Tim Wilson
There are currently more than 100 Baha’is in jails, and now some in Yemen too, but none of the Baha’is there have ever spoken even one negative word about their persecutors, and show love towards them.
Parents sacrifice themselves for their children, our soldiers sacrifice themselves for God and country, so I am often confronted with the thought of what I would do in the circumstance of being threatened with my life because of my Faith, because of being a Baha’i.
Most every religion at its beginning has been persecuted in many ways. And death has been one that accompanies each one. Martyrs are like the seed planted in the conscience of humanity that take root there bringing many harvests of new souls and a material civilization unlike any that have existed before.
We know the civilizations Judaism and Christianity have produced, and Islam, from what I have read and seen on history documentaries on TV, produced one of the greatest civilization known to humanity. Many historians even claim that without Islam the Renaissance would never have happened. And this does not take into account the spiritual transformation produced in the hearts and minds of all people. Then there are the civilizations created by Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster and all the other Prophets before recorded history.
The Baha’i Faith is only 174 years old, very young indeed — in the length and breadth of the entire span of history — but already it is imprinting a new culture of love free of corruption, prejudice and hatred in the world. And the spiritual transformation in the individual is noteworthy.
What it has done for me certifies its credibility as a world force that starts with the individual. Besides getting me off drugs and all other intoxicants, it has brought an indelible peace to my mind and heart and increased my feelings of love many times over. It has raised me up to such a new level that my fears of death and dying and all other fears have dissipated completely.
To answer my own question of what I would do if threatened with death because of my Faith, I can say with certainty that I would not hesitate an instant to offer up my life for all humanity, and follow in the footsteps of Christ and His disciples. A new world is being created one heart at a time by the ever-present revelation of Baha’u’llah, Prophet-Founder of the Baha’i Faith.
And the Baha’i Faith would never have come into existence without all the other religions before it, just as the religion that is to come after the Baha’i Faith will build on the religions gone before it, and Baha’u’llah states clearly that as long as there are people on this planet, God will send many new Messengers and Prophets to advance civilization and renew the human spirit.
Besides my willingness to sacrifice my life for every person, my love for all people and for everything on the planet has greatly increased, and seems to a little bit more each day. My understanding of what it means to speak the truth and to be trustworthy has likewise increased greatly.
My focus on, and interest in, materialism has been greatly reduced, and my pleasure and joy for the things God has created for us to enjoy has also increased. As an example, my love for the taste of good chocolate has increased, and for a good slice of pizza too!
Tim Wilson lives in Harpswell.
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