Society builders pave the way,
to a better world, to a better day

a united approach to
building a new society.

Join the conversation, for social
transformation. Society Builders.

Society Builders with
your host, Duane Varan.

Welcome to another episode of Society
Builders and thanks for joining the

conversation for social transformation.

Today we explore the recent Ridvan
message of the Universal House of

Justice to the Baha'is of the world.

Now this is hot off the press. At the
time this episode is going to air,

the message had only just been released.

I'm rushing to get this to air
because I know that there will be

Baha'is worldwide and communities
worldwide that will be eager to study,

reflect, and consult on its content.

Now, once again, I'd like to
give a quick disclaimer here.

This podcast is not an official
expression of any Baha'i agency.

It has no authority.

It's just a personal initiative,
a set of personal reflections.

Remember, My views are
no more valid than yours.

I share my thoughts here as thoughts
that you should weigh for yourself

and accept or reject as you see fit.

And remember also that these podcasts
should not serve as a substitute for

your own study and reflection or for
that of your community and neighborhoods.

It's just a modest effort to
explore within the wider discourse.

And so with that disclaimer,
let's get on with today's show.

Now before we dig into the message
itself, let's first explore a little

bit of the background and context here.

I've referred previously to this being
the Ridvan message. The Festival of Ridvan

is a 12 day festival that commemorates
Baha'u'llah's announcement that He was

a Manifestation of God, God's Messenger

for this day and age.
It represents the first

public unveiling of His mission. Baha'u'llah
refers to this as the Most Great Festival,

and the first day of this festival is
the most important of all our holy days.

It's on this first day of Ridvan, on April
21st each year, that Baha'is all over the

world, in every town and village, elect
their own Local Spiritual Assemblies.

Now this year's Ridvan is extra special
because once every five years, Baha'i

delegates from all over the world
come together to elect the Universal

House of Justice, the body which
guides Baha'i communities worldwide.

These delegates represent all nations, and
they have been elected by delegates coming

from local communities throughout their
own nations, in a process that has no

campaigning, no nominations, no politics.

So the election of the Universal
House of Justice represents

something entirely unique.

It's the most democratic
event in the world.

Literally a reflection of the
will of every Baha'i on the planet.

Every Baha'i from the remotest village,
to the biggest cities - from east, west,

north, and south = literally every Baha'i
on the planet has an equal voice in the

election of this global institution.

It's breathtaking! And this year
is that five year mark for the

election of new membership for
the Universal House of Justice.

So Baha'i representatives from all
over the world are meeting in the

Holy Land right now at the Baha'i
International Convention in Haifa,

electing this sacred body and consulting
on the needs of the Baha'i World.

And it's this message that not only guides
that consultation at this convention,

but in community consultations worldwide.

Wow!

So we've talked about Ridvan.

We've talked about the Baha'i International
Convention and the election of

the Universal House of Justice.

Now let's reflect a bit on what
a message like this is all about.

These Ridvan messages provide Baha'is
worldwide with our guiding light.

Like a lighthouse in a stormy sea,

this is our guiding beacon to safety.

The messages provide us with our
opportunity to celebrate our greatest

achievements of the past year, to
situate these within their larger

historical context and to look to
our priorities for the upcoming year.

And there's a sacred
dimension to all of this.

These aren't just thoughts or suggestions.

It's our divine mandate.

There's a mystical dimension to it.

It's the closest we get to having
divine guidance for our day.

You pray all the time to God for guidance.

Well, here you have it.

I wanna emphasize this divine
dimension because if you understand

and appreciate it, you'll look to
the message in a different light.

Suddenly the choice of individual
words and phrases takes on entirely new

meaning. You see in these messages and in
the specific words, expressed glimpses

of reality that otherwise evade you.

You wanna know about the state of
the world? Maybe get a few clues

about what's in our immediate future?

Well look to these messages!

This is where you find the best
clues for understanding the world

around you and the path to come.

Now think about it.

What an amazing gift is this.

That's why you'll want to study this
message so intensely, both individually

and as communities and neighborhoods.
You'll want to study, reflect, and consult

to see how it speaks to you and how
you can harmonize both your individual

life and the life of your community
to harnessing the power of its vision.

So clearly anything I say here in this
podcast is going to fall hopelessly short.

I'm entirely inadequate to the task.

The thoughts I share here are
just meant to stimulate your

own study and exploration of
the message, and that's all.

So with that context, now let's
explore this year's message.

So the message is comprised of 1,684
words organized across eight paragraphs.

You might think of it as being
organized in four sections, an

introduction, a reflection of the
past year, guidance for the upcoming

year, and the inspiring conclusion.

Now most of the message
focuses on the past year.

That's about two thirds of the
message. And about a quarter of

it focuses on the upcoming year.

Now before we dig into the guidance to
the Baha'i world, I'd like to first explore

what clues we see in the message about the
situation in the larger world around us.

Remember, this is divine guidance.

There are clues here that we can look
to so that we can situate ourselves

in the larger context around us.

What does this message tell us about
the state of the world at large?

This gives us the larger context,
the backdrop to the guidance.

So how does the Universal House of
Justice describe the state of the world?

Now most of the references to the
condition of the world are found in

the fourth paragraph of the message,
and these words are very descriptive.

Like many previous messages, this paints
a picture of an unsettled world, but

we see references to some very specific
characteristics, both good and bad.

The one thing that stood out for
me most was their reflection that

in the past year, the prospects
for humanity's collective progress

have seldom seemed gloomier.

Now, let's reflect on this for a second.

A little over a year ago, the
Universal House of Justice wrote us

about this release of the society
building power of the Faith.

It, and it very much felt like we
were at a juncture between us having

reached a certain stage in our community
building progress, but also that

it would be a necessary response to
the social conditions of our times.

Now suddenly with the invasion of the
Ukraine, in particular, the political

paradigm of the world has been challenged.

Nations are re-arming. Conventions
for world order are disrupted.

There are new unsettling alliances
emerging, which are starting

to re-polarize the world order.

We've experienced new supply
disruptions, which are severely

interfering with our global commerce.

We're staring at the threat of
another global recession, or maybe

even worse. We're already starting
to see some major banks collapsing.

Now, the message doesn't refer
to these specific things I've

been talking about here. They just
talk about the state of gloom.

And the message is being shared
with a humanity in this context

of the gloom that surrounds it.

And they frame this in
even more specific terms.

They refer to it as a world
polarized and paralyzed.

Wow!

Those are powerful words, right?

Increasingly, we're seeing growing
polarization, people drawing new lines

of us versus them - demonizing the other.

I can't speak for all history, but
in my own lifetime, this level of

polarization is without precedent.
It feels like we're becoming more and

more divided every day. And paralyzed?

Absolutely.

People feel helpless.

It's like they're in the sea being
sucked down by a vicious whirlpool

and they feel helpless to break free.

But there are other more promising
features of the state of the world

at large that the Universal House
of Justice also highlights here.

Increasingly, people are growing
aware that the present day structures

of society are ill prepared to
address the needs of humanity.

People at every level are losing
faith in their institutions

and want an alternative.

It's like they're in that whirlpool
I was describing before, and

they no longer believe that
their institutions can save them.

There's a new thirst for the life-giving
waters that the Revelation offers.

So there's a new level of
receptivity for our message.

They describe a chorus of voices raised in
support of oneness, equality, and justice.

These are all themes that have
found new meaning and new relevance.

And of course, they're all themes

we have long championed.

And all of this is setting the stage for
the massive contrast that people will

increasingly see - a contrast between the
conditions of the world at large and

that of society building opportunities
which we're putting to work.

Here, the Universal Health of
Justice positions, the Baha'i community

as a place of refuge, and beyond

shelter, a forum which they can join in
laboring together to build the world anew.

And this provides the larger
context to the message.

A world that is seldom seem gloomier,

polarized and paralyzed,

increasingly frustrated by the
inability of present day structures

to meet humanity's needs with
newfound expressions, longing for

oneness, equality, and justice.

It's a world thirsty for the very
guidance expressed in this message.

So now that we have the larger context
of the world around us, let's explore how

the Universal House of Justice celebrates
our achievements of the past year.

What features do they focus on?

Let me say at the outset here that
the tone of this message is of a

Universal House of Justice that
seems happy with our progress.

They frame this as 'tremendous joy
at our response to our high calling,

reflecting high mindedness and high
resolve, a strong sense of purpose.;

And this is occurring within the
three priorities for the plan,

expansion and consolidation,
social action and participation

in the discourses of society.

And it's all unfolding at
the level of the cluster.

So we're on the right path.

We're doing a good job.

In particular, they draw attention
to how the past year has seen

us inspired and galvanized.

It's a great start to the Plan. And
much of this has been focused at

the level of the cluster, ensuring
that in every country and region,

there's at least one advanced cluster
from which the community can learn.

Now remember, the goal is that
across this 25 year period, there'll

be similarly advanced clusters
in every cluster in the world.

And we're seeing heightened awareness
about the opportunities for people to

pioneer to other countries, to other
localities to help advance these needs.

And we're also widely practicing
the ability to share insights

both locally and elsewhere.

They then turn their attention
to the gains being made in the

Institute process, highlighting the
dramatic effects that follow once

it has taken root in a community.

And it's in this context that they,
again, highlight the larger process

here, that this is an instrument that
empowers us in our capacity to shape

and develop our own communities.

They frame this as an open
invitation for people to enter

into the Faith and challenge us to
learn how to best facilitate this.

And they highlight how in communities
and within groups of families we're

increasingly grappling with opportunities
for social transformation, both in social

action and in participating in meaningful
discourses in the societies around us.

Now within this section - this
is paragraph two of the message -

they describe this process I alluded
to around inviting those who want

to enter and embrace our Faith.

I wanna explore this particular section
in the message because I think it sheds

new light on the challenges associated
with sharing the Faith with others.

So let's listen to the words of the
Universal House of Justice here. They

say: "Knowing well that the doors of
the Faith always stand wide open.

The believers are learning how to give
encouragement to those who are poised

to enter, to walk with such souls
and to help them cross the threshold

is a privilege and a special joy.

In each cultural context, there
is much to be learned about the

dynamics of this resonant moment
of recognition and belonging."

Now, if we want to be effective at
sharing the faith with others, we should

really study this particular guidance.

There's an open invitation for people
to join the Faith, and we're learning

how to encourage those ready to
embrace it. Now, note, 'learning' means

that we haven't figured it out yet.

We're still learning.

Of course, this metaphor of walking
together with such souls is one

they've used before, and it's such a
beautiful metaphor that communicates

so much, particularly that we don't
stand in a position of superiority.

It's not a teacher-student metaphor.

It's one of all of us working together
for the betterment of humanity.

But it recognizes a unique
privilege, a special joy, a special

moment when a person, of their own
volition, decides to cross that

threshold and embrace the Faith.

Increasingly, we're going to be collaborating
with others, some of whom will decide to

cross that threshold and others who won't.

But we have to get better at helping
remove obstacles in that path, that

encourage people in their journey.

And so here, the Universal House
of Justice is clarifying that there

are different cultural contexts
and we need to learn what works

best in each of these contexts.

So we're not looking for
one universal method.

We're trying to understand the dynamics
of the special journey and situate it

within different cultural contexts.

Now, think about it.

This means that we need to explore the
unique dynamics in our own circumstances.

We hear about approaches and
methods that work somewhere else.

We're inspired by them and maybe they're
well suited to our local conditions.

But maybe they're not.

We need to learn about what works
best for us. And this learning

will probably require a good amount
of experimentation and sharing.

So, So this highlights a
unique opportunity for you.

Don't expect a magic answer as to
how to best share the Faith with

others to descend from the heavens.

You are an active part of discovering
what works best in your own circumstances.

And from there, let's come together to
learn about the dynamics of this process.

Now, paragraph three

celebrates the achievements of our youth.

No other group is being
singled out like this.

So this is a huge honor, I think for the
youth to be celebrated here like this.

It's like they're saying to the community,
community, 'you all did a great job,

but the youth stand out even more.

They shine resplendent.'

They describe them as bold and
discerning protagonists of the plan.

What an interesting combination of words.

Bold and discerning.

I mean, people who are bold
aren't always discerning.

You often picture this as almost
like carelessly bold, and people who

are discerning aren't always bold.

So what a unique combination here.

And what I really like about this
section is that it implies that the

youth have EARNED this privilege.

As they say, the youth have more than
justified the confidence shown in them.

You can tell that the Universal House of
Justice is particularly delighted here, so

the youth can stand tall and take a bow.

They're sharing the Faith with
their friends and using service

as a foundation for friendships.

They're helping educate those younger with
both moral and spiritual education, but

also with assistance in their schooling.

Now, the fact that the Universal House
of Justice here also highlights this

assistant in schooling, I think should
be taken as a cue by youth everywhere,

that this is another path to service.

And they highlight the youth's sacred
responsibility to strengthening

the Institute process, commending
them for fulfilling the Universal

House of Justices cherished hopes.

Wow!

If you're young, you should feel proud.

The Universal Health of
Justice is celebrating your

amazing achievements here.

Now we've talked already about much
of the focus of paragraph four.

This is the paragraph that describes
the state of the world - all that

gloom we talked about earlier.

But that's what the first part
of the paragraph is about.

The point here is that the Faith
is providing this shelter and it's

shining with astonishing brilliance.

Here,

they celebrate the more than 10,000
conferences attended by nearly

one and a half million people
worldwide promoting our ideals.

And they share a quote here from
Abdul-Baha that brings particular focus for

what these conferences celebrated.

He said: "Every community in the world
will find it in these Divine Teachings the

realization of its highest aspirations."

And of course, They close this section
explaining how well-wishes of humanity

will be drawn to us as a place of
refuge, a shelter from a world polarized

and paralyzed. And beyond a shelter as
a place where they find kindred souls

laboring together to build the world anew.

In paragraph five, they highlight
a particular feature growing

out of the conferences, a focus
on kinship and not difference.

Okay?

If the Universal House of Justice is
drawing attention to something, well, this

is a phrase we should remember, and one
which we're probably going to see again,

this idea of kinship and not difference.

Here,

I think the Universal House of
Justice is highlighting how we

opened our doors to wider society.

We discussed our plans in the company
of those from wider society, including

local leaders and authority figures.

Now, take note here.

This is important.

It reflects a new skill

we're gonna work to develop further.

It's part of our new paradigm.

In the past, we used to meet behind
closed doors, devise our plans,

and THEN interact with society.

Now we're engaging with society
TOGETHER in this spirit of

kinship, EVEN in our planning.

I think this is probably a theme we're
gonna be seeing a lot more of in the

coming years, learning how to embrace
this new reality in our community life.

They also draw attention to the role
for such gatherings - that they are

at once uplifting and purposeful.

Now, that's another power combination,
and that this needs to become a

feature in the pattern of community
development at the cluster level.

So to me personally, this
sounds like an invitation.

An invitation for clusters to
regularly host such occasions and

interact with society around it.

Now, Paragraph six takes us into
a different section in the message

where the previous paragraphs
have looked to the past year.

Paragraph six is the transition,

looking forward to the upcoming year.

We enter into this year with a
fresh perspective and with profound

insight into the significance of
what we are seeking to achieve.

And it's here that the Universal
House of Justice provides

another profound lesson for us.

They explain how different something
looks when you can view it.

In light of the society
building power it releases.

Wow!

Let's explore that.

Now, in a previous episode, I shared
the story of how for thousands

of years, we've all been waiting
for the discent of the Kingdom of

Heaven on Earth - for world peace.

And for us, it's like one day we were
standing on the beach when we saw this big

jumbo jet flying above us in the skies.

And out of this jet came this
massive crate that said, 'peace on

Earth, Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.'

And the parachutes opened and
the crate landed on the shore.

And we were so excited.

I mean, hey, this was the
Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

And we opened it up.

And it was a do-it-yourself kit.

All of God's messengers have brought
us the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

They've brought us the blueprints
for building it, and yet we still

look to the skies awaiting its
arrival without realizing that

the miracle already happened.

We just need to build
it. And that's the point.

As Baha'is, we're building
to a common blueprint.

Now, a brick in isolation is meaningless.

It's just a brick. But a brick
that is a part of a plan.

Wow, that's the Kingdom
of Heaven on Earth.

And this is what I think the
Universal House of Justice is

talking about in this section.

Increasingly, we need to understand
how our efforts, however modest,

tie in with the big picture.

So you're asked to participate in a Ruhi
book as part of the Institute process.

Now, in your mind, how do you frame that?

Maybe you're excited to be developing
new skills, socializing with

others, learning new insights.
But now rise above all of that.

See the big picture.

Understand how you're a part of something

bigger - much bigger - a capacity for
your community to develop the skills

it needs to navigate its own destiny.

Wow!

Now, in the previous Plans, this
was primarily focused on spiritual

education and collective worship, but
now we're expanding our focus, moving

into more society building arenas.

Moving further into social transformation
and the Universal Health of Justice

gives us a few examples here in
improving public health, protecting

the environment and drawing more
effectively on the power of the arts.

Now, we could respond to
these challenges haphazardly.

But what we're engaging in is a process.

A process, harnessing the power
of systematic learning, drawing on

insights from our Teachings and on the
accumulated store of human knowledge

generated through scientific inquiry.

We're bringing science and religion
together to remedy society's ills

through systematic approach to learning.

And this is a capacity, a
capacity that we've started to

cultivate over the previous plans.

And as our capacity grows, so
much more will be accomplished.

That's the society building process

we're engaged in!

Paragraph seven is a prize.

Now

each community engages in its own
journey and its capacity grows as

it takes on new responsibilities.

And somewhere along the line,
those needs require the community

to have its own Baha'i House of
Worship, its own Mashriqu'l-Adhkár.

Now these used to only exist
at the level of a continent.

We only had one of these
for each continent.

But in its Ridvan 2012 message,
the Universal House of Justice

announced the advent of national
and local houses of worship, a

number of which have now been built.

And in this message, they call for
local houses of worship in Kanchanpur

Nepal and Mwinilunga Zambia, and a
national house of worship for Canada,

which will be based in Toronto.

What a great achievement for
these communities and really this

elevates Canada as one of those
at the forefront of our endeavors.

So if you are a Canadian
listener, you should stand proud, aye?

Now for the benefit of all
of the audience who might not

have caught that inside joke,

canadians have a reputation for
throwing an 'aye' at the end of everything.

In fact, they've even started
to spell Canada C, aye? N, aye? D, aye.

So kudos to Canada and this
gives us all something to

aspire for in the years ahead.

And then sadly, we get to the conclusion.

I say sadly, because you want more.

Now, the concluding paragraph of a Ridvan
message is always incredibly inspiring,

so I wanna share it in its entirety.

The Universal House of Justice
closes with these words:

"Copious are the Blessings that
a Benevolent Lord has chosen

to bestow upon His loved ones.

Lofty is the calling. Magnificent, the
prospect. Pressing are the times in which

we have all been summoned to serve.

Impassioned then are the prayers
with which, on your behalf and

for your tireless effort, we
supplicate at the threshold of Baha'u'llah.

Well, my sincerest apologies.

I know this was an inadequate attempt to
explain the depth of the Ridvan message.

So please forgive my shortcomings here.

But the point really is to help
further stimulate your own study of

this incredibly important message,
both individually and collectively

as communities and neighborhoods.

The message is our most important
tool in reflecting on the past

and charting our path forward.

So that's it for today.

I want to thank you for joining
with me in this exciting journey,

and I want to invite you to join
me again in our next episode.

So thanks again for listening and
thanks for joining the conversation

for Social Transformation.

See you again next time
on Society Builders.

Society Builders pave the way, to a better World,
to a better day.

A united approach to building a new society.

There's a crisis facing humanity.

People suffer from a lack of unity.

It's time for a better
path to a new society.

Join the conversation. For social transformation.
Society Builders.

So engage with your local
communities and explore all the exciting

possibilities. We can elevate

the atmosphere in which
we move. The paradigm is shifting.

It's so very uplifting.

It's a new beat, a new song,
a brand new groove. Join the conversation,

for social transformation. Society Builders.

The Baha'i Faith has a lot to say.

Helping people discover a better way, with
discourse and social action framed by unity.

Now the time has come to lift our game,

and apply the teachings of the Greatest Name
and rise to meet the glory of our destiny.

Join the conversation, for social transformation.
Society Builders.