Annual Theme Study Materials
 1999
Annual Theme
Citizenship in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: The Role of Community
Development
For 1999 “The Role of the Community Development”
was selected as the Annual Theme. This theme was the pivot around which
many of the regional and permanent schools planned programs for that summer.
For more information about this theme, please read the following summary.
The list of Writings that form the
basis of 1999’s theme is also available.
Citizenship in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: The Role of
the Community in Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops
Introduction
"…the flourishing of the community, specially at the local level,
demands a significant enhancement in patterns of behavior: those patterns
by which the collective expression of the virtues of the individual members
and the functioning of the Spiritual Assembly is manifest in the unity
and fellowship of the community and the dynamism of its activity and growth."
— The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 153
Each year since the inception of the Four Year Plan, the
National Spiritual Assembly has asked the schools to emphasize particular
aspects of advancing the process of entry by troops. The theme in previous
years focused on an overview of the Four Year Plan, the institutions,
and the individual. This year’s theme, the role of the
community in advancing the process of entry by troops, is
the culminating and probably the most complex element in this Plan. Constructing
a true, dynamic Bahá’í community requires that
the builders of communities “rise to a new stage in the exercise
of their responsibilities.” (The Universal
House of Justice, Ridvan 153) We need to closely
examine the patterns of behavior we see manifested in our communities,
and identify those we would like to emulate. We need to study closely
the example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and what our Writings tell us about
how to behave toward each other, our institutions, and within our community.
Love is the central defining purpose in our lives, the
great secret power of all reality. The logic of community life is how
we manifest love. It is what both Bahá’ís and seekers long for. The
recent demographic research undertaken by the National Teaching Committee
in conjunction with the national media initiative shows that what people
are looking for is meaning and hope in their lives. They desire a meaningful
spiritual experience. People are looking for spiritual purpose, and they
are looking for a community that can meet those needs. The Ridvan 155
message also assures us that currently there is a “hunger for meaning,
a yearning of the soul” on the rise, a “spiritual hunger…characterized
by a restlessness, by a swelling dissatisfaction with the moral state
of society…”
How do we address this hunger for spiritual meaning? The
expressions of love in the Writings help us redefine our standards of
conduct—it is the guiding light to our behavior. Consider the summer
school sessions as an opportunity to practice “community building”
in a very real sense. The Guardian instructs us that “the purpose
of the Summer-School is not only to impart knowledge of the Teachings,
but to infuse in the hearts of all those present such spirit as will enable
them to translate the ideals of the Cause into daily deeds of constructive
spiritual living…” (Centers of Bahá’í
Learning #25, p. 10) What would our Bahá’í communities be like
if we all practiced “constructive spiritual living?”
The organizing principle in our lives, our families, and
our communities is love and unity. Unity is what drives reality; it is
what makes anything possible. Unity can be expressed in a shared community
vision for the future. And developing a shared vision may be the first
step in community building.
As we rush forward toward the end of this century of light, let us
carefully, openly examine the behavioral manifestations of a loving, unified
community. Let us derive hope from the promises of the central figures
of our Faith as to the glorious destiny not only of our individual communities,
but of the American Bahá’í community at large:
“The continent of America is…the land wherein the splendors
of His light shall be revealed, where the mysteries of His Faith shall
be unveiled, where the righteous will abide, and the free assemble.”
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as quoted in The Advent
of Divine Justice, p. 6)
Our communities must exemplify the qualities of love and
unity, intimacy and safety, a sense of belonging along with opportunities
for service. In order to examine the behavioral manifestations of a dynamic,
joyful community, we have separated this complex “unit of civilization”
into three areas:
- The defining elements of community: the organization
of human society
- The functions of community: roots which sustain the
spiritual life of the community
- Serving the Covenant: the relationships among institutions,
individuals, and the community
These three areas, though, need to be motivated by and
integrated with the overarching theme of love and unity. The section,
Developing the Theme, found later in this document, develops the
three areas in greater detail. Please share this document with the teachers
in your school. You may also wish to share parts of the theme document
with the participants.
What an astounding bounty you have as organizers
of summer school programs! You have the gift of providing the friends
and seekers with the opportunity to be “engaged in an immense historical
process that is entering a critical stage.” (The
Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 153)
* * * * * *
“Summon ye, then, the people to God, and invite humanity to follow
the example of the Company on high…Let each one of God’s loved
ones centre his attention on this: to be the Lord’s mercy to man;
to be the Lord’s grace. Let him do some good to every person whose
path he crosseth, and be of some benefit to him.”
— ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings
of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 3
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