The international governing body, the Universal House of Justice, of the Baha'i Faith recently shared a letter with the National Spiritual Assemblies of the world - national institutions concerned with administering the Baha'i Faith in nations. I read this letter several times and discussed its contents with friends. The letter stirred up within me feelings of hope, love and a longing to do more in my community. It states that there is "the need to render meaningful service to humanity more urgent." This caused me to consult my friends, look around in my own neighbourhood to see what types of meaningful service is may exist. My husband shared with me a local news article he had heard about the increase of mental illness among children because of the distancing restrictions. I shared this with my friends. We decided to offer prayers at dawn to our neighbours and friends. To create a space for people to gather and connect spiritually. It is evident that material means are required to relieve people's suffering, but the creativity and access to them requires the release of spiritual forces that once accessed, help us to render service more effectively. I believe that as we come together and share prayers from our hearts or listen to the potent prayers of others, we nurture a resilient, collective spirit. As the devotional character of my neighbourhood strengthens, the inherent potential to overcome its problems and withstand a crisis will be uncovered.
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