First Interaction
I was at a mid-IPG reflection meeting this morning discussing the importance of first interactions a person may have with the Baha’i Faith, because first impressions last forever. Even though a person may not want to learn more about the Faith, or even have a favorable opinion of it in those early moments, as long as the Baha’i is respectful, courteous, knowledgeable, etc., than the person can gain a positive impression of the Baha’is are what they stand for. This may begin a long chain of events and a person may ask questions internally about her/his own beliefs.
I related my first encounter with the Faith, which happened to be Haifa, Israel at the Shrine of the Báb. I liked what I learned about the Faith that day, but I was not ready to become a Baha’i yet. Likewise, I recall telling someone in Guatemala about the Faith once. She was not interested in becoming a Baha’i, but appreciated knowing that the Faith existed and that there were Baha’is in her country.
As we move into teaching opportunities, although we have been advised to work towards the direct teaching of the Faith, it is also important to remember that sometimes all we need to do is be good examples of the teachings of Baha’u'llah and let people know what we believe.