April 2, 1912 "Hands" of God

Notice the yellow rose. . . 

The ninth day on board ship. 'Abdu'l-Bahá continues His discourse from the day before about the clergy, then gives a beautiful description of the Hands of the Cause and, more generally, those who are the "hands" of God--a station to which we could all aspire!  Oh--but it takes self-effacement.  Hm. . . . But the promise of assistance is a lure.  What a dance these matters provide! And then there is the distinction between the soul and spirit.  Will we ever "get" all that the Master imparts along this journey? 

Mahmúd writes:  Tuesday, April 2, 1912  [aboard the Cedric]

The Master again spoke on the subject of the spiritual illness and self-serving motives of the heads of various religions. One of the friends asked Him about the leaders and Hands of the Cause in this Dispensation. He said:

The Blessed Perfection has extirpated superstitions, root and branch. The Hands of the Cause in this dispensation are not heirs to any name or title; rather, they are sanctified souls, the rays of whose holiness and spirituality throw light on the hearts of all. Hearts are attracted by the beauty of their morals, the sincerity of their intentions, and their sense of equity and justice. Souls are involuntarily enamored of their praiseworthy morals and laudable attributes. Faces turn in spontaneous attraction to their outstanding qualities and actions. `Hand of the Cause' is not a title that may be awarded to whomever it may please to have it, nor is it a chair of honor upon which whoever wishes may sit. The Hands of the Cause are the hands of God. Therefore, whomsoever is the servant and promoter of the Word of God, he is the hand of God. The object is a matter of the spirit and not one of letters or words. The more self-effacing one is, the more assisted he is in the Cause of God; and the more meek and humble, the nearer he is to God.

`Abdu'l-Bahá took His midday meal in His cabin. In the afternoon He invited the believers and the Western ladies for tea in the library, serving them tea and sweets. He then spoke to them about various types of transportation such as ships, trains, carriages and so on. `They are', He said, `good for long and tedious journeys; but for recreation and holiday trips, horseback riding in the spring season in the country, which is full of flowers and green foliage and sparkling waters, is the best of all, and gives a unique pleasure.' The friends also spoke about dirigibles and airplanes. `Abdu'l-Bahá said:

Those who have provided the means for transporting arms and ammunition and the instruments of wars and massacres on earth will do so in the air. There will come to exist such instruments as to cause all the means of destruction in the past to be looked upon as children's playthings.

At the table that night Mr Woodcock asked about the difference between the soul and the spirit. `Abdu'l-Bahá said:

The soul is a link between the body and the spirit. It receives bounties and virtues from the spirit and gives them to the body just as the outward senses carry to the inward senses what they receive from the outer world in order that it may remain deposited in the memory and may be made serviceable by man through his power.

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It is humbling to think about these matters and how we so often miss the assistance that could be ours were we more self-effacing.  Ah, the lessons are ample in each day of this journey!  What a surprise, the Master's description of the pleasure of horseback riding. We don't often think of Him in conjunction with recreation and holiday trips. The journey ahead, for example, will be so full of effort and teaching that it will exhaust Him!  When He does experience beautiful vistas He often voices a lament that Baha'u'llah could not see such sights.