OH SON OF MAN! Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come upon thee, grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more. (Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words #52)

About 30 souls were in attendance at the devotional gathering on October 15 to ponder the remedy for the seemingly widening gap between the rich and the poor around the world. After a number of readings and some time for prayers, Harold Rosen provided some additional points that got people thinking about the real remedy for the world's ills. Harold pointed out that he used to think if we solved issues of poverty; if we ended wars; or if we made sure that everyone had enough to eat, then the people of the world would live in unity. Converse to that thought he came to understand that the Bahá'í Faith is based on the knowledge that the only way the world will solve any of these problems will be to create unity first - not the other way around. To create this unity we have to understand that the people of the world are all one family (sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and cousins). In turn we will make sure that everybody in the family is taken care of, and that if one member of the family is in dire straights that it will effect the rest of the family negatively.

Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants...Thou dost wish for gold, and I desire thy freedom from it. Thou thinkest thyself rich in its possession, and I recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity therefrom. (Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words #55 & 56)