The
next several days have a focus on peace, with a talk at the New York
Peace Society and then the conference at Lake Mohonk. But the Master
was not feeling well. Juliet Thompson notes, "The Master was really too
ill to have gone to this Conference. He had been in bed all morning,
suffering from complete exhaustion, and had a high temperature. I was
with Him all morning. While I was sitting beside Him I asked: 'Must You
go to the Hotel Astor when You are so ill?' 'I work by the confirmation
of the Holy Spirit,' He answered. 'I do not work by hygienic laws. If I
did,' He laughed, 'I would get nothing done.'" (Diary of Juliet Thompson, 285).
His
exhaustion must have related to the pace of His days. Mahmud notes:
"From morning until the afternoon there was a constant stream of
visitors and friends. Then the Master went to another meeting of the New
York Peace Society [at the Hotel Astor]. The moment He entered the
spacious hall of the Hotel Astor, the audience broke into such hearty cheers that the very walls of the building echoed. There were some two thousand people in the audience and when Mírzá Valíyu'lláh Khán-i-Varqá
and I wished to enter, there was no room. However, the Persian fezes we
wore were like crowns of honor and signs of respect. Whoever saw us
knew at once that we were the servants of His threshold and assisted us
to pass through the crowd until we reached `Abdu'l-Bahá so that we could
record His words.
Many
people welcomed `Abdu'l-Bahá with beautiful flowers of varying hues.
The beauty of this great peace congress and the eloquence of all the
speakers are tributes to `Abdu'l-Bahá.
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Anna Garlin Spencer
|
Mrs
[Anna Garlin] Spencer introduced `Abdu'l-Bahá, describing Him as the
Prophet of the East and the Messenger of Peace. Dr Grant spoke of the
calamities that had befallen the Master and His imprisonment for the
sake of establishing peace among the peoples of the world. The Consul General of Persia [Mr Topakyan] referred to `Abdu'l-Bahá as the Beauty of God and the Glory of the East. Professor
Jackson, who had visited Persia, said that peace, prosperity and
security would only be attained through this blessed Cause. The
president of the society [Dr Stephen S. Wise] then gave an explanation
of `Abdu'l-Bahá's name and welcomed Him most warmly. The Master stood and a great excitement rippled through the audience. Although
the Master was tired owing to His many speaking engagements and the
difficulties of the journey, and His voice was hoarse, He delivered an
incomparable speech. First He thanked the audience for its great love
and kindness. He then spoke about the problems associated with peace,
giving an explanation of some of the verses and commandments of
Bahá'u'lláh regarding unity and the oneness of humanity. The audience
was deeply moved.
In
the evening there was a meeting at `Abdu'l-Bahá's residence with people
from India and Japan. He spoke to them in detail, saying:
India
had a great civilization in former times. That civilization spread from
that part of Asia to Syria and Egypt; from Syria it was extended to
Greece from whence it found its way to Arabia and Spain. Again, from
Spain it spread over most of Europe. The world of man, however, has not
yet reached its maturity. The time will come when this material
civilization will be infused with divine civilization. Universal peace
will be realized and people will become angelic. That will be the time
of the world's maturity."
Any
one of these "scenes" mentioned merit more details and thoughtful
reflections: Juliet's kind personal attentions to the Master; the
stream of visitors; the dramatic cheers and introductions at the Peace
Society meeting; the gathering at His hotel of people from India and
Japan (how did they know to gather? Who was the catalyst for this
meeting? So many questions.)
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Anna Garlin Spencer
|
I
am curious about Anna Garlin Spenser, who introduced the Master. I
have heard of her but am not very familiar with the facets of her life.
From Wikipedia: Anna Garlin Spencer (1851–1931) was an American educator, feminist, and Unitarian minister.[1] Born in Attleboro, MA, she married the Rev. William H. Spencer in 1878. She was a leader in the women's suffrage and peace movements. In 1891 she became the first woman ordained as a minister in the state of Rhode Island.
In Providence she was commissioned to develop the Religious Society of
Bell Street Chapel which was to be devoted to the religious outlook of James Eddy.
She compiled Eddy’s views into a Bond of Union to which members of the
new society would subscribe. She was later associated with the New York Society for Ethical Culture (1903–1909) and the New York School of Philanthropy (1903–1913). In 1909, she signed onto the call to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.[2] Over
a long period she was a popular lecturer and wrote on social problems,
especially concerning women and family relations. Her writings include Woman's Share in Social Culture (1913)[3] and The Family and Its Members (1922)[4]. . . . In 1893, she spoke at the World Parliament of Religion during the Chicago Fair. In 1903, she became an associate leader of the NY Society for Ethical Culture.
Had she heard of the Faith at the WPR? The world of connections was astonishing. No wonder walls were echoing as `Abdu'l-Bahá made His entrances. . . .
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