world peace.

Peace of mind is gained by the centering of the spiritual consciousness on the Prophet of God; therefore you should study the spiritual Teachings, and receive the Water of Life from the Holy Utterances. Then by translating these high ideals into action, your entire character will be changed, and your mind will not only find peace, but your entire being will find joy and enthusiasm.