Mr. Stephen Birkland
Presentations by Mr. Stephen Birkland
Stephen Birkland starts his talk with a prayer revealed by Baha'u'llah, that states that the station of His believers is so precious that it is hidden by God, for the believer's protection. Through stories of the early believers including the story of Badi, Mr. Birkland paints a picture of what transformation does to the believer.
The Covenant is a major theme of the current Six Year Plan. Mr. Birkland describes the “Greater” and “Lesser” covenants. Dr. John Hatcher is invited to offer a metaphor to help folks understand the covenant better. The 23rd Psalm of the Old Testament contains this metaphor. Claudius Adebayo explains how firmness in the Covenant will improve the condition of the fund. “How do we help children understand” the importance of the Covenant? Paul Lample is invited to answer the question: “How can understanding the Covenant and the power of the Covenant make us better teachers?”
Mr. Steven Birkland discusses the accelerating movement forward of the Cause. We should not occupy ourselves with the crises all around us. We need to keep our eyes “fixed on the Supreme Horizon”, knowing that God’s Plan is operating in the world. Mentions that God offered the world the Most Great Peace but the kings and rulers rejected Him. Bahá’u’lláh then advised they “cling to the Lesser Peace”. Compares the Lesser Peace to Baha’u’llah’s two methods of preventing crime.
Prayer and inspiration and consultation and meditation are the announced topics for this talk. These frame the decision-making process. We know that over all, our purpose is to know and love God, and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. God is the means by which all good deeds are accomplished.
ABM Stephen Birkland recently attended a non-Bahá’í seminar on creative thinking. He reviewed the various kinds of thinking that were covered. Among them were concrete thinking, abstract thinking, imaginary thinking, and the greatest of them all: “visionary thinking”. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said that learning and the use of the mind were among the “unshakable pillars” of the Faith. It is the gift of understanding that distinguished humanity from all other forms of creation. The Faith needs visionaries, people who will consider the spiritual principles to apply when faced with a problem.
Stephen Birkland says this whole conference is about “checking our vision”. Of course he is speaking about our Bahá’í vision. What’s the goal and where are we in relation to it? Iran’s current situation vis a vis Bahá’ís and the Bahá’í Faith is mentioned. The current situation In Iran is far from the vision we have for it in the future, according to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The twin processes of “disintegration and integration” are at work in the world. Tells of the pilgrimage Hají Mírzá Haydar ‘Alí and his return home to Persia. Like Haydar ‘Alí, we should “fix our gaze on the Supreme Horizon”.
Stephen Birkland introduces the Sears and mentions his new book “Run to Glory”. Mr. Sears announced that a new video will be coming out before the year’s end titled, “A Glimpse of the Guardian”, done through collaboration with Charles Nolley and Fred Badiyan and himself. Bill then told his “favorite teaching story” about an India Indian Bahá’í who was paralyzed and loved the Faith. He learned that he had to be a teacher of the Faith. He had two men carry his bed from village to village so he could teach. He became responsible for the “first three all Bahá’í villages” in the world.