COMMEMORATION OF THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE IMPRISONMENT OF THE FRIENDS OF IRAN
By Bryn Deamer

Sat. 11 July 2009, Belvedere, St. Stephen's Episcopal church (LARGE format picture here).

Some 70 Friends and supporters gathered for the commemoration in an unprecedented show of religious unity and love. Supported by the Marin Interfaith council, seven leaders and member local Faith communities joined Bahá'ís at the podium to offer their thoughts and prayers, focused on the protection of the seven leaders of the Bahá'í community imprisoned in Iran, but through them to all the suffering people of Iran, be they Muslim, Christian, Jew, Zoarastrian, Bahá'í or of no religious affiliation at all.

As the program unfolded, the spiritual atmosphere rose to ever great heights.

The following message was sent to the readers and participants early Sunday morning:

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“Ya Bahá'ul-Abha” (Oh God the Most Glorious).

I awoke this early this morning with my soul filled with gratitude, my heart melting with love, and my mind racing with all the wonderful and powerful words that we heard last night:


o That Sacred Space, was filled with the Spirit that is with us All,
(The Reverend Jeffrey Clawson - Episcopal)

o Where the Divine Physician offered His unerring remedy to heal the ills of a sorely afflicted humanity, (Bryn Deamer - Bahá'í )

o Where we had the freedom to worship together in a loving community,
(The Reverend Carol Hovis - Protestant)

o That Blessed Spot where the Mention of God was being made,
(Lauren Grieve - Bahá'í)

o Where the names of a few of the millions who hold to their Faiths in times of oppression and adversity were called out to the world,
(Charleen Maghzi - Bahá'í)

o Those millions of square inches and thousands of seconds filled with the presence of God,
(Swami Vedananda - Vedanta Society)

o Where our family, friends, enemies, and all the sentient beings of the world could find peace and joy and happiness,
(Joanne Mied Sensei - Buddhist Temple of Marin)

o Ya Bahá'ul-Abha
(Sima Ahrari - Bahá'í)

o Where the word of God never ends, and there is no “last word”,
(Dr. David Fankushen, Congregation Kol Shofar)

o Where the hearts of mankind were united and we lived together as one family, and established the “Most Great Peace”.
(Chase Grieve - Bahá'í)

o Where we honored our fathers and mothers, yearned to love our neighbors as ourselves knowing that many that are first shall be last, and many that are last shall be first,
(Dante Harrera - Catholic)

Where we strived not so much to seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love,
(Gladys Herrera - Catholic)

o Where were humbled thus revealing more power, made stronger to reveal more peace, more love, more joy,

This was our prayer last night … Oh God!

(Beverly Freeman - Bahá'í singing a prayer from the Agape International Center of Truth)

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Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

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