Seeing Through the Clouds

 I was 20 years old. I was in France, in 1969, on a month’s immersion in the French language. Through a series of bizarre happenings, I ended up reading a book (in English), entitled “Thief in the Night”. The title came from Jesus’s prophecy that His next coming would happen just like a thief coming (and going!) in the night, effectively in secret, while everyone was “asleep”. The book itself detailed many Biblical prophecies, and ended up concluding that the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh - two luminous religious figures of the nineteenth century – had been the fulfilment of the promises of both the Old and the New Testament.

I weighed the book up as a Christian, thought carefully about the proofs in the book, then about my own beliefs and goals, and decided that what Christ would wish me to do now was move on from my current position and recognise Bahá'u'lláh as the return of Christ. This also involved recognising the Báb as the One Who prepared the way for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh. That is how I became a Bahá’í. The Bahá’í Faith has the same spiritual foundation as Christianity, and it expands our understanding of many of these spiritual truths. There are also new teachings on how the world should be run – social principles for a new age, based on eternal spiritual principles, and which are designed to bring unity to the world. At the core of both religions is the fundamental belief that there is a Creator, and that a series of different religious teachers has been sent by God to help mankind develop an ever-advancing civilisation. Viewed from a Bahá’í perspective, both are chapters in God’s eternal Faith.

Before each major step forward, mankind receives notification of the event. When Jesus appeared, His coming was foretold by John the Baptist, who ended up dying at the hands of the authorities. In the same way, Bahá’u’lláh was preceded by the Báb, Who was likewise martyred for His teachings. Fundamental to the Báb’s Message was that a very significant divine Messenger would soon appear. After the Báb’s execution, Bahá’u’lláh claimed to be that Promised One.

Bahá'u'lláh was sent as a prisoner to the Holy Land, from where He proclaimed a new Message: that all human beings are essentially One – evolving from one original population, cared for by the same Creator - and that they should now see themselves as one family, and build a world-wide civilisation. To that end, He proclaimed that men and women should be treated equally, and that we should transcend all divisions of class, colour, language and religion. Instead of conflict and competition between different cultures and groups, we should cherish the variety in humanity, while emphasising our essential oneness. In just the same way that those who accepted the mission of Jesus were thereafter considered as a new community, known as Christians, those who have accepted the mission of Bahá’u’lláh are now considered as a new community, known as Bahá’ís.

It is now many years since I read the book which led to me becoming a Bahá’í. For many of those years, my wife and I have been running the Warwick Bahá’í Bookshop, which is not a physical shop, but a small enterprise providing Bahá’í literature of various kinds, some of it produced by ourselves, which is sold at events, or supplied by post. My wife suggested to me that it would be useful for people to have available a book much shorter and less expensive than “Thief in the Night” (the one which I originally read), but which similarly dealt with Biblical prophecies and their possible fulfilment in the coming of first the Báb and then Bahá’u’lláh. So I set out to write one! The biggest difficulty I had was not in choosing which points to make. Nor was it finding evidence to support my argument. It was finding out just how different the Bible translations are from one another! This was a big surprise to me. When I was young, the schools I attended all used the King James Version – very antiquated English, granted, but then, the Bible is a very old book. However, it all sounded so definite and authoritative. But since then, so many different people have had a go at translating the Bible into English, using slightly different approaches, and sometimes producing what seem to be very different results, that the implicit certainty has evaporated! My wife and I compared some of these translations, and eventually decided to use the New Revised Standard Version (Updated), as it seems to have the flavour of the King James Version, but is more modern in its use of English. However, in some cases, the meaning of a particular Biblical quote I had been planning to use now seemed so different that I had to search for a similar quote in which the meaning did not seem to have changed.

Undertaking the task of writing this book has confirmed my conviction that the Bahá’í Faith is God’s religion for the new age. I hope that the book, which is only 48 pages long, will be an easy read for most people, and introduce them to what appears to be a new revelation of religion. I have received warm support and encouragement for writing this book, mostly from other Bahá’ís but also from people who have not yet found true satisfaction in religion. I hope I still get the same level of support once they have read it! After prolonged effort and a lot of work over several years, it has finally been published, under our imprint: “Warwick Bahá’í Bookshop”.

The Biblical references to the return of Christ stress that there will be clouds. The return will be “in clouds” or “on clouds” or “with clouds”. My book deals in some detail with the various meanings of these “clouds”, as well as with the details of the time and place of the second coming. This is why the title is “Seeing Through the Clouds”.

I am hopeful that the book will lead some people to accept Bahá’u’lláh as the return of Christ, but at the same time I am hoping that the book will do a little bit towards helping Bahá’ís who were not previously Christians (possibly atheists, Jews or Hindus, for example) to better understand the relationship between Jesus and Bahá’u’lláh. My sincere hope is that it will help everyone to see through all those clouds which have hindered us from recognising Christ when He returned to Earth “like a thief in the night”…

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Publishing information:
Title: “Seeing Through the Clouds – the Return of Christ”
Author: Patrick Vickers
Publisher: Warwick Bahá’í Bookshop
ISBN: 078-1-7392613-2-0
48 pages
Price £1.50 in the U.K.

 

“In a time to come, morals will degenerate to an extreme degree…”

 

Recently, companies in the UK such as Marks and Spencer and the Co-op have been targeted by hackers demanding a ransom, causing great upset to customers and great financial loss to the companies themselves. The gross selfishness of these hackers is just one example of the increasing lack of morality in the world. More than a hundred years ago, Bahá’u’lláh’s son, Abdu’l-Bahá, foretold that, “In a time to come, morals will degenerate to an extreme degree.” This process can now be seen everywhere, with a rise in unprincipled selfishness, in a lack of concern for others, in a decline in truthfulness, in financial dishonesty and in an increasing lack of social responsibility.

Bahá'u'lláh said that truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues. Unfortunately, telling deliberate lies seems to be becoming more common. Politicians accuse political rivals by making statements that clearly have no basis in fact, and also through malevolent innuendo, knowing that in the minds of many people “mud sticks”. These same dishonest and untruthful leaders even deny what they are doing or have done, when the evidence is obvious to everyone. Such people seem to think that if they tell the same lie often enough, it will be accepted as truth. Meanwhile, journalists and broadcasters who are working for some politically-motivated organisations now think nothing of telling the public total untruths. This is far removed from Bahá’u’lláh’s exhortation to journalists, in which He wrote: “They should inquire into situations as much as possible and ascertain the facts, then set them down in writing.” The same principle naturally applies to all other forms of news-gathering and news-sharing.

The lack of concern for others manifests itself in a myriad of ways. Companies hosting social media seem prepared to allow people to suffer all kinds of harm, in the name of the shibboleth of “free speech”. Individuals write hateful things about people they don’t even know, and seem to think that this is perfectly normal and acceptable. Companies take advantage of the trust of their customers in various ways. Some of those who are manufacturing cars or producing building materials, for example, shamelessly falsify the results of the safety checks on their products. Meanwhile, criminal gangs treat the general population with absolute disdain, with callous killing on a wide scale in some countries. In many parts of the world, sexual abuse is used as a weapon of war. The idea of the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” which appears in the sacred Scriptures of every major religion, has been completely discarded by those people who seek to take advantage of others.

This lack of concern for others is linked to the phenomenon of unprincipled selfishness. This is clearly seen in sexual behaviour. From the biological point of view, the procreative act is clearly intended as a means to form the next generation of children, but it is now often regarded by self-centred people not just as an end in itself, but for the gratification of one person only. Sexual abuse of women, children and even men is routinely being revealed, with the perpetrators often hiding behind the role of entertainer, sports coach, or a religious appointment. Unprincipled selfishness also shows itself in the diverse ways in which people try to obtain other people’s money and property. Online, on the telephone, and in person, we can encounter scammers, tricksters and conmen, who lie as to who they are and what their object is. At the same time, employees commit fraud or engage in embezzlement from their employer. More direct tactics are used by thieves who burgle people’s houses, steal mobile phones or cars. Dishonesty and theft are both aspects of this prevalent self-absorption. In complete contrast to this trend, Bahá’u’lláh emphasised the necessity of trustworthiness in human life: “Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquillity and security of the people. In truth the stability of every affair hath depended and doth depend upon it.” Indeed, no progress in the world can be made without it.

The lack of concern for others is also manifested in a general lack of social responsibility, often shown in corporate action. There are those in positions of either corporate or political control who deliberately deny the human role in the runaway climate change, for reasons of short-term financial gain. There are companies who deliberately use unseaworthy vessels to carry cargo, even such ecologically dangerous commodities as oil. Even more unscrupulous groups of people organise the smuggling and sale of harmful drugs and illegal weapons. The list is endless. But, despite all these problems, there are, of course, still many honest and caring people in the world. However, they seem to be in danger of becoming a minority.

The causes of this apparently rising tide of dishonesty, downright theft, lack of compassion, selfishness and lack of responsibility are complex, but according to the Bahá’í Writings, one underlying cause is the decline in religious restraint. In societies where many people no longer believe in the existence of a God, no longer believe that they have a future after death and no longer recognise any authority outside their own impulses, there may well be a much greater tendency to act as if the only person who matters is oneself, and therefore to ignore the rights and feelings of others. Bahá'u'lláh wrote: “In truth, religion is a radiant light and an impregnable stronghold for the protection and welfare of the peoples of the world, for the fear of God impelleth man to hold fast to that which is good, and shun all evil. Should the lamp of religion be obscured, chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness and justice, of tranquillity and peace cease to shine. Unto this will bear witness every man of true understanding.” Sadly, we can already see this happening.

However, the Bahá’í message is not one of gloom. Bahá’u’lláh’s message was that all the major religions of the world were from God, and that each one was given to mankind in order to raise the level of behaviour and increase the level of spirituality. Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh was chosen by God to usher in an age of unity for mankind. All His teachings set out to infuse a new spirit of love for our fellow human beings. Armed with the conviction that God has a purpose for us, that we as individuals each have a spiritual destiny, and that we prepare ourselves for the next life through the way we behave in this one, the followers of Bahá’u’lláh should be in the vanguard of those working for a better life for those around them, and will most definitely not be taking advantage of others. Bahá’ís endeavour to give children and young people a moral outlook and a vision of a joyful life of service to others. Bahá’ís work to improve the lives of all around them. As Bahá’u’lláh Himself wrote: “My object is none other than the betterment of the world and the tranquillity of its peoples.” A major element in this betterment of the world is the promotion of a luminous moral code, re-establishing values of honesty, truthfulness, trustworthiness, social responsibility and human solidarity. This renewal of spiritual values is slowly being spread around the globe, as more people join with the Bahá’ís in prayer and in action – to build a more caring world for all of us.
           
So, in a time to come, morals will improve beyond all recognition…

“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security…”

 

The Bahá’í community has been working for well over one hundred years towards the creation of a unified world and a united planet. Many people in the world would like to see this happen but cannot see how it can ever be achieved. Those who want to bring about change usually feel it is only possible to concentrate on one problem at a time. Obvious candidates at present are the problems relating to war and poverty, the Palestine/Israel problem, the current war in Ukraine, deforestation, reduction in biodiversity, global warming, etc. Despite people’s best efforts, not enough progress is being made and recent developments have not been promising.

At the time of writing, at the beginning of 2025, wildfires are destroying large parts of Los Angeles. 2024 also saw wildfires in Portugal, Turkey, Chile, Canada and Russia. In addition, there were also droughts in Zambia and Colombia. At the same time, while dry parts of the world get drier, wet parts are rapidly becoming wetter. Floods are fresh in the memory of millions of people, having recently occurred in India, Spain, Dubai, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Central Europe, Sudan, Nepal, Brazil, the United Kingdom and a number of other countries. Tropical storms have recently ravaged the south-eastern U.S.A., Mexico, the Philippines, various islands in the Caribbean, Vietnam, parts of China, Mauritius, Mayotte and other areas. It is clear to the vast majority of us that there is a slight, but crucially significant, warming of the world’s climate, caused by human activity. So, are we successfully changing our behaviour to reduce the severity of these more extreme weather patterns?

The answer, for most people, would be “No”. Sadly, 2024 was the hottest year on record, and the first to exceed the target maximum of 1.5 degrees warming. The recent COP29 climate change conference, held in Azerbaijan, eventually reached a deal, but the conference was not considered a real success. The countries of the world were divided on a number of issues, including the amount of money needed to be allocated by richer countries to help the poorer countries combat the effects of the climate change. Another crucial question was why the conference did not discuss the need to phase out the use of fossil fuels, often seen as among the chief culprits in global warming. Phasing out such fuels was not even on the agenda!

Another problem facing the world, its creatures and its ecosystems is the increasing volume of plastic waste finding its way into the world’s rivers and seas. (I wrote about this issue in a blog post in April 2018, entitled “In need of plastic surgery”.) According to the Bahá'í Writings: “All created things are closely related together and each is influenced by the other…” So - is it actually possible that we can be poisoning the oceans and the creatures there, and putting plastics into the environment, without affecting ourselves? And what was the result of the recent conference on plastics in the environment? The result was a failure to produce any overall agreement at all! Some countries simply could not see that their role in the production process was damaging the world – or perhaps they understood it, but did not wish to admit it, because of their own short term economic interests.

So not enough progress is being made in solving the problems facing humanity. Bahá’ís do support many of these initiatives, including in our daily lives, but our collective efforts are mainly concentrated on the solution to what we see as the fundamental problem, which is a lack of unity. Most people would feel that any attempt to give mankind a glorious Golden Age has to be relegated well into the future, and would probably regard as too long term the Bahá’í approach of trying to work at a simultaneous replacement of the whole system by building up united communities. But in the nineteenth century, Bahá’u’lláh stated that, “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” In other words, the unity of mankind has to be established before the world can effectively tackle all the issues which divide it. Any idea of human unity, in the eyes of much of the population, is a desirable but distant goal, but in Bahá’í eyes it is the central issue, the one which needs addressing first.

In virtually every country and territory of the world, there are communities of Bahá’ís, consisting of people of different ages, from different ethnic groups and of different economic and religious backgrounds. Many other local people join with the Bahá’ís in working together to build positive communities and to make life better for everyone. There have been amazing cases of different ethnic groups, or other groups which had been antagonistic to one another, overcoming long-standing differences to work together for the good of all. In areas where these efforts have been the most successful and most widespread, a Bahá’í House of Worship has been built, which serves as a focal point for the community and its events. The developing world has been leading the way on this, but the developed world is starting to catch up. There is always work to be done everywhere. The goal is to build a new kind of society, based on unity, equality and service, leading to prosperity for all. The aim is nothing less than the betterment of the entire world.

Problems will continue all around us, but if we get to know and appreciate one another, and work together, we can make a difference. Even small communities united in an enterprise can have a huge effect.
This is an open invitation to every individual to join the Bahá’ís in building up united communities. Every person who adds themselves to these communities can (and will) make a difference, and will bring the security and well-being of mankind that bit closer.