South Montgomery County, TX Bahá’i Community Celebrations
for the Birth of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh
On Wednesday (10/26/22) about 25 sincere souls, including several friends of the Faith, met in Ridgewood Park in The Woodlands along the road which is aptly named Interfaith Way, where we communed with nature, engaged in many meaningful conversations, enjoyed refreshments, and learned about the writings and teachings of the blessed Báb. Conversations were held in Spanish and English.
People came together from as far away as Bolivia, Canada, and Mexico. One couplewill soon leave for Qatar. We are far-flung citizens of the world, who were magnetized to come together and celebrate the birth of the Báb. As Bahá’u’lláh said on this precious day in 1891 when He hosted a similar celebration, “This is the day on which His Holiness the Báb was born and shed illumination upon the world. Hence, let there be joy and gladness a thousand-fold.”(As recounted by Mírzá Habíbu’lláh Afnán. See Rev. of Bahá’u’lláh, Vol. 4, p. 334.)
On Thursday (10/27/22) we again gathered, this time in a room at the South Regional Library to celebrate Bahá’u’lláh’s birthday. As we sat together in a circle of friends, we heard the story of the life of the Blessed Beauty. To cast some light upon such an exalted Figure can merely touch upon aspects of a momentous life. The chosen readings called upon the metaphor of trees to turn our focus on Bahá’u’lláh’s ardent love of nature.
After our devotions, we went outside to walk across the lawn of the park next to the library, where the Bahá’is of Montgomery County South planted two trees to commemorate the bicentennial births of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb in 2017 and 2019, respectively, with beautiful plaques placed below the trees to identify them. These two trees flower in the spring, and they flank a statue to honor veterans of war and those who have died in the fruitless conflicts that the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh have beensent by God to end forever.
These twin Luminaries call us to universal peace and brotherhood. “He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind itscitizens.” (Tablet of Maqṣúd, Bahá’u’lláh.)