Jalál, 07 Asmá’ (Names), 180 B.E.
Reflections on the Life of the Spirit
Quote for Reflection:
But some souls are weak; we must endeavor to strengthen them. Some are ignorant, uninformed of the bounties of God; we must strive to make them knowing. Some are ailing; we must seek to restore them to health. Some are immature as children; they must be trained and assisted to attain maturity. We nurse the sick in tenderness and the kindly spirit of love; we do not despise them because they are ill. Therefore, we must exercise extreme patience, sympathy and love toward all mankind, considering no soul as rejected. If we look upon a soul as rejected, we have disobeyed the teachings of God. God is loving to all. Shall we be unjust or unkind to anyone? Is this allowable in the sight of God? God provides for all. Is it befitting for us to prevent the flow of His merciful provisions for mankind? God has created all in His image and likeness. Shall we manifest hatred for His creatures and servants? This would be contrary to the will of God and according to the will of Satan, by which we mean the natural inclinations of the lower nature. This lower nature in man is symbolized as Satan—the evil ego within us, not an evil personality outside. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 1
Question for Consideration:
Which of the following statements are true?
There are so few good people in the world that their actions do not have any effect.
Something is correct when it is in agreement with the opinions of other people.
Something is correct when it is in agreement with the teachings of God.2
Google Bard Response:
The statement “There are so few good people in the world that their actions do not have any effect” is not supported by the quote above. In fact, the quote suggests that everyone has the potential to be good, and that we should all strive to strengthen, educate, and heal each other.
The statement “Something is correct when it is in agreement with the opinions of other people” is also not supported by the quote above. The quote suggests that there are some things that are objectively true, regardless of what people believe. For example, the statement “God is loving to all” is objectively true, even if some people disagree with it.
The statement “Something is correct when it is in agreement with the teachings of God” is more difficult to assess, as it depends on your beliefs about God. However, the quote above suggests that the teachings of God are ultimately about love and compassion. Therefore, something that is in agreement with the teachings of God would be something that is loving and compassionate.
So, to answer your question, none of the statements are definitively true or false. It depends on your interpretation of the quote and your own beliefs.
- ’Abdu’l-Bahá. The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ʻAbduʼl-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912. Edited by Howard MacNutt. 2nd ed. Wilmette, Ill: Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1982, 286-287. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/promulgation-universal-peace/20#881097284. ↩
- Ruhi Institute. Reflections on the Life of the Spirit. 4.1.2.PE May 2020. Vol. Book 1. 6 vols. Embarking on a Path of Service. Cali, Columbia: Ruhi Institute, 2020, 4. https://www.ruhi.org/en/walking-a-path-of-service/#RLS ↩
Frameworks for Understanding the World 