The Second Post

Ok. That last article didn't really have much of a Baha'i connection, did it? It was really more for the bloggers out there. Oh, here's a neat little trick I just learned, for those of you, like me, who have to write some articles ahead of time, but still want them published on a particular date. To the right, at least on blogspot, of where I'm typing, in a box called "post settings", there is a little button labeled "schedule". When I click on it, it has a little button that says "set time and date". Click there, and whammo! Up pops a little calendar. Set the day I want this published, and I can even set the time (1 am. Makes me look like I've been up at all hours doing this when in my reality it's actually 8:03 pm on 27 October, just a few minutes after I told this button when to publish yesterday's post. Wow. Two articles at once, but looking like they're a day apart. So cool.)

Anyways, Baha'i content: what to do.

Well, the title I put up there is "The Second Post", so let's look at the word "post".

While many would think of the mail system, "sending a letter through the post", and others would be reminded of a sentry's place, "he was stationed at his post by the door", I like to think of it in terms of a goalpost, an object or place to which we strive.

This, in turn, reminds me of that beautiful song, "Strive":

And when I type the word "strive" into a Baha'i search engine, I find that an overwhelming number of the quotes that come up have the words "struggle" and "strive" together. And many of those say to "struggle with heart and soul".

But what is it that we are to strive for? What is this great struggle in which we are engaged? We are to strive and struggle to:

• become the manifestations of the love of God, the lamps of divine guidance shining amongst the kindreds of the earth with the light of love and concord.
• raise up your voices and shout, until this dark world be filled with light, and this narrow place of shadows be widened out, and this dust heap of a fleeting moment be changed into a mirror for the eternal gardens of heaven, and this globe of earth receive its portion of celestial grace
• waken those who slumber, to cause the blind to see, and the dead to rise
• treat compassionately all humankind -- except for those who have some selfish, private motive, or some disease of the soul
• uphold the Law of God and spread His sweet savours abroad
• give (a) child a Bahá'í training so that when he attaineth maturity he may be merciful, illumined and heavenly
• reach that high station, and to make a splendour so to shine across these realms of earth that the rays of it will be reflected back from a dawning-point on the horizon of eternity
• be closely linked to the divine Kingdom and thereby become the manifestations of infinite bounty and ideal gardeners for these forests
• cultivate your unity to the fullest degree

These are but a few of the things to which we are to strive, some of the goals towards which we should set our sights.

And another one of mine is to also get another 28 articles written before the end of November. Let's see how I do.