Pilrimage Day #7 February 8, 2009, Part 3

2-8-9 1255 Sunday, PRC

Bus to 'Akka, passed the Rabin Peace Park where we spent time the other day, went to the House of Abdullah Pasha. Upstairs, brilliant chanting by Enayat, and Hollow Reed sung by our friend Inge, our pair of nightingales. Rather than spoil the palette with my voice, I refrained from singing.

Upstairs, in the dining area, though the floor is covered in rugs, the floor is paved in red, square tiles 8-10" square.

At about age 18 as a new Baha'i, I had a dream that I was walking across a courtyard. On my right was walking 'Abdu'l-Baha; we were walking together and he was holding my hand. I was immersed in an intense feeling of unconditional love. I awoke sobbing with the joy and intensity of it. The floor or ground of the courtyard in this dream was paved with these same red tiles, in the house of Abdullah Pasha.

We visited the room of the Greatest Holy Leaf [the sister of 'Abdu'l-Baha], where the Remains of the Bab had been secreted many years prior to His interment. Prayers were read in Chinese, German, other languages. I read the prayer for steadfastness in the Covenant which begins, "O Compassionate God." The evening I announced I wish to enroll as a Baha'i, I was requested to read a prayer; leafing through the prayer book, I chose that prayer, liking the "compassionate" element. It was the Day of the Covenant, 1974.

In the PRC I am reflecting about the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, as there is considerable sharing of food. Most people like to refer to this as the "multiplication." While I believe that the Holy Spirit is capable of suspending or circumventing the laws of physics as we know them, I perfer this: it was a division of loaves and fishes. Through the spirit of love and fellowship engendered by listening to His Holiness Jesus Christ, people shared the little they had with others, and were satisfied with little, and probably Christ did add some extra. It was the spirit that was the miracle.

Pilgrimage Day 1 February 2 2009

We arose and ate the buffet breakfast in the Nof, which was varied and delicious, most particularly the rosemary roasted potatoes. I never saw those potatoes again, though. It was a nice day so we walked, thinking to walk down the Terraces. After finding one of the gates at the top of the hill, it was explained to us that we could not enter before obtaining our Pilgrim name badges. We walked all the way down Yefe Nof, around the corner at the light, and all the way down Hazionut, which took at least an hour. Enayat's first views of the shrines and the buildings on the Terraces, as well as the stunning view of the Bay of Haifa were spoiled by my impatience.

At last we reached the Pilgrim Reception Center, registered in several steps, and I spent a long time in the upstairs room of the PRC poring over our schedule and making friends with another pilgrim, drinking my first cups of tea with Persian sugar cubes and milk. I think Enayat was making phone calls and visiting. Much later I discovered the second floor cafeteria at the PRC; when I first encountered it, it was filled with Persians and Enayat was in his element. We went to the International Teaching Center Auditorium for an orientation film, then walked to the Pilgrim House where we gathered in the courtyard and the Prayer for Visitation was recited, facing the Shrine of the Bab. Then we walked to the Shrine of the Bab.

[Crow Time: in Tacoma at my last residence, I discovered that all the crows in the area converge for the night in a large grove of trees in the Tideflats, hundreds of them circling around and settling down. At dawn, when I looked out of my bedroom window, it was possible to see dozens of crows streaming back from this point in all directions, flying from the sunrise and cawing as they returned to their posts for the day. In the evening, the crows all fly back from their daytime habitations and return to their nests. To me, it is magical.]

4 PM, sunset, approaching the Shrine of the Bab. It's Crow time. For reals.

There are two shrines within the ground floor of the large, golden-domed building referred to as the "Shrine of the Bab": the room where the holy remains of the Bab are interred, and the room where the holy remains of 'Abdu'l-Baha are interred. Shoes are removed before entering, and bags, purses, coats etc remain outside the Shrines, under the watchful eye of an attendant on the outside.

I entered the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Baha and began praying. Then I opened my prayer book to the Babs Prayer for Protection where I have the most recent photograph of my daughter, Pearl, taken December 28 days prior to her suicide attempt. I lost it, silently praying and blubbering, the whole wound opening up in my heart ungrieved. [From then on, I always came prepared with tissues or a handkerchief in my hand.]

Tomorrow, 0715, we meet to go to Bahji.

Down To The Wire

I spent the day with my husband doing some last minute chores all day. The current discussion is when to drive to Tacoma [to my house] to meet the shuttle: now, or in the morning. I'm being a control freak due to past experience with delays. We are in negotiation.

I've mentioned the Baha'i Faith more in the last several weeks and days than I did since I enrolled in the Faith in 1974. Whenever my friends at work hear, "I'm going to Israel," there is a quaint mix of elation and alarm on my behalf. "Oh, how wonderful! I wish I could go! Will you be safe? I'll pray for you!" It's so sweet. They are also on my prayer list, and I'm starting to pray for them now, to practice when we are at the shrines. [Except my list is packed up with my prayer book, smiling emoticon.] Even people where I bank, people in the Subway restaurant, and so forth.

I never would have been so open to people in the past. It amazes me how nice they are. I grew up regarding other people as potential monsters, so it's nice to find out I was a little warped in my perceptions. It's sweet.

We touch down February 11th at Seatac, so the next blog will be following return.