Help must be practical.

 

116. Help must be practical; common sense and the writings of the religions of God tell us. What good is it to tell someone to be safe and warm in the middle of the cold of winter and not give them the means of getting warm?  Judaism: Proverbs 3:28 “Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.” We are not meant to practice our faith in just words alone. If we see someone in need we are to help our brother in need and not just think about it.  Christianity: 1 John 3:17 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” Of what use are we if we see our brother and sister in need and all we do is wish them good will. Will good words fill their belly when they are hungry? James 2:15 “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,” James 2:16 “And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” Being good to your neighbor in deeds and not just in words is not only a teaching of the bible it is also found in the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith as well as the other religions of God.

 ISLAM: 277. “Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular prayers and regular charity, will have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

Islam: “There will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, ‘Return to us tomorrow.’ Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection.” In the writings of Islam, it is not good enough to tell someone in need you will help him, you must be prepared to render that service.

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 7, Book 69, # 494v)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 11. “O Ahura (God), now is help ours, we will be ready to serve those that are of You.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 29)

 Zoroastrianism: 22. “Clear it is to the man of understanding, as one who has realized it with his thought. He upholds Asha together with good Dominion by his word and deed.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 31)

 HINDUISM: 14. “Help every one the other, lend assistance each of you to each, All of you be accordant, give furtherance to this speech of mine.”

(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 10)

 Hinduism: “Remove whatever is unwell. I Let one of you aid another, Let one be of assistance to another;”

(Hindu, Vedas, Yajur Veda – Kanda IV)

 BUDDHISM: 14. “The wise man who takes pleasure in giving is thereby happy hereafter.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))

 Buddhism: 18. “People give according to their faith And as they are pleased.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: “To each according to the works of his hands It is awarded.” “Every man who toiled And was long-suffering shall come and take with both hands, But he who did not toil nor endure, Standeth empty in the House of Dues.” “He will seek but will not find, And ask, but naught will be given him, Because he had in his hand and gave not,” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 123)

 BABI RELIGION: “Every woman, irrespective of rank and age, joined with energy in the common task. They sewed the garments, baked the bread, ministered to the sick and wounded, repaired the barricades, cleared away from the courts and terraces the balls and missiles fired upon them by the enemy, and, last but not least, cheered the faint in heart and animated the faith of the wavering. Even the children joined in giving whatever assistance was in their power to the common cause, and seemed to be fired by an enthusiasm no less remarkable than that which their fathers and mothers displayed.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 563)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Knowledge is not enough; we hope by the Love of God we shall put it into practice…. We know that to help the poor and to be merciful is good and pleases God, but knowledge alone does not feed the starving man, nor can the poor be warmed by knowledge or words in the bitter winter; we must give the practical help of Loving-kindness.

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 60)

Baha’i Faith: 414. “There Are Many Ways that Help Can be Rendered to Suffering Fellow-Men. It is understandable that Bahá’ís who witness the miserable conditions under which so many human beings have to live, or who hear of a sudden disaster that has struck a certain area of the world, are moved to do something practical to ameliorate (make better) those conditions and to help their suffering fellow-mortals.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 122)