funds for his trip
can be arranged for.
The contact with intellectuals is very important, but so far, like the
early days of Christianity, in the West, few of them have cared to
identify themselves with this young and struggling Faith of ours! Let us
hope, however, that the time is approaching when they will.
The Guardian has been considerably disturbed by the inharmony that has
arisen in Germany. He feels that what the German Baha'is need--and must
have--more than anything else in the world is a far deeper understanding of
the Covenants of both Baha'u'llah and the Master. This is the rock
foundation without which no sound super-structure can be built. Neither
the administration, nor the general teaching work of the Cause in Germany,
will progress, or be able to accomplish anything, unless the believers are
truly firm, deep, spiritually convinced Baha'is. An intellectual grasp of
the teachings is purely superficial; with the first real test such
believers are shaken from the bough! But once a Baha'i has the profound
conviction of the authority from God, nested in the Prophet, passed on to
the Master, and by Him, to the Guardians, and which flows out through the
assemblies and creates order based on obedience--once a Baha'i has this,
nothing can shake him. He, therefore, urges you, and the other members of
the N.G.R., to devote as much time as you possibly can, to educating the
believers in the Covenant.
LETTER OF 15 APRIL 1949(33)
15 April 1949
As he has cabled the N.S.A. a few days ago, he feels that the difficulties
which have arisen in Germany, and which called forth the letter you
rightly felt was likely to cause more harm than good, are mainly due to
the fact that the believers need to be deepened in their knowledge and
appreciation of the Covenants of both Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha. This
is the stronghold of the Faith of every Baha'i, and that which enables him
to withstand every test and the attacks of the enemies outside the Faith,
and the far more dangerous, insidious, lukewarm people inside the Faith
who have no real attachment to the Covenant, and consequently uphold the
intellectual aspect of the teachings while at the same time undermining
the spiritual foundation upon which the whole Cause of God rests.
He feels you and your dear family should do all you can to teach the
believers the Will and Testament to strengthen their understanding of its
important provisions; for all the aut
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