Day 2, Part 2: The Beloved Universal House of Justice

There's a tradition in the Baha'i community to refer to certain of the Institutions of the Faith in rather flowerly language. For example, it's common to hear people talk about "the Beloved Universal House of Justice." We had always thought that this was just kind of... well, flowery language.

Not any more. This isn't flowery language, it's a simple statement of fact. We are here to tell you that to be in the presence of the beloved Universal House of Justice is to love them. A lot.

But we digress...

When last we met, we were reluctantly leaving Bahji because we had a date with the aforementioned beloved Universal House of Justice. We managed to catch a short nap on the bus ride back, and before we knew it, we had been deposited at the gate leading to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. We walked up a very long, very wide, very impressive stone pathway to the very large and unbelievably impressive building. We mounted the marble steps and went inside. (Note: We weren't allowed to take photographs at this event. Stay tuned later in the week for photos of all of the beautiful buildings on Mount Carmel, known as the Arc because of their semi-circular arrangement on the side of the mountain.)

We've both been to Washington D.C., and in our opinion there's not a building in our nation's capital that can hold a candle to the Seat of the House of Justice. The marble columns are just amazing, as is the beautiful ornamentation within and without the building.

We entered a very large reception hall, in which some 270 chairs had been arranged for all the pilgrims. Through an amazing stroke of luck, we were able to secure seats in the very front row, facing a few marble steps leading to a broad Persian rug-covered landing upon which seven chairs had been placed. Some of the Baha'i youth on the World Center staff stood at attention around the room, attending to the needs of the pilgrims as necessary. Once everybody was seated, they went from person to person and offered glasses of juice and cookies as we waited for the House members. Here is a photo of the landing, taken a few days later:



Once the juice and cookies had been consumed, and the glasses and napkins taken away, the noise level in the hall gradually increased until it was very noisy with the chatter of excited pilgrims. Suddenly, for no reason we could discern, the noise just stopped, as suddenly as though a switch had been thrown. We sat in breathless silence for a few moments, looking around and wondering what would happen next.

We later decided that the silence must have been caused by the entrance of the members of the House from the rear of the hall. As they approached the front, the pilgrims rose to greet them. Similing and relaxed and looking dapper in suits and ties, they took their seats on the landing.

What a surprise!! We had expected a group of old men, perhaps stooped and bowed by the weight of their heavy responsibilities. Instead, we were faced with a group of seven radiant and vital men who seemed to be in the prime of their lives. So humble were they that they weren't even introduced by name. One of the members read a short prayer, and then another greeted us on behalf of the group. He told us that the pilgrims are their life-blood, and that their meetings with the pilgrims are a source of great joy to the House members. After his short remarks, another member chanted a prayer in Persian.

Next it was time for the individual introductions. If one were fortunate enough to meet the President of the United States or other head of state or religious leader, it's likely the dignitaries would form a receiving line through which the visitors would proceed. Not so in Haifa! The chairs having been magically removed and everyone having risen to their feet, the members of the House waded into the crowd, faces wreathed in smiles and hands outstretched to greet each pilgrim up close and personal.

Dr. Firaydoun Javaheri, who was elected in 2003, came straight down the steps and warmly clasped our hands, telling us that our smiling faces seemed so familiar to him, and asking if we had met him before. Gary replied that his face also seemed warm and familar despite the fact that this was our first meeting.

Have we mentioned that we fell in love with each and every one of them on sight? We now understand, and will forever refer to them, with utmost sincerity, as the beloved Universal House of Justice. It's like this: Think of your cluster or your church family. In every religious family, there are those rare individuals who light up a room just by entering. They are humble, loving, hard-working, really really smart, and just the coolest guys in the room -- any room. Think of seven of those coolest guys in the room, all together in one room, and you might have a teeny tiny inkling of what this afternoon was like. (By the way, although there are nine members of the House, two of them were traveling today. Darn.)

Although we were among the first to be greeted by most of the House members, Hartmut Grossman had begun his greetings at the back of the great hall, so we were among the last to meet him. Amazingly enough, when he reached us and grasped one of our hands in each of his, he apologized for making us wait! When we told him we were from California, he seemed delighted. "Do you know what 'Abdul-Baha said about California?" he asked with a smile in his charming German accent. Mary Lou replied, "Yes! He said it was like the Holy Land!" "That's right," replied Mr. Grossman with a twinkle. "And do you know what he said California does not have?" "Um... spiritual qualities?" ventured Mary Lou, remembering the Tablet of the Divine Plan, in which He urged Californians to develop their spirituality. "No!" chuckled Mr. Grossman. "He said California doesn't have Holy Places!" He laughed as though we had shared a wonderful joke together, and left us standing teary-eyed and open-mouthed at his fabulousness.

All over the great hall, the pilgrims were having similar experiences. We saw a group from Baltimore greeted by Maryland native Kiser Barnes, and share an exhultant group hug when he'd moved on. Everywhere the beloved House members went, they left light and joy in their path.

Of course, when Gary mentioned this phenomenon to beloved Mr. Lample, he demurred and said "No! It's the pilgrims who bring the light with them!" Of course he said that. But although we were convinced of his sincerity, we're not 100% convinced of his accuracy. (Mr. Grossman said the same thing: "The pilgrims are our life's blood! When the blood comes to the heart, the body lights up!")

Did we mention that today was our seventh wedding anniversary? Three words:

Best.

Anniversary.

Ever.

Here's how emotional it was: Mary Lou was so overcome that she SNORTED, just like she did on her wedding day. (At least this time, it wasn't into an open microphone.)

After the beloved (and adored and most precious) House members had left, we floated out of the building and enjoyed a leisurely walk through the gardens and out the side gate. One of the young men guarding the gate looked familiar: "Hey! Didn't we just see you serving cookies in a coat and tie?" "Mayyyyybeeeee," he replied with a smile.

Stay tuned. Although it's hard to imagine, we think things might even get better...