This year, Baha’is in the Portland Metro area are celebrating Naw Ruz in a big way with a metro-wide event full of music, dance and entertainment. Come and join us for an evening of joyous celebration.

Naw Ruz Gala
Saturday, March 24, 2012
6:45 pm
Arts & Communication Magnet Academy (ACMA)
11375 SW Center St
Beaverton,OR 97005

Guided by principles laid down in the writings of Baha’u'llah, Baha’is have established a distinctive system of global self-governance that both protects personal freedom and safeguards the prerogatives of the community as a whole, striking a singular balance between individual initiative and the common good.

This dynamic arrangement is in many ways far more “democratic” than the methods by which most parliaments or other representational systems operate. And yet, because of its distinctive procedures and principles, it avoids the processes of manipulation, factionalism, and partisanship that have become features of other systems of governance worldwide.

Baha’i elections exclude any form of electioneering or nomination. Yet they offer every individual elector the widest possible choice of candidates. At the age of 21 Baha’is become eligible to serve on elected institutions of the Baha’i administrative order. These elected bodies are vested by the Baha’i sacred writings with legislative, judicial, and executive functions.

The appointed branch of the Baha’i administrative order is entrusted with propagating and protecting the Faith. It is the responsibility of individuals serving in an appointed capacity to counsel, stimulate and encourage individual Baha’is and elected institutions.

Ladder For the Soul Choir performed at the Portland Zoo's December "Zoolights" display.

The Ladder for the Soul choir continues to evolve and hone its ability to perform in a wide variety of venues and circumstances. The choir recently performed at the Portland Zoo’s December “Zoolights” display. The intrepid performers found their way to the “Elephant Plaza” on a cold, drippy evening. The “stage” was set under a metal roof next to the Zoo Train tracks. This made for interesting acoustics as a rain storm pummeled the roof, a hardy wind blew past the open-sided venue, and every few minutes the train chugged past, blowing its horn!

The gift of rain brought people seeking shelter together, to listen to the exquisite writings of Baha’u’llah. The audience, most likely anticipating Christmas carols, listened attentively to each song.

Two weeks later, the choir once again performed musical outreach at a twelve-hour chant for peace sponsored by the Portland Zen Buddhist community. During this interfaith event, different faith communities led participants in one-hour chant sessions. The choir members led chants for “Ya-Baha’ul-Abha,” “God is Sufficient Unto Me” and an interfaith chant that incorporated “Allah-u-Abha” along with Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist phrases. Choir members remained afterward to talk with participants and support other faith-based chant groups.

The choir also continues to sing for more reverent occasions, including memorial services, musical firesides, Holy Day observances and devotional gatherings. Choir members are actively involved in the Sunday morning devotions at the Portland Baha’i Center and perform as a group on the second Sunday of each month. Several choir members have recently committed to adding the fourth Sunday for live music during devotions. The Sunday devotions are open to everyone and people of many different beliefs attend.

Sunday devotions start at 10:30 AM at the Portland Baha’i Center (8720 N. Ivanhoe Street, Portland, 97203) and fellowship follows at 11:15 AM. We hope to see you there!

Grace Eagle Reed was the first interviewee of the The Pansophy Project.

Portland Baha’i Grace Eagle Reed was honored to be the first guest of a new Chicago community internet radio program, “The Pansophy Project.” Ms. Eagle Reed introduced her most recent book, “Negotiating Shadows – Journey to the Sun,” on the program. During the interview, she found the opportunity to speak about the National Baha’i Temple, located in the Chicago area, and touch briefly on the Baha’i Faith.

Ms. Eagle Reed’s newest book is dedicated to AA and the Baha’i Faith, both credited for saving her life. The book talks about pulling oneself out of the dark shadows of addictive behavior, into the
light of sobriety and faith. The book is currently featured on the Global Poetry Project website: www.globalpoetry.net and is available for purchase on Grace’s website: www.negotiatingshadows.com.
You can hear Ms. Eagle Reed once a month on KBOO Community Radio, 90.7 FM. She is one of the hosts of “Prison Pipeline,” a program about prison reform and social justice, airing Mondays, 6:30
– 7:00 PM.

Upon finally receiving a settlement from the insurance company, the Assembly ordered a new sign. Although the sign is fabricated of metal, it was designed to resemble marbled stone. Elegant and sturdy, the new sign is now installed at the left-front side of the building, facing N. Ivanhoe Street. It will identify the Portland Baha’i Center for many years to come.

Lisa Campbell lights the menorah with son Kalim

With the Baha’i Faith being the newest of the world’s independent religions (it began in 1844), many Baha’is come from family backgrounds where other spiritual traditions were embraced and celebrated. So, when winter holidays, such as Christmas and Hanukkah, come each year, many Baha’is are asked, “Do you still celebrate these holidays even though you’re now a Baha’i?”

We checked in with Lisa Campbell, a Baha’i from San Francisco, Calif., who was born to a Jewish Father and Christian Mother.  “I grew up with all the holidays of both religions–all of my Christian cousins would light Hanukkah candles with my brother and me if Christmas dinner fell during Hanukkah,” Campbell shares.

It was in college at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where Campbell first learned of the Baha’i Faith and after investigating its claims made the decision to join in 1995. While Campbell waits with her fellow Baha’is for Ayyam-i-Ha to come between February 26 and March 1, a holiday that is devoted to spiritual preparation for the Baha’i Fast, celebrating, hospitality, charity and gift giving, she shares that she still enjoys celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah with her family.

“I’ve been a Baha’i for over 15 years now, and I think I’m a lot less stressed out about any sort of “conflict” with the December holidays than I used to be, probably because my faith has grown over time and I feel more secure in my Baha’i identity. I’m also very lucky that my extended family is very accepting of our Faith and puts unity above all else,” Campbell states.

Kalim with his grandfather

Campbell’s husband, Chris, shares the same sentiments. “He grew up in a Christian family that always had big holiday celebrations,” she shares. After learning about the Baha’i Faith from his stepfather, a Persian Baha’i, Chris joined the Faith right after his 21st birthday.

Now Campbell and her husband have a two year old son, Kalim, and they’re passing on the spirit of each of their family’s holidays. “This is the first year he’s been aware of the December holidays,” she notes.

“We travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles to visit my family and my in-laws, which makes it a bit easier to separate Christmas and Hanukkah from our Baha’i traditions at home. Our son will receive many gifts and enjoy the Christmas tree and lighting the menorah with his grandparents, and I’m excited that he can share that with them. For us, it’s much more about family than religion, though I hope that one day my son can understand the spiritual origins of these holidays and learn to tune out the materialistic message.”

She concludes, “My husband, son, and I will participate in Christmas and Hanukkah as much as we feel comfortable, with the goal of staying close to our families and making our mothers happy, leaving all the rest. And, as ever, resolving to make Ayyam-i-Ha as special as possible!”

__________________
Reprinted with permission from the Baha’is of the United States
(see U.S. Baha’i News)

“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.”

~ Baha’u'llah

In June 2012, Dr. John Ng will become the first male co-chair of the Women in Academic Medicine Committee at the Casey Eye Institute of the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Dr. Ng, who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology, is also a Baha’i and an active advocate for the rights of women. Read the full article in OHSU School of Medicine News.

Dancing and fun activities unify people of all ages and cultures.

In November, Portland Baha’i Karen Thomas and William Thomas responded to an invitation from the Vue Family of Portland, OR. This reporter accompanied them. The invitation was announced in early November to the Baha’is of Portland to attend the Annual Family “Noj Tshiab” Dinner set for Margaret Scott Elementary on Sat., Nov. 19. (“Noj Tshiab” is Hmong for New Year’s Eve Dinner.) Guests were asked to bring their “dancing shoes”.

Karen and William arrived in the school gym and soon discovered the sumptuous buffet of rice, vegetable salad, salad roll, Pa Thai noodle, exquisite dishes made with fresh beef, topped off by “na va” dessert.  Live musicians were playing lively, danceable music and the dance floor at one end of the gym was equally alive with young dancers. Everyone — young and old, was moved by the music to join in each dance …little children, too! With his guitar, Long Vue (one of the hosts) eagerly joined in the music.

Youth enjoying the food and the music.

Koneng Vue, a member of the hosting family, shares cultural background of the Hmong people:

“In the Hmong culture, New Year is celebrated at the end of December to early January. Historically Hmong New Year starts with a New Year Eve dinner, followed by several weeks of community fun activities. New Year Eve dinner is when family prepares food and share with other families and friends to celebrate the hard year’s work, and hope for a more prosperous year. Today, with busy schedules and no “free space” to host the traditionally weeks-long celebration, the combined family “Noj Tshiab” dinner and entertainment symbolizes cherished traditional values as well as create an environment for both young and old to come together. “Noj Tshiab” dinner is the least that today’s Hmong community can do to educate their children about treasured Hmong culture, bring youth and adults together through fun dinner activities, and preserve the value of families (binded by clan name or relationships) helping each other to purchase and prepare food, and share with the larger community – friends and families from near and afar – at no cost to the guests, except a curious intention to enjoy…each other’s presence (life), what are on the dinner table, the air, and the laughter of youth and adults harmonizing the differences (or “gap”) of growing in a different time and place.”

Karen and William Thomas join the dancing.

In Koneng’s description can be seen the light of unity promised by Abdu’l-Baha in London, England in 1911-12. At the age of 67, He made His journey from Akka (the prison city of the Ottoman Empire) to western Europe and North America to advance the unity of all peoples. He promised that:

“The darkness of suppression will disappear and the light of unity will shine. We cannot bring love and unity to pass merely by talking of it. Knowledge is not enough. Wealth, science, education are good, we know: but we must also work and study to bring to maturity the fruit of knowledge.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 54)

Music in any culture is music to the mind and joy to the heart!

With gratitude to the Vues and their extended families, we share with you and many readers this celebration of unity.

A Happy Hmong/Mong New Year to all!