serving the cause through the art of storytelling

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Serving the Cause through the art of storytelling -- by Mr. Kiser Barnes, A talk givenat the Bah World Centre

29 January 2003Haifa, Israel

Good evening Friends. Im delighted to be among so many lovers of stories and storytellers. In this presentation of a few stories, Ill makesome remarks about serving the Cause of God through the art of storytelling.

The Bb and Bahullh , like the Manifestations of God before Them,told educative stories. The Manifestations are Divine Educators whooften couched the most valuable lessons for humanity in penetratingstories. The use of parables by Jesus is greatly appreciated. In TheDawn- Breakers, Nabl has recorded narratives Bahullh related to him.

Abdul-Bah was a superb storyteller. It would be an excellentcontribution to learning if the Masters use of stories was examined.What were His methods? What languages did He use? How did Hepromote the art of storytelling? What subjects did He stress? Of course,God Passes By is Shoghi Effendis unique account of the outstandingevents that occurred in the first century of the Faiths history. A treasureof stories for the world is fou nd in the Guardians expositions and

commentaries. For example, in The Promised Day is Come, he relateswhat happened to some eastern rulers who opposed Bahullh. Inshort, storytelling has been, and remains, a powerful instrument for theFaiths advanc ement.

Teaching the Oneness of Mankind

The young lady who introduced me, Jacqueline Ambe, is from Cameroon.The first Cameroonian woman who accepted the Faith was Mrs. EstherTanyi. She told me how she became a believer. In her own way, sherelated how a believer taught her to believe in the oneness of mankindthrough his consumption of food.

After Mr. Enoch Olinga, the late Hand of the Cause of God, settled inCameroon in 1953, the Guardian sent Mr. Al Nakhjavn there with hisrequest that five of t he new and only Cameroonian Bahs at that timeshould arise to establish the Faith in other parts of West Africa. The onlyquestion these new believers had was this: Who among them would gainthis special honour? They had recently elected the first Local SpiritualAssembly in the city of Victoria. Therefore, they decided that the fivewho would become international pioneers would be selected by secret

ballot. Ballots were cast. Those chosen left their homes for other lands.Thus, five Cameroonians became Knights of Bahullh during the Ten
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Year Crusade. Mr. David Tanyi, Esthers husband, established the Faithin Togo.

She told me that before this occurred, Mr. Olinga stayed with her family.She said she didnt understand what he was preaching. She no ticed,

however, there was something different about him that made her likethe Bah Faith. In addition to his other noble qualities, what impressedher most was this: Every dish of food I put before Mr. Olinga he atewith relish. This was very strange, she related. For in her culture, onenever ate the food of someone from a different tribe. People could putharmful things in it. She said she was testing Mr. Olinga with hercooking. He ate everything she served. To Mrs. Tanyi, this proved Mr.Olinga truly believed what he was teaching of the oneness of peoples;that God had sent a new Prophet whose teachings meltedestrangements and differences between peoples. She became the firstwoman believer in Cameroon. I dont know if our Cameroonianintroducer can cook, but she comes from a great nation of storytellers.

The Bah Storytelling Tradition

In the Bah world, a great storytelling tradition exists. Wheneverbelievers attained Bahullhs presence, they treasured whatever Hesaid. There are soul-stirring accounts of stories He told the friends of Himself, the Bb, of outstanding believers, and of the greatness of theCause. In the Holy Land, He continued this practice. Thus, it is notsurprising that at the Bah World Centre the storytelling tra dition

continues. Individuals relating how they became Bahs is a fascinatingpart of our social life here. When we hear these stories, when we tellstories of our Bah experiences, the love for Bahullh and the Faiththat is expressed penetrates the heart. Our stories may expandconsciousness of spiritual realities. They deepen bonds of affection andlove.

Bahullh loved humour. He often made believers feel at ease in Hispresence by mentioning amusing, trivial things. Heres a story you maylike. Mrz Jafar had been a Mull in Iran. Soon after he met Bahullhin Baghdd, he accepted the Faith. He threw away prestige and power asa prominent religious leader. He was a servant in the household of Bahullh in Akk. One day, the Muft of Akk visited Bahullh. Heasked the Blessed Beauty to explain the meaning of a specific religioustheme. Bahullh instructed Mrz Jafar to answer the Muft. He did sobrilliantly. The Muft was astonished a mere servant in Bahullhshousehold was so learned.

Mrz Jafar was quick -witted. He often made Bahullh laugh. One day,Bahullh asked, Mrz Jafar, would you like me to reveal for yousome of your bad qualities? Mrz Jafar quickly, and very wisely,responded, No, thank you!

Storytelling is one of the oldest arts. It exists in every culture. In Africa,


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some villages have a resident storyteller: the person who, at the end of the day, over the night fires, tells stories from the culture and history of the people. There are also traveling storytellers.

It may be that the great explosion of storytelling in the world is

connected with the influence of Bahullhs Manifestation. As you know,the Revelation places before mankind the great story of religion. It is anepical acco unt of the Almightys loving intervention in mankinds affairs.This story is being revealed with a fullness and clarity never seen beforein human history. Since the appearance of the Twin Manifestations,Bahullh and the Bb, the world has had fresh a nd stirring accounts of the spiritual rebirth of Their followers and the extraordinary recreation of society.

The teaching of progressive revelation is part of the story, as are thoseof the oneness of religion and the oneness of God. The equality of menand women is a portion. The ushering in of a divine, equitable WorldOrder is another feature. It is, perhaps, the most profound account everrevealed of the desperate opposition of religious and secular leadersagainst Gods Prophets. Of course, the unfo ldment of the storycontinues. The recent message to the worlds religious leaders has itsplace in it. Efforts believers are making to understand the station andmission of Bahullh, to appreciate more deeply the nature and thepurpose of religion are other sections of the lofty tale. The victories wonin the current Plan are another part. Is it not a wonder that the Bb andBahullh, and Abdul -Bah in His own sphere, have made people

across the planet fall in love with the story of religion?A u nique feature of the divine story, it seems, is that Bahs are reallystriving to understand it! The ones who are listening to the divine tale.The ones who are thrilled by the story! We know that two Manifestationsof God have appeared. We know that the Mystery of God, Abdul -Bah,and the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, achieved the purposes of theirministries. We know that there remains in the world divine guidance formankind through the Universal House of Justice, a perpetual institutionthat will exist until the next Dispensation. These are major features of the story of religion that we are enjoying.

Stories of Spiritual Transformation

At social gatherings at the World Centre, there are wonderfulstorytellers. Believers share how they became Bahs a nd more. Thissharing deepens love for the Faith. I was at a dinner last Friday withtwelve others. Individuals were asked to recount how they becameBahs. Thirteen marvelous stories were presented. As I listened, Ithought how splendid it was to hear such stirring accounts from everypart of the planet as to how the teachings of the Faith had penetratedreceptive hearts. We learned about each others backgrounds, families,and how each person acquired a new consciousness, a new relationshipwith and commitment to God. There were two believers from Iranian


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background at the event. They had the best story. They didnt have thesad tale of stumbling through life, as was my experience, until theyfound Bahullh. They grew up with His Teachings.

When my turn came, I related how Dr. Eugene Byrd kept telling me

about the Faith until something happened within me, through the mercyof God, which made me seriously investigate the Faith. But the believersfrom Persian background had grown up with the Faith. Before they wereborn, Bah prayers had been offered for their well -being. This is thebest of the stories, isnt it? To have been associated with Bahullh andthe Faith from the first moments of being, even if they were notconscious of the blessings.

I have a friend of Iranian background who often lamented that shehadnt had the fortune to have heard of the Faith for the first timewhen she was an adult. Then, according to her thinking, she could haveinvestigated it, and independently embraced the Cause. She said I waslucky. I told her she was wrong. It wasnt any good fortune for me not tohave been a believer all my life. She was in the best position. It was likeshe was thinking she had to first eat garbage before she couldappreciate the wonderf ul banquet that is the Bah teachings. Whowould like to eat garbage before being led to the Bah feast of divineteachings and laws, and then say, Oh, it was wonderful, I ate garbage!Now, Im ready to be a Bah. She had the best story. She had so mestrange, romantic confusion; thinking it would have been better for herto have waited until she was an adult before finding the Faith. She had it

all her life. This is the best story. You may discover different ways of thinking about personal Bah st ories. You may find they are profoundexperiences of Gods mercies and His blessings.

When we are aiming for true understanding of religious stories, we haveto be careful to hit the mark of reality. When I was with those believersFriday evening, listening to their stories, I appreciated that the arrows of their spiritual strivings had hit the bulls eye. Once there was a famousarcher. He went around villages and towns looking for someone who wasa better archer, someone who could teach him. Finally he came across atree in which an arrow was stuck. Around that arrow there was a targetring and the arrow was perfectly in the center. The archer went on. Hefound another tree. Again, an arrow was straight in the center of thetarget: A straight bulls eye. He went on. He found many other treeswith arrows in the bulls eye. Then he came across a barn. On the side of the barn, there were several target rings with arrows stuck perfectly inthe center.

He asked everyone he met, Where can I find the master at shooting thebow? Finally, he was led to the master. He was weak. He had poorvision. The man asked him, How did you become such a good archer?You hit the target each time. The master answered, Its easy. Anybodycan do it. He said, I shoot the arro w in the tree. Then I paint the targetaround it. Wherever the arrow lands, I just paint the bulls eye around


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it! This is what you and I are when we launch -tell-stories. We humblysurround it with the target of servitude. In this way, whatever ourexperiences in storytelling, we know stories help us hit the target of service.

Storytelling is an art. Its one of the oldest arts. One scholar described itas a deathless art. It exists in all cultures. It is one of the finest forms of communications. It brings people together. It will never die. It refreshes.It makes experiences come alive. Therefore, no one should feel that heor she cant tell stories for the advancement of the Faith. Acquiring skillsin telling tales is achieved through practice.

When I became a Bah, I was in a very dynamic community. The Bah teachings of the oneness of mankind, the establishment of racialequality, unity in diversity, and, particularly, the Guardians matchlessexposition about the elimination of racism in America in The Advent of Divine Justice, had moved me deeply. I would like to mention a fewindividuals who were in that community. I start with Mr. ClarencePercival.

At one of my first Bah meetings, Clarence Percival came up to me. Hewas a thin and wiry ma n. It seemed he hadnt done too well in life. Hetold me he was once a member of the Ku-Klux Klan organization. Thisorganization believes in white supremacy. The members, and theirsupporters, believe black people are inferior to whites. The organizationhas acted out this conviction throughout a long history of violent

terrorism against African-Americans. Mr. Percival said that when heaccepted Bahullhs Teachings, he realized how wrong he had been.He said, My conception of myself, my conception of race, my ideas of whites and blacks were wrong, against the teachings of God.

He went on telling his story. He wept. He told me, Im telling you mystory, so you will appreciate how the Faith changed me. I understood.The Faith had given him a new consciousness. He was speaking aboutthe quickening power of the Teachings of the Faith. His tears showedhow sincere he was; how eager he was to continue his spiritualtransformation.

Mrs. Margaret Hipsley was also in that community. She had been abeliever 60 years when we met. She warned me to never miss anyopportunity to serve the Faith; never to miss any opportunity to receivethe bounties the Faith bestows. To illustrate the lesson, she said thatwhen she was a young woman Abdul -Bah visited our city for one day.On that day, one of her girlfriends said to Mrs. Hipsley, Lets go to thebeach. This girl wasnt a Bah. She said, Lets go to the beach. Youllhave another time to meet the leader of your Faith. Mrs. Hipsley saidshe went to the beach and that she missed the one opportunity in herlife to meet the Master. She was heartbroken forever after. She wouldsay, Never miss an opportunity to reap the bounties the Faith offersand never miss an opportunity to serve the Faith.


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As for the tension between whites and blacks in America, she told meone day about her husband. He had passed away. He liked the Faith, buthe couldnt accept the teaching that black people and white people areequal in Gods sight. He grew up with the false doctrine of white

superiority. It tormented him that his wife went to Bah meetingswhere blacks and whites associated with one another in warmfellowship, in love with one another as sisters and brothers. This causedMr. Hipsley considerable anguish.

Of course, Mrs. Hipsley wanted her husband to accept the Faith. Sheloved him, and hoped to be with him in all the worlds. She stoppedgoing to Bah meetings, because attending the gatherings disturbedher husband. She said that, occasionally, when her husband was atwork, some believers visited her; but she didnt go to the Bah Centrefor seven years. After seven years, her husband told her, I realize whatan injustice I have done you. I have been selfish and unfair. You go toyour Bah meetings. Please forgiv e me. I cannot understand the newway of thinking and acting that your Faith commands.

She returned to the Bah meetings with her husbands support. Heassisted the local Bah community in many ways. He never couldovercome his prejudice against African-Americans. But Mrs. Hipsleythanked God that as a result of her sacrifice, her sensitivity to herhusbands difficulties, and her effort to teach him the Faith, he did makesome progress in recognizing her commitment to the principle of the

oneness of humanity.Dressing Truth in Story

Perhaps you realize from whats been presented thus far, howfascinating it is that the Prophets have used stories to advance TheirRevelations. It is also meaningful that believers everywhere are sharinganecdotes in their homes, in children and youth classes, in deepeningclasses, and in study circles. Perhaps in the Bah Dispensation, it willbe more fully appreciated that storytelling is one of the best ways toconvey religious truths. Through them, one feels the power of spiritualinsight. One senses that stories have an important role in theadvancement of religion. They feed the flame of enthusiasm that glowsin the heart of every Bah.

You may have heard this old teaching story. Truth, naked and cold, hadbeen turned away from every door in the village. Her nakednessfrightened the people. When Parable found her, she was huddled in acorner, shivering and hungry. Taking pity on her, Parable gathered herup and took her home. There she dressed Truth in story, warmed herand sent her out again. Clothed in story, Truth knocked again at thevillagers doors and was readily welcomed into the peoples houses. Theyinvited her to eat at their table and warm herself by their fire. (AnnetteSimmons, The Story Factor, Perseus Publishing, Cambridge 2001, p.27) Wherever


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Truth went, the people welcomed her with joy. Truth, dressed in story,thrills all hearts.

I give you another example of truth dressed in story. I was living amongthe Yoruba people in Nigeria. At my university there was a highly-

regarded, internationally acclaimed African Studies Department.Professor Akin Isola was in the Department. During our meeting, when Irequested him to help me learn more about Yoruba culture, he askedwhy I wanted to learn about the culture. In order to better teach theYoruba people about the Bah Faith, I responded.

Professor Isola was not interested in religion. He was a socialist, arenowned linguist, a published poet and playwright. He laughed at mycurious request. Fi nally, he said, I will help you, but in this way; thisstory will demonstrate how Ill help you.

Once in London, he began, an Englishman visited his fathers grave. Hehad dozens of bright red roses that he intended to lay atop his fathersresting place as a means of expressing his love. When he arrived at thegrave, he was greatly surprised. There was a new grave next to hisfathers. What was even more incredible to the shocked Englishman wasthis: A Chinese man was setting bowls of rice and herbs on the newgrave. It was the resting place of his father who had recently passedaway. Then, the Chinese mourner began sprinkling herbs upon thegrave. Finally, the Englishman, Professor Isola said, couldnt restrainhimself any longer. Looking over the roses he was clutching, he asked

the Chinese man, When do you think your father is going to rise upfrom the grave and eat that rice? The Chinese man looked at theEnglishman with astonishment. Then he said, My father will come upfrom his grave to eat the rice the same time your father will come upfrom his grave and smell those roses.

Through this wonderful story, Professor Isola said he would help me, if Irespected the culture of his people. The story showed that my heart hadto open up and appreciate the ways and the traditions of the Yorubapeople. He couldnt have made me understand the point any better thanby that story. Some beautiful truths were dressed in it.

Ill tell you another truth I learnt from the Yoruba culture that helped inour teaching efforts. According to some international studies, Yorubawomen have more twins than any other women. There are twinseverywhere in Yorubaland. The Yorubas also have a very strongtraditional seniority system that helps regulate social relationships. Theyhave this great story from their tradition about twins. Before twins areborn, according to the legend, the older twin tells the younger: You goout and be born first. If everything is all right, give a yell. Then I willcome. Thus, according to the Yorubas, the second born twin is theolder, since he commanded the first born to enter the world first. Thesecond born, the elder, could have been born first, had a right to beborn first, but he sent the younger twin ahead to see what the world was


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like; to prepare the way for his coming, the coming of the older.

This lofty conception was included in our presentations on the Faith.With excitement and joy, we began to speak about the TwinManifestations of God. When Yoruba seekers were told the Bb had

come first to prepare the way for Bahullh, many said, Of course!Your religion expresses truth. Such a wise religion. So consistent withtradition, expectations Twin Manifestations of God!

Mr. William Atiyama Spreads the Faith Through Stories

Bah ullh says in the Kitb -i-Aqdas that for every end there is ameans. One of the means for teaching the Faith, for highlighting thetruths it reveals, is through stories. Another verse from the Kitb-i-Aqdas is that the edification of the hearts of men depends upon thetongue.

One of the great teachers of the Faith in Nigeria was Mr. WilliamAtiyama. You may have heard me speak about him. He was a verydignified man, noble in his bearing, big and tall. He was a farmer and asmall trader. It was a pleasure to collaborate with him in teaching andconsolidating the Faith in many villages. Much was learned about serviceand the dignity of humanity from him. Its one of the crimes of our agethat a person with such potential, who might have succeeded in anypr ofessional career, was uneducated. Because his parents hadnt hadenough money to pay his school fees, he was illiterate. He was a great

teacher of the Faith. He taught new believers by the dozens. Thesincerity of his speech, the illumination of his countenance, and thepurity of his heart attracted souls. He consciously made many sacrificesfor the advancement of the Cause. On all his teaching activities, hecarried what he called his Bah Bible. It was his copy of Gleaningsfrom the Writings of Bahullh. He couldnt read or write. But he knewthe power of holy verses, and the importance of showing that the Faithhas holy books. He also knew the importance of relying on divineassistance.

One day, he and I went to a nearby town to present the Faith to somefriends of his. At the meeting there were five women. They had heardWilliam had accepted a new religion. They wanted to hear about it. Inhis confident and moving style, he presented some principles of theFaith. It always excited me to hear him teach. His countenance shone.One could feel his soul was inflamed with the beauty and power of theTeachings. At the end of his presentations, he always invited individualsto embrace the Faith. He was confident that what he was offering theTeachings of Bahullh was best for the seekers. When he finishedspeaking, the ladies dropped their heads. They were shy. Finally, one of them said what he had told them was good. Now, they wanted theprofessor, meaning me, to speak. She was indicating that they doubtedthat an uneducated, simple man like William Atiyama could beexpressing such beautiful thoughts correctly; that I should confirm what


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he had said.

William leaped up from his chair. He cried, What do you mean, hearfrom professor? I have presented my Faith. I have studied my Faith, justlike professor. He explained, Bahullh says every believer must

study the Writings. He has commanded that every believer should read,morning and evening, the holy verses. And this is what I do!

I looked at him. He couldnt read. The ladies knew he couldnt read. Ithought he hadnt realized he was exaggerating. Pointing to Gleanings,he told those astonished ladies, This is my Bah Bible. I read it eachmorning and evening like Bahullh said I must. After some seconds of silence, he continued, Yes, I read my Bah Bible. Bahullh said Imust. Then he explained: When I go to sleep at night, I put my Bah Bible under my pillow. This is how I read the Words of God. Can youimagine? Such faith! He said, The Bah Faith makes me do the best Ican. He went on to say, When I wake up in the morning, I place myBah Bible over my heart and my heart reads the Writings of Bahullh.

This is a story of a believers new consciousness, his new wa y of thinking, a new way of coping and using creative powers. Those ladiesbecame Bahs. The experience moved me greatly. Still, it does.Williams story excites me to study more intensely. The account of anilliterate man propelled me forward on to a new way of learning, of thinking, of seeing, and loving the Faith.

The Best Stories

The Bah Faith began with a story. You may recall that Mull usayndecided that if he found anyone claiming he was the Bb, he would askhim to write a commentary on the Srih of Joseph. In the Qurn,Muhammad has described the story of Joseph as the best of stories.You remember the story. Josephs eleven brothers hated him. They were

jealous because their father loved the younger son very much. Theydecided to kill Joseph. They placed him in a deep hole expecting hemight die. Traders came along. The brothers then decided to sell Josephto them. He was taken to Egypt. Eventually, he became sort of like theSecond-in-Command to Pharaoh.

Mull usayn had asked Siyyid K im to write a commentary on thestory of Joseph. Siyyid Kzim had answered, This is, verily, beyond me.He, that great One, who comes after me will, unasked, reveal it for you.That commentary will constitute one of the weightiest testimonies of Histruth, and one of the clearest evidences of the loftiness of Hisposition. (The Dawn-Breakers, p.59) . As you know, this is exactly what theBb did.

Bahullh has revealed that He is the true Joseph, referrin g to MrzYay, his half- brother and arch enemys monstrous behaviour


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towards Him. In one of His Tablets, He indicated that the story of Josephrefers to Him, the True Joseph, because of the persecution, thevilification, and the hatred of Mrz Ya y, who tried to kill Him. Thestory of Joseph also reveals Gods protection of Joseph and of all theProphets. The point I wish to make is that it seems quite meaningful, in

this age of storytelling, that the Bbs Dispensation began with a stor y.

In relat ion to our subject, we may further examine the Bbs Declarationto Mull usayn. As you know, in his initial meeting with the Bb Mullusayn thought he should test Him. He had composed a treatise, whichhe expected the One claiming to be th e Qim to co mment on to hissatisfaction. The story of how Mull usayn failed his own test before theBb on the glorious evening of His Declaration is recorded in The Dawn-Breakers. Mull usayn has related: Will you, I asked Him, read thisbook of mine and look at its pages with indulgent eyes? . . . Hegraciously complied with my wish. He opened the book, glanced atcertain passages, closed it, and began to address me. Within a fewminutes He had unraveled all its mysteries and resolved all itsproblems. ... Had you not been My guest, He (the Bb) afterwardsobserved, your position would have been a grievous one. The all -encompassing grace of God has saved you. It is for God to test Hisservants, and not for His servants to judge Him in accordance with theirdeficient standards (The Dawn-Breakers, p. 61) .

You may wish to study again Bahullhs story of His receiving theintimations that He had been chosen by God to manifest Him in The

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Bahullh has said that for the sake of justice and equity He revealed various accounts. It seems extraordinaryin the history of religion that a Manifestation of God has told how Hebecame a Manifestation in so much detail.

The Dawn-Breakers: A Storyteller's Treasure

In The Dawn-Breakers, you also find stories that Bahullh related toNabl. The recorded story of His first teaching mission as a Bb isriveting. At page 209 of The Dawn-Breakers, He recounts that He wentto His hometown, Tkur, to promote the Revelation announced by theBb. This was always an interesting feature of the Faiths growth for usin Africa. From it, believers were encouraged to take the Faith to theirancestral villages. When Bahullh took the Faith to Mzindarn, thepeople there greeted him warmly. They were anxious to hear news of the capital the gossip of what was happening in political circles.Bahullh wasnt interested in those topics. He told His relatives andfriends about the Bb. Many accepted the Bb. This was the first large-scale enrollment into the new religion.

Bahullh wanted to tell Mull Muhammad, the religious leader of thedistrict, of the Bb. The Mull refused to meet with Him. He sent twodisciples to listen to what Bahullh taught. After hearing Bahullhs presentations, the students informed their master they had become


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Bbs. The Mull was astonished. Still, the students surrounding himinsisted he meet Bahullh. He refused. Finally, Bahullh visited himfor the purpose of enlightening him regarding the new and wondrousMessage, divinely inspired and fulfilling the promise given to Islam. TheMull disparagingly responded, I undertake no action unless I first

consult the Qurn of opening at random His sacred Book, and of consulting the first verse of the particular page upon which my eyeschance to fall. From the nature of that verse I can judge the wisdom andthe advisability of my contemplated course of action.

The frightened leader opened the Qurn and closed it again, refusing toreveal t he nature of the verse he had read. Bahullh, not wishing toembarrass the leader further, excused Himself and bade MullMuhammad a cordial farewell.

This story is part of the great treasure of stories in The Dawn-Breakers.The Guardian said he translated The Dawn-Breakers so that the storiesthere would be a source of inspiration for believers. He was pleased thatthe study of Nabls Narrative created in believers a burning desire toserve the Cause. He said those stories of believers who had beentransformed by the Revelation provide a model of service. The stories inThe Dawn-Breakers, presenting the first eight years of the Bb Dispensation, take us into the heart of the Bb religion with a spiritualreality that is profound and startling.

I told you the Guardian said the stories in The Dawn-Breakers of

believers rejoicing in their sacrifices for the advancement of the Faithwould influence people. We tried it with a seeker in Benin Republic. Sheread every page of The Dawn-Breakers. We were eager to know how thestories had touched her, but had heard that all she had to say wassomething like, Its a nice book. We were disappointed. She was sucha receptive soul. Some years later, she became a believer. The stories inThe Dawn-Breakers did their work. Apparently, the tales of those valiantsouls stayed in her heart.

Storytelling: A Means of Service

Bahs everywhere are using storytelling with children and the youth asa means of strengthening their Faith. We are dressing truth in stories.We are using stories for personal deepening and the quickening of hearts. I told someone recently that I wish I had had an organizedprogram of storytelling for my children. Those of you with children maywish to consider establishing a systematic storytelling program for them a regular family event, perhaps at fixed times, at which stories fromThe Dawn- Breakers, stories of Bahullh, of the Bb, and of Abdul -Bah are regularly presented. May I suggest that you continue usingstories to convey the truths in the Revelation? Continue examining andstudying Bah stories. Memorize them. Tell them. Use them in yourteaching and consolidation work.


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Here is a humorous teaching story. A law student had accepted the Faithin Nigeria. I was anxious to hear how he became a believer. I soon methim. He said he was taught by a Bah lady from Switzerland. I knewher. Her husband was a prominent politician. I asked the new believer,

How did you meet her? He said, One Sunday, she was sitting next to

me in chur ch. He went on to relate how she had aroused his interest inthe Faith.

Let me say that this lady was a very devoted and active Bah. Herhusband insisted that she attend church with him each Sunday. TheBah wife had agreed to the arrangement for th e sake of family unity.After the service, the lady and the student fixed a time to meet. Hebecame a Bah. When I saw the lady, I asked about her unusualteaching style. She responded that she went to church with herhusband, but she was finding receptive souls there.

We are using stories for the advancement of the Cause. You may wish toconsider learning new ones. Study those that are in the Writings. Makenotes of good stories that you hear. Always, were adopting effectivemeans to advance the Faith. A few weeks ago, Nancy and I, and twoother believers, visited the Galilee area. We are always thrilled to visitChristian Holy Places there. We offered prayers there for our Christianparents and other relatives for the training and perspectives they gaveus about religion and moral behavior. During the visit to the Sea of Galilee, it was recalled that in the Holy Land we have the two great seas,the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Both seas are fed from a source.

Water flows into the Galilee and water flows into the Dead Sea. Thedifference is that the Galilee has an outlet; water flows in and flows out.But in the Dead Sea, the water doesnt flow out. Salt, chemicals andparticles accumulate there. This is what makes it the Dead Sea. There isno outlet. We are not like that Dead Sea. Our services are alwaysflowing out. We are always looking for means of service, alwayssearching for ways of giving of ourselves; so we dont become apatheticabout serving the Cause, so we dont become, you know, a littlespiritually dead. So, these heavenly bounties we are receiving, theinsights we are gaining from the Writings, the spiritual energies that arebuilding up in us do not accumulate, but are released in service.

I tell you one last story about Mull usayn. One day he and anotherBb passed a religious school for mulls. Mull usayn looked at it andrecited the following poetry:

Never from this school has come learning,This house of ignorance is fit for burning.

The friend asked him, Why should we com plain about these schools,when they have produced a man like you? No, my friend, interruptedMull usayn, if it were not for the education I received in these schoolsI would not have argued with my Lord! (Rhullh Mihrbkhn, Mullusayn: Disciple at Dawn, Kalimt Press 1987, p.71) meaning that he


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wouldnt have contended with the Bb at the moment of His Declaration.Meaning, he wouldnt have tested the Bb.

Conclusion

Storytelling is a means to serve the Cause. Continue enriching thesewonderful gatherings with stories. Tell the children stories. Tell the youthstories. Ask each other about your Bah experiences. You may wish tokeep in mind that storytelling is an art. It does have methods andtechniques. Dont feel inhibited. Continue do ing the best you can,remembering that when we serve we receive divine assistance. (Updatedby Kiser Barnes, February 2010 and posted to http://bahai-storytelling.blogspot.com with Mr. Barnes' permission)

serving the cause through the art of storytelling

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