Eating For Armenia

The courageous, outward-looking Baha'is are walking through neighborhoods, inviting people to engage in building spiritual communities. Knocking on doors to speak to people I haven't met yet, uninvited, feels like agony. At Ethnic Fest in Tacoma Washington every year, I see Baha'is accosting those walking past the booth to involve them in conversations about the Baha'i Faith; I would almost rather walk through fire. Although I see otherwise introspective people doing it, it's hard to bear the thought of it. My solution is usually to lurk somewhere in safety, praying like crazy for the teaching work.

My relationship to society is sometimes like a wolf emerging from the shadows to snatch a morsel of fellowship by the fire, then growling over it back in my den. I don't tend to make friends; I have associates I know, like, and even love who haven't kicked me out yet.

Previously I mentioned that whenever I drive past a For Sale sign I say a little invocation to God for those poor souls trying to sell their house; a little free gift of compassion for the unknown friend. It keeps me remembering God. Zikhrullah. Then I realized I'm praying a lot for these random people, why not pray more often for the Baha'is imprisoned in Iran? So I added a second invocation for them in at the same time.

There are no beds or mattresses in the cells of Even Prison, which makes the reality of their cold days and nights on the floor abruptly seem more concrete. These friends of God suffer this agony. Why can't I suffer the agony of initiating conversations with people I haven't met?

Spreading the teachings of the Baha'i Faith and the knowledge of the station of Baha'u'llah is the best remedy and the only way to alleviate the suffering, not just of persecuted Baha'is, but of oppressed people all over the planet. I believe this completely; yet sometimes the notion can seem like cleaning your plate because of the starving Armenians.

It would be nice to think that there were people all over the world who were well nourished because of my diligence in cleaning my plate. I'm sure there are millions now craving the Bread of Life.