The heart is a divine trust

We are living in a world in which it's almost impossible to escape the trappings of a material identity of one's self. The essence and purpose of one's true identity as a soul is lost somewhere in the promotion of one's material image and the expectation that unavoidably follows for how many likes it will receive if not rooted in one's spiritual identity. Youth are particularly vulnerable to this; they are naturally drawn to connecting with peers and wanting to belong, so they become absorbed in whatever current trends surround them. 

Social media is like a drug that creates addictive behavior almost instantly. Snapchat, Instagram and Tiktok have set the stage for many to feel or believe this is the only true reality of one's life, all based on one's image and outer displays of personality -- and the number of responses to whatever is posted becomes the measuring stick as to one's value. Meanwhile, the heart that is led astray along this unfulfilling path leads many into the resultant trappings of depression and loneliness, an insatiable desire for more attention, and an emptiness that can never be satisfied no matter how many likes or views, shares or streams.

"The heart is a divine trust; 
 cleanse it from the stain of self-love." 

 ~ 'Abdu'l-Bahá 

As godlessness runs rampant and irreligion prevails, the materialistic values of society are like false gods which have taken reign over many hearts, glorifying the egoistic nature of man without respectful boundaries that protect one from the promptings of self-love -- ie., worshipping one's self. The ego reigns supreme and all that pertains to promoting it are ensnared by social media, consumerism, promoting one's self over others, and participating in a frenzy of self-love that blames anything or anyone that attempts to bring that soul back to its birthright of nobility and free it from the addictive, unfulfilling nature of materialistic pursuits.

The promotion of one's ego self may take on an extreme form if one adopts the values of the society with little regard for divine guidance. This is when the heart is completely lost in the material world of illusion vs. divine reality and has saturated itself in itself. It is as if a soul has exchanged the divine elixir for the cancerous invasion of a materialistic view of one's self: that it matters more what one looks like, how much attention one is receiving for that look, or what popularity is gained for promoting one's artistic expression, than it does the nobility, dignity, honor and purpose of the soul.

The Bahá'í Writings explain that self-love is kneaded into the clay of man and that we must battle against the insistent self, the evil promptings of the human heart. In other words, it's already hard enough to live as a soul who is able to subdue one's lower or animal nature. This is the inner work we all must do even without the materialistic society that distracts and engulfs our minds. We must make a conscious effort to protect our heart as a trust from God, and to discern the insidious effects of materialism that can take root ever so unconsciously without a spiritual framework that shields and subdues the ego self from the negative forces at work in the material world:

Crass materialism lays excessive and ever-increasing emphasis on material well-being, forgetful of those things of the spirit on which alone a sure and stable foundation can be laid for human society.

Just as there are laws governing our physical lives, requiring that we must supply our bodies with certain foods, maintain them within a certain range of temperatures, and so forth, if we wish to avoid physical disabilities, so also there are laws governing our spiritual lives. These laws are revealed to mankind in each age by the Manifestation of God, and obedience to them is of vital importance if each human being, and mankind in general, is to develop properly and harmoniously. Moreover, these various aspects are interdependent. If an individual violates the spiritual laws for his own development he will cause injury not only to himself but to the society in which he lives. Similarly, the condition of society has a direct effect on the individuals who must live within it.         ~ Bahá'í Writings

Our heart was created to love. If that love is not flowing from one's love for God, the Creator, then it is limited like a gravitational force to itself and the world in which it directs its attention. The divine trust is veiled by the ego and its offspring, self-love, forsaking the qualities of the soul which serve to enlighten, illumine, awaken and transform the heart into its highest expression of love: selflessness.

"God has created man in order that he may be resuscitated through the breaths of the Holy Spirit and become the light of the world. How debased the soul which can find enjoyment in this darkness, occupied with itself, the captive of self and passion, wallowing in the mire of the material world! How degraded is such a nature! What an ignorance this is! What a blindness! How glorious the station of man who has partaken of the heavenly food and built the temple of his everlasting residence in the world of heaven!" ~ 'Abdu'l-Bahá  

 "Man is submerged in the affairs of this world. His aims, objects and attainments are mortal, whereas God desires for him immortal accomplishments. In his heart there is no thought of God. He has sacrificed his portion and birthright of divine spirituality. Desire and passion, like two unmanageable horses, have wrested the reins of control from him and are galloping madly in the wilderness. This is the cause of the degradation of the world of humanity. This is the cause of its retrogression into the appetites and passions of the animal kingdom. Instead of divine advancement we find sensual captivity and debasement of heavenly virtues of the soul. By devotion to the carnal, mortal world human susceptibilities sink to the level of animalism."  ~ The Promulgation of Universal Peace 

Dorphan performing ~ Spiritual Cafe

We first saw Dorphan - Poetically Speaking a few months ago at a Stand Up Shout Out event called Be a Champion where our daughter was invited to sing.  It was there that we heard them perform and instantly loved their style and spirit of being conscious, positive artists.  Soon after that event I wrote and asked Ian, their marketing/drummer guy, if they would be interested in coming out to Dagoretti to meet and perform for the jr. youth group.  It wasn't meant to happen at this time but it established an association between us & we became friends on Facebook.  They invited our family to attend one of their events and though we weren't able to go, it further developed that sense of association amongst us.  I decided to ask Ian if he would like to come to our devotional/spiritual cafe; it felt like he would be receptive to such a gathering.  When he came that night he brought many members of the group with him!  All of us who were there were so happy that they came!  When they started performing it was like time stood still and we were all mesmerized by their spirit, their vibe, their consciousness, their love and joy!


When Ian and I had a chance to talk he started to explain how touched he was by seeing the photos of the jr. youth group on Facebook.  He said it affected him how a foreigner was working/serving in a community that was full of suffering -- it made him feel that I understood the difficulties associated with poverty and that I could relate to their lives, their stories.  This is what opened his heart to coming to the devotional.  I was able to express a mutual respect for the work they are doing, for the spirit they are releasing through their artistry.  It was a special evening of soul to soul connections like that, with everyone interacting naturally and spiritually.  No one wanted to leave or say goodbye..

'My Dream' - Billian Music Family and Ayana

Here is a music video with a positive message and beautiful spirit of striving to overcome one's difficulties in life, featuring Ayana and Billian Music Family. 



We were introduced to Billian when we moved to Nairobi; he is a close friend of Marie-Eve Lemieux of DUNK.  Billian immediately welcomed Ayana into his life by inviting her to sing at the opening of BMF's office in Mathare.  After a year of getting to know each other better and collaborating with friends like Patrick Sampao of the local music industry, this song came into being. 



It is an important story to tell, a dream to be realized by all who face great obstacles and challenges in life, especially in impoverished areas where opportunities are hard to come by.  This video demonstrates how leadership, combined with good character, attracts divine blessings along the path of striving to do good.  Billian has instilled into these kids -- and all around him -- the qualities of working hard, gaining an education and developing one's talents, no matter what the difficulties one faces.

Wealth/Poverty ~ a Baha'i view

One of the most important principles of the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is:

The right of every human being to the daily bread whereby they exist, or the equalization of the means of livelihood.

The arrangements of the circumstances of the people must be such that poverty shall disappear, that everyone, as far as possible, according to his rank and position, shall share in comfort and well-being.

We see amongst us men who are overburdened with riches on the one hand, and on the other those unfortunate ones who starve with nothing; those who possess several stately palaces, and those who have not where to lay their head. Some we find with numerous courses of costly and dainty food; whilst others can scarce find sufficient crusts to keep them alive. Whilst some are clothed in velvets, furs and fine linen, others have insufficient, poor and thin garments with which to protect them from the cold.

This condition of affairs is wrong, and must be remedied. Now the remedy must be carefully undertaken. It cannot be done by bringing to pass absolute equality between men.

Equality is a chimera! It is entirely impracticable! Even if equality could be achieved it could not continue -- and if its existence were possible, the whole order of the world would be destroyed. The law of order must always obtain in the world of humanity. Heaven has so decreed in the creation of man.

Some are full of intelligence, others have an ordinary amount of it, and others again are devoid of intellect. In these three classes of men there is order but not equality. How could it be possible that wisdom and stupidity should be equal? Humanity, like a great army, requires a general, captains, under-officers in their degree, and soldiers, each with their own appointed duties. Degrees are absolutely necessary to ensure an orderly organization. An army could not be composed of generals alone, or of captains only, or of nothing but soldiers without one in authority. The certain result of such a plan would be that disorder and demoralization would overtake the whole army.

King Lycurgus, the philosopher, made a great plan to equalize the subjects of Sparta; with self-sacrifice and wisdom was the experiment begun. Then the king called the people of his kingdom, and made them swear a great oath to maintain the same order of government if he should leave the country, also that nothing should make them alter it until his return. Having secured this oath, he left his kingdom of Sparta and never returned. Lycurgus abandoned the situation, renouncing his high position, thinking to achieve the permanent good of his country by the equalization of the property and of the conditions of life in his kingdom.  All the self-sacrifice of the king was in vain. The great experiment failed. After a time all was destroyed; his carefully thought-out constitution came to an end.

The futility of attempting such a scheme was shown and the impossibility of attaining equal conditions of existence was proclaimed in the ancient kingdom of Sparta. In our day any such attempt would be equally doomed to failure.

Certainly, some being enormously rich and others lamentably poor, an organization is necessary to control and improve this state of affairs. It is important to limit riches, as it is also of importance to limit poverty. Either extreme is not good. To be seated in the mean [1] is most desirable. If it be right for a capitalist to possess a large fortune, it is equally just that his workman should have a sufficient means of existence.
[1 'Give me neither poverty nor riches.' -- Prov. xxx., 8.]

A financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity. When we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find tyranny. Men must bestir themselves in this matter, and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number of the people. The rich must give of their abundance, they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence, taking thought for those sad ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities of life.

There must be special laws made, dealing with these extremes of riches and of want. The members of the Government should consider the laws of God when they are framing plans for the ruling of the people. The general rights of mankind must be guarded and preserved.

The government of the countries should conform to the Divine Law which gives equal justice to all. This is the only way in which the deplorable superfluity of great wealth and miserable, demoralizing, degrading poverty can be abolished. Not until this is done will the Law of God be obeyed.

    (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 151)

Sponsoring Students ~ Gems of the Future

i have recently realized the significance of what it means to 'sponsor' a student.  basically it is providing the necessary funds to cover the fees for secondary school which is not covered by the government in most countries throughout Africa.
 

once a student with very little financial means finishes primary school -- which is free in a country like Kenya, as long as one can provide a school uniform and basic stationery for oneself -- the chances of progressing through secondary school diminish drastically because the fees are beyond what the masses of citizens can afford, even for day school instead of boarding (which is very common throughout Africa).

as i am now working with a group of 14 year olds that are preparing to take their exams and graduate from St. Luke's Educational Centre, i am moved by their high resolve to work hard in the most meager of institutions to educate themselves even though most cannot afford secondary school.

when i think of the loss of potential revealed in every child in this world who does not have the opportunity to attend even a basic school beyond primary, it staggers my mind what a waste of human capacity that is..what a tremendous loss to every community that is not educating its youth..and what a responsibility we have to care for each child if we want this world to be the best place it can be..

i do not understand the intricacies of governmental policies, taxes and laws which can ensure that every community provides free education for its young people, but i do know that if it's not set up that way then there is surely something wrong with the system.

i wish i could sponsor all of these students but cannot.  i explained to them that it wouldn't be just to sponsor one of them and not the others, as i am working with them as a group.  they know i am going to try and reach out to our friends and see if any support can come that way.  i thought it's possible, too, to write about it here in case anyone reading may be inspired to sponsor one or more of them as well.  the websites about sponsorship in Kenya explain that it costs about $50/month to sponsor one student.  it is best if it is a 4 year commitment.  if you want to reach the students at St. Luke's who are not connected by these organizations helping other schools,  please contact St. Luke's directly on their website or send me a message.

"Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value.  Education, can alone, cause it to reveal its treasures and enable mankind to benefit therefrom."

~ Baha'u'llah

Kenyan Students - Shining Example

gems of oneness, gleaming with radiance, eagerness to learn, purity of heart, hopeful of spirit.. these are the young souls of St. Luke's Educational Center in Dagoretti Market, a distant neighborhood of Nairobi where there is rampant alcoholism and endemic poverty.  inside the school yard there is almost nothing to depict it is an educational institution except for the obvious benches and chalkboards with some hanging sacks hung by nails that have grammar words written on them.  there are no bookshelves, no posters, no computers, no cafeteria, no sports field, no music room, no pool, no auditorium, etc.  the students use one notebook for most subjects, taking notes from the board instead of books because only the teacher has a workbook to read.

what shines as a gem is the students' volition to learn.  despite the physical and material obstacles in their life -- such as being orphaned, or having no shoe laces, or going to bed hungry -- they come to school by 7am with joyful and dedicated hearts to advance as much as they can so they are prepared for secondary school.  their entire attitude is positive toward learning, and striving to learn.  they don't get to be surrounded by clean, colorful walls with all kinds of stimulating materials; they don't get to have enough light in their classrooms because there is no electricity to light the rooms; and they don't have any of the typical embellishments to a school that make it a desirable environment to be in.  yet they are there for six days a week of their own volition and they actually desire to learn.

when i think of schools in America with computers and sports programs that have metal detectors and fear within the halls from all sorts of societal ills for many reasons, i think how fortunate these kids at St. Luke's are.  they are like a family.  they are a community.  they don't fight each other and bring the ills of the society around them into the school.  in fact all of them will profess how wrong it is to drink alcohol.  they know it is killing their community.  the 14 year olds at the school are mature for their age; they are focused on education to get them beyond what surrounds them.  these gemful souls shine in the ways of loving God, of desiring to do service, and of striving to learn.  i am illumined in their presence..

children's class playing the game 'Giants' to practice the principle of unity

children's class drawing a picture and writing a sentence from the board

Joan, a 14 year old jr. youth - contemplating an answer to a question

working on a lesson in Walking the Straight Path in the field behind the school

playing 'monkey in the middle' - boys against the girls

I Can't Breathe

Dagoretti jr. youth 1st service project

yesterday twenty-nine jr. youth traveled from st. luke's educational center to the Kikuyu Hospital for their first service project.  we began the morning by walking to the closest matatu station; the drivers asked for more money than the kids had brought, so we walked further up the main road to the next stop so we could afford the fare.  we waited for an empty matatu and thought only half would travel first, but one by one the kids piled into the taxi with us 3 adults and we all rode together, smooshed but very happy!  the kids started singing songs with great joy as the 5 minute ride got underway.  it reminded me of the days when the Delft kids would sing loudly whenever they were together doing something that made them happy.

we joined the congregational service that was being held at the hospital.  this was recommended to us by the chaplain who welcomes all guests.  the kids were to sing some songs for the gathering.  after listening to a short sermon and some singing, the group was recognized as special guests -- they were invited to come to the front and sing.  i had appointed Peter, one of the older jr. youth, to introduce the group.  when he went up, none of the other kids followed him to arrange themselves for singing; instead they all remained seated.  he spoke quietly and without confidence yet i felt so proud of him for his courage.  this is the first time these students are being exposed to anything related to the power of expression in public.  they are all learning so much in the process of trying to do new things.

as soon as Peter finished speaking, one of the chaplains invited the 'teacher' (while looking at me) to come and introduce the group.  before i could respond, Bilha, one of the mothers, and the friend who introduced me to st. luke's, walked to the front of the congregation and explained briefly who we are and why we had come.  the children had started to gather around Peter but they did not organize themselves well.  some tall ones were standing in front of shorter ones, and they were overcome by a sense of shyness.  all of the joy that i have seen them sing with was hiding inside of them.  they managed to sing 2 songs with the help of the congregation's guitarist but they didn't convey the joy or spirit that is in their hearts.  as soon as the service was over and we assembled outside to wait for the chaplain, one of the older students came to me and said, 'That was a shame'.  i responded that it is a learning, something we can reflect about and learn from.

listening to instructions

after figuring out with administration what our tasks would be and how to organize ourselves, the housekeeper came to give the students instructions.  we divided ourselves between the 'shining stars' (11-12 year olds) and the 'spiritual warriors' (13-14 year olds) and then set off to different areas of the compound.  the jr. youth were eager and excited to clean!  some did garden work; others cleaned toilets and picked up trash.  everyone worked for an hour before going to visit patients.  i was with the shining stars and could see their interest but hesitancy to actually go and greet the patients -- they stood together and sang different songs to the patients they visited in different rooms.  after taking one photo of them and disturbing their concentration i decided to step back and let them go with the matron of the ward.  afterwards we met up with the spiritual warriors before eating a snack and walking home.

washing hands before visiting patients

 there are some significant aspects of this outing.  they were more than willing to come up with the money for the matatu even though their families are materially poor and many cannot afford to pay school fees.  in the same way did they collect money to buy fruit to offer to the hospital even though some of them leave school and have no food to eat until they return to school and have tea for breakfast.  it is also significant how their hearts served so willingly and sincerely; they felt so good after working hard.  they all care about those who are ill; they consciously pray for others who are not well with that deep gratitude that God has kept them well today and that their health is dependent on God's Will.  lastly, they were so happy to walk 3km back to school instead of take another matatu.  it was such an opportunity to show friendship to one another, to laugh and run..to be kids.  i had such a great time talking with them that i wished we could have walked another 3kms so i could get to enjoy our time together more!  i also felt so happy to be on the back roads of kenya and see the rolling hills of planted maize and banana trees -- sights i never get to see on the main roads in a car.  i kept telling them how fortunate they are to live like this -- ie., to be surrounded by natural beauty and walk to many places with a sense of community that they all share so naturally.

singing to patients

it's important for me to explain that these students prepared for this service project without any material support except for printing out indemnity forms.  i guided and supported their ideas of serving at the hospital and called the chaplain to see if it was ok to come.  in our sessions we discussed the math involved for transport and buying fruit; they came up with the idea to walk home to save money on transport which they couldn't afford.  they knew which gospel songs they wanted to sing and came up with a plan on how to cover the cost of buying fruit -- some volunteered with pure-hearted joy to contribute extra money to compensate for those who didn't have any money to contribute.  they met their financial goals and worked together like a family who protects each other from any sense of loss.

we ended the day with reflections and discussion about what we felt and learned from the experience.  i felt like we all grew closer as a group, as well as having shared something special together.

walking home

Dagoretti jr. youth group evolves

the Shining Stars singing 'Regard man as a mine rich in gems..'

today at st. luke's educational center the jr. youth groups went through the fun process of naming their group.  the 11-12 year olds came up with many suggestions and finally chose 'shining stars' for their name.  the 13-14 year olds tried coming up with their own suggestions but ended up unanimously voting for one of the two remaining possibilities up on the board: 'spiritual warriors' (which i had added without them knowing amongst the younger group's suggestions).  it was a joyful moment that brought the students closer together as a group.

a great process of learning how to be a group occurred when we consulted about the money needed to buy fruit for next week's service project.  originally they all agreed to contribute 20bob (which is like 30 cents).  today we learned that 6 of them are not able to do so.  we calculated 6x20 to get a total of 120bob remaining.  we discussed how others may be able to contribute just 5bob while others may be able to contribute more to add up to 120.  a handful of students raised their hands to contribute more than the 20bob they already had in order to cover the amount needed to buy fruit to bring to the hospital.  it was a thoughtful and honorable process because they are learning to trust as well as help each other.

i learned today - while we were playing with a soft ball that i had brought - that there is a rift between the girls and the boys.  the girls feel that the boys are not sharing with them and then they ruin the ball and now the girls do not have a chance to play with it.  when the boys were playing with the soft ball the girls started complaining.  it was definitely challenging to face this issue all of a sudden with a large group of arguing kids.  i tried diverting their attention away from the ball issue by introducing step dancing as a new skill to learn (which ended up attracting almost all of them).  but by the end of the session the boys asked if they could keep the ball and the girls started arguing again.  i gathered them all together and described how half of the world of humanity is like one wing of a bird and how the other gender is the other wing.  i explained the necessity of cooperation and mutual respect.  i then asked them to offer suggestions about what to do with the ball.  one girl said alternate days; another girl suggested alternating between break and lunch times; and then a boy offered that they already have a ball so the girls must have this one.  i asked them all to vote and they all voted for the boy's suggestion.  it was a brilliant moment of practicing consultation and establishing a sense of justice amongst the group.