1You have invited me to be a disciple of Jesus. I
assure you with all my heart and soul that I am
as much a disciple of Jesus as that of Baháulláh.
Is it by chance or by divine destiny that, at the
time when I am writing this letter, I had a dream
The Dialogue
3that responds to your invitation? Last night I found
myself in a crowd. I spoke with several people on
topics I cannot remember. Then I found myself in
a meeting sitting next to a Christian who invited
me, as you have, to accept Jesus Christ. In response,
I made this clear and emphatic statement: No
one in the world loves Jesus Christ more than I
do. After saying this, I woke up. That is why I
can remember my response so well.
As you know, we believe Baháulláh is the return
of Christ. Then how can a Baháí not love Jesus
Christ as much as he or she loves Baháulláh?
Recently a Baháí friend of mine said that he
would freely give his life for Baháulláh. I asked
if he would make the same offer to Jesus. He
responded with a firm, Yes! He then explained
that to be willing to die for one and not the other
is hypocrisy. We believe that Christ and Baháulláh
are one, that they differ only in their names and
physical forms and features. One received the title
of Christ, which means the Anointed One, the
other Baháulláh, which means the Glory of God.
The same Spirit was, is, and always will be present
in both of them.
When Abdul-Bahá was in New York City, some-
one asked Him, Are not all Christians Baháís? Is
there any difference? This is how He answered:
When Christians act according to the teachings
of Christ, they are called Baháís. For the
foundations of Christianity and the religion of
Baháulláh are one. The foundations of all the
divine Prophets and Holy Books are one. The
4192 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
5difference among them is one of terminology
only. Each springtime is identical with the
former springtime. The distinction between
them is only one of the calendar1911, 1912
and so on. The difference between a Christian
and a Baháí, therefore, is this: There was a
former springtime, and there is a springtime
now. No other difference exists because the
foundations are the same. Whoever acts com-
pletely in accordance with the teachings of
Christ is a Baháí. The purpose is the essential
meaning of Christian, not the mere word. The
purpose is the sun itself and not the dawning
points. For though the sun is one sun, its dawn-
ing points are many. We must not adore the
dawning points but worship the sun. We must
adore the reality of religion and not blindly
cling to the appellation Christianity. The Sun of
Reality must be worshipped and followed. We
must seek the fragrance of the rose from what-
ever bush it is bloomingwhether oriental or
western. Be seekers of light, no matter from
which lantern it shines forth. Be not lovers of
the lantern. At one time the light has shone
from a lantern in the East, now in the West.
If it comes from North, South, from whatever
direction it proceeds, follow the light.134
Here Abdul-Bahá declares that if Christians prac-
ticed the teachings of the Gospels, there would be
no need for a new Revelation:
If the followers of the Lord Christ had continued
to follow out these principles with steadfast
The Dialogue
7faithfulness, there would have been no need
for a renewal of the Christian Message, no
necessity for a re-awakening of His people, for
a great and glorious civilization would now be
ruling the world and the Kingdom of Heaven
would have come on earth.135
You state that perhaps the Good News of Jesus
Christ is not adequately explained to me. Let me
assure you once again that I believe that Christ is
the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Before accepting
the Baháí Faith my parents were of the Jewish
Faith; they did not believe in Jesus. Once they
recognized Baháulláh, they also accepted Jesus
as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Had they not
investigated the Baháí Faith, the divine station
of Jesus Christ would, most likely, still be hidden
to me.
I give my parents much credit for giving me the
gift of an open heart and mind. Instead of forcing
me to accept a set of beliefs, they encouraged me
to look at all great religions. Their attitude of
impartiality gave me a sense of freedom to think
for myself and do my own search. Had they not
encouraged this freedom, I might still be denying
the divine station of Jesus.
Please respond to this question as fairly as you
can: What would have been your chances of being
a disciple of Christ if you had been born to an
orthodox Jewish family in Israel? Just think about
this one question as long as you can. Your answer
may open your heart to Baháulláh.
8194 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
9Baháulláh has brought the sweetest and most
luscious fruits of spiritpeace, love, and joy. He
has fulfilled hundreds of literal prophecies. Further,
He endured imprisonment and exile for almost
forty years to show His sincerity and dedication
to the divine. He has told us what is yet to come.
What, then, is holding you back from acknowledg-
ing Him? The only thing I can think of is your
private, personal interpretation of prophecies. Is
this not what held the Pharisees back? Should not
their example be a lesson for us? If you believe
your theology and your interpretation of the Scrip-
tures are correct, please answer these questions:
Are you infallible?
Which of the hundreds of interpretations offered
by Christian theologians is correct? Which school
of interpretation should we follow? And how can
we know which one offers the truth?
Why do you violate the command of the Scrip-
tures that you should leave the explanation of
mysteries to the Lord? Is it wise to allow your
theological theories or positions to prevent you
from acknowledging the greatest gift that God
bestows on humankind? If you were asked in the
next Kingdom, Why did you deny Baháulláh?
what would you say? Would you say, He did
not conform to my theological positions? Would
you say I depended on scholars who had more
knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic?
Consider the past. Even a law as simple as the
law of the Sabbath needed interpretation. The
The Dialogue
11Jews had developed all kinds of misconceptions
about what they could or could not do on the
Sabbath. Only Jesus had the wisdom to clarify
and interpret that law for them. He taught them
to be spiritual-minded rather than literal-minded.
He showed them that holier than serving the
Sabbath is serving a sick person. They suffered
from the same disease most people have today:
thinking mostly in literal terms.
Interpretation of prophecies is much more difficult
than interpretation of doctrines. For prophecies,
like dreams, are often couched in metaphors and
symbols. You are well aware that Christian theolo-
gians have changed, and will continue to change,
their position on various doctrines. Consider the
following acknowledgment from a denomination:
As regular readers of this magazine know, the
Worldwide Church of God, sponsor of The Plain
Truth, has changed its position on numerous
long-held beliefs and practices during the past
few years
Our flawed doctrinal understanding clouded
the plain gospel of Jesus Christ and led to a
variety of wrong conclusions and unscriptural
practices. We have much to repent of and
apologize for.
We were judgmental and self-righteous
condemning other Christians, calling them so-
called Christians and labeling them deceived
and instruments of Satan.
12196 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
13Hundreds of millions of copies of The Plain Truth
were distributed throughout the world. When the
leadership in the denomination changed, so did
the plain truth into another version of truth!
To show that such misjudgments are not unique,
the magazine published a long list of apologies
from many other denominations.
The news media recently reported that the Church
of England has changed its position on hell. It no
longer believes in physical fire and torture. It
finds the traditional concept of hell appalling, for
it can damage the impressionable minds of young
people. One of the members who produced the
report continues to disagree with the report! He
still believes in literal fire!
Such changes of position should surprise no
one. They document a fact we know too well: It
is human to err and fall short of the glory of
God (Romans 3:23). As you know, Baháulláh
means the Glory of God. The point is this: If
the theologiansthe boards of directorswho
run denominations make such critical errors about
the doctrines of the church, how can they be so
confident of their interpretation of prophecies,
which are far more difficult to decode than doc-
trines? Should not this observation alone lead
them to a state of absolute humility? Do they not
transgress their limits when they insist on the
accuracy of their literal thinking?
To transgress the limits of ones own rank and
station is, in no wise, permissible. The integrity
The Dialogue
15of every rank and station must needs be pre-
served. By this is meant that every created thing
should be viewed in the light of the station it
hath been ordained to occupy.137 Baháulláh
I am writing this response because of my love for
you and for all humankind. To judge you or look
down upon you or anyone else is contrary to my
fundamental beliefs. I know deep in my heart and
soul that if it was not for the spiritual environment
my parents provided, I would most likely be stand-
ing among the ranks of deniers, among those who
have failed to recognize Baháulláh. I sympathize
with you and am well aware of the immense ob-
stacles you face in recognizing the Heavenly Thief
in this gloomy night of confusion, complacency,
and conformity. As a psychologist, I am well aware
of the power of emotions in human life. I am also
aware of the social consequences of accepting a new
religion. All these obstacles make the recognition
of a new Manifestation a most challenging task.
But the difficulties in the path of the search for
truth do not take away our supreme responsibilities
to God. Recognizing a new Redeemer is a most
heroic act. All such acts require courage, detach-
ment, and dedication. The Beauty of God was
manifest in Jesus with full splendor. That same
Beauty is now manifest in Baháulláh. God has
given to every soul the capacity to recognize His
awesome and unmistakable Splendor. In His court
of justice, no one can present any reason, any
excuses for failing to recognize His supreme glory
16198 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
17and power. Ponder the divine authority with
which Baháulláh speaks:
Tear asunder, in My Name, the veils that have
grievously blinded your vision, and, through
the power born of your belief in the unity of
God, scatter the idols of vain imitation. Enter,
then, the holy paradise of the good-pleasure
of the All-Merciful. Sanctify your souls from
whatsoever is not of God, and taste ye the
sweetness of rest within the pale of His vast
and mighty Revelation, and beneath the
shadow of His supreme and infallible au-
thority. Suffer not yourselves to be wrapt in
the dense veils of your selfish desires, inas-
much as I have perfected in every one of you
My creation, so that the excellence of My
handiwork may be fully revealed unto men. It
follows, therefore, that every man hath been,
and will continue to be, able of himself to
appreciate the Beauty of God, the Glorified.
Had he not been endowed with such a ca-
pacity, how could he be called to account for
his failure? If, in the Day when all the
peoples of the earth will be gathered together,
any man should, whilst standing in the pres-
ence of God, be asked: Wherefore hast thou
disbelieved in My Beauty and turned away
from My Self, and if such a man should
reply and say: Inasmuch as all men have
erred, and none hath been found willing to
turn his face to the Truth, I, too, following
their example, have grievously failed to recog-
nize the Beauty of the Eternal, such a plea
The Dialogue
19will, assuredly, be rejected. For the faith of
no man can be conditioned by any one except
himself.138
Please read the preceding passage again and
again. Read it carefully, think about every word,
every sentence, and every thought; think about the
answer you will give to God, when you are asked,
Why did you deny Baháulláh? If possible,
write down your answer. Writing will make you
more objective.
You have received the knowledge of the new
Revelation. With that knowledge comes an awe-
some accountability before God:
But the one who does not know and does
things deserving punishment will be beaten
with few blows. From everyone who has been
given much, much will be demanded; and from
the one who has been entrusted with much,
much more will be asked. Christ (Luke 12:48)
See also John 15:22
Baháulláh invites you and all the truth lovers to
come to His beautiful garden. He asks you to come
to the paradise of His presence, to behold the
Beauty of the Beloved, and breathe the fragrance
of the everlasting Flower. This is the most awe-
some, the most glorious, and the most joyous
news the human race has ever heard:
He Who is the Best-Beloved is come! He hath
crowned Himself with the glory of Gods Rev-
elation, and hath unlocked to the face of men
the doors of His ancient Paradise. Let all eyes
20200 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
21rejoice, and let every ear be gladdened, for
now is the time to gaze on His beauty, now is
the fit time to hearken to His voice. Proclaim
unto every longing lover: Behold, your Well-
Beloved hath come among men! and to the
messengers of the Monarch of love impart the
tidings: Lo, the Adored One hath appeared
arrayed in the fullness of His glory! O lovers
of His beauty! Turn the anguish of your sepa-
ration from Him into the joy of an everlasting
reunion, and let the sweetness of His presence
dissolve the bitterness of your remoteness from
His court.
Behold how the manifold grace of God, which
is being showered from the clouds of Divine
glory, hath, in this day, encompassed the world.
For whereas in days past every lover besought
and searched after his Beloved, it is the Be-
loved Himself Who now is calling His lovers
and is inviting them to attain His presence.
Take heed lest ye forfeit so precious a favor;
beware lest ye belittle so remarkable a token
of His grace. Abandon not the incorruptible
benefits, and be not content with that which
perisheth. Lift up the veil that obscureth your
vision, and dispel the darkness with which it
is enveloped, that ye may gaze on the naked
beauty of the Beloveds face, may behold that
which no eye hath beheld, and hear that which
no ear hath heard.
Hear Me, ye mortal birds! In the Rose Garden
of changeless splendor a Flower hath begun to
The Dialogue
23bloom, compared to which every other flower
is but a thorn, and before the brightness of
Whose glory the very essence of beauty must
pale and wither. Arise, therefore, and, with the
whole enthusiasm of your hearts, with all the
eagerness of your souls, the full fervor of your
will, and the concentrated efforts of your entire
being, strive to attain the paradise of His pres-
ence, and endeavor to inhale the fragrance of
the incorruptible Flower, to breathe the sweet
savors of holiness, and to obtain a portion of
this perfume of celestial glory. Whoso followeth
this counsel will break his chains asunder…will
attain unto his hearts desire, and will surren-
der his soul into the hands of his Beloved.
Bursting through his cage, he will, even as the
bird of the spirit, wing his flight to his holy
and everlasting nest.
Night hath succeeded day, and day hath suc-
ceeded night, and the hours and moments of
your lives have come and gone, and yet none
of you hath, for one instant, consented to de-
tach himself from that which perisheth. Bestir
yourselves, that the brief moments that are still
yours may not be dissipated and lost. Even as
the swiftness of lightning your days shall pass,
and your bodies shall be laid to rest beneath
a canopy of dust. What can ye then achieve?
How can ye atone for your past failure?
The everlasting Candle shineth in its naked
glory. Behold how it hath consumed every
mortal veil. O ye moth-like lovers of His light!
24202 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
25Brave every danger, and consecrate your souls
to its consuming flame. O ye that thirst after
Him! Strip yourselves of every earthly affection,
and hasten to embrace your Beloved. With a
zest that none can equal make haste to attain
unto Him. The Flower, thus far hidden from the
sight of men, is unveiled to your eyes. In the
open radiance of His glory He standeth before
you. His voice summoneth all the holy and
sanctified beings to come and be united with
Him. Happy is he that turneth thereunto; well
is it with him that hath attained, and gazed on
the light of so wondrous a countenance.139
Note the authority with which Baháulláh speaks.
Do you not hear the Voice of God in His Voice?
Say: O concourse of priests! Leave the bells,
and come forth, then, from your churches. It
behooveth you, in this day, to proclaim aloud
the Most Great Name among the nations.
Prefer ye to be silent, whilst every stone and
every tree shouteth aloud: The Lord is come
in His great glory!?…He that summoneth men
in My name is, verily, of Me, and he will show
forth that which is beyond the power of all
that are on earth…Let the Breeze of God awaken
you. Verily, it hath wafted over the world.
Well is it with him that hath discovered the
fragrance thereof and been accounted among
the well-assured O concourse of priests! The
Day of Reckoning hath appeared, the Day
whereon He Who was in heaven hath come.
He, verily, is the One Whom ye were promised
The Dialogue
27in the Books of God, the Holy, the Almighty,
the All-Praised. How long will ye wander in
the wilderness of heedlessness and supersti-
tion? Turn with your hearts in the direction of
your Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous.140
Please recite these verses again and again:
Wake up!…I will come like a thief.
Christ (Rev. 3:2-3)
Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he
who stays awake… Christ (Rev. 16:15)
After reciting them, ask yourself : Why did Christ
say, Wake up? Wake up from what? Once
again ask yourself, Why did Christ say, I will
come like a thief ? A thief comes in disguise!
What is the disguise? Could it be His human
form, which conceals His divine glory?
Abdul-Bahá indicates that Jesus, in His First
Advent, also came on the clouds. When Jesus said
He came from heaven, the Jews objected (John
6:42). Why did they object? Because the clouds
of His physical form concealed His true reality:
The capacities of His [Jesus] human body
were limited but the strength of His spirit was
vast, infinite, immeasurable the body of His
humanity was a cloud that hid His Divinity.
The world only saw His human form, and
therefore wondered how He could have come
down from Heaven. 141 Abdul-Bahá
May the world be for you no obstacle hiding
the truth from your sight, as the human body
28204 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
29of Christ hid His Divinity from the people of
His day.142 Abdul-Bahá
I hope and pray that this response will awaken you
from the popular dream of being suddenly rap-
tured to heaven cherished by many Christians. I
hope it will awaken you from the dream that there
is not much that you can do except keep waiting
and wishing. I hope it will help you realize that
God will never take our freedom of choice away
from us, that He will always allow us to accept
or reject His truth. I hope it will move you away
from the clouds of seeking and finding safety in
numbers. I hope it will lift the veil of the letters
and let you see the shining light of the spirit. I
hope it will awaken you from the ancient dream
of assuming that salvation can be found in only
one of the names of God, only in Christ (the
Anointed One of God), but not in another name
of God, Baháulláh (the Glory of God).
Dear friend, the Heavenly Thief has come! He in-
vites you to search for Him. If you fail to look
for Him, you will not find Him:
…unto them that look for him shall he appear
the second time… Hebrews 9:28
In your letter you indicated that you are sure you
are following the truth and you need not look
beyond the parameter of your present beliefs.
Please ponder for a few moments. Put yourself in
the place of devout Pharisees at the time of Jesus.
They were as sure of the correctness of their
theology as you are. What was the consequence?
The Dialogue
31Their sense of certaintyI am sure I am right
and no one can tell me otherwiseclosed their
hearts and minds. They looked at Jesus but did not
really see Him. They listened to His Word but did
not really hear Him. They had only one interest:
to prove Him wrong. You may hear, and hear,
but you will never understand declared Jesus
(Matt. 13:14). They allowed their sense of certainty
to deprive them of divine knowledge. You may be
sure in your heart that Baháulláh is not the true
Return of Christ. But does your sense of certainty
make you right? It does not, for this reason:
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes…
Proverbs 21:2
All the ways of a man are pure in his own
eyes… Proverbs 16:2
Note how the Qurán confirms the same principle.
To those who denied Him, Muhammad said:
They have taken the devils as their masters,
yet they believe they are guided. Qurán 7:3
Abdul-Bahá, Baháulláhs Son and authorized
Interpreter of His teachings, after His release from
prison came to the United States to proclaim the
Advent and the teachings of Baháulláh. In a talk
delivered on August 6, 1912, in New York City,
He discussed the same point:
When Christ appeared with those marvelous
breaths of the Holy Spirit, the children of Israel
said, We are quite independent of him; we can
do without him and follow Moses; we have a
32206 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
book and in it are found the teachings of God;
what need, therefore, have we of this man?
Christ said to them, The book sufficeth you
not. Is it possible for a man to hold to a book
of medicine and say, I have no need of a doc-
tor; I will act according to the book; in it every
disease is named, all symptoms are explained,
the diagnosis of each ailment is completely
written out, and a prescription for each malady
is furnished; therefore, why do I need a doctor?
This is sheer ignorance. A physician is needed
to prescribe. Through his skill the principles of
the book are correctly and effectively applied
until the patient is restored to health. Christ
was a heavenly Physician. He brought spiritual
health and healing into the world. Baháulláh
is, likewise, a divine Physician. He has revealed
prescriptions for removing disease from the body
politic and has remedied human conditions by
spiritual power.
Therefore, mere knowledge is not sufficient for
complete human attainment. The teachings of the
Holy Books need a heavenly power and divine
potency to carry them out. A house is not built
by mere acquaintance with the plans. Money
must be forthcoming; volition is necessary to
construct it; a carpenter must be employed in
its erection. It is not enough to say, The plan
and purpose of this house are very good; I will
live in it. There are no walls of protection,
there is no roof of shelter in this mere state-
ment; the house must be actually built before
we can live in it.
The Dialogue
34Briefly, the teachings of the Holy Books need
a divine potency to complete their accomplish-
ment in human hearts.143
Many Christians who hear about Baháulláh refuse
to investigate His claim, saying, I am quite com-
fortable with my beliefs. The implication is this:
I already have the truth. Why should I look else-
where? Once again, let us go back to the time
of Jesus. As Abdul-Bahá stated, the Pharisees
also felt content with what they had. They believed
they were full of truth and wisdom. But what did
Jesus tell them?
Woe to you who are well fed now, for you
will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep. Luke 6:25
Baháulláh offers a similar warning to infidels,
the ones who deny His divine glory:
The souls of the infidels, however, shalland
to this I bear witnesswhen breathing their last
be made aware of the good things that have
escaped them, and shall bemoan their plight,
and shall humble themselves before God.144
Ones sense of contentment is extremely deceptive.
No one should use it as an excuse for a failure
to investigate Gods new Redeemers. Indeed, a
prophecy predicts this prevailing sense of ease and
contentment among the peoples of the world, and
Gods anger at their complacency:
I am very angry with nations that feel secure
[at ease, NEB]. Zechariah 1:15
35208 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
36In the Book of Revelation, Christ refers to the
same sense of contentment and complacency. The
following passage is not about material riches, but
spiritual:
Because you say, I am rich, have become
wealthy, and have need of nothing I coun-
sel you to buy from Me gold refined in the
fire, that you may be rich; and white garments,
that you may be clothed, that the shame of
your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint
your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As
many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. There-
fore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice
and opens the door, I will come in to him and
dine with him, and he with Me. To him who
overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My
throne, as I also overcame and sat down with
My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 3:17-22
Repent from what? From complacency, from
thinking that one is rich, when one is poor. Jesus
declares that He knocks on the door of our hearts.
He promises to invite us in, exactly as Baháulláh
does. He asks us to hear His voice, exactly as
Baháulláh does. Then He states, To him who
overcomes Overcomes what? His sense of
complacency, his belief that he is rich. The pre-
ceding verse is addressed specifically to those who
say, I feel quite comfortable with my beliefs, to
The Dialogue
38those who are spiritually poor yet believe them-
selves to be rich. Pharisees were rebuked for the
same reason:
But woe to you who are rich, for you have
received your consolation [comfort or relief ].
Christ (Luke 6:24)
A person who feels he has received his consola-
tion will not look beyond his comfort zone. This
sense of complacency is dangerous; it is like being
drugged. Several prophecies predict that the people
of our time will be drunk:
the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated.
Christ (Rev. 17:2)
Baháulláh confirms:
Drunken are the eyes of those men that have
openly refused to behold the face of God, the
All-Glorious, the All-Praised.145 Baháulláh
A drunk person feels comfortable and even exhila-
rated, and yet he is at risk, because of his lack of
awareness. A self-satisfied believer is like a person
who dreams of being lifted to heaven, then suddenly
wakes up when faced with the humbling reality.
As it is said, the moment we feel we are ripe, we
begin to rot. It is our sense of poverty that moves
us forward, not our sense of complacency:
The essence of understanding is to testify to
ones poverty, and submit to the Will of the
Lord, the Sovereign, the Gracious, the All-
Powerful.146 Baháulláh
39210 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Christ (Matt. 5:3)
This station is the dying from self and the liv-
ing in God, the being poor in self and rich in
the Desired One. Poverty signifieth being poor
in the things of the created world, rich in the
things of Gods world.147 Baháulláh
This state is that poverty of which it is said,
Poverty is My glory. 148 Baháulláh
As we noted, Christ said woe to the Pharisees
who laughed, and felt comfortable and rich, but
He blessed those humble souls who mourned,
who were not complacent and self-satisfied.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be
comforted. Christ (Matt. 5:4)
What a person thinks may have no roots in reality.
Were not the Pharisees sure of having eternal life?
In the following verse Jesus refers to this illusion:
You diligently study the Scriptures because you
think that by them you possess eternal life.
These are the Scriptures that testify about me,
yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
John 5:39-40
They thought that just by reading their Scriptures,
and by going to their synagogues and listening to
their rabbis they had received the master key to
the gate of heaven. They would not even listen to
the words of Jesus. The similarities between the
way the Pharisees believed and behaved and the
way most Christians believe and behave today are
astonishing.
The Dialogue
41What message do these verses convey?
While Jesus was having dinner at Levis house,
many tax collectors and sinners were eating with
him and his disciples, for there were many who
followed him. When the teachers of the law who
were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners
and tax collectors, they asked his disciples:
Why does he eat with tax collectors and sin-
ners? On hearing this, Jesus said to them, It
is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but
sinners. Mark 2:15-17
Who were the righteous? They were the self-
righteous Pharisees. A righteous person is as much
in need of God as a sinner. What happens to the
medicine given to a sick person who believes
himself to be in perfect health? Is it wise to offer
advice to the one who is sick of hearing it? Jesus
wanted to help the hearts that thirsted for His liv-
ing waters, the souls that mourned because of
their separation from God, and sought the comfort
of His presence; not the ones who felt satiated and
self-satisfied, not the ones who were immersed in
the surging seas of dreams, illusions, and fantasies.
Building our spiritual lives on our sense of con-
tentment is laying the foundation of our eternal
destiny on sand. As you know, Jesus compared
the state of the world at His coming to the days
of Noah:
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be
at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the
42212 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
43days before the flood, people were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up
to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew
nothing about what would happen until the
flood came and took them all away. That is
how it will be at the coming of the Son of
Man. Matthew 24:37-39
Like most of us today, people in Noahs time were
busy and contented with what they had. If not,
they would have paid attention to the invitation to
come on board.
When excited passengers stepped onto the Titanic,
did they know their destiny? Were they not sure
they were stepping onto the safest ship in the
world? Were they not surrounded by exquisite
luxuries? Did they not feel content and comfort-
able in that gigantic vessel?
To see the uppermost limits of the human potential
for deception, consider the example of the Romans
who threw the Christians before hungry lions. Were
they not content with their state of mind? Did they
not think they were enjoying a sport, just having
fun getting rid of a few worthless Christians? As
the helpless believers were torn and devoured, they
laughed and shouted in excitement. Surely this
example is extreme, yet it dramatizes the grave
dangers of complacency and self-satisfaction. It
demonstrates the awesome powers of self-deception
in human beings.
The zealous and fanatical Muslims who recently
hung ten innocent Baháí women in Iran were sure
The Dialogue
45they were doing the will of God. Whatever we do
appears right in our eyes. Every way of a man is
right in his own eyes (Proverbs 21:2). The power
behind this possibilitymaking everything look
right to usis our imagination, which can be
controlled, manipulated, shaped, and reshaped in
countless ways.
We all feel comfortable in our comfort zone; that
is to be expected, otherwise we will look elsewhere.
But God wants us to be daring, to step out. That
is what the parable of the talent teaches (Matt.
25:14-30). Our Creator wants us to invest our
potential, even if it means taking a risk.
Was not Peter comfortable with his beliefs as a
Jew? Was it not the biggest risk to follow a poor
man named Jesus instead of a prestigious Jewish
leader called Annas? Nothing can be more danger-
ous than feeling comfortable with what we have
and refusing to look beyond.
We are all prisoners of our self-imposed limita-
tions and surroundings. The problem is this: Until
we have stepped out, we do not know we are
prisoners. Unless we are awakened, we do not
know we are dreaming.
Perhaps the most deadly and common disease
afflicting the church today is complacency. It is
especially severe among todays evangelical Chris-
tians. The disease can be recognized by any or all
of the following symptoms:
I am right, and no one can tell me otherwise.
46214 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
47 I am the first.
I know I am saved, and I do not need to in-
vestigate any belief beyond my own.
What happens to those who believe, without inves-
tigating any other faith, that they are the favored
ones, that they are the first? Fortunately, we have
Jesus own response:
So the last will be first, and the first will be
last. Matthew 20:16
Why would the first become the last for any reason
other than by becoming lulled by complacency
and self-satisfaction, a feeling that would keep
their hearts and minds closed? And why would the
last become the first for any reason other than
humilitya virtue that would keep their minds
and hearts open to the news of the coming of the
Master, the Thief who comes from above?
How astonishing it will be for those who have be-
lieved themselves to be the first, but suddenly, at
the point of death, find themselves to be the last!
Many Christian authors declare that the church is
afflicted with complacency, yet those same authors
refuse to awaken to the call of Baháulláh. They
manifest the same malady that they attribute to the
church! They detect it in the institution but not in
themselves!
Consider the following prayer. Ponder how
Baháulláh refers to His own selflessness before
God and then asks God to help us, so that we
The Dialogue
49may feel the same way toward the Manifestation
of God, Baháulláh Himself :
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I am so
carried away by the breezes blowing from Thy
presence that I have forgotten my self and all
that I possess. This is but a sign of the wonders
of Thy grace and bountiful favors vouchsafed
unto me. I give praise to Thee, O my God, that
Thou hast chosen me out of all Thy creatures,
and made me to be the Day-Spring of Thy
strength and the Manifestation of Thy might,
and empowered me to reveal such of Thy signs
and such tokens of Thy majesty and power as
none, whether in Thy heaven or on Thy earth,
can produce
Uncover before them, O my Lord, the majesty
of Thy Cause, lest they be led to doubt Thy
sovereignty and the power of Thy might. I swear
by Thy glory, O Thou Who art the Beloved of
the worlds! Had they been aware of Thy power
they would of a certainty have refused to utter
what Thou didst not ordain for them in the
heaven of Thy will.
Inspire them, O my Lord, with a sense of their
own powerlessness before Him Who is the
Manifestation of Thy Self, and teach them to
recognize the poverty of their own nature in
the face of the manifold tokens of Thy self-
sufficiency and riches, that they may gather
together round Thy Cause, and cling to the
hem of Thy mercy, and cleave to the cord of
50216 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
the good-pleasure of Thy will. Thou art the Lord
of the worlds, and of all those who show mercy,
art the Most Merciful.149
Our sense of contentment is not a reliable compass
by which to direct the course of our eternal destiny.
What then is the standard by which we can know
the truth? That standard is reason; only reason can
separate truth from falsehood. There is no other
dependable way. That is what St. Paul used in
synagogues, when he preached the Message of
Jesus to the Jews:
…he himself entered the synagogue and rea-
soned with the Jews. Acts 18:1
Our Creator invites us to use our minds, to apply
the power of reasoning He has given us:
Come now, and let us reason together, saith
the Lord. Isaiah 1:18
What did Jesus mean by this promise?
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which
all your adversaries will not be able to contra-
dict or resist. Luke 21:15
Can utterance have any power without the support
of reason? Can wisdom be unreasonable? What
is it that people cannot refute? It is the power of
proof. If I am wrong, show me by evidence how
and why I am wrong. This is your divine duty:
Always be prepared to give an answer to every-
one who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness
and respect I Peter 3:15
The Dialogue
52May I invite you to read I Shall Come Again?
That volume presents 16 time-prophecies from the
Bible that point to the time of the Second Advent
of Christ. All of them point to the same exact
year: 1844, when the Báb declared the dawning of
the Day of the Lord. That volume alone will resolve
at least 90 percent of your questions about the
prophecies of the Second Advent and their fulfill-
ment by the Báb and Baháulláh. That is only one
of several volumes containing biblical prophecies
fulfilled by the Baháí Faith.
In that work, I have used the laws of chance to
prove that fulfillment of hundreds of literal proph-
ecies in the lives of the Báb and Baháulláh could
not have happened by chance. Christian scholars
have used the same procedure to prove the divine
station of Jesus. If one is true, cannot the other be
true? Why accept the prophecies about the First
Advent and deny those about the Second? As men-
tioned in I Shall Come Again, the probability
figure for the fulfillment of literal prophecies
about the advent of the Baháí Revelation is
4×1097. This figure equals 4×1017 times the es-
timated number of elementary particles in the
known universe! What more do you expect?
May I invite you to devote some of your time to
the study of Baháulláhs works? Only by reading
His Word can you hear the divine Voice; you will
hear it in every sentence He utters. Can anyone
recognize the divine station of Jesus without read-
ing and pondering His Word? How then can you
recognize Baháulláh if you fail to listen to His
53218 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
54Voice? Have you ever heard anyone speak with the
authority with which Baháulláh speaks? Please
read and ponder these verses by Him:
The Word which the Son concealed is made
manifest. It hath been sent down in the form
of the human temple in this day. Blessed be the
Lord Who is the Father! He, verily, is come
unto the nations in His most great majesty. Turn
your faces towards Him, O concourse of the
righteous…This is the day whereon the Rock
(Peter) crieth out and shouteth, and celebrateth
the praise of its Lord, the All-Possessing, the
Most High, saying: Lo! The Father is come,
and that which ye were promised in the King-
dom is fulfilled!… My body longeth for the
cross, and Mine head waiteth the thrust of the
spear, in the path of the All-Merciful, that the
world may be purged from its transgressions
Baháulláh
I am the One Whom the tongue of Isaiah hath
extolled, the One with Whose name both the
Torah and the Evangel were adorned. The glory
of Sinai hath hastened to circle round the Day-
Spring of this Revelation, while from the heights
of the Kingdom the voice of the Son of God
is heard proclaiming: Bestir yourselves, ye
proud ones of the earth, and hasten ye towards
Him. Carmel hath in this day hastened in
longing adoration to attain His court, whilst
from the heart of Zion there cometh the cry:
The promise of all ages is now fulfilled. That
which had been announced in the holy writ of
The Dialogue
56God, the Beloved, the Most High, is made
manifest. By the one true God, Elijah hath
hastened unto My court and hath circumambu-
lated in the day-time and in the night-season
My throne of glory. Solomon in all his majesty
circles in adoration around Me in this day,
uttering this most exalted word: I have turned
my face towards Thy face, O Thou omnipotent
Ruler of the world! I am wholly detached from
all things pertaining unto me, and yearn for
that which Thou dost possess. 151 Baháulláh
O people, if ye deny these verses, by what
proof have ye believed in God? Produce it, O
assemblage of false ones. Nay, by the One in
Whose hand is my soul, they are not, and
never shall be able to do this, even should they
combine to assist one another.152 Baháulláh
Please listen to Baháulláhs Voice with all
your heart and soul to see if you hear the voice
of God, the same voice that you hear in Jesus:
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,
and they follow me. Christ (John 10:27)
How can you remain unmoved by this incredible
revelation of divine power? How can you ignore its
supreme Author who speaks with such authority?
O My servants! There shineth nothing else in
Mine heart except the unfading light of the
Morn of Divine guidance, and out of My mouth
proceedeth naught but the essence of truth,
which the Lord your God hath revealed. Follow
not, therefore, your earthly desires, and violate
57220 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
58not the Covenant of God, nor break your
pledge to Him. With firm determination, with
the whole affection of your heart, and with the
full force of your words, turn ye unto Him,
and walk not in the ways of the foolish.153
Baháulláh
Seize, O friends, the chance which this Day
offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the
liberal effusions of His grace. I beseech God
that He may graciously enable every one of you
to adorn himself, in this blessed Day, with the
ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily,
doeth whatsoever He willeth.154 Baháulláh
In conclusion, I urge you not to take Baháulláhs
invitation lightly. The consequences of saying
yes or no are enormous and everlasting. The
following warning applies not only to the First
Advent but to the Second as well:
Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will
also acknowledge him before my Father in
heaven. But whoever disowns me before men,
I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
Christ (Matt. 10:32-33)
God is full of grace, but He is also just:
He Who is the Lord of Lords is come over-
shadowed with clouds, and the decree hath
been fulfilled by God, the Almighty, the Un-
restrained …He, verily, hath again come down
from Heaven even as He came down from it
the first time. Beware that thou dispute not
with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with
The Dialogue
60Him (Jesus) without a clear token or proof. On
His right hand flow the living waters of grace,
and on His left the choice Wine of justice
Baháulláh
The One who was born as a baby declared:
I have come down from heaven…
Christ (John 6:38)
Could He not make that same claim the second
time?
I have come in the shadows of the clouds of
glory…156 Baháulláh
This is your Lordthe Glory of Godthe Logos,
the One whose Word you have preached and
glorified, to whom you have prayed day and
night. This is the same Word, once made flesh in
the name of Jesus, whose Return you and all
Christians have been expecting for 2,000 years.
How did the people treat Him? They exiled Him,
put Him in prison, shut the doors on Him, and
began to slaughter His followers! The world was
prevented from seeing Him and knowing Him.
Note how clearly this is prophesied:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give
you another Counselor to be with you forever
the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept
him, because it neither sees him nor knows
him. John 14:16-17
Ponder this brief passage from Baháulláhs
Prayers and Meditations, written while He was an
exile in the Holy Land, in a prison He called the
Most Great Prison:
61222 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
They finally banished Him from the land of His
birth, and caused Him to dwell within the most
desolate of Thy cities, though all the world had
been built up by Thee for His sake. Within this,
the Most Great Prison, He hath established His
seat. Though sore tried by trials, the like of
which the eye of creation hath not seen, He
summoneth the people unto Thee, O Thou Who
art the Fashioner of the universe!157
Observe Baháulláhs supreme patience and love
for God and for all human beings:
As these tribulations, however, were sustained
in Thy path and for love of Thee, they who
were afflicted by them render thanks, under all
conditions, unto Thee, and say: O Thou Who
art the Delight of our hearts and the Object of
our adoration! Were the clouds of Thy decree
to rain down upon us the darts of affliction,
we would, in our love for Thee, refuse to be
impatient. We would yield Thee praise and
thanksgiving, for we have recognized and are
persuaded that Thou hast ordained only that
which will be best for us. If our bodies be, at
times, weighed down by our troubles, yet our
souls rejoice with exceeding gladness. We swear
by Thy might, O Thou Who art the Desire of
our hearts and the Exultation of our souls!
Every trouble that toucheth us in our love for
Thee is an evidence of Thy tender mercy, every
fiery ordeal a sign of the brightness of Thy light,
every woeful tribulation a cooling draught,
every toil a blissful repose, every anguish a
fountain of gladness.
The Dialogue
63Whosoever, O my Lord, is impatient in the
tribulations befalling him in Thy path, hath not
drunk of the cup of Thy love nor tasted of the
sweetness of Thy remembrance…
The tenderness of Thy mercy, O my Lord,
surpasseth the fury of Thy wrath and Thy
grace excelleth Thy justice…
I swear by Thy might, O my God! Wert Thou
to regard Thy servants according to their deserts
in Thy days, they would assuredly merit naught
except Thy chastisement and torment. Thou art,
however, the One Who is of great bounteous-
ness, Whose grace is immense. Look not down
upon them, O my God, with the glance of Thy
justice, but rather with the eyes of Thy tender
compassions and mercies. Do, then, with them
according to what beseemeth Thy generosity
and bountiful favor. Potent art Thou to do
whatsoever may please Thee. Incomparable art
Thou. No God is there beside Thee, the Lord of
the throne on high and of earth below, the Ruler
of this world and of the world to come. Thou
art the God of Bounty, the Ever-Forgiving, the
Great Giver, the Most Generous.158
Baháulláh has fulfilled every promise made in the
Scriptures. He has come with every conceivable
evidence. The only thing He has not done is agree
with your interpretation. Is it prudent to deny Him
for that reason?
The most burning fire is to question the signs
of God, to dispute idly that which He hath
64224 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
65revealed, to deny Him and carry ones self
proudly before Him.159 Baháulláh
If Baháulláh is, indeed, the return of Christ and
you deny Him, you will deprive yourself of the
most abundant grace and the most exalted glory
and honor that God may bestow on human beings.
Please take your time to read with an open mind
at least one of Baháulláhs works available in
English. I will be delighted to send you as many
volumes as you are willing to read.
Please read this passage from Baháulláh every
day. Ponder its profound meaning, and consider
the love and compassion He expresses for you
and for every sincere Christian:
O concourse of Christians! We have, on a pre-
vious occasion, revealed Ourself unto you, and
ye recognized Me not. This is yet another
occasion vouchsafed unto you. This is the Day
of God; turn ye unto Him…The Beloved One
loveth not that ye be consumed with the fire
of your desires. Were ye to be shut out as by
a veil from Him, this would be for no other
reason than your own waywardness and ig-
norance. Ye make mention of Me, and know
Me not. Ye call upon Me, and are heedless
of My Revelation….O people of the Gospel!
They who were not in the Kingdom have now
entered it, whilst We behold you, in this day,
tarrying at the gate. Rend the veils asunder by
the power of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-
Bounteous, and enter, then, in My name My
The Dialogue
67Kingdom. Thus biddeth you He Who desireth
for you everlasting life…We behold you, O
children of the Kingdom, in darkness. This,
verily, beseemeth you not. Are ye, in the face
of the Light, fearful because of your deeds?
Direct yourselves towards Him…Verily, He
(Jesus) said: Come ye after Me, and I will
make you to become fishers of men. In this
day, however, We say: Come ye after Me,
that We may make you to become quickeners
[life-givers] of mankind.
Baháulláh states that on another occasion He
revealed Himself to you. He is referring, of course,
to His First Advent as Jesus, the Spirit of God.
We know Jesus revealed Himself to Jews, not to
Christians. Why, then, does Baháulláh state that
in His First Advent He came to Christians? Because
those who live at the dawning of divine Messen-
gers believe and behave the same way. They are
the same kind of people with the same attitudes,
needs, biases, and weaknesses. Jesus spoke in the
same way. When addressing an audience of Jews,
He said, It was because your hearts were hard
that Moses wrote you this law (Mark 10:5), as
if the listeners had lived at the time of Moses,
some 1,500 years earlier. God has a unique way
of expressing Himself, quite distinguished from
ours. Failure to recognize this difference is the
root cause of much suffering.
Jesus reminded the Pharisees that the people of
low status, such as tax collectors and prostitutes,
entered the Kingdom of God, while they hesitated
68226 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
69(Matt. 21:31). Baháulláh presents a similar mes-
sage. He wants to move Christians out of their
composure and comfort zone into the Kingdom of
heaven.
Please read the preceding passage again and again
and try to remember if you have ever heard or seen
anyone speak in that way. Think about almost
15,000 days of Baháulláhs ministry (1852-
1892), during which He endured every adversity
imaginable. Read the preceding passage in that
context, with a heart pure from personal desires
and concerns. If you do this, you will discern in
every sentence the power of God and His exalted
dominion. In every word, you will discover His
limitless love and supreme compassion. In every
phrase you will see the face of God glowing with
the splendor of the sun. Please continue to read
the passage until its power penetrates the clouds
on which Christ is promised to come, until it
opens your heart and soul to this most splendid
revelation of Gods glory and power.
Let me, with a heart filled with love, appeal to
your desire for eternal life with the Lord. Let me
ask you once again to continue your investigation
of Baháulláh. Let me encourage you to read one
of His books and listen with your heart and soul
to see if His Voice sounds familiar. What harm
can come from reading? Take Gleanings from
the Writings of Baháulláh. Every night, before
going to bed, read only 10 pages until you come
to the last page. As you read, follow Christs ad-
monition that you should pray in order to become
The Dialogue
71worthy of standing before Him when He returns
(Luke 21:36). Ask God to guide you, to help you
know if Baháulláh is the One you have been
waiting for. As you read, also ask yourself,
Could any human being speak like this? The
Voice of God in Baháulláhs Works is so loud
and clear, you will not be able to ignore it. You
must completely close your inner hearing to pre-
vent yourself from hearing that Voice.
Every tree, every leaf, every atom declares this
message: Dont cling to the past, a new Day has
dawned. Dont cling to the branches, a new rose
has sprung. Dont cling to the letter, the Spirit has
come. Millions of Jews are still clinging to the
past. They stop at Moses and the prophets. What
benefit have they gained from waiting and wish-
ing? What benefits can you gain from closing
your heart to Baháulláh?
The spiritual choice we make now will continue
into the life beyond and for all eternity. Is it wise
to take this choice lightly, without a thorough inves-
tigation, without doing everything within our power
to see if Baháulláh is the One He claims to be?
Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20
He, verily, is come with His Kingdom, and all
the atoms cry aloud: Lo! The Lord is come
in His great majesty! 161 Baháulláh
In conclusion, let me quote a warning from
Baháulláh. It is addressed to you and to every
other resident of this planet:
72228 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
We have a fixed time for you, O peoples. If ye
fail, at the appointed hour, to turn towards
God, He, verily, will lay violent hold on you,
and will cause grievous afflictions to assail
you from every direction. How severe, indeed,
is the chastisement with which your Lord will
then chastise you!162
Every individual should say, Sooner or later, the
appointed Hour will come. Am I willing to ignore
this warning as if I never heard it? Every truth-
seeker and lover of God should ask, Am I willing
to face the consequences of my negligence? Am
I willing to fail to do my share in preventing the
grievous afflictions that await the human race?
These are the most urgent questions everyone must
ask. For the consequences of not asking them are
enormous, especially for those who have a chance
to make a difference, but fail to do so.
Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art
summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded,
shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called
to give account for thy deeds.163 Baháulláh
Let me invite you to act by the principles declared
in a verse that summarizes the spirit of all the
Scriptures:
And what does the Lord require of you? To act
justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God. Micah 6:8
To act justly requires you to examine, as an im-
partial judge, the astonishing evidence Baháulláh
presents to prove His divine declaration.
The Dialogue
74To love mercy requires you to have compassion for
your soul and the souls of all Christians who look
up to you for spiritual inspiration and guidance.
To walk humbly with your God requires you to
acknowledge your utter helplessness in unveiling
that which is hidden in darkness. It requires you
to say, I am a sinner and a fallible servant of God.
How can I be sure that I am right, when I know I
have been wrong so many times about so many
things, in so many ways? How can I be sure which
prophecy is literal, which prophecy is symbolic?
To walk humbly with your God requires you to
listen with all your heart and soul to the Voice of
the divine as it speaks through Baháulláhthe
long-awaited return of the Son in the glory of His
Father. For the evidence He presents to prove His
divine station is unparalleled in all history.
In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30),
Jesus compares Himself with a King who goes on
a long journey. Upon His return, He discovers that
one of His servants, instead of investing his God-
given talents, has hidden them in the ground.
When asked to explain his reason for not invest-
ing his talents, he says, I was afraid. The King
rejects his response, for it shows an absence of
faith. The King rebukes him for allowing his eter-
nal destiny to be controlled by unjustified fears.
The following story supplements the message of
Jesus parable. It shows the resistance many Chris-
tians display today to their King, who has now
completed His long journey and returned.
75230 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
A young couple were separated during World
War II. While the father was gone, the mother
gave birth to a baby girl. The months passed
and the mother kept a large picture of her
husband on the desk so that the little girl would
grow up knowing what her daddy looked like.
She learned to say Daddy and associated the
name with the picture on the desk. Finally the
day came when her father returned home from
the war. The whole family gathered to watch
the little girl when she saw her father for the
first time. Imagine their disappointment when
she would have nothing whatever to do with
him. Instead, she ran to the photograph on the
desk, saying, Thats my daddy. Day after day
the family had to blink back the tears as they
saw the young father on his knees trying his
best to get acquainted with his little daughter,
explaining as simply as he could that he was
her daddy. But each time she would shake her
head, then run to the picture on the desk and
exclaim, Thats my daddy. This went on for
some time, but one day something happened.
The little girl, having gone repeatedly to the
picture on the desk, returned to her father and
looked carefully into his face. Then she went
back to the picture on the desk and studied it.
The family held their breath. After several trips
the little face lit up as the child exclaimed
excitedly, Theyre both the same daddy!
How long will Christians continue to look at the
drawings of Jesus upon the walls of their homes
The Dialogue
77and houses of worship before turning their faces
to their King who has now returned from His long
journey? How long before they will open their
hearts and their souls to the glory that awaits them?
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any-
one hears My voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him and dine with him, and he with
Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit
with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and
sat down with My Father on His throne. He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches. Christ (Rev. 3:20-22)
Open the doors of your hearts We, in truth,
have opened unto you the gates of the King-
dom He Who is the Desired One is come in
His transcendent majesty. Say, Lo! The Father
is come, and that which ye were promised in
the Kingdom is fulfilled!165 Baháulláh
Let your waist be girded and your lamps burn-
ing; and you yourselves be like men who wait
for their master, when he will return from the
wedding, that when he comes and knocks
they may open to him immediately. Blessed
are those servants whom the master, when he
comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to
you that he will gird himself and have them sit
down to eat, and will come and serve them.
Christ (Luke 12:35-37)
This response is getting too long. What more needs
to be said? Let me conclude my comments and
thank you once again for reading and responding
78232 Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
79to my book. I have the highest admiration for you
and for all those who serve God. I offer you my
deepest gratitude and warmest greetings for taking
time from your busy schedule to study a religion
other than your own, a practice quite uncommon
among pastors and religious teachers and leaders.
I will be honored to hear from you and to continue
the correspondence as long as love, hope, reason,
and patience endure.
May the world be for you no obstacle hiding
the truth from your sight, as the human body
of Christ hid His Divinity from the people of
His day.166 Abdul-Bahá
May your days be filled with jewels of joy and
grace, and your life be crowned with service to
the Lord.
Faithfully yours,