Your achievements during the Bicentenary amply proved the current potential for teaching. Go forward, then, with faith

In the United States, the Bicentenary events were attended by some 120,000 people, nearly two-thirds of them not members of the Faith. Impressive as this is, far more moving to us were stories we received from hundreds of individuals about their personal efforts to engage in meaningful conversations about the Blessed Beauty and His teachings. These testify to the devotion of the community, the receptivity of our fellow citizens, and the confirmations that descended upon all who arose to share the divine message.

The time has come for a vast increase in the number and range of individual and collective teaching initiatives. Among them, devotional gatherings―where others are invited to join us in prayer and reflection on the sacred texts―can often open hearts to elevated conversations about the life and teachings of the Blessed Beauty. Continued screenings of Light to the World, coupled with discussions relating His unifying teachings to the current state of our society, will surely generate interest on the part of countless souls. A great increase in the number of firesides―where seekers have the opportunity to learn about the Faith in an atmosphere of warm hospitality—can in the aggregate serve to introduce many thousands to Bahá'u'lláh’s message. Regular home visits will strengthen bonds of loving friendship and will help us to better understand each other’s hopes and aspirations. Celebrations of coming Holy Days can have the same impact as those we just experienced. And there is no limit to the potential that resides in creative use of the arts as a means of attracting receptive souls. In all these and other efforts, let us introduce the universal message of Bahá'u'lláh, study His writings, and explore with our friends and contacts their implications for the reconstruction of the world. Let us see each as a portal to service, inviting those so inclined into other efforts in which we can together join hands in applying the Bahá’í teachings to the building of a new pattern of community life.

Dear friends! Your achievements during the Bicentenary amply proved the current potential for teaching. Go forward, then, with faith―faith that what you are striving to accomplish is God's will for the day in which we live. That it is His will for humanity to live as one family; that it is His will for every single human being to live up to his or her full potential; that it is His will for peace and justice to fill every land and for love to reign in every heart. Be certain of His assistance. He knows you, He watches over and protects you, and He brings you victory―because you are the soldiers in His Army of Light!

With assurance of our ardent prayers,

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES
December 8, 2017