Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Duane L. Herrmann, The Encounter, bahai-library.com.
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Ré Nua
N e w D a y
Magazine of the Bahá’ís of Ireland
Spring 2016 Volume 241

Winter School
A Fire in the Pacific
Nabil
In This Issue
Winter School..........................................................................................4
Winter School...................................................................................................................4
The Dawnbreakers at Winter School..................................................................................5
Core Activities..........................................................................................6
Children’s Classes...............................................................................................................6
The Story of Churchill................................................................................................... 6
Junior Youth......................................................................................................................7
Thinking About Numbers makes you THINK!............................................................. 7
A most interesting evening.................................................................................................9
Learning about growth in Europe....................................................................................10
Book 4 in Galway............................................................................................................11
National Activities.................................................................................13
Townshend Cluster Activities...........................................................................................13
Cork................................................................................................................................14
Kilkenny..........................................................................................................................15
The Yaran.................................................................................................16
Jamaloddin Khanjani.......................................................................................................16
A Teaching Story.....................................................................................18
In the Holy Land....................................................................................22
The Encounter.................................................................................................................22
International Bahá’í News.....................................................................24
After catastrophe, youth lead reconstruction in Vanuatu..................................................24
A Fire in the Pacific..........................................................................................................27
Bahá’í History..........................................................................................32
Life of Nabil....................................................................................................................32
Obituary...................................................................................................35
Fire on the Hill: Remembering Peter Kay.......................................................................35
Ruhi Books...............................................................................................37
Provision of English Language Ruhi Books......................................................................37
Contacts and Information.....................................................................39

The Story of Churchill Book 4 in Galway Fire in the Pacific
Page 6 Page 11 Page 27

Page 3
In the Holy Land
The Encounter front of him and the center of the square
building. That room was open to the others
By Duanne L. Herrmann with a large archway which opened the
center half of the wall.
The man entered the room from This center room was separated from
outside. He was surprised to see how the rooms surrounding it by a light,
simply it was decorated, almost barren, filigree lace, transparent curtain and its
really, but not quite. The floor was richly raised floor. The most noticeable differ-
carpeted with ornate designs: flowers, ence from it and the outer rooms were the
leaves and tendrils. He could see through contents. Whereas the outer, surrounding
the interior doors to the other rooms that rooms were empty, the center room was
were similarly carpeted. filled with lights. It was light upon light:
The walls were unadorned light, pale multiple candelabras, chandeliers and
yellow, almost white. Exterior doors and candles. No one walked in that room.
windows were covered with obviously And, many of the lights had cut glass to
thick, dark curtains with elegant edging reflect the light: light upon light. This was
that did not distract. He was sure they an obvious effort to bestow in death light
would muffle any outside sounds, as would upon One who was denied even a single
the two-foot-thick stone walls. The original candle in His prison cell on dark, freezing
structure was somewhat fortress-like, but winter nights.
with too many doors and windows for that. The man stood, just to the side of
The most interior wall, the one he the door, and watched others come in,
was facing as he entered, was adorned singly, after him, slowly, reverently. Nearly
with three items. Centered on each side all would pause midway into the room,
were large, framed texts. He could not as if to catch their breath and possibly to
read them from his distance, but he could say a brief, silent prayer. Then they would
recognize that one was in a script he could approach the center room but with a
not read. In the center of the wall, just slower, even more reverent, pace.
below the ceiling, was another framed Upon reaching the threshold to the
inscription in the same script which he central room they would, invariably, kneel
could not read. on the soft carpet, then bow their heads to
In each of the two corners he was the threshold in respect and tribute to the
facing were plant stands with lamps with One buried there. Some would touch the
large globes which were lit from within threshold, some would not.
so they cast a soft, warm light. Their light The threshold, in front of the filigree
was inconsequential compared to the curtain, was marked off with a thin cloth
chandelier hanging in the center of the of dark green, the green in respect for the
room. None of these lights compared with descendancy of the One buried within
the lights in the center room directly in from the Prophet Muhammad. Down the
center of this cloth were carefully scattered
Page 22
rose petals and on each side stood a vase surprised him, love that was deep and
of fresh roses. The man now identified the intense, love that he had never before
scent of roses which greeted him upon experienced in his life. No one had ever
entering the room. It was powerful, but loved him like this. No one. The power of
not unpleasant. this love could not even be compared to
The people who knelt would gener- the love he had received from his parents,
ally not remain there for long. They would grandparents, wife or children. He could
get up reverently, back themselves away, not think, He could not reason – he felt
then side over often to an empty space suspended in space and time. Then he
along a side wall of the room or in the sobbed. His body shook and tears flowed.
back, though some would find a spot in He could not stop, he could only cry.
the larger space of the room, and sit on the Gradually the sensation ceased, as did
carpet in whatever manner felt comfort- his sobbing. He pulled himself up, looked
able to them. Some would close their eyes furtively around to see the reactions of
in prayer, others would read silently from the others in the room. This was not his
a prayer book. There were several avail- typical response to anything! There was no
able from a small chest upon entering the indication from any of the others in the
portico surrounding the building. Upon room that anything unusual had occurred.
entering that surrounding space everyone He backed away, as he had seen the others
took off their shoes in respect. do, and found a spot where he could lean
The man decided to go forward to the against a side wall. He was drained of
threshold also. It seemed the most reason- emotion and astonished that such an expe-
able thing to do, and kneeling also. rience could actually happen, and happen
At first he placed his forehead on to him!!
the cloth on the threshold as he had seen What had just happened?
others do, but this did not feel “right.” He He did not know.
then lowered his head to the side of the
threshold. This felt much more appro-
priate, though he did not understand why.
Before he could begin to wonder about
this, he began to feel as if he was a small
child pushing his head against the knees of
a person sitting before him. He wanted to
join with that person and become part of
the One greater than himself. He pushed
his head more firmly against the knees. He
inexplicably wanted to be as close to this
person as possible.
Suddenly, in the midst of this powerful
desire, he “felt” arms reach out above him
to extend over his head, but not touching
him. Before he could more than begin to
wonder about this, he felt loved.
He felt love of such power that
Page 23

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