Earl Redman writes:
The following day, 20 December, visitors again flocked to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. With Mr Lorge, a well-known English educator, He discussed America. Ahmad Sohrab wrote that he had ‘never seen ‘Abdu’l-Bahá so enthusiastic about the wonderful possibilities of America. “Europe”, He said, “is steeped in a sea of materialism. People are either agnostics or full of religious superstition.”’ Americans, said the Master, ‘are more spiritual, they seek the knowledge of God . . . In brief, they are a nation of independent investigators’. [i]
The following day, 20 December, visitors again flocked to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. With Mr Lorge, a well-known English educator, He discussed America. Ahmad Sohrab wrote that he had ‘never seen ‘Abdu’l-Bahá so enthusiastic about the wonderful possibilities of America. “Europe”, He said, “is steeped in a sea of materialism. People are either agnostics or full of religious superstition.”’ Americans, said the Master, ‘are more spiritual, they seek the knowledge of God . . . In brief, they are a nation of independent investigators’. [i]
Later
in the day, the Persian Ambassador, Mushíru’l-Mulk, came to visit the Master. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told
him about ‘winning
everlasting victories which will bring unfading glory to the peoples of the
East’. Dúst-Muhammad Khán, the son-in-law of Násiri’d-Din Sháh, the
arch-enemy of Bahá’u’lláh, also came to speak with the Master. He was very attached
to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and came as often as possible.[ii]
That
evening, it was time for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s first public talk since his arrival in
London. It took place at the Westminster Palace Hotel. According to Isabel
Fraser’s article in The Christian Commonwealth, it was ‘a remarkable
cosmopolitan gathering’ composed of scientists, diplomats, and leaders
of great movements of the day, including a number of Orientals. They had all
come to listen to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá talk about a topic that was ‘agitating many of the thinking minds of to-day – the vast
subject of Peace’. Sir Thomas Barclay introduced the Master by saying, ‘If I have understood Bahaism, it has a singularly good
Christian ring, and I should interpret it to mean: Be a real Christian and you
will be a good Bahaist. But I am merely presiding, not proselytizing. I am
proud to have been asked to preside at a meeting of those who have come
together to do honour to one who deserves it so richly’.[iii]
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
then proceeded to talk about love, describing how matter was made up of
‘constellations’ of molecules, each composed of atoms held together by the law
of affinity:
As in the material so in the spiritual
world, love is the attracting force that welds together the constituent
elements into a composite unity and holds them firm against disintegration . .
. Love is the cause of the illumination of whole of humanity; discord and
dissension are the cause of the destruction of the human race . . .
The
foundation of all religion as taught by all the divine messengers has been love
and affinity. A hundred thousand pities, alas, that the divine message has
become the means of warfare and strife! In the Balkans blood has been freely
and copiously shed, lives are being destroyed, houses are pillaged, cities are
razed to the ground – and all this through religious prejudice . . .[iv]
The Master had referred to the conflict in
the Balkans frequently during his American talks, and also spoke of it to the
newspaper reporters on his arrival in London. An international conference was
being held just then in London to try to negotiate a peace settlement, and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá took the opportunity of mentioning this:
I am very pleased that I am living in
London during these days. I supplicate that the conference may be crowned with
success . . .
As
the English government is a just Government, and as the British nation is a
noble nation and they accomplish what they undertake, it is my hope that in
this matter they will show their utmost wisdom and sagacity, so that the sun of
peace may dawn on the horizon of the Balkans . . . and whenever in the future
there is any difficult problem a conference may be called for its settlement,
for through these various conferences all the troubles of humanity may be
solved.[v]
The Master’s address was listened to ‘in tense silence’, and when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the end
of the meeting gave the blessing, ‘a deep hush fell on
the people’. After He had finished speaking, Mrs Despard, President of
the Women’s Freedom League, said a few words in appreciation; she was ‘perfectly convinced’ that everyone who had heard him
felt ‘deeply privileged to have had his presence here
in our western isle’. Hippolyte Dreyfus and Alice Buckton also spoke.
Alice
Buckton was a London Bahá’í who had spent much time
in America during the Master’s visit there. She was also a writer of poetry and
plays.
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