A prayer for Heverlee, Lommel, and Panjwayi
A truly terrible few days in Belgium and Afghanistan, from the shooting spree in Panjwayi to last night’s bus accident in Switzerland. In both tragedies, the largest number of victims were children. Several of the Belgian children were from a town right beside Leuven; I’ll be going there later, probably for the memorial. In the meantime, I would like to offer three prayers:
“O misguided ones, what sin have the little children committed?” — Baha’u’llah Lawh-i-Times
“O My Servant! Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed in the darkness of its sheath and its value hidden from the artificer’s knowledge. Wherefore come forth from the sheath of self and desire that thy worth may be made resplendent and manifest unto all the world.” — Baha’u’llah, Hidden Words, Persian #72
“Be not grieved at the death of that infant child, for it is placed in trust for thee before thy Lord in His great Kingdom. Verily God will bestow upon thee that whereby thy heart shall be rejoiced and thy breast shall be dilated. Verily thy Lord is compassionate and merciful!” — Abdu’l-Baha, tablet to a grieving mother
