Being, Becoming, and Other Reflections of Life on Earth

Declaring My Faith in Baha’u’llah EDWARD GATHERCOLE | AUG 6, 2018 PART 3 IN SERIES WHY I FOLLOW BAHA’U’LLAH Link to published part 3 Last winter I was in a dark place, adrift and wandering the paths of delusion, heedless of the many signs God has given me to return and face the ancient beauty of all that is. So I decided to fast, which I felt would lead me to something greater in life—or bust. I didn’t know where I was going or what exactly I was seeking, but I needed to return to love, I needed a real sense of what home is all about, I needed to find a way to master the conditions and test of the self. I needed a way to break free from the identification of my childhood trauma stories and create a new narrative for myself. As I decided to fast, I accepted my fate—that either I could save my life or it was death for me. Although my naive focus was on the physical modalities of fasting, the intention was a spiritual one. Many of my peers have considered me a spiritual person, but little...

How the Sweat Lodge Awakened My Soul EDWARD GATHERCOLE | JUL 31, 2018 PART 2 IN SERIES WHY I FOLLOW BAHA’U’LLAH Link to published part 2 While studying Baha’i prayers and writings, I am often reminded of the key elements of the Native American Sweat Lodge ceremony, which awakened my soul. For me, that indigenous ceremony validates being able to know the bounty of  Baha’u’llah’s  message, as well as the progressive revelation of the many messengers of God sent to all the cities of the nations within the world throughout the ages. When I participated in the Sweat Lodge ceremony, I always tried to take part in the heightened conversation it caused, which often deepened the meaning of the spirituality of the ceremony for me. The ceremony was always diverse, something akin to the  Baha’i faith . Around the lodge I met indigenous people with different tribal backgrounds and history including Mexico, Navajo, Hawaii, and also an elder who was part African-American and part indige...

The following is the first written piece I have ever had published. The result was facing questions from my peers on what I've been writing. I haven't been writing, but as an attempt to no longer waste and resist this opportunity of life I have taken next steps.  I invite you to read and engage this content as it serves you, my intent is to inspire both the prosperous elite and the destitute among the living.  Link to published part 1 I Was Homeless, and then I Became a Baha’i EDWARD GATHERCOLE | JUL 24, 2018 PART 1 IN SERIES WHY I FOLLOW BAHA’U’LLAH About a year ago, I become a  Baha’i —but my pathway to God has been a narrow road of trials and tribulation ever since I was a small child. I endured emergency foster care placements, lack of family, neglect, malnourishment, violence, all forms of abuse and drug houses, all before kindergarten. In later childhood and adolescence, in mental hospitals, group homes, children’s shelters, juvenile detention, I suffered more viole...