".....although bodily cleanliness is a physical thing, it hath, nevertheless, a powerful influence on the life of the Spirit. Abdul Baha.

We should always try to keep ourselves and our homes clean and tidy. Cleanliness is pleasing to God. When things are clean, we feel better. Being clean also helps keep us from getting sick.

In the story below a clean little boy gets a special reward.

The Best Choice

One day, the people in the village were excited because the president was coming to their school. Everyone was busy cleaning the grounds and classrooms. The teachers were talking with the headmaster about which child should be chosen to give the school's gift to the President. The gift was a beautiful chair carefully made and decorated by the best Carpenter in the village.

Mr. Terfa thought that Rosa should be chosen because she had the best marks. Mrs. Amina said, Peter because he was the son of an important person in the village. Mr. Wale said that Steven should be chosen because he was the best athlete. Finally, Mrs. Chidinma offered the name of Idang. All the other teachers were surprised and asked, why Idang? Mrs. Chidinma said, " Every day Idang comes to school clean and neat with a smile on his face. What better way is there to honor our President? The teachers all agreed that he was the choice.

There is a wonderful quotation from the Kitab-i-Aqdas by Baha'u'llah on cleanliness which is so enlightening and practical to comprehend.

God hath enjoined upon you to observe the utmost cleanliness, to the extent of washing what is soiled with dust, let alone with hardened dirt and similar defilement. Fear Him, and be of those who are pure.

There is a great sense in maintaining cleanliness which is an essential part of healthy living because it is the cleanliness only which helps to improve our personality by keeping clean externally and internally.

Cleanliness

There is a beautiful story of Master Abdul Baha on cleanliness which is of vital importance to the subject of cleanliness with far-reaching implications.

He was the essence of cleanliness even as Baha'u'llah had taught this, for she found Him dazzling, spotlessly shining, from snowy turban-cloth to white snowy beard and long shining garment.

Although it was high noon, in Summer. His attired was crisp and fresh-looking, as though He had not been visiting the sick and in prison, and soiling for mankind since early morning. Often a delicious fresh rose was tucked in His belt.

The concept of cleanliness seems to be a coherent and practical one to grasp. We are told from an old Jewish tradition that cleanliness is next to Godliness. There is a verse I read from an old Jewish manuscript that encourages the need for the supplant to wear clean clothes whenever he is communing with God.

Looking at this from a layman's perspective in comparing a clean and unclean house. The freshness from a clean house is so beautiful and cool.

You cannot compare clean clothe and dirty clothes.

In one of the spaces where we were discussing the subject of cleanliness with my junior youth group. They all made a pact that since charity begins at home, they will ensure that they come to junior youth group meetings with a clean bath and clothes on.

The group of friends also agreed to be keeping the environment clean by sweeping it once every week.

The Friends agreed to be meeting twice every week to discuss and divide roles to act on the field.

At the end of the cleaning of their environment, they all come together to reflect on the fieldwork and plan for a better one. The Spirit of Universal Participation is key among the friends.

The meetings always start with prayers and end with prayer.

The parents in the neighborhood admired this quality so much that they can't wait to be part of the youngsters who are interested in building better communities.

This draws my attention to the fact that 'Rising awareness could be channeled into two opposite directions one leading to submission to the will of God and self-sacrificing service to humanity and the other leading to the prison of self and captivity.