David Dayyan Parker
I feel very blessed to be a Baha'i. In fact, I wouldn't be alive today if it hadn't been for the Baha'i Faith. My parents became Baha'is in the 70's, and they built a family that was based on the Baha'i principles of unity, equality, love, and harmony. Baha'is believe in the independent investigation of the truth, so after I turned fifteen (the Baha'i age of spiritual accountability), I had to really look and discover my love for the Faith. I couldn't just accept what I had always been taught. It wasn't until I truly investigated the claim of Baha'u'llah that I dedicated myself to His faith. Believe me, I had to struggle with a great many tests and difficulties before I could appreciate the Baha'i Faith.
I was blessed with the opportunity to volunteer at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. I lived and worked in the Most Holy Land for 18 wonderful months from January 2000 to July 2001. The World Centre is the administrative as well as the spiritual focal point of the Baha'i Faith. With 6 million adherents all over the world, there is a lot of work to do at the BWC! My job was to deliver and stock office supplies. Pretty simple, true. But driving in Israel is worse than ANY downtown Dallas traffic jam!
I spent 18 months serving my Faith while living and working near the Holiest spots for the Baha'is of the world. I made close friends from every corner of the globe, and I broadened my perspective of the world.
I know I'll never be able to repay God for the amazing bounties I received! But I think that's part of the nature of God's grace. We never deserve the wonderful things we get. All we can do is thank Him, live our lives, and try to follow His laws.
Baha'u'llah does not ask that ANYONE accept him blindly. He simply asks that the seeker "cleanse his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all acquired knowledge" and investigate His claim.
David is from Plainview, Texas and graduated from UNT with a degree in International Studies and a certificate in Peace Studies.