Grief and sorrow do not come to us by chance, they are sent to us by the Devine Mercy for our own perfecting. While man is happy he may forget his God; but when grief comes and sorrows overwhelm him, then will he remember his Father who is in Heaven, and who is able to deliver him from his humiliations.

— 'Abdu'l-Bahá

The Bahá’í Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent monotheistic religions. Founded in Iran in 1844, it now has more than five million adherents in 236 countries and territories. Bahá’ís come from nearly every national, ethnic and religious background, making the Bahá’í Faith the second-most-widespread religion in the world.

Bahá’ís view the world’s major religions as a part of a single, progressive process through which God reveals His will to humanity. Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892), the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, is recognized as the most recent in a line of Divine Messengers that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.

The central theme of Bahá’u’lláh’s message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for humanity’s unification into one global society. While reaffirming the core ethical principles common to all religions, Bahá’u’lláh also revealed new laws and teachings to lay the foundations of a global civilization. “A new life,” Bahá’u’lláh declared, “is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth.”

The worldwide Bahá’í community, composed of people from virtually every racial, ethnic and religious background, is working to give practical expression to Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of world unity. We invite you to learn more about the Bahá’í Faith and benefit from the spiritual and practical insights found in the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, God’s message for humanity in this day.

To become a Bahá’í is to respond to the call of God for this day and to join a global fellowship committed to helping humankind reach the long-promised age of global peace, justice and unity. A person becomes a Bahá’í by recognizing Bahá’u’lláh as the Messenger of God for this age and striving to follow His laws and teachings.  (To become a member of the Bahá’í Faith, go to join.bahai.us. Outside of the United States, visit the international Bahá’í website for contact information in your country.)

Some of the features and requirements of living a Bahá’í life are outlined below:

• Laws of personal behavior and moral principles
• Governance and leadership
• Teaching the Bahá’í Faith
• Service
• Giving to the Bahá’í funds

SATURDAY • DECEMBER 7th, 2013 • 1:00PM – 4:00PM

Dr. Farzin Davachi shares his insights by referring to Baha’i writings on the spiritual destiny of the United States of America.

Reservations are required due to limited seating. There is no charge for this event, and it is open to all interested individuals. Please register by email by providing your name and number of guests attending to johnrusso50@hotmail.com by 6 PM Wednesday, December 4th.

About the Facilitator

Dr. Davachi, a world renowned physician and scientist, is Professor of Pediatric Cardiology at New York Medical College and a Fulbright Senior Scholar. He is a medical advisor and consultant to the United Nations agencies. As one of the world experts on HIV/AIDS, he served for many years on the International Scientific Committee for AIDS. He is one of the first physicians to encounter patients with AIDS. From the outset, he recommended preventive strategies aimed at children before puberty, which have had dramatic results. In association with the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Health, he conducted extensive research in Kinshasa on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. These findings are widely published.

He is an international advocate of character education of children for the prevention of social ills, such as alcohol and drug abuse, violence, crime, hatred, prejudice, intolerance, injustice, and others. He has traveled extensively around the world, meeting with Heads of State and Royalty, Ministers of Health, Education and Justice, Senators, Members of Parliament, and leaders of thought to encourage a holistic approach to the education of children. His recommendation for the moral education of children at the Millennium Forum at the United Nations in May 2000 was approved and submitted to all the Heads of State, and their governments in their Millennium Summit in September 2000.

About The Workshop

The United States is unique among all the nations of the world in that it has been chosen by the Supreme Manifestation of God, Baha’u'llah, to establish peace and unity, and to raise the banner of the oneness of mankind. This is the ultimate goal of all religions. The Bab, in the mid 1840′s, called upon the people of the West to become brethren in His Cause. Baha’u'llah gave specific tasks to the Presidents of America, which has no parallel in the annals of human history. His son and successor, Abdu’l-Baha, while visiting the United States and Canada between 1912-1914, poured His love and affection upon this nation, and bequeathed upon it “spiritual supremacy”. To achieve this, the Lord “equipped and empowered” this nation to become “the envy of the east and of the west”. Equally important have been the decades of guidance and encouragement toward its glorious spiritual destiny by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Faith.

SATURDAY • DECEMBER 7th • DINNER @ 6:00 PM • MOVIE @ 8:00 PM

The Steering Committee of the NOVA Baha’i Center is pleased to announce that it is sponsoring a “Dinner and Movie Night”. This event is open to all so tell your friends. $10 for all ages over 3 years old. Tickets should be purchased no later than Monday, December 2nd! No tickets will be sold at the door. You may purchase tickets at the Baha’i Center, or by contacting Dana Haghighi: 703-402-7180; email: danahgh@gmail.com

The evening will start off with a popular Persian dish called “Ghormeh Sabzi” being served as early as 6:00pm and as late as 7:15pm. Afterwards, activities will move into the auditorium where the movie will begin promptly at 8:00pm. The movie will be a Persian film with English subtitles, so just about everyone can enjoy. The title of the movie will be announced within the next few days.