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

Madiba ~ reflecting

this is the moment in history, billions of us are sharing Madiba's passing -- sharing emotions, sentiments, photos, speeches, videos and reflections.  most of all we are recounting his spirit, that magnetic force of his character that was so magnanimous and exemplary in the face of all that was oppressive and unjust..

sporting his prison # at a rugby game 2005

it is a moment when i feel like a drop of water in the ocean of humanity.  the waves of oneness are stirring.  Nelson Mandela's soul has permeated the world of existence and is pervading the depths of our hearts.  this shared consciousness enables the wave of his spirit to surge and penetrate deep into the ocean of our hearts.  it feels like all of us are now connected through his spirit and are regenerated to reach higher standards of conduct for ourselves in the face of injustice and oppression, difficulties and despair.

i am riding the wave of humility as i strive each day to live as a Baha'i which is none other than embodying all human perfections and dedicating my life as a servant of God to the betterment of the human race.  Madiba inspires me because he triumphed over anger and bitterness, hatred and revenge.  he embodied the necessary perfections of forgiveness and magnanimity after 27 years of experiencing a suffering in the face of ignorance and oppression i try to imagine but cannot.  he embodied ubuntu -- he was all that he was because he fully embodied the spiritual reality that we become fully ourselves through serving others rather than ourselves.

may Madiba's soul exert its powers from that realm beyond and contribute to the progress and well-being of the world throughout the ages to come.

"The light which these souls radiate is responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world of being, and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest. Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men, and the earth bringeth forth its fruits."

    ~ Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 156

children. suffering. change.

"Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future. They bear the seeds of the character of future society which is largely shaped by what the adults constituting the community do or fail to do with respect to children. They are a trust no community can neglect with impunity. An all-embracing love of children, the manner of treating them, the quality of the attention shown them, the spirit of adult behavior toward them -- these are all among the vital aspects of the requisite attitude. Love demands discipline, the courage to accustom children to hardship, not to indulge their whims or leave them entirely to their own devices."

~ The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 157, 2000, p. 8

children all throughout the world are victims of war, violence, rape, trafficking and abandonment.   it can extinguish all our joy if we dwelt on the pain of what these young souls have faced from adults who have hurt them in these horrendous ways..

this past week's school massacre in Connecticut has touched the world through international media which has projected the horrific manner in which a gunman killed these 20 innocent souls.  i did not listen to most of the coverage living here in Ghana, but what i did read and see on the internet made the pain in my heart reach out to every child in the world who has suffered from such atrocities.  it made me want to tell the untold stories of countless lives that have been destroyed and damaged by the tragic ways in which adults have acted toward them..

suffering and calamities, trials and tragedies, ultimately serve to waken us from our slumber of negligence or lethargy and stir in us the desire to change..and the desire for change.

change begins always with the individual and expands gradually to communities and nations.  it depends on one's determined will to continually make efforts above and beyond satisfying one's needs and interests -- efforts that are motivated by service to the greater cause, the common good, the betterment of the world.  this volition of will must make tireless exertions throughout life.  for our outer lives to change, our inner life must change -- we must consciously strive to practice the virtues of God everyday.  change can be instant, but for the most part it is gradual and painstakingly slow..

humanity is at a new stage of consciousness and has reached a certain level of its innate spiritual capacity.  what used to be accepted as natural or common, like slavery or women being kept uneducated, is now viewed as barbaric or unjust.  humanity is gradually evolving to a point of accepting that war is destructive, or that all children must be protected from harm.. humanity is undergoing a collective experience of changing ever so gradually toward reaching a spiritually mature standard of what is acceptable behavior.

"Every child is potentially the light of the world -- and at the same time its darkness; wherefore must the question of education be accounted as of primary importance. From his infancy, the child must be nursed at the breast of God's love, and nurtured in the embrace of His knowledge, that he may radiate light, grow in spirituality, be filled with wisdom and learning, and take on the characteristics of the angelic host."

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p.130

every child born into this world is endowed with the capacity to reach his fullest potential intended by God as a unique soul endowed with spiritual capacity to reflect the light of God.

i want to rid the world of every act of evil that hurts and kills children.  i know that i am only a small strand in the web of humanity, but i am vital to the health and strength of the web, given the interconnectedness of it all.  i am to live each moment the very best that i can in the spot where i am located, and with the people whose lives i touch -- upholding the highest standard of conduct, of friendliness and servitude, with pure intentions and a selflessness that is essential in creating strong bonds of unity with others.

i cannot change the entire world but i can affect many people's hearts by living a life that is as spiritually enamored and full of servitude to humanity as i can.  i can help reduce the existing pain that exists in so many people's hearts -- which leads them to suicide, killing other people, etc. -- by trying to be that beam of love which banishes the darkness inside of people because they have been alienated, abandoned, abused, ridiculed, etc.  each of us has this duty, this great responsibility, to live as though everyone around us in our lives is a part of us, touched at a soulful level by how much love we share through our genuine acts of kindliness, helpfulness, charity and caring each day.

i am one with the world -- the joy of one is the joy of all; the pain of one is the pain of all.  just as in the human body, each cell must cooperate and do its job in order to help the body achieve maximum health.  my prayer is to be the healthiest cell for the body of humanity..

guidance from the Baha'i Writings brings my heart into alliance with the great Plan of God and my role in carrying forward an ever-advancing spiritual civilization which will alleviate the suffering of children throughout the world:

"That which is of paramount importance for the children, that which must precede all else, is to teach them the oneness of God and the Laws of God. For lacking this the fear of God cannot be inculcated, and lacking the fear of God and infinity of odious and abominable actions will spring up, and sentiments will be uttered that transgress all bounds..."

~ Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 236

"..education cannot alter the inner essence of a man, but it doth exert tremendous influence, and with this power it can bring forth from the individual whatever perfections and capacities are deposited within him. A grain of wheat, when cultivated by the farmer, will yield a whole harvest, and a seed, through the gardener's care, will grow into a great tree. Thanks to a teacher's loving efforts, the children of the primary school may reach the highest levels of achievement; indeed, his benefactions may lift some child of small account to an exalted throne. Thus is it clearly demonstrated that by their essential nature, minds vary as to their capacity, while education also playeth a great role and exerteth a powerful effect on their development."

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 131

"And as to the world’s evil plight, we need but recall the writings and sayings of Bahá’u’lláh, who, more than fifty years ago, declared in terms prophetic the prime cause of the ills and sufferings of mankind, and set forth their true and divine remedy. “Should the Lamp of Religion be hidden,” He declares, “Chaos and confusion will ensue.” How admirably fitting and applicable are these words to the present state of mankind!

 "Ours is then the duty and privilege to labor, by day and by night, amidst the storm and stress of these troublous days, that we may quicken the zeal of our fellow-men, rekindle their hopes, stimulate their interest, open their eyes to the true Faith of God and enlist their active support in the carrying out of our common task for the peace and regeneration of the world.

"Let us pray to God that in these days of world-encircling gloom, when the dark forces of nature, of hate, rebellion, anarchy and reaction are threatening the very stability of human society, when the most precious fruits of civilization are undergoing severe and unparalleled tests, we may all realize, more profoundly than ever, that though but a mere handful amidst the seething masses of the world, we are in this day the chosen instruments of God’s grace, that our mission is most urgent and vital to the fate of humanity, and, fortified by these sentiments, arise to achieve God’s holy purpose for mankind."

 ~ Shoghi Effendi, Baha'i Administration, pp. 50-52

Oneness ~ The Medicine Wheel

Turtle Island ~ depiction of America by Native Americans

All the peoples and cultures of the world bring beauty to God's garden of humanity.  I learned many years ago how the Native Americans view this world as a circle.

They divide the peoples of the world into 4 colors, each with their own significant characteristics and contributions to civilization.  This is best depicted in the Medicine Wheel.

The Medicine Wheel depicts our oneness as a humanity and as a creation; it also portrays our interconnectedness and wholeness as a human race.  I use the Medicine Wheel as a basic foundation and symbol for understanding God's Creation.  In this view of humanity, there is no separation, no superiority, no division -- only complementary parts of one whole..for we are all part of one creation.

For me, the medicine wheel represents the Baha'i theme, 'unity in diversity':  one creation with infinite diversity.  the 4 kingdoms of creation -- mineral, plant, animal and human -- are held together by the spiritual force of Love which brought creation into being.

The human kingdom, with the distinguishing feature of that part of us which belongs to the Creator, our soul, fully manifests all of the qualities of spirit by means of those eternal powers from God we call virtues:  loving-kindness, patience, purity, holiness, forgiveness, mercy, humility, generosity, courage, courtesy, justice, etc.

In order for life on earth to be healthy and thrive with infinite progress, we as a human race must utilize these virtues in every possible way with the natural world.  In the spirit of infinite diversity that exists in both the natural and human worlds, everything is honored.  Nothing is oppressed, or eliminated, or degraded.  What each of us does affects everything else, just like the human body as a whole experiences health or illness depending on all the parts working together to create the quality of one's life..

"Now concerning nature, it is but the essential properties and the necessary relations inherent in the realities of things. And though these infinite realities are diverse in their character yet they are in the utmost harmony and closely connected together. As one's vision is broadened and the matter observed carefully, it will be made certain that every reality is but an essential requisite of other realities. Thus to connect and harmonize these diverse and infinite realities an all-unifying Power is necessary, that every part of existent being may in perfect order discharge its own function. Consider the body of man, and let the part be an indication of the whole. Consider how these diverse parts and members of the human body are closely connected and harmoniously united one with the other. Every part is the essential requisite of all other parts and has a function by itself. It is the mind that is the all-unifying agency that so uniteth all the component parts one with the other that each dischargeth its specific function in perfect order, and thereby co-operation and reaction are made possible. All parts function under certain laws that are essential to existence. Should that all-unifying agency that directeth all these parts be harmed in any way there is no doubt that the constituent parts and members will cease functioning properly; and though that all-unifying agency in the temple of man be not sensed or seen and the reality thereof be unknown, yet by its effects it manifesteth itself with the greatest power.

"Thus it hath been proven and made evident that these infinite beings in this wondrous universe will discharge their functions properly only when directed and controlled by that Universal Reality, so that order may be established in the world."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablet to August Forel, p. 20)

Below is a Hopi 'shield symbol' which means,
"Together with all nations we protect both land and life, and hold the world in balance."

The cross-section of the circle touches all 4 corners.  The cross is the symbol of life eternal.  The 4 colors represent the elements:  water, earth, fire and wind.  These colors also represent the 4 colors of humanity, each with their own beauty and qualities necessary for the progress of civilization..

Below is a depiction of the Hopi's "Prophecy Rock" which is interesting as well..

PROPHECY ROCK

Near Oraibi, Arizona, there is a petroglyph known as Prophecy Rock which symbolizes many Hopi prophecies. Its interpretation is:

The large human figure on the left is the Great Spirit. The bow in his left hand represents his instructions to the Hopi to lay down their weapons. The vertical line to the right of the Great Spirit is a time scale in thousands of years. The point at which the great Spirit touches the line is the time of his return.

The "life path" established by the Great Spirit divides into the lower, narrow path of continuous Life in harmony with nature and the wide upper road of white man's scientific achievements. The bar between the paths, above the cross, is the coming of white men; the Cross is that of Christianity. The circle below the cross represents the continuous Path of Life.

The four small human figures on the upper road represent, on one level, the past three worlds and the present; on another level, the figures indicate that some of the Hopi will travel the white man's path, having been seduced by its glamour.

The two circles on the lower Path of Life are the "great shaking of the earth" (World Wars One and Two).

The swastika in the sun and the Celtic cross represent the two helpers of Pahana, the True White Brother.

The short line that returns to the straight Path of Life is the last chance for people to turn back to nature before the upper road disintegrates and dissipates. The small circle above the Path of Life, after the last chance, is the Great Purification, after which corn will grow in abundance again when the Great Spirit returns. And the Path of Life continues forever...

The Hopi shield in the lower right corner symbolizes the Earth and the Four-Corners area where the Hopi have been reserved. The arms of the cross also represent the four directions in which they migrated according to the instructions of the Great Spirit.

The dots represent the four colors of Hopi corn, and the four racial colors of humanity.

"Baha'u'llah: The Prince of Peace"

Baha'u'llah has proclaimed the Oneness of Humanity.  He proclaimed this Truth, this fundamental verity, over 150 years ago when the world still had slavery, in a land steeped in religious fanaticism and political corruption.  His Message brought a new Spirit into the world.  He asserted,

"O ye children of men, the fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race.."

This stupendous and immeasurable Message is a most brilliant light for the world -- both individually, as a guide for a high standard of moral conduct, and collectively, providing a plan and order for a world federation with every possible stipulation for the establishment of world peace.

David Hoffman, former member of the Universal House of Justice, wrote a book called, "Baha'u'llah, The Prince of Peace, A Portrait."  it is a wonderfully written book about the life and station of Baha'u'llah, as well as a comprehensive overview of what Baha'u'llah stipulates as the necessary conditions for the permanent establishment of world peace.  he draws upon the Baha'i Writings in a full yet succinct manner to explain the steps and details of a world system that will be established at the international level.  this is called the Lesser Peace, whereby laws are firmly in place to create order, justice and peace.  when the qualities of the human heart evolve to eliminate prejudice of all kinds, and a high standard of moral conduct is demonstrated in the character of humanity, then will the Most Great Peace be established sometime in the future..

It was written in the 1992 so he often refers to the 20th Century.  This Message is just as valid and essential now in the 21st Century:

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'The Kingdom of heaven is within you' is just as true today and forever as when Jesus taught it. The foundation of peace is in the human heart, whence it will spread out to all mankind.

As with everything to do with man, the solution to all his problems is spiritual. Baha'u'llah states that the first effulgence from the Book of God

'..is that man should know his own self and recognize that which leadeth him to loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement, wealth or poverty.  Having attained the stage of fulfillment and reached his maturity, man standeth in ned of wealth, and such wealth as he acquireth through crafts or professions is commendable and praiseworthy in the estimation of men of wisdom, and especially in the eyes of servants who dedicate themselves to the education of the world and to the edification of its peoples.'

A world economy is essential to a world society.  Baha'u'llah does not lay down any detailed system of world economics but does prescribe a few basic principles which economists may mould into a world pattern which would ameliorate the struggle for existence, lessen the huge gap between destitution and inordinate personal wealth, remove the constant recurrent crises in the world's economy and provide a just and satisfying distribution of the vast wealth available to man's cooperative ingenuity.

Baha'u'llah's economic principles include the following:

• The greatest achievements of science and technology should be available to everyone.
• All must work: no idle rich, no idle poor
• Limitations of wealth and poverty: a basic minimum standard of living below which no one should recede and limitation of individual wealth.  We may comment on this that no individual should have to spend long hours of toil in return for an inadequate subsistence for himself and his dependents; no individual should be burdened with the administration and worry of inordinate wealth.  Human beings were created for higher and nobler pursuits.  Degrees of wealth are necessary and must be maintained.
• The contest between capital and labour could be solved by all employees receiving, in addition to agreed wages, shares in the company for which they work.  They would then become part owners and strikes would be obviated.

Beyond these practical considerations which may inspire economists to devise good housekeeping arrangements for a world society, Baha'u'llah has elevated every individual's contribution tot he work of the world to the status of worship of God.  This vision of the human race, rising every day, first to remember God and pray and then to set about the day's work with a zeal impelled by the knowledge that dedication to that work is worship of God, is beyond the imagination of twentieth century minds to conceive.  Yet so it shall be, for the power of the Holy Spirit will accomplish it.

The Lesser Peace must not only calm the raging fury of the present time but must pave the way for the initiation of those processes which will, with the help of God, eventually and inevitably lead to the Most Great Peace.  In His reply to a letter which the Executive Committee of the Central Organization for a Durable Peace, The Hague, wrote to Him during World War 1, Abdu'l-Baha pointed out that world peace was not a simple or a single subject, and that if they concentrated solely on the cessation of fighting, they could not achieve more than a temporary result.  He referred them to Baha'u'llah's teachings on universal peace, given 'fifty years ago' and sent to 'the great sovereigns of the world'.  He enumerated, with comment, many other considerations which would fill out the structure of the Most Great Peace.

Education is a vital part of the Baha'i peace programme -- education, universal and compulsory.  A universal curriculum must contain some obligatory items and also be adaptable to differing needs.  For instance, everyone must learn two languages, the mother tongue and an international language to be chosen from among the existing ones or a new one to be invented.  Reading and writing in both will not only preserve local culture and the rich literatures of the world, but use of the universal language will greatly help to demolish age-old barriers to friendship and understanding and to foster a sense of world citizenship.  The oneness of mankind must be taught in all the schools of the world; likewise the nature of man and 'those things which lead to loftiness and honour', the eternal verities of religion.  Not the creeds and rituals and invented dogmas and doctrines, but reverence for God, uprightness, truthfulness, honesty, trustworthiness, fortitude, courtesy nad modesty, all those divine characteristics which are at such discount today.  Baha'u'llah's Tablet Words of Paradise contains the following:

'Schools must first train the children in the principles of religion, so that the Promise and the Threat recorded in the Books of God  may prevent them from the things forbidden and adorn them with the mantle of the commandments; but this in such a measure that it may not injure the children by resulting in ignorant fanaticism and bigotry.'

With the will to do it and with funds available from former defence budgets it would be possible to eliminate illiteracy by the end of this century and instill into new generations the elements of good character.

Baha'u'llah disclosed three essential unities which embrace and sustain all those principles which constitute World Order, the final shape of mankind's ordered life on this planet.  Within that Order humanity may make infinite progress, towards the image of God individually and the Kingdom of God socially.  Both processes envision a never-ending refinement of the soul of man as he penetrates ever more deeply the mystery of his own nature and his society reflects ever more brilliantly the grandeur, the vitality, the felicity of the Most Great Peace.

The three unities stressed by Baha'u'llah are

The oneness of God
The oneness of mankind
The oneness of religion

About the first unity there can be little or no discussion.  If God exists there is only one.  If there were more neither would be God.  Men's ideas and concepts inevitably vary...but these do not affect the reality of the First Cause, the Primal Will, the Pre-Existent Creator.

About the second and third unities there is a great deal of misapprehension, disunity, conflict, prejudice, bitterness and all uncharitableness.  Yet Baha'u'llah has been able to inculcate in His followers an abiding and joyful recognition of them both.  As His Cause grows in numbers and influence there is hope that the most inveterate barriers to human unity may be overcome, not alone by dread of the dire consequences which result from persistence in them, but more positively by the increasing spread of the knowledge of divine love, poured out in overflowing measure by Baha'u'llah as attested by the sufferings which He willingly accepted and the infinite compassion of His revelation.  He wrote that He had

'consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty.  He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness.  This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate, the Most Merciful.  We have accepted to be abased, O believers in the Unity of God, that ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions that ye might prosper and flourish.'

spiritual parenting notes: from Mr. Furutan's book, "Mothers, Fathers & Children"

i found 2 pages of notes today that i wrote many years ago about spiritual parenting.  they are taken from Mr. Furutan's book, "Mothers, Fathers and Children".  i loved that book!  we gave it away to a friend when it was time for us to leave America.

Mr. Furutan was a psychologist and a very deepened Baha'i who served as a Hand of the Cause of God for many years until he passed away in 2003.  these notes have proven invaluable to us as parents as we've striven to raise our children.  even writing these notes down today inspired me to be more kind, more patient, more forbearing..

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•  treat child's demands in such a way that child's pride and determination are not wounded and weakened..you do not let him get carried away by his selfish desires and grow up to be autocratic and dictatorial
• determine which demands are reasonable and logical and which are unacceptable and harmful
• vow not to block any reasonable and logical demands which the child may have, and do not give into inappropriate, unreasonable or harmful demands
• be strict and systematic:
• give consent to reasonable requests with utmost kindness and forbearance, but never submit to his harmful wishes
• child will learn that his demands fall into 2 categories: worthy and unworthy

• teach child through utmost patience and forbearance
• patiently and tolerantly answer questions and explain the outside world to child as far as possible, using simple words (like Abdu'l-Baha)
• never deride child's questions

• inappropriate praise and admiration of a child leads him into complacency and pride, and can ruin his morals and behavior
• encouragement and expressions of appreciation should not be confused with unwarranted admiration
• good acts merit appreciation appreciation, while exaggerated praise and excessive admiration are both blameworthy and harmful

• immediately distract child with more interesting things to protect him from a dangerous action, rather than taking forcible measures
• extreme strictness and always being on his back with inappropriate regulations and restraints makes a child nervous and then rebellious

• train in such a way that the slightest lack of attention is in itself the greatest punishment
• this goal can only be achieved through kindness and use of soft speech
• under no circumstances whatsoever should we assume any attitude except that of gentleness and humility

• when joking is carried too far, it will overstep bounds of courtesy and dignity
• child eventually becomes rude, insolent and cheeky toward adults
• leads innocent child into impropriety
• injury may result from his offensive words
• is a habit which leads to excess
• attracts children toward buffoonery and introduces them into a society as light-minded, undignified and discourteous
• when children are shown no respect by other people, their delicate, sensitive hearts will be injured by sarcastic words (which they don't realize are meant to be a joke)
• their souls will become saddened and vexed
• they will become accustomed to insults and abuse
• these have innumerable, pernicious effects on their development

• teasing should be done away with altogether
• adults should converse with children with the utmost love, affection, respect, politeness, and dignity, and in simple language
• in accordance with their capacities and level of comprehension
• increase the child's limited knowledge as much as possible in that brief conversation
• if they want to make them happy, tell a fascinating story
• children thirst for new and beneficial information, but they want adults to use simple and understanding language in their explanations
• rarely do children avoid listening to serious subjects that are made understandable to them
• instead of talking nonsense and joking, and having empty conversations with children, explain essential matters to them, using easy to understand language and employing many examples
• this will make children better informed and instill into them the desire to seek out knowledge, to investigate scientific subjects, and to think and reason logically