Abdu’l-Bahá, son of Baha’u'lláh (founder of the Bahá’i Faith) stated that “In this great dispensation, art (or a profession) is identical with an act of worship and this is a clear text of the Blessed Perfection.” This statement brings about, for me, more questions than answers.
How do I express worship through my work and how does my work enable me ”to know his Creator and to attain His Presence”? How can I, through my work, meet the fundamental goals of my existence as a human being and a creation of God?
I once had a strong desire to do my job and to do it well. That desire has been replaced with apathy. In the loving words of Baha’u'lláh I find guidance, and a little fear and sadness: “Nothing whatever can, in this Day, inflict a greater harm upon this Cause than dissension and strife, contention, estrangement and apathy, among the loved ones of God.”
The road blocks to worshiping God through work come in the form of apathy, strife and estrangement. But, my knowledge that I have the tools within me and within the Bahá’i writings to remove the road blocks is an empowering and wonderful feeling – one which leads to true, spiritual happiness.
Of course, this is one of thousands of tiny steps I take in this world, in my preparation for the next.
