William Isaacs describes the deeper meaning of dialogue.  “The intention of dialogue is to reach new understanding and, in doing so, to form a totally new basis from which to think and act.  In dialogue, one not only solves problems, one dissolves them.  We do not merely try to reach agreement, we try to create a context from which many new agreements might come.  And we seek to uncover a base of shared meaning that can greatly help coordinate and align our actions with our values.”

To create a reality, a new understanding, that leads to spiritual transformation and the attraction of others to interest in the Faith, we must give conscious consideration to the words we use and how we use them.  Bahá’u’lláh alludes to this when He speaks of the “Creative Word” and of the power of speech in many of His Writings.  When choosing words, consider the Words revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in His Prayers and Writings. These constitute the Word of God and thus are endowed with a creative and transformative power.

“O My Name! Utterance must needs possess penetrating power. For if bereft of this quality it would fail to exert influence. And this penetrating influence dependeth on the spirit being pure and the heart stainless. Likewise it needeth moderation, without which the hearer would be unable to bear it, rather he would manifest opposition from the very outset. And moderation will be obtained by blending utterance with the tokens of divine wisdom which are recorded in the sacred Books and Tablets. Thus when the essence of one’s utterance is endowed with these two requisites it will prove highly effective and will be the prime factor in transforming the souls of men.” (Tablets of Bahá’u'lláh)

“Every word is endowed with a spirit, therefore the speaker or expounder should carefully deliver his words at the appropriate time and place, for the impression which each word maketh is clearly evident and perceptible. The Great Being saith: One word may be likened unto fire, another unto light, and the influence which both exert is manifest in the world. Therefore an enlightened man of wisdom should primarily speak with words as mild as milk, that the children of men may be nurtured and edified thereby and may attain the ultimate goal of human existence which is the station of true understanding and nobility. And likewise He saith: One word is like unto springtime causing the tender saplings of the rose-garden of knowledge to become verdant and flourishing, while another word is even as a deadly poison. It behoveth a prudent man of wisdom to speak with utmost leniency and forbearance so that the sweetness of his words may induce everyone to attain that which befitteth man’s station.” (Tablets of Bahá’u'lláh)

Another important aspect of contributing in a positive way to elevate the discourse of society is to participate in the social, humanitarian, and scientific discussion with learning that is born out of experience of the Bahá’í community and teachings. In thinking about participating in a discourse within these spheres, it is not enough to simply state a principle.  Rather we must learn how to reframe contemporary discourses at the level of principle.  As we read in The Prosperity of Humankind, in the context of a discussion regarding development discourse:

“It is unrealistic to imagine that the vision of the next stage in the advancement of civilization can be formulated without a searching reexamination of the attitudes and assumptions that currently underlie approaches to social and economic development. At the most obvious level, such rethinking will have to address practical matters of policy, resource utilization, planning procedures, implementation methodologies, and organization. As it proceeds, however, fundamental issues will quickly emerge, related to the long-term goals to be pursued, the social structures required, the implications for development of principles of social justice, and the nature and role of knowledge in effecting enduring change. Indeed, such a reexamination will be driven to seek a broad consensus of understanding about human nature itself.”

Reflecting on the above raises many questions that are worthy of consideration at the individual and community level.  What are we trying to achieve when we communicate on the internet?  Are we just trying to convey information about ourselves or are we trying make a positive impact with friends, neighbors and coworkers?  How do we constructively contribute to a different type of culture on the Internet, whether through concepts, language, use of technology, or creation of spaces that truly reflect Bahá’í vision, ideals and spirit?  Are we just riding the Internet wave and not innovating?  Can spiritual empowerment occur through the Internet?  Can we increase our community of interest through electronic social networks?  Is there a role for intensive use of the internet during the various phases of Intensive Programs of Growth?

If you are interested in exploring some of these questions together, you are invited to participate in a learning experiment.  We are attempting to gain more information on three interrelated key points:

1. How is the internet being used to explore the teachings of the Faith with others?
2. How is the internet being used to elevate the discourse of society?
3. If you are not currently involved in this purposeful use of the internet, what are some ways that you could engage others on the internet to produce a purposeful result?

We would then like you to share your learning, successes and failures, to this blog as a central point of capture.  Share you strategies and lines of actions.  Update your progress and the advancements you have made.  Our goal is to collect a large amount of learning for analysis on the effectiveness of our presence on the internet.  In addition, we hope to elevate the discourse of society by having more and more people consciously thinking about the ideas presented here and then purposefully communicate in a way that addresses these ideas.

You should feel free to contribute to this experiment anonymously if you like.  You may also wish to review position papers for ideas and guidance at <www.bcca.org/bia>.  Data from this blog will be gather and analyzed by the Bahá’í Internet Agency.

Thank you for your participation.