THE CENTER
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í World Faith, (1943) · Read original
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When in Bahá'í history
The light hath a center and if one desire to seek it otherwise but from the center, he can never attain to it. In this solar system the source of light is the sun and every light is acquired from it; even the lamps of the night are ignited through the sun, for if there were no sun the trees would not grow nor the mines develop, so that the oil be extracted from those trees and mines, and the lamps of the night be lit by it. Is it possible that one attain to the light in this globular sphere without the mediation of the sun? No, by the life of God! To suppose it, is pure imagination. But the truth is this: The main source of the lights is the sun and the rays are shed from it upon all the regions.
Source: 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í World Faith (1943). Public domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #19239.
Discuss this story
For adults
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
- What in your own life does this story bring to mind?
- Where do faith and truthfulness meet in this story?
For teens
- Who is someone you know who lives out faith the way this story describes?
- If you were going to tell a friend this story in two sentences, what would you say?
Reflection
- Take one line from this story and let it stay with you today.
- What in this account feels timely? What feels timeless?
- How does faith show up in your life right now — and where is it being asked of you?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "THE CENTER" drawn from?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Which virtue does this story most clearly illustrate?
Cite this story
'Abdu'l-Bahá. (1943). *Bahá'í World Faith*. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19239/pg19239-images.html
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