1. The Bahá’í Faith Nice to be here
My name is …. and I am a member of the Bahá’í community of Gloucestershire
The Bahá’í Faith is the newest world religion
Its purpose is to unite all the peoples of the world in one universal purpose, one common faith
The Bahá’í Faith

2. The Báb Bahá’u’lláh (The Glory of God)
Bahá’ís are followers of Bahá’u’lláh
This is not a name but a title, and it means “The Glory of God”
Bahá’u’lláh lived in Iran in the nineteenth century, but He was persecuted for His teachings and lived the last years of His life in the Holy Land (Israel)
Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh is the promised one that previous religions and traditions have looked forward to
The Báb also taught in Iran and He prepared people for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh

3. A pilgrimage to Haifa
Bahá’ís try to visit the Holy Land at least once in their lifetimes, on a pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey to a place with special religious significance to the person making the journey
You may know someone who has been on a pilgrimage; and you may have been yourself
Bahá’ís go on pilgrimage to the town of Haifa in Israel, because it is near Akko, where Bahá’u’lláh lived for the last years of His life. He is buried there, and the Báb is buried in Haifa
When you go on pilgrimage, you visit the holy places and you can pray there in silence

4. The Bahá’í Gardens
One of the things that was special about [my visit] was the kindness shown by all the people round me
The pilgrims in my group (about 20 of us) were very caring and considerate of each other
All of the Bahá’í holy places are surrounded by beautiful gardens
Many young Bahá’ís go to work in Haifa during their gap year – they call it a “Year of Service” and they work hard to make the holy places and gardens nice for the pilgrims and members of the public who visit
Those of you who were here last term may remember that I talked to you about the virtues or talents that are inside all of us
Kindness is one of those virtues, and we all know that kindness can be demonstrated not only in the things we do, but in the way we speak to other people

5. “A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men.”
Bahá’u’lláh
Baha’u’llah said: “…….”
A lodestone is an old-fashioned word for a magnet
Magnets have the power to attract things
In this phrase, Baha’u’llah is saying that when we speak with kindness, our words attract other people
Take a moment to think about the effect of your words on others
If someone says something unkind to you, you may be hurt or offended. Even if they are joking, it can hurt you
Sometimes it’s easy to say something unkind without thinking about it
Try this: before you say something – anything – think for a moment: what will the effect be on the other person. Will their heart be attracted by my words?
Thank you for listening attentively.
I’d like to finish with a prayer.

6. A Bahá’í prayer ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
O God! Guide me, protect me. Make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star. Thou art the Mighty and the Poweful.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
[read the prayer SLOWLY]
[after the prayer, click over to the last slide]

7. The Bahá’í Faith