Newsletter of the Bahá'í Community in Northern Ireland
Issue 70 - 16 'Azamat 159 BE - 1 June 2002 CE
MEETING WITH DOUGLAS MARTIN
More than 100 believers meet with House of Justice Member Mr. Douglas Martin Mr Martin spent two full days in Northern Ireland on a personal visit.The highlight was the talk at the Castlereagh Civic Centre on the outskirts of Belfast on 8 May.The talk was wide-ranging and he spoke in a very relaxed, informal and even humorous way. The message he was conveying, however, was immensely challenging. He described the immense achievements of the Bahá'í community in developing a systematic approach to training.The Ruhi Institute materials, from Columbia, had been used, by choice, by Training Institutes in almost all national communities across the globe. He spoke about back-biting, explaining that the only thing that Bahá'u'lláh condemns with the same force is drug taking.referred to two Hidden Words, one of which is:
O SON OF MAN! Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself
a sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and
to this I bear witness.
(Arabic Hidden Words No.27)
Mr Martin finished by referring to the current world situation and how the world has seen immense changes since the inauguration of the Terraces last year.We have a moment of opportunity which is breath-taking.We have to find a way to take advantage of it..