2. Glory
Glory: Paris
Thierry Mongellaz ©
Urban Art inspired by 3 great writers : Honoré de Balzac, Victor Hugo & Émile Zola. Ancient Glories of Literature.
“In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him.” Bahá’u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u'lláh, pp. 51-52
Glory : Yorkshire, England
Ronnie Yousefzadeh-Bindra ©
Famously seen in ‘Harry Potter’, a train from the North Yorkhire Moors Railway aka the ‘Hogwarts Express’, chugs along, as it has done, for over a century.
By the grace of God, inventions such as the steam engine have resulted in ‘glory of the state.’
“Observe for instance that in other countries they persevered over a long period until finally they discovered the power of steam and by means of it were enabled easily to perform the heavy tasks which were once beyond human strength. How many centuries it would take if we were to abandon the use of this power and instead strain every nerve to invent a substitute. It is therefore preferable to keep on with the use of steam and at the same time continuously to examine into the possibility of there being a far greater force available…those procedures which, down the ages, have time and again been put to the test and whose many uses and advantages have demonstrably resulted in the glory and greatness of the state, and the well-being and progress of the people.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilisation. Pages 101-116: 113
Glory: San Antonio, Texas
Bahram Mark Sobhani ©
No matter how dark or cold the winters in our life may be, God’s glory ensures there will always be a divine springtime.
“Glory to Thee, O my God! The first stirrings of the spring of Thy grace have appeared and clothed Thine earth with verdure.”
Glory: Brooklyn, New York
Allison Anastasio ©
Half Light
“Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of negligence, that ye may behold the radiance which His glory hath spread through the world. How foolish are those who murmur against the premature birth of His light. O ye who are inly blind! Whether too soon or too late, the evidences of His effulgent glory are now actually manifest. It behoveth you to ascertain whether or not such a light hath appeared. It is neither within your power nor mine to set the time at which it should be made manifest. God’s inscrutable Wisdom hath fixed its hour beforehand. Be content, O people, with that which God hath desired for you and predestined unto you….” Baha’u'llah
Glory: Manhattan, New York
Sina Bahrami ©
It should have been sand. I should have been sleeping. And don’t even get me started on the camel.
“O Lord, make firm their feet on Thy straight path, make wide for them the needle’s eye, and cause them […] to walk in glory for ever and ever.”
Glory: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Tamila Zeinalova ©
Reading this quote made me want to continue the endless list of things, big or small, one can see His glory; majesty and greatness in:
“By Thy glory! Every time I lift up mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence.”
Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CLXXVI
Glory: Quito, Ecuador
Shahriar Erfanian ©
Enjoying the glory of spring!
“It behooveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou possessest, and cry out: ‘Here am I, oh Lord of all that is in heaven and all that is on earth!’”
Glory: Boston
Leili Towfigh ©
Iridescence is a quality whereby certain surfaces appear to change color as the angle of view changes. Over the years, I have spent hours studying the subject of this photograph, which is a joyful art/science piece/experiment by James Ossi at MIT. These ever-changing soap films, their color and detail and dynamism from every angle, are just a small part of the infinity of nature that inspires me with awe at the glory of God.
“O SON OF LOVE! Thou art but one step away from the glorious heights above and from the celestial tree of love. Take thou one pace and with the next advance into the immortal realm and enter the pavilion of eternity. Give ear then to that which hath been revealed by the pen of glory.” Bahá’u'lláh, The Hidden Words, #7, from the Persian.
Glory: New York
Amy Sahba ©
Glory is light, life, brightness…. new beginnings.
“We have made abasement the garment of glory, and affliction the adornment of Thy temple, O Pride of the worlds.Thou seest the hearts are filled with hate, and to overlook is Thine, O Thou Concealer of the sins of the worlds.When the swords flash, go forward! When the shafts fly, press onward! O Thou Sacrifice of the worlds.Dost Thou wail, or shall I wail? Rather shall I weep at the fewness of Thy champions, O Thou Who hast caused the wailing of the worlds.Verily, I have heard Thy Call, O All-Glorious Beloved; and now is the face of Bahá flaming with the heat of tribulation and with the fire of Thy shining word, and He hath risen up in faithfulness at the place of sacrifice, looking toward Thy pleasure, O Ordainer of the worlds.”
Bahá’u’lláh
Glory: Los Angeles
Bobby Aazami ©
In praise of Krishna, adherents gather at Venice Beach and glory in His love.
“I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth. Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and chances of the world have not deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their all, in the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee.”
Baha’u'llah, the Medium Obligatory Prayer
Glory: Yinchuan, China
Ata Farhadi ©
A school caretaker looking out into the afternoon sun. His face was bathed in a glorious and radiant light, the mere look of which warmed my very bones! Indeed, the sun of truth shines on all, from the highest King to the lowliest caretaker, and all depend upon it to guide their way in darkness.
“Thereupon the voice of the true Faith was lifted up, calling aloud again and again and saying: “O concourse of the earth! By God! I am the true Faith of God amongst you…God hath manifested Me with a light that hath encompassed all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth. Judge ye equitably, O people, My manifestation, and the revelation of My glory, and the radiance of My light, and be not of them that act unjustly.” Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 96
Glory: Kent, England
Ramez Krishnan ©
Canterbury Cathedral, teeming with worshippers and tourists over the Easter weekend, sits as a symbol of spiritual and architectural majesty over the Kentish skyline.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Corinthians 10:31, The Holy Bible
Glory: Haifa, Israel
Negeen Sobhani ©
“O thou maid-servant of God!
I ask God that thy mind may be illumined with the light of knowledge and faith to the extent that thy face will radiate its glory, even as a light, when set aglow in the lamp, will cast its rays to the surrounding regions.”
Tablets of Abdul-Baha, p. 730
Glory: Colorado
Leila G.T. ©
Fierce winds, blazing sunshine, sparkling skies, and warm grass: Everything is glorious.
Glory: San Francisco
Alisa Mappes ©
At the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, this 8″ metallic ring was the centerpiece of a hands-on exhibit demonstrating the movement of a rolling circle. The circle itself is a metaphor for eternal cycles, as well as a symbol for the unity and oneness of all things. Is that not glorious? What is interesting to me is that the viewer can’t lay claim to the entire subject in this photo. It’s as if glory can’t be captured by one limited perspective.
“Thou art He Who, from eternity, abode in His realm, in the glory of His transcendent unity, and the splendors of His holy grandeur.”
Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CLXXXIV
Glory: Chicago
Sholeh Loehle ©
I walked into the Baha’i House of Worship today after taking photos in the gardens, and my friend’s children were playing as their mother worked. Elsie saw the camera and posed, amazingly enough. Children are one of the most glorious parts of creation to me.
‘I pray that you will all strive to bring each child of God into the radiance of the Sun of Truth, that the darkness may be dissipated by the penetrating rays of its glory, and the winter’s hardness and cold may be melted away by the merciful warmth of its shining.’ -Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks
Glory: Guam
Sarah Johnson ©
The transient glory of the hibiscus – could it wish for a greater honor than this?
“Say: Blessed the slumberer who is awakened by My Breeze. Blessed the lifeless one who is quickened through My reviving breaths. Blessed the eye that is solaced by gazing at My beauty. Blessed the wayfarer who directeth his steps towards the Tabernacle of My glory and majesty.”
-Baha’u'llah Lawh-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Tablet) Tablets of Baha’u'llah Revealed After the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 16
Glory: London
Saleem Vaillancourt ©
Coming and going through spilt light at the Victoria & Albert Museum, where dead glories go to live again.
“O moving form of dust! I desire communion with Thee, but thou wouldst put no trust in Me. The sword of thy rebellion hath felled the tree of thy hope. At all times I am near unto thee, but thou art ever far from Me. Imperishable glory I have chosen for thee, yet boundless shame thou hast chosen for thyself. While there is yet time, return, and lose not thy chance.”
Hidden Words of Bahá’u'lláh, Persian #21