People of Baha

I'm a little confused about what I want to do with a series of posts about the people of Baha and the framework for action.

I would would like to see a growing and spreading love for the framework, and for everything the House of Justice is promoting. Currently my strategy for promoting something is to deepen my friendships with people, develop more friendships, and try to improve my practice of what I want to promote. In the case of the framework for action, an idea came to me to write about the framework in the context of what Baha'u'llah says to the people of Baha. I'm not sure why. It might do something to help the people of Baha promote the framework.

I have an idea that one question that needs to be addressed is the diversity among Baha'is in their relationships with Baha'u'llah. In particular it looks to me like many or even most Baha'is think very little in terms of following Baha'u'llah and serving His purposes. I have a habit of imagining that "Baha'i" means "follower of Baha'u'llah," someone who is devoted to serving His purposes, in accordance with His prescriptions. That has repeatly led me to dead ends, communication gaps, and sometimes distrust and estrangement.

I'm trying to learn to be aware of possible differences in the relationships of Baha'is with Baha'u'llah, without depreciating other people's relationships with Him.

When I think of the words "O people of Baha," or "O ye moth-like lovers of His light," a loving, yearning feeling wells up inside me, with a wish to respond in action. I'm imagining some other people feeling the same way sometimes, and that it might be good for us to study the framework for action in the light of Baha'u'llah's words addressed to the people of Baha. I would like to learn to do that without being confused and distracted by the lack of personal interest in Baha'u'llah that I see among Baha'is, and without depreciating their relationships with Him. Maybe some others who feel the way I do towards Baha'u'llah have had the same problem. If so, it might help to discuss it.

Now I'm not sure what else to say about it. I've learned some ways to manage my temptations to depreciate people's interests and ideas. Maybe I just need to consider how to apply those specifically to this case.

One thought that comes to me now is, if some Baha'is are not moved the way I am by personal feelings towards Baha'u'llah, it might help me to learn more about what does move them to want to serve His purposes. I already see that people can be moved to serve His purposes without ever having heard of Him. One way to stop depreciating something is to learn to appreciate it. Maybe I can try to learn more about what moves other people, and learn to appreciate it more.