Paragraph 192

It is because of this difference in their station and mission that the words and utterances flowing from these Wellsprings of divine knowledge appear to diverge and differ. Otherwise, in the eyes of them that are initiated into the mysteries of divine wisdom, all their utterances are in reality but the expressions of one Truth. As most of the people have failed to appreciate those stations to which We have referred, they therefore feel perplexed and dismayed at the varying utterances pronounced by Manifestations that are essentially one and the same.

Wow. Twenty-two paragraphs on this theme, the two stations of the Manifestations, and it's going to be a bit tricky, we feel, to keep this in mind, but we'll do our best.

He begins by talking about "this difference", but which difference is He referring to? The "difference in their station and mission" as described in the previous paragraph, in which each One "fulfills a definite Mission". Because these Missions differ, and the circumstances of the day were different, it can seem as if the message is different, too. And note that He says they "appear to diverge and differ", not that they do. They only appear to.

So what does this mean? Can we think of an example? Fortunately, we don't have to. Baha'u'llah already did, way back in paragraphs 54 and 55. Remember that story of Muhammad when He changed the Point of Adoration from Jerusalem to Mecca? This is a simple example of how He changed where we face when praying. A lot of people were thrown off by this. But, you see, the important thing is the prayer, not the direction. While it may appear to be different, the law of prayer is still the same basic law.

Another example is found in raising a child. You don't tell the hyperactive child to be more assertive. You tell them to calm down. And you don't tell the child who is always being bullied to calm down. You tell them to be more assertive.

Although the message appears to be different, in reality they are the same. Both of these messages help the child move towards a more moderate attitude.

Similarly, the Messages of the Manifestations may appear to differ, yet they "are in reality but the expressions of one Truth".

But let's not think this is easy. After all, imagine you went to the doctor with a headache, and they prescribed some aspirin. Later on, you have a stomachache and remember that the aspirin helped your pain earlier, but you need a new prescription. Since the first doctor has moved away, you end up seeing someone new. The problem, though, is that this new doctor prescribes something different. Why, you may wonder. Your last doctor prescribed that aspirin and it worked. Why should you take this new medicine? Well, this time, since your ailment is different, the aspirin would just make you more ill. Having been trained, your doctor knows this, but you might not. It would be so easy to become confused, and question the new doctor.

This is similar to what Baha'u'llah is saying.

If we do not understand the station of the doctor, we may not trust the second one. This is why we might become "perplexed and dismayed". But if we understand their station, their training, and perhaps even the fact that our illness is now different, then we would follow the new prescription without question.

Another phrase that stands out for us in this paragraph is the phrase "initiated into the mysteries". While we often think  of the word "initiate", in this context, to mean being brought into a group that understands some obscure knowledge, it also has the implication of beginning an endeavour. Here, the obscure knowledge might just be these two stations Baha'u'llah has unveiled to our eyes, and we really are only beginning to understand it. As we come to a better understanding of these two stations, our understanding of the similarity of their messages will also grow. All this brings us back to paragraph 75, where He said, "Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of malice, thou wouldst... discover the mysteries of divine knowledge."

The next question is how can we appreciate those stations to which He has referred? Here, we might want to look at the definition of "appreciate", which means "to understand fully, to recognize the full worth of". We often think of it in terms of being grateful, but that is the result of recognizing the full worth of something. 

With that in mind, we can understand His statement reading more like, "most of the people have not fully recognized those two stations of the Messengers". This is why so many of us are "perplexed and dismayed". We try to apply a good remedy to the wrong illness. But the more that we understand that second station, that of distinction, especially in light of their essential unity, the more we will recognize the value of those commands that appear to differ. They are solely due to the time in which they were revealed, and the social illnesses they are trying to heal.

As Baha'u'llah says, "The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy.