Yesterday my Baha’i Mentor and I were invited to spend the day with some of her Baha’i friends of the Cary Community for the 19 Day Feast. The event is observed every 19 Days on the first day of each Baha’i month (which run in 19-day cycles) as prescribed by Baha’u’lla in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Each new day begins at sunset, thus the Feast is held at that time. In addition, each month in which a Feast is held is named after one of the Names of God. For the February 7th month, it is called Mulk, or, Dominion.

Verily, it is enjoined upon you to offer a feast, once in every month, though only water be served; for God hath purposed to bind hearts together, albeit through both earthly and heavenly means.  –Baha’u’llah, from the Kitab-i-Aqdas

There are three components which make up every feast, though due to Baha’i membership being so diverse across the globe, some cultural nuances may express themselves.

• Devotional: this is a time when scripture, prayers, and chants (from the Baha’i writings and other faiths) are shared with the group.
• Consultation, or Administrative: at this point, the business affairs of the Assembly or news from National Assembly and/or International House of Justice is shared. Topics might include treasury/fundraising, community outreach, special new regarding individual members, and Baha’i videos. Everyone has a chance to be heard.
• Fellowship: this is where the food and fun begins. The word “feast” may imply that a banquet is prepared, and while that may be the case, “feast” more appropriately describes the gathering and nurturing of the heart, minds, and spirits of all Baha’is present. But the food is pretty awesome too.

One of the greatest parts of yesterday was the pre-Feast get-together my Mentor’s friends held for us in their family’s home. This home represents several generations of Persian Baha’is. The home belong to the senior couple of the family, the great grandfather whom everyone called “Baba”, a Persian term of endearment that means “father.”

Baba is originally from Iran and shared many stories about his life and that of his family, as well as his wealth of knowledge regarding the Baha’i Faith. His sister was martyred for being a Baha’i. Nima is a law student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, along with many other young men and women, is greatly involved in youth advocacy and human rights issues.

Nima and others who have followed Project Conversion’s progress wanted to attend the event once they discovered I would be present. This was a wonderful surprise! It’s one thing to receive so much support and guidance via email from people around the world, but to meet folks like Nima and Sally (hey guys!) after only having contact with them online…I was humbled to be part of the event and that these young people wanted to meet me. Thanks to you, and to all the others who took the time speak with me about your experiences. I truly believe that your efforts in the communities you serve are changing lives. I salute you.

Though my part of the 19 Day Feast ended at a few minutes after 8pm, perhaps the most, uh, “interesting” part of the evening was yet to come. Our hosts for the Feast live an hour and a half away. My Mentor and I made it to within 10 miles of home when, oh yeah, we ran out of gas! The fuel gauge was completely off. My Mentor called her daughter to bring us a can of gas as we waited on the shoulder of the road along Interstate 95…at 10pm.

Before Project Conversion began, I would have been livid. Anger would have swelled within my chest and…but I’m different now. So different. Like instinct, my Hindu training of detachment kicked in. The situation, the cold, the fear of our proximity of cars going by at 65-70mph only five feet away was an illusion. What was real was karma, and my reaction at that very moment would determine the state of my karma for the future. In addition, my Baha’i training so far also came into play. In a previous post I mentioned the miracle of how the Baha’u’llah and his son, Abdu’l’Baha were able to produce the wealth of scripture we have today all while in exile and/or prison for over 40 years. Never a complaint, they astounded their captors and tormentors with their capacity to love and their overwhelming joy in even the darkest of situations. Indeed, I remembered two quotes by Abdu’l’Baha:

The only prison is the prison of the self.

My home is the home of laughter and mirth

In addition, he is credited with this prayer, the first one I’ve memorized for the Baha’i Faith:

O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all of my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Refuge and Guide. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved. I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety; nor will I let troubles harass me. I will not dwell of the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

I felt no angst, no frustration. Sure, I was tired and really wanted to get home to my wife and kids, but getting angry about the situation wouldn’t get me there any faster. Besides, it gave my Mentor and I another chance to talk about the Faith and the people I had just met. Plus, in the pitch-black cold by the shoulder of the road and a not a cloud in the sky, thousands of stars pierced the deep, dark floor of the heavens and winked from an eternity away. With my heart aglow, all I could do was smile and wink back.

Allah-u-Abha.