Phew. What a whirlwind. A 12-day trip, 2010 miles, dozens of meetings, missed turns, crowded rest areas, traffic jams and construction, and I finally get home Sunday night just to start packing for a move this weekend. My resolution is to make a schedule (and stick to it) in the new apartment that puts blogging front and center. Then I'll pick up some momentum, some regular readership, and start working on this book idea.
As if that wasn't enough, I was moved to start another blog, too. I know, I hear ya. If you can't spend the time writing on one blog, why write two? I'll fill you in later on the new blog.
We'll see if my resolution works for the new place.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
He died for our sins
Today, July 9th, the Baha'i world commemorates the Martyrdom of the Bab.
The founder of the Baha'i Faith, Baha'u'llah, teaches us that miracles are not to be used as proofs, mostly because they do not work. Do you know anyone who became a Christian because they were told that Christ walked on water, or a Jew because they were told that Moses parted the Red Sea? Miracles only convince the already convinced. They don't even convince eyewitnesses because the Bible is rife with doubters who saw Christ perform miracles.
I don't expect anyone to read the story of the Martyrdom of the Bab and then become a Baha'i. I simply want to share that to me it is one of the most compelling and moving stories of martyrdom I have ever heard.
It is easy to read it and say "Yeah, right, that story was concocted by Baha'is to add miraculous proof in order to gain converts." Well, that would go against the provision against using miracles as proofs, so if we know they don't work then why use them?
What is interesting is that this happened in 1850. As the link above points out, it was reported in newspapers around the world. There were roughly 10,000 witnesses gathered, some of whom recorded their observations. A bit of investigation can reveal non-Baha'i sources. This wasn't something that happened 2,000 years ago. This was something that happened just before the U.S. Civil War, as Harriet Tubman was leading the Underground Railroad. There were 30 States in the U.S. This was after Samuel F.B. Morse sent the words "What Hath God Wrought" across the telegraph lines from Washington D.C. to Baltimore. (If you want some other Baha'i synchronicity, look at what else happened the day before on May 23, 1844.)
So this story isn't irretrievably clouded in antiquity. It is just amazing. And it is about a pure-hearted youth who had a dangerous mission - to bring God's Word to humanity and prepare the way for one who was to come after him. He died for that in a most horrendous way: shot by a firing squad of 750 militia men.
And He died for our sins.
May my spirit be a sacrifice for the wrongs He suffered.
Read more here.
The founder of the Baha'i Faith, Baha'u'llah, teaches us that miracles are not to be used as proofs, mostly because they do not work. Do you know anyone who became a Christian because they were told that Christ walked on water, or a Jew because they were told that Moses parted the Red Sea? Miracles only convince the already convinced. They don't even convince eyewitnesses because the Bible is rife with doubters who saw Christ perform miracles.
I don't expect anyone to read the story of the Martyrdom of the Bab and then become a Baha'i. I simply want to share that to me it is one of the most compelling and moving stories of martyrdom I have ever heard.
It is easy to read it and say "Yeah, right, that story was concocted by Baha'is to add miraculous proof in order to gain converts." Well, that would go against the provision against using miracles as proofs, so if we know they don't work then why use them?
What is interesting is that this happened in 1850. As the link above points out, it was reported in newspapers around the world. There were roughly 10,000 witnesses gathered, some of whom recorded their observations. A bit of investigation can reveal non-Baha'i sources. This wasn't something that happened 2,000 years ago. This was something that happened just before the U.S. Civil War, as Harriet Tubman was leading the Underground Railroad. There were 30 States in the U.S. This was after Samuel F.B. Morse sent the words "What Hath God Wrought" across the telegraph lines from Washington D.C. to Baltimore. (If you want some other Baha'i synchronicity, look at what else happened the day before on May 23, 1844.)
So this story isn't irretrievably clouded in antiquity. It is just amazing. And it is about a pure-hearted youth who had a dangerous mission - to bring God's Word to humanity and prepare the way for one who was to come after him. He died for that in a most horrendous way: shot by a firing squad of 750 militia men.
And He died for our sins.
May my spirit be a sacrifice for the wrongs He suffered.
Read more here.
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