He feels that now that you have found the thing you were
searching for inwardly, and have this added joy in your life of our glorious
Faith, you should be kinder to your husband and more considerate than ever, and
do everything in your power to make him feel that this has not taken you away
from him, but only made your love for him and your desire to be a good wife to
him, greater. Whether he will ultimately be able to become a Bahá’í or not, is
something that only time can tell; but there is no doubt where your duty lies,
and that is to make him appreciate the fact that your new affiliation has not
interfered in any way with his home life or his marriage, but on the contrary,
has strengthened both.
It is very difficult when one has found what one knows is
the truth, to sit by and see a dear and close relative completely blind to it.
The temptation is to try and “stir them up and make them see the light”, but
this is often disastrous. Silence, love and forbearance will win greater
victories in such cases. However, your husband has no right to ask you to give
up being a Bahá’í. That is going too far. Nobody should trespass on the sacred
bond every human being has a right to have with their Creator.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter
dated 20 April 20, 1957 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual
believer; ‘High Endeavours, Messages to Alaska’)
