We had a memorial service for Dr. Varqa, the last Hands of the Cause of God last night, and boy let me tell you it is so inspiring and live changing. It made me realized how little i know about the Hands of the Cause, and how little a times i have appreciated them.

After the passing of Shoghi Effendi, the Faith temporarily lost it's center of the covenant, all was in a state of panic. While this was happening, the Hands of the Cause of God knew it was their duty to prescribe a solution, so all of them gathered, and despite language barrier (some can only speak farsi or arabic while some are only fluent in english), they in perfect unity studied the scriptures of Baha'u'llah, Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi to find out what can they do now. It is under their guidance that the Universal House of Justice was established.

At that point, alot was required from the Hands of the Cause of God. Some were asked to leave their job and reside in Haifa to guide, and many, despite their position (some were doctors, some were given partnerships) they left everything and obeyed that command.

It is no doubt that through their sacrifice and hardwork, the people of the world are able enjoy the Faith today. In our silent prayers for him, i silently thank each and everyone of the Hands of the Cause of God, for if not for them, we will never be able to partake in this wondrous work of building a New World Order.

WE tend to put everything in our lives into fragmentations. Categorization means identity to alot of people. Race, ethnic, gender etc. And the thing is, because of the thinking that this is my identity, this is my reality, we create a boundary between us and other people.

Are races etc. really the reality of men? No, they are division created by the human mind.

Baha'u'llah says that: "O children of men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest."



The next time someone asks you:"what is your race?" why don't you answer:"my race is the human race." instead?

You know when i was younger, i often ask myself this question. "Why do we need so many religion in the world, when one is enough, since all teaches us to do good, and all turns us to the Lord?" and i can bet you, alot of people are asking that nowadays.

The answer to my question lies within the Baha'i Faith. A simple analogy is suffice to explain the Baha'i concept of progressive revelation. Religion is like wearing clothes, when you're 4 years old, can you wear clothes designed for 11 years old? likewise when you are 11 years old, can you wear the clothes of a 4 year old? My point is, each religion comes in different time and place with specific mission, and spread teachings according to the needs and the capacity of the people then.

"Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements."

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 21)



different age have different needs. In the age of Moses, it was necessary to implement the law with the saying "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth", however, when Jesus came, he told the people that it was time for a new way "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also(King James Bible, Matthew)." If history was studied thoroughly, one will find that none of these two prophets' teachings were wrong, or have contradicted each other, as they came with words befitting the social condition of the people, suiting to the context of the people of the time of their coming. Moses appeared when the Isrealites where heedless and lawless, when acts of the people were ungoverned, and so He implemented the laws in such a way that the stability of the society can be attained. However, when a manifestation reappeared within the Isrealites again, the social conditions of the people have improved since the first coming, and hence He, Jesus, the Spirit of God preached unto them a new law – the way of mercy. Another sound proof is the subject of unity. Krishna came to ensure unity is achieved within the family, while Moses was the unity of tribes; then comes Jesus, preaching to His disciples:" Love thy neighbors as thyself.", and Prophet Muhammad came with these words: " Love thy nation." In this era, Baha'u'llah, the latest Manifestation of God revealed that: " Let not man glory in this that he loveth his country, let him rather glory in this that he loveth his kind (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 127)."

If look at it in this light, then we shall realize that indeed, all religion is of God, and their purpose is to continue the advancement of men and draw men closer to God each time they reappear. So indeed, the existence of many religion is not it's reality, becuase they are in truth one, and progressive in nature. Men's job is to, investigate which is the religion that adresses the needs for today and accept it.