A Flame in Our Hearts

In the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha we read: “O living flame of heavenly love! Thine heart hath been so fired with the love of God that from ten thousand leagues afar its warmth and radiance may be felt and seen.”¹ And the illustrious Master also gave us this prayer: “Gladden the bosom wherein the fire of Thy love doth smolder, and set it aglow with the flame of Thy celestial love and spirit.” And again: “Kindle thou a flame, and set ablaze the fire of the love of God!”² My understanding of these passages is that this concept of a flame or fire and His love are one and the same.

In one of His prayers Abdu’l-Baha likens us to a lamp. He states that we are already “lighted by the fire” of God’s love and “ablaze with the flame which is ignited in the tree” of God’s mercy. I will quote this beautiful prayer below in full:

“O my Lord! O my Lord! This is a lamp lighted by the fire of Thy love and ablaze with the flame which is ignited in the tree of Thy mercy. O my Lord! Increase his enkindlement, heat and flame, with the fire which is kindled in the Sinai of Thy Manifestation. Verily, Thou art the Confirmer, the Assister, the Powerful, the Generous, the Loving.”

I believe Abdu’l-Baha creates a mental image in this prayer. We ask God to increase our enkindlement, heat and flame. If this is a direction for the upliftment and transformation of our souls, then perhaps we need to learn how to nurture this flame.

One of the beautiful things I understand from the teachings of the Baha’i Faith is the idea that love and sacrifice go hand in hand. The more we love someone the easier it becomes to sacrifice for them. Thus sacrifice is as oil that increases the flame. In Paris Talks, Abdu’l-Baha states:

“In the world of existence there is indeed no greater power than the power of love. When the heart of man is aglow with the flame of love, he is ready to sacrifice all—even his life.”³

One of the most inspiring stories of sacrifice to me is that of the illustrious Badi. After his encounter with Baha’u’llah the extent of his spiritual transformation was to such a degree that he became like a ball of fire; in the face of intense persecution, he willingly gave up his own life and was given the title “The Pride of Martyrs” for his ultimate sacrifice. A more recent example was the campaign launched approximately a year ago by the Baha’i International Community, titled “Our Story is One”. This campaign marked the 40^th anniversary since 10 Baha’i women were hanged in Shiraz, in Iran, because of their beliefs. Their story of sacrifice can inspire us to further action and service to humanity. The manner in which they faced tests—firmly, bravely, heroically—reminds us that the challenges we face are there to increase our steadfastness in our love for Baha’u’llah, to feed our inner flame.

The Universal House of Justice tells us that there are a number of sources from which we can nurture this flame. In a paragraph from the Ridvan 1996 message it points out six fundamental sources. These are as follows: “… the individual draws”, first, “upon his love for Baha’u’llah,” second, “the power of the Covenant,” third, “the dynamics of prayer,” fourth, “the inspiration and education derived from regular reading and study of the Holy Texts,” fifth, “the transformative forces that operate upon his soul as he strives to behave in accordance with the divine laws and principles.”⁴ “In addition to these,” it continues with a sixth source, “the individual, having been given the duty to teach the Cause, is endowed with the capacity to attract particular blessings promised by Baha’u’llah.”⁵ These amazing six points are for our personal contemplation to decide how to draw from them, and how to use them in our daily lives.

Furthermore we can see how these six points are connected to the training institute. The training institute is an instrument that helps us in this regard as it is based on the fundamental concept of “being” and “doing”. The more we kindle the “being” in our hearts—this flame of love for His Beauty—the more our “doing” is infused with spiritual meaning. And consequently our acts of service further infuse our “being”. By participating in the institute’s programs, namely, children’s classes, junior youth group, or study circles we naturally practice our “being” and “doing” through study and service. On the one hand, these two aspects fuel each other. At the same time, they nurture this flame.

The beloved House of Justice further affirms the impact of a kindled heart towards society. In one of its Ridvan messages the House of Justice explains: “The brighter the flame kindled within the heart of the believer, the greater will be the force of attraction felt by those exposed to its warmth.”⁶ And it continues: “to a heart consumed with love for Baha’u’llah, what more fitting occupation can be imagined than to seek out kindred spirits, to encourage them as they enter the path of service, to accompany them as they gain experience and—perhaps the greatest joy of all—to see souls become confirmed in their faith, arise independently, and assist others on the same journey. These are among the most cherished of all the moments that this transitory life affords.”⁵ This is another fundamental quality of the flame: how it spreads and is kindled from heart to heart, through our conduct, words and deeds.

This brings me to a broader dimension of this subject, namely, how this flame finds even greater expression in the life of our communities, particularly when they are “vibrant, outward-looking communities.”⁷ It finds expression, for instance, in the environment which the community generates. The House of Justice counsels us to “make cooperation and mutual assistance among people of many backgrounds a distinctive characteristic of Baha’i community life”;⁸ “to demonstrate that vital Baha’i attitude of being truly outward looking, sincerely open to all, and resolutely inclusive.”⁵ Even during consultations, whether among institutions or in our communities, when we seek to “discover that precious point of unity where contrasting perspectives overlap”⁹ it has a profound impact on the environment.

To conclude, in one of His Tablets Abdu’l-Baha reflects on the potency of this flame to deeply illumine and transform from a region the whole world:

“[…] it became clear and evident that the fire of the love of God hath burst into a flame in that region—a flame that can illumine the whole world and transform the East and the West into a field for the knights of the Kingdom.”¹⁰

When I participate in community gatherings, ever so often I listen to the friends singing these beautiful words of Baha’u’llah: “Kindle the fire of love and burn away all things; Then set thy foot into the land of the lovers.”¹¹ I hope that these Writings and thoughts shared can be of some help or inspiration to live our lives accordingly.

1. Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, no. 177 [↩]
2. Abdu’l-Baha, Light of the World, no. 40, par. 12 [↩]
3. Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, no. 58, “The Four Kinds of Love”, par. 3 [↩]
4. The Universal House of Justice, 1996 Ridvan Message, par. 21 [↩]
5. Ibid [↩] [↩] [↩]
6. The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 2019, par. 3 [↩]
7. The Universal House of Justice, 30 December 2021, par. 2 [↩]
8. The Universal House of Justice, 1 November 2022, par. 20 [↩]
9. The Universal House of Justice, 25 November 2020, par. 7 [↩]
10. Abdu’l-Baha, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks [↩]
11. Baha’u’llah, from a poem of Baha’u’llah [↩]

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Tony Mirra

Tony Mirra is an Italian-Iranian Bahá’í. He received a Bachelor of Economics degree from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. In 2016 he and his family pioneered to the neighbourhood of Galatsi in the cluster of Attiki in Greece to assist with the development of the institute process and community building there. He served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Greece, and currently serves as an Auxiliary Board member.