New junior youth text explores Bahá’í principles

A junior youth animator shares her experience studying the text Rays of Light with a group during a recent camp in Montreal, Que.

Rays of Light, released in September 2023[1], is the latest of 14 texts developed for the junior youth spiritual empowerment program. It explores the principles of the Bahá’í Faith and helps advance understanding around the implications of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation for the transformation of society.

There are two categories of content for the junior youth spiritual empowerment program: Bahá’í-inspired texts and those with a distinctly Bahá’í component. While Bahá’í-inspired texts “draw extensively on the power of the Word of God, both by quoting directly from the writings and by weaving the teachings of the Faith into the presentation of intellectual, moral, and spiritual themes,”[2] they “are not religious in nature, nor do they treat subjects that are specifically Bahá’í.”[3]

Rays of Light falls into the other category, which also includes the texts Spirit of Faith and Power of the Holy Spirit—which junior youth would typically study before Rays of Light—all of which are “explicit in their treatment of fundamental Bahá’í beliefs and discuss the manner in which these beliefs are to be translated into action in the context of community life.”[4] It is important to note that both categories of content are for all junior youth: Bahá’í junior youth should study Bahá’í-inspired texts, and junior youth from the wider community enjoy the study of distinctly Bahá’í materials.

The text Rays of Light looks to the Words and example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who elucidated principles established by Bahá’u’lláh such as the independent investigation of truth, the harmony of science and religion, the elimination of all forms of prejudice, the equality of men and women, the establishment of justice, the oneness of humankind, and universal education.

Sophie Turbide, who animated the text in French during a six-day camp this past summer, explains, “Rays of Light focuses on the fundamental principles of the Bahá’í Faith and the concept that the Sun of Truth has risen, and it illuminates the whole world through these principles.”

The text is considered one of the most advanced of the program. Totalling around 100 pages, it builds on concepts from the preceding materials—such as progressive revelation and the fact that we have a higher and lower nature—as well as capacities such as reading comprehension. The story, set in a large urban centre, features the discussions of a junior youth group and their animator. Ms. Turbide comments, “The junior youth had the same kinds of reflections as the characters in the book. So, it was a way to understand the youth and their preoccupations about the world.”

The lesson around eliminating prejudice of all kinds particularly resonated with the junior youth and helped them to describe their own reality. Coming from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, many of the junior youth and their friends face instances of prejudice in their day-to-day lives. “These principles touch on things that they are talking about anyway,” Ms. Turbide shares. Other topics they found particularly interesting included the text’s exploration of agnosticism as well as contemporary skepticism of science.

“The junior youth are conscious of the state of the world, and they see its impact…studying the Writings and exploring how these concepts apply to their lives helps them to have profound conversations. They feel they have things to share with their friends,” she continues.

For example, the text encourages the junior youth to turn their focus from physical and material characteristics—such as gender, economic status and race—to the purity of hearts. According to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, this is what distinguishes human beings from one another in the sight of God.

Another section explores the imperative to eliminate the extremes of wealth and poverty. The junior youth are invited to consider in some detail ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s proposal to establish in every village a general storehouse to meet the needs of the poor. Contributions to this storehouse would depend on one’s income and expenses. To better understand this idea, the junior youth are invited to calculate what different farmers would owe to the storehouse, if anything, based on their net profits.

The text also demonstrates how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is the perfect example of Bahá’í principles in action. In this way, it builds on the Bahá’í children’s class materials, which present stories from the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to illustrate spiritual qualities. “It shows the coherence in the educational process,” Ms. Turbide explains, “as, like the children’s class materials, Rays of Light helps junior youth develop a relationship with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and draw from His life’s example.”

Regarding the spirit of the camp, Ms. Turbide comments, “What really struck me was that although the camp was right after the school year and you could feel that the junior youth were tired by the end of the day, they all expressed how interesting and engaging the text was. They really felt nourished by the content and the conversations they had throughout the day.”

[1] The text was released in a pre-publication format, which means that, based on experience in the field, modifications may be made before it is published.

[2] Ruhi Book 5: Releasing the powers of junior youth, Unit 3, p. 88.

[3] https://www.ruhi.org/en/spiritual-education-for-all-ages/

[4] Ruhi Book 5: Releasing the powers of junior youth, Unit 3, p. 89.