What are You Doing?

It is very interesting to me that when I think of the stories of the early believers, the Babis, I often forget to include Baha'u'llah in that category. He was, however, a Babi. And many of the stories about Him from that time are, as we would expect, just filled with incredible spiritual lessons for today.

One story that struck me when I first heard it was of a time shortly after He received the message of the Bab. He was traveling through Nur, His home province, when He came upon a young dervish by the side of the road, preparing his meal.

Baha'u'llah approached and asked him what he was doing.

"I am engaged in eating God," he replied. "I am cooking God and am burning Him."

This simple and straightforward reply delighted Baha'u'llah, Who began to speak with the youth. In a short time and with great tender affection, Baha'u'llah helped him understand a higher vision of God. The young dervish left behind his cooking utensils and followed Baha'u''llah, chanting prayers and songs of praise to the One who had brought him a new understanding.

"Thou art the Day-Star of guidance," he sang. "Thou are the Light of Truth. Unveil Thyself to men, O Revealer of the Truth."

There is something about that story that always amuses me. Perhaps it is the dervish's original understanding of God being in everything, and therefore he was eating God. I mean, sure, it's not a very good understanding of the nature of God, and Baha'u'llah gives him a better understanding of the true nature of God, but still. He was, in a sense, correct, from his point of view, and wasn't afraid to share this.

I was thinking of this story one day, on my way to a coffee shop. I was heading there to make some of my jewelry, knowing that when I do my work in public, I often meet people who come up and ask me what I'm doing. When you make chainmail fashion designs and jewelry for a living, you get into all sorts of amazing conversations.

So there I was, walking, thinking of this story, when I decided to change my usual answer to the question of what I'm doing.

I got my coffee, and took a seat by a large window. Well, actually I got a mocha, with lots of whipped cream. Mmmmm.

I took out my work board, and began to work, linking my rings together, one at a time. And this man comes up to me, looks at my board, and says, "What are you doing?"

"I'm worshiping God."

"Nice What are you making?"

And this led to me explaining my work, and him joining me for coffee (mocha), and having a very nice conversation. He asked me all sorts of questions about my work, and eventually asked me about my original response. I talked with him about the idea of work done in the spirit of service to humanity being worship, how I use my work to engage people in spiritual conversations.

It was a very interesting conversation that went into many unusual directions.

Finally, after a way too long, I realized that I had no idea what he did for a living.

"Oh, I'm a priest."

And that, dear Reader, led to a very good friendship, quite a bit of interfaith service, and even a few talks in his church.