SEEING IS BELIEVING: EXPOSING THEMES FOR DIALOGUE

At St Martins House this evening for a seminar accompanying the display of winners and finalists of the national photographic competition, Faith Through a Lens.

The seminar, entitled Seeing is Believing: Exposing Themes for Dialogue, is led by Revd Canon Dr John Hall, Director of St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society, which is hosting the Faith Through a Lens exhibition (under the title Faith in the Community) for a week here in Leicester.

John walks the group around the exhibition, leading and encouraging discussion and reflection on the twelve photographs in turn and how each of them fits into the three themes of the competition: Moments of Faith; Community Spirit Against the Odds; and A Year of Service.

John explains that this is the third in a series of touring exhibitions that St Philip’s Centre has put on in 2012-13 (one per academic term). The previous two were Religious Tolerance - Islam in the Sultanate of Oman (July 2012) and Multi Faith Spaces (October 2012). The Centre hopes to make this a regular part of its public programme.

In the photo above, Revd Canon Dr John Hall and Maureen Hebblewhite (Centre Manager at St Philip's) are shown with the overall winner of Faith Through a Lens Photography Exhibition 2012, “Brothers in Arms” by Paul Tiller.

I'll pick out a couple of the photos we looked at and talked about this evening.

Ayyam-i-Ha

by Ronnie Bindra

This photo was taken at the National Bahá'í Centre in Knightsbridge during Ayyám-i-Há, a short period that precedes the Bahá'í period of fasting every March. During Ayyám-i-Há, acts of charity, generosity and hospitality are emphasised. In this photo, people of many faiths and traditions are collecting toiletries to distribute to vulnerably homed people as part of a Year of Service project. I spoke about Ayyám-i-Há to the group this evening - and the Fast that follows it and Naw-Rúz that brings the Fast to an end. Perfect timing too, as we were looking at this photo if not right on sunset, as close to it as makes no difference. So I said that it was Bahá'í New Year right now. Everyone was very nice and wished me Happy New Year. Except I realised soon after that I was a day early! I didn't own up though; didn't want to be a buzzkill!

Helping Hands

by Bobbie Cook

This one gave me pause for thought. When I was younger, I hoped I would be the guy on the left, lending a helping hand. Nowadays, I begin to hope that when I'm the guy on the right, someone else will be there to lend me a helping hand!

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

CREATIVECOFFEE CLUB, 21 MARCH 2012

At Phoenix Square Film and Digital Media Centre this morning for CreativeCoffee Club. Between one thing and another, I haven’t been for some time: since 25 January to be precise. That’s three in a row … I don’t think I’ve missed that many consecutively before in what's been almost five years of attending CreativeCoffee Club.

This is a good day to come back and make a fresh start as it's Naw-Rúz - Bahá'í New Year - today.

Not so many here today as the last time I came. There are a dozen or so, but that includes a couple of new faces, as is always the case. The cafe bar is busy in is own right, with several small knots of people working on laptops in twos and threes. There are also (what I assume are) auditions or rehearsals for something called Under the Influence with How Bizarre Productions - a student performing arts company based at De Montfort University. A large group of young people are gathereD there; after a while they're ushered into one of the screening rooms.

There have been a few changes to CreativeCoffee Club since I was last here. Since funding and support from De Montfort University ended last year, CreativeCoffee Club has been stop-start. No one has really taken it on and run it with the same kind of devoted attention. From now on it will be overseen by Leicester Creative Business (LCB) Depot. From April 2012, a new dedicated website will be launched for CreativeCoffee Club (Thanks to Cheryl Gill, Enterprise Support Officer, LCB Depot & Phoenix Square Workspaces for providing more info.)

On the way to CreativeCoffee Club this morning, I bump into someone who was a mainstay of the event for a while. While chatting, I hear for the first time about Business Biscotti, which meets in another city centre venue, same day same time. My first reaction is to make a joke about the two groups getting together, since it sounds like they're made for each other (biscotti, coffee - get it?). On further online investigation though, it looks like there would a reversal of the natural order and they'd swallow up CreativeCoffee Club! There are Business Biscotti groups in Cambridge, Dundee, Liverpool, Slough, South West London, Wentworth, Weybridge, Windsor - and Leicester, of course.

Naw-Rúz @ the Crumblin' Cookie

Bahá'ís from city and county met up at the Crumblin' Cookie in Leicester High Street this lunchtime, to celebrate their New Year (Naw-Rúz) together. Pictured above is one of the Crumblin' Cookie's "Special Milkshake". Nothing "Bahá'í" about it, nor is there anything traditionally "Naw-Rúz" about it. I've just fancied one for ages and thought it a good day to treat myself to one!

Visit the Crumblin' Cookie's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18393182424&ref=ts

A PRAYER FOR NAW-RÚZ

Sunset this evening is the end of the fasting period for Bahá'ís, who are obliged to abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset 2-20 March, inclusive. This fast is an annual occasion, leading up to Bahá'í New Year. For Bahá'ís in or from Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated in the middle of the nineteenth century, this is combined with the traditional celebration of Naw-Rúz ("New Day"), observed at the time of the Spring Equinox.

Leicester Bahá'ís are gathered together this evening to mark the end of the Fast and start of the New Year - the year 168 BE ("Bahá'í Era"). Below is one of the prayers of Bahá'u'lláh (1817-92) for this special occasion. This would typically be read at this time, either in community gatherings, in families are by individual Bahá'ís on their own, in quiet meditation.

Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Rúz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto Thee. Grant, O my Lord, that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy praise and with remembrance of Thee.

Since Thou hast adorned them, O my Lord, with the ornament of the fast prescribed by Thee, do Thou adorn them also with the ornament of Thine acceptance, through Thy grace and bountiful favor. For the doings of men are all dependent upon Thy good-pleasure, and are conditioned by Thy behest. Shouldst Thou regard him who hath broken the fast as one who hath observed it, such a man would be reckoned among them who from eternity had been keeping the fast. And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath observed the fast hath broken it, that person would be numbered with such as have caused the Robe of Thy Revelation to be stained with dust, and been far removed from the crystal waters of this living Fountain.

Thou art He through Whom the ensign “Praiseworthy art Thou in Thy works” hath been lifted up, and the standard “Obeyed art Thou in Thy behest” hath been unfurled. Make known this Thy station, O my God, unto Thy servants, that they may be made aware that the excellence of all things is dependent upon Thy bidding and Thy word, and the virtue of every act is conditioned by Thy leave and the good-pleasure of Thy will, and may recognize that the reins of men’s doings are within the grasp of Thine acceptance and Thy commandment. Make this known unto them, that nothing whatsoever may shut them out from Thy Beauty, in these days whereon the Christ exclaimeth: “All dominion is Thine, O Thou the Begetter of the Spirit (Jesus)”; and Thy Friend (Muḥammad) crieth out: “Glory be to Thee, O Thou the Best-Beloved, for that Thou hast uncovered Thy Beauty, and written down for Thy chosen ones what will cause them to attain unto the seat of the revelation of Thy Most Great Name, through which all the peoples have lamented except such as have detached themselves from all else except Thee, and set themselves towards Him Who is the Revealer of Thyself and the Manifestation of Thine attributes.”

He Who is Thy Branch and all Thy company, O my Lord, have broken this day their fast, after having observed it within the precincts of Thy court, and in their eagerness to please Thee. Do Thou ordain for him, and for them, and for all such as have entered Thy presence in those days all the good Thou didst destine in Thy Book. Supply them, then, with that which will profit them, in both this life and in the life beyond.

Thou, in truth, art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

That line at the start of the prayer, "Thou hast ordained Naw-Rúz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto Thee" always gives me pause for reflection. Having been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 1996 and being dependent on insulin since then, I'm unable to fast. I did it religiously (if you'll pardon the pun) from 1979 until 1996 and felt the benefit. I miss fasting. Thankfully, there's much in the Bahá'í writings about the symbolic, metaphorical nature of fasting and - thankfully - I appreciate symbolism and metaphor.