… whatever I behold I readily discover that it maketh Thee
known unto me, and it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens, and of Thy
testimonies. 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. (Baha’u’llah, ‘Prayers and Meditations by
Baha’u’llah’; The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, Conservation of Earth’s
Resources)
*********
One of the names of God is the Fashioner. He loveth
craftsmanship. Therefore any of His servants who manifesteth this attribute is
acceptable in the sight of this Wronged One. Craftsmanship is a book among the
books of divine sciences, and a treasure among the treasures of His heavenly
wisdom. This is a knowledge with meaning, for some of the sciences are brought
forth by words and come to an end with words. (Baha’u’llah, The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. I, Arts and crafts)
From ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
… in this cycle of Bahá'u'lláh verbal confessions and
acknowledgements, literal faith and certainty and external relations are of no
avail. Nay, rather, the beloved of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful
must manifest such attributes and ethical conduct as to embody and personify
the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. They must promulgate the law of the Kingdom with
deeds and not words. Thus may they become the quintessence of being, the signs
of the Kingdom of God, standards of the Supreme Concourse. May ye be salutary
water for the thirsty, an evidence of guidance for the seeker, protection and
support for the helpless, a shelter and home for the wanderers, the treasury of
the Kingdom for the poor; the source of hope and happiness for the
disappointed; the remedy of the heart and soul for the ailing. May you manifest
the utmost of kindness to the human race; to weep with him who mourneth and to
laugh with him who rejoiceth; sympathizing with the helpless; in communion with
the wanderer; a friend to the friend and foe. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, From a Tablet;
Star of the West, vol. 1, no. 4, May 17, 1910)
***********
In this day, the one favoured at the Threshold of the Lord is he who handeth round the cup of faithfulness; who bestoweth, even upon his enemies, the jewel of bounty, and lendeth, even to his fallen oppressor, a helping hand; it is he who will, even to the fiercest of his foes, be a loving friend. (‘Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu'l-Baha)