Ridvan 2012, part 1

You knew it was coming, didn't you? I mean, every Ridvan it seems that I do a series of articles on the latest message. Why should this one be any different?

Well, it shouldn't.

And just to follow suit, this message blew me away. I mean, I'm in awe. It's incredible. And yes, I know I say that every year, but it's always true. Only this year, it's more so.

Why? Well, for a number of reasons. First, all the news about the Mashriqu'l-Adhkars. I truly never thought that I'd live to see the day where we'd be talking about actual, real, honest to goodness, true Mashriqu'l-Adhkars in local neighbourhoods. Sure, I thought I'd live to see a couple of national ones, but local ones? Never in my lifetime. It just goes to show you how much I underestimate this precious faith of ours.

The second thing that really blew me away was that there really isn't any guidance in it. They even say that, right there in paragraph 4: "So well have (the Plans) features been grasped that we feel no need to comment further on them here."

No need? Wow.

So, if there is no further guidance about the Plan, what do they do for four pages? What can they talk about for 11 paragraphs?

Well, dear Reader, let's look.

First of all, I'm presuming that you actually have a copy, that you've read it, and that you've already studied it on your own and with some friends. I would really hate to prejudice your reading of it, for then you might not share your own insights.

All that said, and the fact that is only my own understanding and nothing official, let's get into it.

In the first paragraph, they talk about the Master and how He broke the ground for the raising of the Temple  in North America, in Grosse Pointe, now Wilmette, Illinois. They say that He "lifted a workman's axe". He didn't lift a spade, a hoe, a shovel, or even just an axe; He lifted a workman's axe. To me, that adjective speaks volumes. He didn't just watch other people do it. He did it Himself. He got His hands dirty, so to speak.

Then, instead of merely doing it all on His own, He invited others to join Him, people from diverse backgrounds. He asked us all, through them, to help Him build this incredible project and see it through to completion.

This is the beginning. This is what the Universal House of Justice first draws to our attention, and it becomes a theme throughout the rest of this letter.

I'm going to leave it there for now, and continue this later. It's late. My belly is full, after a wonderful night of dinner with the family. And I'm ready for some serious sleep.

Happy Ridvan, all.