The meeting hall in Nelson, B.C. where William Sears was speaking was heated and packed. I only remember a couple of details of what he said. One was that he said, "Some of you may have told your family or friends you were coming to see a 'special Baha'i.' A Hand of the Cause is not 'special.' " Then he explained the role of service of that institution. It was as if he had been in my parents' house, listening to me explain to them my limited understanding of the Hands of the Cause of God. William Sears was always a humble soul.
On the blackboard he wrote a list of words; to the best of my recollection, "Service," "Steadfastness," and "Sacrifice." Below them, he wrote the word, "Saint." He said, "Service, steadfastness, and sacrifice. Without them, a saint"--erasing the S in front of each word with one swipe--"you AIN'T."
After the passing of the Guardian of the Cause in 1957, there will be no more Hands of the Cause of God appointed in this world. So it was explained to me the importance of meeting members of that institution while they were still around, not to put too fine a point on it. Everyone else in that crowded hall had the same idea. Being naturally a loner, when I saw the noisy throng surrounding William Sears I headed the other direction, out onto the porch, where it was blessedly quiet, cool and damp.
Suddenly I turned to see William Sears out there to greet me, shaking my hand. [Now I realize that probably someone told him, "hey, there's a new Baha'i out there."] Anyway, the fact that he came out there and sought me out to greet me, has always stayed in my heart.
William Sears' photograph was on a table at the front of the meeting hall this afternoon. Near the close of the meeting, a shaft of sunlight illuminated his picture and the flowers next to him. How appropriate.
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I asked Tony Lease, who was an Auxiliary Board member who worked closely with Mr. Sears for many years, what it was about Mr. Sears that might have led Shoghi Effendi to appoint him a Hand of the Cause. Mr. Lease immediately responded, "Shoghi Effendi had the perception to know the difference between 'pretty good' and a Champion."
Brent Poirier
(Please see my blog http://bahai-covenant.blogspot.com that also has items on the Hands of the Cause)
Wonderful story! I never got to meet any of the Hands of the Cause, unfortunately :(
They [Hands of the Cause] are all my heroes, especially after reading "The Ministry of the Custodians," which I think was written/compiled by Amatul-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum.
I was lucky. In the first years I was a Baha'i [70's/80's] I had the privilege to meet William Sears, then in Vancouver, B.C., Mr. Sears and John Robarts; later on Dr. Muhajir. In Portland, OR shortly before his passing, we drove down to see Bill Sears, as I wanted my daughter to meet him. He was too ill to greet people; she did receive a postcard signed by him.
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