About

Although my given names are John Barnabas, I am more usually known as Barney. I’ve been a Baha’i since I was 18 (in 1966) and my faith has shaped the whole of my adult life. I have been married since 1970; Erica and I have 3 grown-up children and four delightful grandchildren. The picture shows Maya, who is the youngest.

I started blogging because I was fascinated by the idea of being able to write and publish as I pleased online. I have been writing Barnabas Quotidianus for a couple of years now. The blog reflects what I wish to reveal of my life, my beliefs, my thoughts and my feelings.

I’ve been a Baha’i since I was 18 years old, back in 1966. My faith and my membership of the Baha’i community has shaped my entire adult life, the way I think, feel and - I hope - the way I behave. What I write in Barnabas Quotidianus comes from my perspective as a Baha’i. Being a Baha’i is not just a matter of assenting to some wonderful teachings; it is a lived experience that brings great joy into my life. Of course, as with any spiritual path or faith, to accept the spiritual discipline of striving to live according to the teachings of Baha’u'llah inevitably tests one’s weaknesses.

The striving and the overcoming - supported by prayer, by studying the sacred texts, by meditation, by fasting, by daily remembrance of God - are quite counter-cultural in the context of a materialistic society. They bring an inner peace and certitude that surpass any momentary pleasure that the acquisition of material goods could give.

I hope that Barnabas Quotidianus reflects some of the struggles and some of the joys of my life. I hope, too, that those who sacrifice some of their precious time to read my blog will find it in some measure pleasurable and perhaps even on occasion helpful.

You are welcome to leave comments on my posts. I am most happy with positive and constructive comments, but can live with critical comments as well. I shall not put up with gratuitously offensive (whether to me or to other people) comments - I will remove any such from the blog. This will not infringe your freedom of speech, since you are free to start your own blog at any time.

The material on this blog is, unless otherwise stated, copyright ©John Barnabas Leith