To Serve

So, you wish to be His servant? Good. A job that gets well-paid.
There are some requirements, I hope you’ve come prepared.
No recommendation needed, but your CV must be top grade.
Just give your personal data and fill out the questionnaire.

As soon as possible, please, we’re getting many applications.
Though certain posts are taken, there’s lots of work to do.
You may not get the placement that corresponds to your vocation
But adaptation is essential, the applicant must follow through.

Now the questionnaire is simple, check the box which best explains
Why you want the job. We need to know your aims.
Is it to glorify His Word, or for your own gratification?
Perhaps for prestige? Proximity brings admiration.

Of the following statements, which one best applies?
One should be free: to control, to decide, to accompany, to wield,
To manage, to manipulate, to be in charge, to patronize.
The response should indicate ones experience in the field.

The following requirements must appear in your dossier:
A heart that has been purged of all pretense, not a trace.
This is His home, so it must be kept spotless every day.
No enemy must breach the sacred threshold of this place.

A mind that has been voided of conceits and self-concern,
Fixed upon the means to rehabilitate and care
For the fortunes of mankind, to cleanse their souls and help them learn,
To liberate potential and to make them more aware.

Your record must include at least a sample of what’s below:
Good behavior and a virtuous life, some evidence of these.
At least one pure and holy deed you’ve done to let us know
That your character is apt to win the goals you must achieve.

Even if you fall short, on the job you’ll get your training.
Service has been compared to the plowing of a field.
Painful as it sounds, it’s the only way remaining
To prepare the hardened ground, guarantee the soul its yield.

Now you probably want to know what’s offered in return
The Master has replied that there is no remuneration.
But you will receive the greatest gift found anywhere on earth:
To cheer the heart of another man is more than compensation.

Service also includes some extraordinary benefits.
Its strong magnetic force will attract confirmation
From triumphant hosts on high, rushing in to admit you
To the precincts of His wisdom and divine inspiration.

A righteous act of service has the power to set you free.
It can elevate the dust of earth and carry it beyond,
Restore the power spent and renew your energy,
In one mystic motion tear asunder every bond.

If you’re having second thoughts, it might be fitting to recall
What the Master said of servitude. There is no higher station.
He pledged that < servant > is the only title worthy of regard.
He preferred it to all others, it was His only exaltation.

Speaking of the faithful servant, Nabíl-i-Akbar,
The Master said, all earthly glory will end in degradation,
That penury awaits those who seek wealth outside His Cause,
That ease and comfort in this world bring woe and consternation.

You’ll be called to any action the Provider might select.
Whatever you be asked to do, embrace it unreservedly
As if it were a treasure you’ve been commissioned to protect.
Be assured, it will be become your well-earned legacy.