By Charleen Maghzi-Ader
The Bahá’ís of San Francisco, California, learned much from their efforts to plan and carry out befitting celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
Among the lessons:
The planning process
In its May 18, 2016, message to all National Spiritual Assemblies, the Universal House of Justice stated:
“As indicated in the 29 December [2015] message, these Holy Days should be viewed as special opportunities for the friends to reach out to the widest possible cross-section of society and to all those with whom they share a connection — whether through a family tie or common interest, an occupation or field of study, neighbourly relations or merely chance acquaintance — so that all may rejoice in the appearance, exactly two hundred years before, of One Who was to be the Bearer of a new Message for humankind.”
And in the Riḍván 2017 message, believers were informed that “this year presents the single greatest worldwide opportunity there has ever been for connecting hearts to Bahá’u’lláh.”
We were called upon to initiate countless events to occur in neighborhoods, within households and communities, attracting all comers, to form a part of a single, global coming together of peoples to honor a Manifestation of God, the Unifier of the human race.
Moved by these sentiments, a few members of the San Francisco community gathered in February 2017 to begin a process of visioning and planning for the Oct. 20–22 weekend.
After making a general outline of the major events and several possible venues, they submitted their concepts to the Local Spiritual Assembly for its information and guidance. Over the months, several Bicentenary Task Force members came and went due to work and travel priorities.
From the beginning, being aware that these Holy Days were not just to be isolated events, cluster agency representatives were invited to participate in the planning and execution as part of a long-term process of community building.
As the October date loomed, the Assembly realized that its fuller attention and active support would be needed to mobilize friends to create very special celebrations on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday midday that would appeal to the widest possible cross-section of society.
When a few friends were empowered to take charge of these three Assembly-sponsored programs, detailed planning earnestly began.
In parallel with planning of the three major programs, community members attending Feasts planned and created several preliminary bicentenary weekend gatherings to expand friendships informally among and beyond Bahá’í community members.
Thus, two picnics were planned in Golden Gate Park, attended by members of the community and their friends; a neighborhood barbecue was created by a junior youth group with their friends; and a ladies’ tea party was held in a private home.
People attending these preliminary gatherings were invited to come to the Oct. 20–22 weekend special Holy Day gatherings. Those hosting devotional meetings, animating junior youth groups, teaching children’s classes, tutoring study circles, and engaging with individuals in multicultural social/educational endeavors encouraged their participants to attend the special Holy Day weekend programs. The Assembly made an effort to call and visit Bahá’ís who have been missed at recent gatherings to invite them individually to the weekend programs.
The resulting bicentenary gatherings
The weekend started Friday, Oct. 20, with a Holy Day celebration for the Birth of the Báb at the San Francisco Bahá’í Center. Planners paid meticulous attention to building a beautiful and uplifting atmosphere.
There was a dramatic storytelling on the life of the Báb and His relationship to Bahá’u’lláh, followed by fellowship and joyful celebration. A total of 73 people participated, 17 of whom were friends of the Faith.
Saturday saw a lovely community picnic in Golden Gate Park with 50 participants, 23 of them friends of the Faith. Chinese postdoctoral students and their families were drawn from an English Corner conversational weekly gathering at the University of California, San Francisco campus. Some participants in the weekly gathering had recently started to attend a devotional gathering and a fireside.
These festivities led to an evening event at Presentation Theater at the University of San Francisco, where approximately 160, including 30 friends of the Faith, gathered to celebrate the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
The highlight of the evening was the reading of portions of the proclamations from Mayor Edwin Lee, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and a California Senate Resolution sent for this special occasion by Sen. Scott Weiner, followed by the viewing of the film Light to the World. In attendance was a representative from the San Francisco Police Department’s community engagement division.
The weekend events culminated in a wonderful open-house gathering at the Bahá’í Center on Sunday. This offered the chance to experience a devotional gathering and to learn more about children’s classes, junior youth spiritual empowerment groups, study circles and devotional gatherings in San Francisco. A total of 46 participants included four friends of the Faith.
Other inspiring gatherings and picnics led up to the weekend, including one on Sept. 30 that helped ignite excitement about upcoming events. Also, a neighborhood barbecue, an afternoon tea, a small fireside and a dinner gathering were all aimed at sharing the unifying message of Bahá’u’lláh.
Other first-blush reflections
The arts infused every celebration, ranging from dramatic storytelling to instrumental and vocal music, skits, beautifully designed invitations and pins, and photography.
The wider community was deeply involved as well. The Spiritual Assembly invited government officials including a state senator, the Board of Supervisors, and mayor both to attend and to offer proclamations. All these government agencies created documents in honor of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh and the services of San Francisco Bahá’ís to the community. The chief of police sent a representative focused on community engagement.
Examples of coherence between worship and service were many. People attending a weekly devotional gathering were the primary planners for the Oct. 20 observance of the Birth of the Báb. They worked to beautify the Bahá’í Center, planned and served refreshments, and organized a program of dramatic readings and music. Participants in a musical devotional co-created the devotional for the Oct. 22 open house.
There were numerous examples of an increasing capacity to engage in conversations. Scholarships for a Wilmette Institute course on the life of Bahá’u’lláh were offered to the community members; nine people participated. Storytelling nights were held monthly to share stories of Bahá’u’lláh’s life to build capacity to talk about it with others. And the Assembly generated deepening discussions at several Feasts focusing on segments of the life of Bahá’u’lláh.
And feedback from attendees was inspiring. From family members of Bahá’ís: “After watching Light to the World, I now have so many more questions to ask!” From a public official: “I would like to see how the Bahá’ís can be engaged in community outreach endeavors with youth in San Francisco, especially in the Bayview and Hunter’s Point neighborhoods. How can I share the film with my colleagues?” From an invited guest after attending the Oct. 20 program: “Really liked the beautiful music and the presentation about the Life of the Báb — learned a lot.”