Mercy (Rahmat)

Haifa, Israel

“…Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today’s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind…aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must, also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.” ~8 May 1985 from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’í Youth of the World.

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St. Peter, USA

“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.” ~Baha’u’llah

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Vancouver, Canada

“O immortal phoenix! dwell not save on the mount of faithfulness. Therein is thy habitation, if on the wings of thy soul thou soarest to the realm of the infinite and seekest to attain thy goal”. ~Baha’u’llah

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Adelaide, Australia

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Sydney, Australia

out of nothing, comes something.

“Nature is God’s Will and is its expression in and through the contingent world.” ~Bahá’u’lláh

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Perth, Australia

“Every light paleth before the radiance of His light, and every other exponent of mercy
falleth short before the tokens of His mercy…” ~The Báb

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Guam

“What do you think the bottles are for?”
“Ants?”
“Close!”
“Mosquitos?”
“Closer.”
“I don’t know.  What?”
“When the flies see themselves reflected real big in the bottles, they get scared and fly away.  See? There are no flies in the carport!”

“When, however, thou dost contemplate the innermost essence of all things, and the individuality of each, thou wilt behold the signs of thy Lord’s mercy in every created thing, and see the spreading rays of His Names and Attributes throughout all the realm of being, with evidences which none will deny save the froward and the unaware.” ~’Abdu’l-Baha, Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, p. 41

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Hollywood, USA

“This is the Day whereon the Ocean of God’s mercy hath been manifested unto men, the Day in which the Day Star of His loving-kindness hath shed its radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His bountiful favor have overshadowed the whole of mankind. Now is the time to cheer and refresh the down-cast through the invigorating breeze of love and fellowship, and the living waters of friendliness and charity.” ~Bahá’u’lláh

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Chicago, USA

It was midnight and storming.  We decided to play around with a 30 second exposure using the moonlight, the street lamps as well as the periodic lightning flashes coming through the window as our light source.  Here’s to cherished friendships…

“If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto that which will profit mankind” ~Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf

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Gili Air, Indonesia

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Sydney, Australia

“Verily, the clouds of the mercy of thy Lord have poured forth the rain of His greatest gift; the heat of the Sun of Truth hath become intense upon the plains, valleys and hills, and the winds of fecundation of the mercy of thy Lord have blown o’er the gardens, mountains and thickets. Therefore, O thou tree, be verdant, blossom, put forth leaves and bear beautiful fruits in this most Supreme Paradise! …” ~Abdul-Baha
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Starved Rock, USA

The melting glaciers carved canyons out of the sandstone rock, and now Starved Rock State Park is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Illinois. It has been used by humans almost continually for 5,000 years. There is an immense sense of peace here.

“The Sun of Reality is shining upon you, the cloud of mercy is pouring down, and the breezes of providence are wafting through your souls. Although the bestowal is great and the grace is glorious, yet capacity and readiness are requisite. Without capacity and readiness the divine bounty will not become manifest and evident. No matter how much the cloud may rain, the sun may shine and the breezes blow, the soil that is sterile will give no growth. The ground that is pure and free from thorns and thistles receives and produces through the rain of the cloud of mercy. No matter how much the sun shines, it will have no effect upon the black rock, but in a pure and polished mirror its lights become resplendent.” ~‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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London, England

“O Lord, I have turned my face unto Thy Kingdom of oneness and am immersed in the sea of Thy mercy.

O Lord, enlighten my sight by beholding Thy lights in this dark night, and make me happy by the wine of Thy love in this wonderful age! …”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá