Sunshine Coast council meeting opens with Baha’i prayer 

Baha’i representatives on the Sunshine Coast Multicultural Network have opened the Sunshine Coast Council’s monthly meeting with a Baha’i prayer after being invited to present a blessing at the beginning of the gathering. 

Safoura and David Chittleborough said the invitation was initiated by one of the council’s community development officers with whom they had a close relationship.  

“The Council is in the second year in which it opens its meetings with a blessing from a Faith-based group,” David said. “On this occasion, representatives of the Sunshine Coast’s Baha’i Community were invited. The blessing, also called prayer, is to assist the Council to make wise decisions.” 

Before the blessing commenced, the Mayor officially welcomed the Chittleboroughs. The blessing can take any number of forms but must be delivered within two minutes or less. For the first part, David spoke about some of the qualities enjoined on the elected members of Baha’i Assemblies. He shared how the democratically elected members of Assemblies administered and managed the affairs of Baha’i communities at local, national and international level and were cautioned not to dictate but to consult, “and consult not only amongst themselves, but as much as possible with the friends whom they represent.” 

“They should never be led to suppose that they are the central ornaments of the Baha’i community, intrinsically superior to others in capacity or merit,” he said, quoting from the Baha’i writings. “They should approach their task with extreme humility, and endeavour, with open-mindedness, and a high sense of justice and duty, with the support of those whom they represent. They must at all times avoid the spirit of exclusiveness, the atmosphere of secrecy and banish all forms of prejudice and passion from their deliberations.” 

The blessing was finished with the following prayer of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, which Safoura recited: 

David said a number of people seemed “visibly moved” by the readings and prayer. Sent a video of the proceedings after the event, the Chittleboroughs received the following remarks: ‘Thank you for taking the time to do this for us. It was certainly a powerful one, great to watch it again.’ 

“No doubt the words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in that chamber had a spiritual effect on those present,” David said. 

As well as having an association with the Multicultural Network, the Sunshine Coast Baha’is have a regular Soul Time Devotional program that is regarded as a social action initiative by council’s multicultural officer. One of the Local Spiritual Assembly members has also previously served as an advisor to the council’s multicultural advisory group. 

David said forging connections with civic leaders was an important step in fostering the capacity of Baha’i institutions, particularly with the Universal House of Justice’s recent guidance that particular attention be given “to the establishment and development of Local Assemblies and to enhancing their engagement with the wider society and its leaders”.¹ 

“Safoura and I both felt that the joint presentation made a favourable impression, reinforcing the Baha’i ideal of gender equality.” 

1. Universal House of Justice, Message dated 28 November 2023[↩]