…as you already appreciate, the current crisis [covid-19]
has altered the context in which the Plan is being pursued. We have been
impressed by how many communities have taken great strides in adapting to this
new reality. Far from viewing the present period as simply a hiatus to be
endured with patience, they have recognized that the state of the world has
made the need to render meaningful service to humanity more urgent. Naturally,
the activities undertaken must suit the prevailing conditions, but there should
be no doubt that this is a time for noble aims, high resolve, and intense
endeavour. As is well known, the activities of the Plan are intended to
cultivate a thriving community spirit, through which resilience to mighty
challenges is also strengthened. Educational efforts aim to raise up a growing
number of souls who can contribute to the spiritual and material well-being of
a community; devotional meetings nurture the spirit of service as it blossoms,
rooting it in a culture of collective worship. In short, the promotion of the
Plan implies building capacity to walk the path of service in every time and
season—which must surely include moments of acute peril in the life of
humanity, such as now. It is essential, then, that the steps being taken to
learn how to apply the Plan’s framework for action to the current circumstances
of the world continue in earnest; in all likelihood, the global health crisis
will have a direct impact on Bahá’í activities, to a greater or lesser degree,
for months or even years, and the task of adapting to the situation cannot be
postponed.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 9 May 2020 to
all National Spiritual Assemblies)
