Here, we touch with that mystery that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá termed
“the secret of Divine civilization”. Increasingly, Bahá’ís will feel impelled
to consider the impact on Canadian consciousness of Shoghi Effendi’s messages
and the long term effects on the nation’s life. Prior to World War II it might
well have been impossible to identify a society more provincial, more resolutely
self-absorbed than that of Canada. Today, in its place, stands a nation for
whom a global perspective is the norm, that has established a perhaps
unparalleled record of service to the cause of international peacekeeping, and
that is justly renowned for its willingness to provide economic assistance
without attaching to it political or other conditions.
- Douglas Martin (28 February 1998, forward to ‘Messages to Canada’)