December 26-30, 1912 Hearts cemented together

During the week after Christmas, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a number of talks in His drawing room, speaking on the birth and advent of Christ and of the significance of baptism. He also walked in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. On 29 December, the Maharajah of Jhalawar, who was very devoted to the Master, visited. In the afternoon, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at the home of Miss Annie Gamble.[i] In the evening, He spoke at the King’s Weigh House Methodist Church. The Reverend E. W. Lewis introduced the Master and explained that the Bahá’í Faith was not ‘a new sect, and that it had not committed itself to any form of organisation; it was essentially a spiritual movement, very much on the lines of what Jesus wanted his movement to be’. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá entered, the whole congregation stood until He was at the chancel where He began to speak animatedly and impressively, the interpreter translating as the address proceeded. The Master appeared to be quite at home, pacing backwards and forwards in the intervals between sentences. ‘I praise God’, he began, ‘that a number of reverent souls are gathered in this congregation to serve the Almighty. Their hearts are cemented together. Their faces are joyous with the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God.'"

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[i] Balyuzi, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 352.

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We were in London (at Heathrow) today and now are suddenly in Edinburgh--and 'Abdu'l-Bahá is arriving here on Jan. 6 (in 1912).  Time to learn this part of the history!