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Disclaimer
This work is a reflection on the spiritual principle of unconditional service, drawn from sacred writings, historical examples, and personal experiences. It is intended for inspiration, education, and reflection.
It is not a medical, psychological, or legal manual, and should not be relied upon as professional advice in those fields. Readers seeking guidance for personal health, legal, or mental health matters should consult qualified professionals.
The views and interpretations expressed are those of the author and are not meant to represent official positions of any organization or institution.
Dedication
To all servant leaders, the known and the unknown, the recognized and the unrecognized, who have given of themselves without condition, whose humility has lifted hearts, whose compassion has healed wounds, and whose service has kindled light in the world.
This work is offered in your honor.
Authors Note
This little work is like a warm bowl of soup.
It is simple in its ingredients, yet I hope it is rich in its fragrance, nourishing in its substance, and comforting to the soul.
I have not written it to impress with eloquence, but to offer something sustaining - a reflection on service that can be tasted and shared, something that warms the heart and strengthens the spirit for the journey ahead.
Like a bowl of soup, it is meant to be taken in slowly, with gratitude, and perhaps even shared with a friend. If these words provide a measure of nourishment, a little warmth, or a reminder of love’s fragrance, then they will have fulfilled their purpose.
Foreword
For more than fifty years, Dr. Gregory T. Lawton has walked a path he calls unconditional service. It is a path that has led him into Native American youth homes, work as a volunteer youth probation officer, into the lives of intercity youth, alongside immigrant and refugee families, and finally into the establishment of the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences a vocational school for women in transition. In each of these places, his constant aim has been to serve without condition, to give freely of knowledge, time, and compassion, without expectation of reward.
In this work, he shares not only his own reflections but also the examples of the world’s servant leaders: sages, prophets, poets, reformers, and healers who gave their lives for the betterment of others. At the heart of his narrative shines the life and teachings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Exemplar of the Bahá’í Faith, who embodied service so completely that He declared, “Servitude to all the human race [is] my perpetual religion.”
This booklet is not a treatise, but a meditation. It does not seek to impress with eloquence, but to inspire with simplicity. Its aim is not to add words to the world, but to awaken deeds in the heart of the reader.
Those who know Gregory will recognize in these pages the voice of a teacher, a healer, and a friend who has spent his life serving others. Those who do not yet know him will quickly see that his words carry not only thought but experience, not only philosophy but practice.
It is my hope that as you turn these pages, you will not only admire the lives of those who have served, but also hear the call to join them, to become rivers of compassion and light flowing into the valleys of the world.
- Virginia G. Dusseau, MA, LPC
Acknowledgments
This work was not created alone. My deepest gratitude goes to my wife, Virginia G. Dusseau, MA, LPC, whose love, wisdom, and companionship have been a source of strength and inspiration on this path of service.
I am grateful as well to my students, past and present, who have shared their journeys, stories, and acts of kindness with me. You have taught me that service is not only given but also received, and that the river of compassion flows both ways.
To the many servant leaders whose lives and sacrifices have shaped this work - sages, prophets, poets, healers, reformers, and friendsI offer this humble reflection in your honor.
Finally, I acknowledge ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Exemplar of the Bahá’í Faith, whose life of unconditional service is the standard and inspiration for all that is written here.
Preface
“The essence of speech is the fewness of words and the abundance of deeds.”
Bahá’u’lláh counsels us:
“The essence of wisdom is the fear of God, the dread of His scourge and punishment, and the apprehension of His justice and decree. The essence of true safety is to observe silence, to look at the end of things and to renounce the world. The essence of speech is the fewness of words and the abundance of deeds.”
(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 155)
This booklet is written in that spirit, with words kept few, but with a hope that they will inspire many deeds. It is not meant to impress with eloquence, but to invite reflection and action. For unconditional service is not found in language, but in love. It is not proven by sentences, but by sacrifice.
If these pages help even one soul to give more freely, to serve more humbly, or to love more deeply, then the words will have accomplished their task.
Faith is a river that flows unseen, yet every heart that drinks of it is refreshed. It does not ask who you are, it only gives, because giving is its nature.
What is a
Servant Leader?
A servant leader is one who leads by serving, whose strength is measured not by power or position, but by humility, compassion, and sacrifice. A servant leader seeks no recognition, asks for no reward, and expects no return. Their motivation springs from love - love of humanity, love of justice, and love of God. They see every soul as worthy of dignity and care, and their life becomes a river of service, flowing naturally into the needs of others. In their presence, leadership is not control but empowerment, not authority but example. A servant leader is remembered not for what they achieved for themselves, but for what they gave to others.
Throughout history, such servant leaders have appeared in many forms: sages who taught wisdom, prophets who healed hearts, poets who stirred souls, and reformers who walked into suffering with courage. They did not lead by command, but by example. They did not seek titles but bore the burdens of others. Their power lay in their humility, and their greatness in their service.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá reminds us:
“Be kind to all peoples; care for every person; do not look upon them with a critical eye. If someone falls into error, forgive him. If another becomes a source of affliction, be his remedy. If any soul becomes a source of affliction, be to him a treasure of munificence. This is the attribute of the sincere.”
(Star of the West, vol. 4, p. 192)
In ancient China, the sage Laozi described leadership in terms of humility and selflessness. In the Tao Te Ching he wrote: “The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.” For Laozi, the most enduring form of leadership was that which left no trace of self, that served naturally, like water, sustaining all and seeking nothing.
The Buddha, centuries later in India, also understood that true service is found in compassion. Having attained enlightenment, he could have withdrawn from the world, but instead he devoted his life to teaching others how to overcome suffering. His words remind us of the inexhaustible nature of love: “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” For him, service was not loss but multiplication - a joy that grew greater the more it was given away.
In the small towns of Galilee, Jesus of Nazareth embodied the spirit of servant leadership in his ministry to the poor, the sick, and the outcast. He declared: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the
slave of all.” (Mark 10:43–44). His example of washing the feet of His disciples remains one of the most powerful symbols of humility - that true greatness is found in lowering oneself for the sake of others.
Centuries later, the Sufi mystic Rumi sang of the same truth, but in poetry. To him, service was the overflow of divine love. “Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop. Be like a river and serve all.” Rumi saw that when the self is emptied, it becomes a vessel for God’s compassion to flow into the world, touching the lives of others without measure.
This spirit of service is not found only in sacred figures. Florence Nightingale, remembered as the “Lady with the Lamp,” walked through the dark corridors of the Crimean War hospitals with nothing but courage, faith, and determination. “I attribute my success to this - I never gave or took any excuse,” she said. Her service was practical, disciplined, and sacrificial, reforming medicine and nursing while bringing light into the lives of the forgotten.
Mahatma Gandhi embodied a similar spirit of humble service in the struggle for India’s independence. Living simply, weaving his own cloth, and embracing voluntary poverty, he declared: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence, ahimsa, and truth, satyagraha, became global examples of how service to humanity and justice can transform the world without violence.
Mother Teresa, centuries later in the streets of Kolkata, brought this vision into sharp focus through small acts of love. She reminded the world: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Her service was not grand or monumental but intimate and tender, meeting each person face to face with compassion.
Among these shining lights we must also remember Táhirih, the remarkable poet, scholar, and Bábí heroine of Persia. A woman of immense courage, she challenged centuries of oppression by unveiling herself before her male counterparts, declaring: “You can kill me as soon as you like, but you cannot stop the emancipation of women.” Her service was not merely to a cause but to the future of humanity, opening the path of freedom for women and offering her life as its testimony. Though martyred, her voice still resounds in history as a reminder that true service often comes at the cost of sacrifice.
Yet among all examples, the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stands as the supreme embodiment of unconditional service. Known as the Exemplar of the Bahá’í Faith, He was tireless in His devotion to humanity. In the prison city of ‘Akká, He cared for the poor, the sick, and the despised, bringing food, clothing, and comfort where there was none. In Haifa, He daily distributed bread to the hungry. In His travels to the West, He addressed gatherings across Europe and America, always speaking of unity, compassion, and the oneness of the human family. His very identity was bound in servitude. He wrote: “My name is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, my identity is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, my
reality is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, my praise is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Thraldom to the Blessed Perfection is my glorious and refulgent diadem, and servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion.”
If Laozi was the voice of humble wisdom, if Buddha was the teacher of compassion, if Jesus was the servant who washed feet, if Rumi was the poet of divine love, if Nightingale, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Táhirih all bore witness to service through sacrifice, then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the complete embodiment of them all - the river of service flowing without end. In His life we find not just examples of service, but service as a way of being, service as worship, service as the very heart and soul of community.
The Principles of Unconditional Service
Unconditional service does not arise by chance. It flows from the soil of character, cultivated by virtues that give strength, clarity, and direction. Just as a tree cannot bear fruit unless its roots are healthy, service cannot be sustained unless it springs from honesty, truthfulness, and purity of heart. These are the foundation stones - without them, humility becomes pretense, kindness becomes sentiment, and selflessness can be clouded by hidden ambition. With them, service becomes radiant, authentic, and enduring.
Bahá’u’lláh declared: “Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul.” (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 35). And ‘Abdu’l-Bahá affirmed: “Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquillity and security of the people. In truth, honesty is the foundation of all the virtues of the world of humanity.” (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, vol. 1, p. 43).
When service is grounded in truthfulness, honesty, and purity, it is free from selfish motives. It shines with sincerity, carries the fragrance of humility, and moves with the power of compassion. From this foundation grow the virtues that mark the servant leader: humility, kindness, forgiveness, sincerity, and selflessness.
Truthfulness:
The Foundation of Virtue
Truthfulness is the seed of every other virtue. It anchors service in reality and guards it against hypocrisy. Without truthfulness, words lose their power, and deeds become empty. With it, the servant leader’s life becomes transparent, a mirror of trust.
History is filled with those who bore the weight of truth at great cost. Socrates, choosing death rather than abandoning his principles, reminds us that service must be aligned with integrity. Gandhi, too, grounded his entire philosophy of satyagraha - “truth force” - in the conviction that truth is not negotiable. Without truth, there can be no true service.
Honesty: The Prerequisite of Trust
Honesty makes service dependable. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote: “Honesty is the foundation of all the virtues of the world of humanity.” A dishonest servant cannot inspire trust, and without trust, leadership collapses.
Florence Nightingale embodied this principle, cutting through bureaucracy and self-interest in military hospitals with relentless honesty. She demanded accurate records, honest reports, and truthful care for the wounded. For her, honesty was not simply moral, it was lifesaving.
Purity of Heart: The Channel of Service
‘Abdu’l-Bahá urged: “Strive with all your heart to be free from self, that ye may be illumined with the light of the Living Spirit.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 203). Purity of heart frees service from hidden agendas. It clears away ambition, pride, and ego, allowing the act itself to shine with clarity and light.
Rumi expressed it poetically: “Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop. Be like a river and serve all.” To be pure of heart is to let the dead leaves of self fall away, so that the river of service may flow unimpeded. Táhirih lived this purity, offering her life for the emancipation of women, leaving behind no bitterness, only a fearless witness to truth.
Humility: The Measure of Greatness
‘Abdu’l-Bahá declared: “To be humble in your attitude towards all men, to be kind to every living creature, and to love one another — this is what is meant by being great.” (Paris Talks, p. 147).
Humility is the soil from which service grows. It dismantles hierarchies, bringing servant and served to the same table. Jesus of Nazareth demonstrated this when He washed the feet of His disciples, saying, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” (Mark 10:43–44). In every age, the greatest have been those who bowed the lowest.
Kindness: The Language of Service
‘Abdu’l-Bahá counseled: “Be kind to all peoples; care for every person; do not look upon them with a critical eye.” (Star of the West, vol. 4, p. 192).
Kindness is love made visible. It is the universal language, understood across all cultures and religions. The Buddha taught: “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.” Kindness, like flame, multiplies endlessly.
Mother Teresa expressed it in action: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” In her hands, kindness became a form of greatness.
Forgiveness and Remedy: Healing the Wounds of Others
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s counsel continues: “If someone falls into error, forgive him. If another becomes a source of affliction, be his remedy… This is the attribute of the sincere.” (Star of the West, vol. 4, p. 192).
Forgiveness transforms wounds into healing. It turns enemies into friends, burdens into lessons. Gandhi embodied this in his practice of nonviolence, insisting that the response to hatred must be love, and to injustice, truth. Service that forgives becomes a remedy, a healing presence in the world.
Sincerity: The Purity of Intention
‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote: “Be pure in heart, and sanctified in spirit; be kind to all men, and deal with them in utmost faithfulness and sincerity.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 203).
Sincerity makes service real. It strips away performance and leaves only what is true. Without sincerity, service becomes performance for recognition; with it, even the smallest act becomes luminous.
Rumi hinted at this same truth: “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”
Sincerity is the alignment of intention with love.
Selflessness: The Crown of Service
The culmination of all virtues is selflessness. To live for others, to give without expectation, to lose oneself in love - this is the highest expression of unconditional service.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s life was the supreme example. He never sought titles, wealth, or recognition. He carried food to the poor, visited the sick, and consoled the grieving. He poured Himself out completely, yet His strength never diminished. His greatness was that He never sought to be great.
Reflection
and
Meditation
Truthfulness, honesty, and purity are the roots. Humility, kindness, forgiveness, sincerity, and selflessness are the branches and fruit. Together they form the living tree of unconditional service. These virtues are not abstract ideals; they are the foundations of a life given in love. In their perfection, we find the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the river of service flowing without end - the heart and soul of a healing community.
The Spiritual Dimension of Service
The path of service does not only uplift the lives of others; it transforms the soul of the one who serves. Service is more than charity or duty - it is worship in action, a step toward the Divine.
I think of Albert Schweitzer, who turned from the lecture halls of Europe to the jungles of Africa, where he built a hospital with his own hands. His sacrifice was a lesson that service, when pure, carries the fragrance of eternity. His life revealed what all true service shows: that to give without hesitation is to touch the hem of the Divine.
I think of Harriet Tubman, born into slavery in Maryland in the early 1800s. She knew the weight of chains, the lash of the whip, and the bitterness of being treated as less than human. Yet when she gained her own freedom, she did not rest. Risking capture and death, she returned again and again into the South to lead others along the Underground Railroad — a secret path to liberty. By the time her work was done, she had guided more than seventy enslaved men, women, and children to freedom, each journey a perilous act of courage.
Her life was not one of safety or ease, but of sacrifice and devotion. Later, she served as a scout, nurse, and cook during the Civil War, and afterward established a home for the aged and poor. Tubman’s entire life was a lesson that service, when pure, carries the fragrance of eternity. Her courage revealed what all true service shows: that to give without hesitation is to touch the hem of the Divine.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá affirmed this truth: “The service of the friends is service to the Kingdom of God. It is the spirit of the angels that is breathing in them.” Service is not only for the benefit of others; it elevates the one who serves, turning each act of love into an offering at the altar of God.
Service as Worship
Every tradition has taught that to serve others is to serve the Divine. Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40). In Islam, service is praised as a form of worship, an expression of gratitude to God. In the Bahá’í Faith, service is not separate from prayer - it is prayer embodied.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s own life was a living prayer. Whether distributing bread in the alleys of ‘Akká, visiting prisoners, or speaking of unity across the West, His service was ceaseless. For Him, worship and service were one. “My name is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” He wrote, “…servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion.”
To serve is to bow before God without words. It is to kneel in the dust beside the poor, to walk into the shadows with light in hand, to give without expectation. It is worship in motion.
Service as Refinement of the Soul
Service not only blesses others; it purifies the servant. Just as fire refines gold, acts of love burn away self-interest and pride. The more one serves, the less room remains for ego.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá counseled: “Strive with all your heart to be free from self, that ye may be illumined with the light of the Living Spirit.” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 203). Service is the discipline that frees us from self. In serving another, we surrender our own comfort, convenience, and desires. In that surrender, the soul is polished, becoming a mirror for divine light.
Rumi gave voice to this truth: “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” Each act of kindness polishes the heart, making it more transparent to God’s radiance.
Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and countless unnamed souls discovered that in serving others, they themselves were transformed. Service became their crucible, the place where the self was remade.
Service as a Bridge to the Divine
The spiritual dimension of service lies in its power to connect earth and heaven, human and divine. In every act of compassion, the servant stands in the presence of God.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá taught: “Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men.” (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, vol. 2, p. 336). To serve humanity is to cross the bridge from self to God, from isolation to unity, from the finite to the infinite.
When we serve, we do more than meet a need; we touch eternity. The river of service flows both outward into the world and upward into the Divine. Jesus washing feet, Gandhi fasting for peace, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá carrying food to the poor - each act is a stepping stone across the bridge of service into the presence of God.
Reflection and Meditation
Service is worship, refinement, and communion all at once. It blesses those who receive it, but even more it transforms the one who gives. It purifies the heart, illuminates the soul, and opens a path toward the Divine.
The spiritual dimension of service is this: that when we serve with humility, kindness, and sincerity, we discover that the river of love flowing through us is not ours at all. It is the river of God, moving through willing hearts, watering the world, and carrying us closer to Him.
Meditation on Service
O Lord of Love, Make me a river that flows from Thy heart, asking nothing, giving everything. Let me be a vessel of Thy compassion, carrying light into shadow, healing into hurt, hope into despair.
Cleanse me of self, that no thought of reward may stain my service. Purify my heart, that my every act may reflect Thy light. Grant me humility, that I may walk beside the lowly; kindness, that I may see Thee in every face; forgiveness, that I may bind the wounds of those who wrong me.
Teach me that to serve is to worship, to love is to pray, to give is to live in Thee. Let my hands be open, my heart be generous, my soul be steadfast, until the river of service carries me home to Thee.
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Be innocent in heart, like rain that falls without choosing, like grass that bends without pride. In such simplicity lies the strength of service.
The Path of Service in Practice
Principles without practice are like seeds left ungerminated. They hold life within them, but they must be planted in the soil of action to bear fruit. Unconditional service is not only a philosophy or an aspiration - it is a path to be walked. It is a daily discipline of giving, sometimes in small ways unnoticed by others, sometimes in great acts of sacrifice.
Personal Journeys of Service
For more than fifty years, my own path has been shaped by the call to serve without condition. Each chapter of my life has opened into a new valley, where the river of service found its way.
It began in a Native American youth home, where service meant listening to stories of pain and hope, and learning that healing comes not only from medicine, but from presence. Later, it took me to intercity youth, where the struggles of poverty, violence, and neglect were met with mentorship, encouragement, and a steady hand to guide toward new horizons.
The path wound further into the lives of immigrant and refugee families - men, women, and children carrying not only their belongings, but the weight of displacement and loss. To serve them was to enter their stories, to offer welcome, to provide stability where the ground beneath them had been shaken.
Eventually, this same river of service grew into the establishment of the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences - a place where knowledge, healing, and compassion are woven together. Teaching others to serve has become its own form of service, multiplying the river into streams that flow outward into countless communities.
Each of these stages has confirmed the same truth: service is not bound to a single place, role, or time. It takes different shapes, but its essence remains constant - to give freely, without condition.
The Gift of a Student’s Heart
One of the most profound lessons I ever received about unconditional service came not from history’s great figures, but from one of my own students. Her name was Mujey Dumbuya.
Mujey was only sixteen, but she carried herself with a spirit far beyond her years. She dreamed of becoming a police officer - not for power, but to protect, to help, and to serve. One summer afternoon in downtown Grand Rapids, we walked together along the Grand River and came across a homeless man living in a cardboard box. Mujey stopped, her young eyes filled with concern, and asked me what he was doing there.
I told her honestly: he was homeless, sick, and that cardboard box was his shelter. At once, tears streamed down Mujey’s face. Without hesitation, she reached into her pockets and took out every coin she had - even the few pieces of candy I had given her earlier that day - and placed them in his hands. It was everything she had, and she gave it away without a second thought.
That moment remains etched in my memory as one of the clearest pictures of unconditional service I have ever seen. Mujey’s compassion was immediate, sincere, and complete. She gave because to give was her joy.
Tragically, Mujey’s life was cut short. In January of 2018, after bravely reporting a sexual assault and preparing to testify, she disappeared on her way to school. Four days later, her body was found in a wooded area near Kalamazoo. She had been murdered before her seventeenth birthday. Her story shook our city, and those who knew her remember her as a bright, generous, courageous soul whose dreams were stolen far too soon.
Yet even in her brief years, Mujey’s life was a testimony to the truth: service does not wait for age, status, or recognition. Her small act of giving by the river remains for me a sacred reminder that every heart, no matter how young, can shine with the light of service.
Her example reminds us that service is not bound by years, education, or even circumstance. A young girl’s tears and her handful of coins carry the same weight in the sight of God as the greatest achievements of history’s servant leaders. Service is measured not by scale, but by sincerity.
Throughout history, we see the same truth reflected in the lives of those who served without hesitation. Some became well known; others remained hidden. Harriet Tubman, born into slavery, risked her life time and again to guide others to freedom. Abdul Sattar Edhi, with no wealth of his own, built a vast network of care for the destitute in Pakistan. Mother Teresa, in the alleys of Calcutta, lifted the dying from the streets so they might pass with dignity.
Each of these figures, like Mujey, reminds us that the essence of service is not in recognition but in love. They gave because giving was their joy.
Unconditional service, then, is not a philosophy reserved for saints and sages. It is a path open to every soul. The child who shares her meal, the neighbor who checks on the sick, the stranger who extends a hand - all participate in the same river of service that flows from the heart of God.
It is in this spirit that our communities grow stronger. Service, whether small or great, visible or hidden, binds hearts together and brings to light the nobility of the human spirit.
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The candle of the soul burns low, not to consume, but to give light. Every act of service is a flame that turns darkness into dawn.
Building Healing Communities Through Service
The river of service does not end with the individual soul. It flows outward, gathering strength as it joins with others, until it nourishes entire communities. Service is not only personal devotion, but also the foundation for collective healing.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá reminded us: “Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.” (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 87). When service expands beyond the individual, it becomes the seed of unity, the root of justice, and the fabric of peace.
The Community as a Garden
In the Bahá’í Writings, humanity is often likened to a garden of many flowers. Diversity is its beauty, but it is service that tends the soil, waters the roots, and brings harmony to the whole.
When individuals serve together caring for children, empowering youth, visiting neighbors, comforting the sick, uplifting the marginalized the community begins to heal. It becomes a place where every voice matters, every soul belongs, and no one is left behind.
As Bahá’u’lláh said: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” Service makes this vision practical, transforming divisions into bonds of love.
Healing Communities in Action
Examples of healing communities shine across the world. In small villages, families gather for study circles where they learn to apply spiritual principles to daily life. In cities, youth lead service projects that address poverty, violence, and despair. In neighborhoods, acts of hospitality and care break down barriers of race, class, and creed.
In my own life, I have seen this in the students, healers, and practitioners who have carried their learning from the Blue Heron Academy into their communities. Through massage, herbal medicine, nutrition, and holistic care, they bring not only health but dignity and hope. Each practitioner becomes a point of light, and together they weave a network of healing that is far stronger than any single act could achieve.
The Principle of Shared Sacrifice
A healing community is not built by a few serving the many, but by the many serving one another. This shared sacrifice creates bonds of trust and solidarity. Gandhi once said: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” When an entire community adopts this principle, it discovers itself anew - as one body, with each member serving the whole.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá confirmed this truth: “Work for the sake of God and not for yourself. Look upon your neighbors with love and kindness. Regard them as brothers and sisters, and never make distinctions between yourselves and them.” (Paris Talks, p. 138).
The Destiny of Humanity
The destiny of humanity is not to remain fragmented, but to become one. Unconditional service is the path that makes this possible. It heals divisions, uplifts the downtrodden, and builds the bonds of unity that can withstand the trials of our age.
When communities are bound together by service, they reflect the order of the Kingdom of God - diverse, harmonious, radiant with love. They become gardens where every flower blooms, rivers where every stream flows, bridges where every soul may cross toward the Divine.
When communities embrace service as their organizing principle, they begin to reorder themselves around love rather than power, generosity rather than gain. In such places, the hungry are fed not by duty but by delight, and the weary find rest not in institutions alone but in the open arms of neighbors.
A community bound by service becomes a living sanctuary. Its streets, however ordinary, become paths of compassion. Its homes, however modest, become havens of welcome. Its people, however diverse, become one family. Service transforms neighborhoods into sacred spaces, because wherever love is enacted, God is near.
The power of service is not merely social - it is spiritual. Laws may restrain conflict, policies may administer resources, but only service heals hearts. It dissolves resentment, erases prejudice, and bridges the chasms of race, class, and creed. In service, barriers collapse, and the light of unity shines.
This is why ‘Abdu’l-Bahá declared that service is worship. To serve is to pray with one’s hands, to praise God with one’s deeds, to write one’s devotion not on paper, but in the lives of others. Every community that learns this truth rises above division and becomes a reflection of the Kingdom of God on earth.
The destiny of humanity lies not in its wealth, weapons, or wonders of technology, but in its willingness to serve. If nations learned to serve one another as neighbors, if faiths learned to serve together as companions, if peoples learned to serve without condition as one family - then the promise spoken by the prophets of old would be fulfilled. The earth would become one country, radiant with justice, abundant with love, and at peace-
Reflection and Meditation
The river of service begins in the heart of the individual, but it fulfills its destiny in the life of the community. To serve together is to heal together. And when communities are healed, humanity itself draws closer to wholeness.
Unconditional service is not only the heart and soul of a healing community; it is the promise of a new world.
The wind carves the stone, and hardship shapes the heart.
Trials are blessings when they make us gentle, for in gentleness, the soul becomes a healing hand.
The Legacy and the Call Forward
Every river flows toward the sea. Every act of service, no matter how small, joins a current greater than itself. The lives of servant leaders throughout history, from prophets and poets to reformers and healers, have poured into a river that carries humanity toward compassion, justice, and unity. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stands at the clearest expression of that current: a life wholly devoted to service, a soul emptied of self and filled with love.
But the river does not end with Him. It flows onward, calling each of us to step into its waters.
The Legacy of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá once said,
“My name is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá… servitude to all the human race my perpetual religion.”
(Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá)
This was more than a humble declaration - it was a bequest to humanity. His legacy is not an institution or monument, but an example. His footsteps mark the path for every generation that follows.
The Final Exhortation: “Be a Baha’i”
As He prepared to leave the United States and return to the Holy Land, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offered one final exhortation, heartfelt and expansive:
“I have repeatedly spoken to you, and I have invited you to the unity of the world of humanity. I have told you all mankind are servants of the same God… We must set aside all fanaticism and religious prejudices. We must forget all national prejudices… This earth is one sphere, one nativity, one home, and all mankind are descendants of one Father… If one offends another, he offends God.”
(Farewell Address, New York, as He departed aboard the SS Celtic)
In that moment, He distilled the essence of Bahá’í service into one simple phrase: “Be a Bahá’í.” - embody the unity, the compassion, the service for which the Faith stands.
The Call to the Present
The world today longs not for more titles, but for more hearts aligned with this call. Service belongs to every soul, regardless of age or status - just as it belonged to Mujey and every hidden act of compassion we carry within.
The Call to the Future
The future belongs to those who choose service over self, compassion over indifference, and unity over division. In serving one another, we discover who we truly are: one family, one garden, one body of humanity reflecting the love of God.
Reflection and Meditation
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s final words echo across time: the unity of humanity is not merely a vision - it is a mandate. To be Bahá’í is to live that unity. Each act of love, each gesture of service, becomes a stone in the foundation of a new world, and a bridge between the human and the Divine.
Epilogue
Benediction of Service
O friends, the river flows on. It begins in the heart of God, passes through the hands of every servant, and carries us toward the sea of unity.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s final exhortation still resounds:
“All mankind are servants of the same God… This earth is one home, and all humanity its family… If one offends another, he offends God.”
To live this truth is to “Be Bahá’í”to be humble, to be kind, to forgive, to serve, to uplift. Not in words alone, but in deeds; not in sentiment alone, but in sacrifice.
May your life be a river of service, asking nothing, giving everything. May your hands be light for the weary, your heart a refuge for the lost, your soul a mirror for the love of God.
And when the river at last carries you home, may it be said of you, as it was of Him:
Servitude to all the human race was my perpetual religion.
References
Primary Bahá’í Writings
• Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
• Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1988).
• Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words.
• ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1978).
• ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks: Addresses Given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris in 1911–1912.
• ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, vols. 1–3.
• ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912.
• Star of the West, vol. 4.
Guidance and Inspiration
• Mr. Zikrullah Khadem, Hand of the Cause of God - remembered for his example and encouragement.
Other Religious Texts
• The Bible, New Testament (Mark 10:43–44; Matthew 25:40).
• The Dhammapada (sayings of the Buddha).
• Laozi, Tao Te Ching.
Poets, Thinkers, and Reformers
• Rumi, Masnavi and selected poems (translations by Nicholson and others).
• Florence Nightingale, Notes on Nursing and selected letters.
• Mahatma Gandhi, Collected Works (writings and speeches).
• Mother Teresa, A Simple Path (1995).
Contemporary Example
• Mujey Dumbuya - reporting on her life and tragic passing, including:
o The Cinemaholic, “Mujey Dumbuya Murder
o Regional news coverage (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2018).
Notes on Quotations
This booklet brings together quotations from the Bahá’í Writings, sacred texts of other traditions, and words of poets, reformers, and historical figures. A few notes may help the reader:
• Translations: Many of the quotations from Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are drawn from authoritative English translations published by the Bahá’í World Centre. Other texts, such as those of Rumi or the Tao Te Ching, exist in multiple translations; the versions used here were selected for clarity and resonance with the themes of this work.
• Widely Attributed Sayings: Certain quotations (for example, from Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa) are widely circulated and attributed, though their exact textual origins may be debated. They are included here in the spirit of their moral truth and alignment with the principle of unconditional service.
• Scriptural Sources: Quotations from the Bible and the Dhammapada are cited in standard chapter and verse or traditional form.
• Contemporary Accounts: The story of Mujey Dumbuya is drawn from personal experience and supplemented with public reporting from news sources.
Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of attribution while maintaining the flow of a reflective and devotional narrative.
“May your life be a river of service, asking nothing, giving everything…”
About the Author of this Booklet
“All healing is teaching, and all teaching is healing.”
“To heal is to teach the body and soul to remember their wholeness, and to teach is to lead the heart and mind toward the light of truth, for every true doctor is both a healer and a teacher, and in their hands, healing and teaching are one.” Dr. Gregory Lawton
It was the summer of 1976, a bright and sunlit Sunday afternoon at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. I had been a member of the Bahá’í Faith for many years by then, my life shaped by its teachings and my heart devoted to its principles. But nothing could have prepared me for the encounter that day, a meeting that would chart the course of my life’s work.
Within the cool, quiet spaces of that sacred place, I was blessed to meet the Hand of the Cause of God, Mr. Zikrullah Khadem. His presence was at once gentle and commanding, carrying both the warmth of deep compassion and the weight of spiritual authority. We spoke, and in that conversation, he encouraged me to pursue the study of traditional medicine, to honor the spiritual foundations of healing, and to fulfill the divine injunction given to Bahá’ís: to advance the science of medicine and to use food and herbs in the treatment of illness.
His words did not simply inform me, they rooted themselves in my soul. They became a guiding light, a call to service that would illuminate every step of my professional journey. I have never forgotten them.
As the Báb Himself has written:
“God hath ordained for every illness a cure. The science of medicine should be studied with due regard to the directions given by the Supreme Pen. Its aim should be the healing of disease, and it must be based on the use of foods. The day is approaching when the science of medicine will be so improved as to eliminate the use of drugs, for various diseases will be treated with foods.” - The Báb, quoted in Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 156
That teaching, combined with the powerful legacy of Mr. Khadem’s encouragement, became the seed from which the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences would grow.
When I reflect on that day in Wilmette, I know it was not simply a meeting. It was a calling. It shaped the Academy’s founding vision, to teach and practice healing arts inspired by the Bahá’í principles of compassion, knowledge, justice, and unity. For more than 55years of private practice and for forty-five years, the Academy has carried forward that vision, offering education and care rooted in a spiritual understanding of health.
At the heart of our mission is a principle drawn from the life and teachings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: unconditional service. This is service without expectation, without hidden motive, without seeking reward. It is given freely, offered with love, grounded in the belief that every human being is a temple of the divine.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá exemplified this sacred standard. He served the poor and the wealthy alike, the faithful and the faithless, the rulers of the world and the most forgotten souls in the street, without judgment, without condition. In His own words:
“To consider a man your enemy and love him is hypocrisy… Look upon him with the eye of friendship… Do not simply be longsuffering; nay, rather, love him.” - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 267
He also warned that to serve for the sake of religious conversion is hypocrisy. These are clear and uncompromising words. They remind us that true service is not a strategy. It is a sacred duty, not a means to gain followers, but a reflection of love for God and humanity. When service is given for love’s sake alone, it becomes a healing balm for both the soul and society.
This is the tradition of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to see every act of care, kindness, and assistance as an offering to God. Whether we offer herbal medicine, education, therapy, or simple companionship, it is not the outcome that sanctifies the work, but the purity of intention and the constancy of love.
At the Blue Heron Academy, we call this tradition Building a Healing Community. It is more than a school, more than a clinic, more than a mission. It is a living expression of the Bahá’í principle of the oneness of humanity, a place where people of all backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs are welcomed, respected, and cared for without condition.
Building a Healing Community is our loving tradition of unconditional service, inspired by the example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and guided by the truth that service to others is service to God.
Unconditional service is more than an idea - it is a way of life. Inspired by the life and teachings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, this booklet is a meditation on humility, compassion, and the power of giving without expectation. Through stories, reflections, and poetic meditations, it explores servant leadership as the heart of healing communities and the promise of a new world. It is an invitation to walk the path of service - to give freely, to serve humbly, and to let love become the river that carries us all toward the Divine.
“Service is the soul of community and the promise of peace.”
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise - without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For permission requests, contact: Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences 2040 Raybrook Street SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 info@blueheronacademy.com www.blueheronacademy.com
This publication is intended for educational purposes only. The author and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.
